While far fewer people these days write letters and therefore…
Read the text aloud.
While far fewer people these days write letters and therefore have less use for stamps, there are still a few categories of stamps which attract collectors. Stamps in common use for an indefinite period - until the price goes up - are called "definitive" issues, while a more collectible type of stamp is the "commemorative" issue, honoring people, events and anniversaries.
Opens question #010254 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
While far fewer people these days write letters|and therefore have less use for stamps,‖there are still a few categories of stamps|which attract collectors.‖Stamps in common use for an indefinite period|- until the price goes up -|are called "definitive" issues,‖while a more collectible type of stamp|is the "commemorative" issue,‖honoring people, events and anniversaries.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Words to stress correctly
| anniversaries | an·ni·VER·sa·ries | /ænəˈvɝsɚiz/ |
| commemorative | com·MEM·ora·tive | /kəˈmɛmrətɪv/ |
| collectible | col·LEC·ti·ble | /kəˈlɛktəbəl/ |
| indefinite | in·DEF·i·nite | /ɪnˈdɛfənət/ |
| definitive | de·FIN·i·tive | /dɪˈfɪnɪtɪv/ |
| categories | CAT·e·go·ries | /ˈkætəɡɔriz/ |
61 words, aim for 23–28 seconds. No numbers. Breathe after stamps, collectors, issues and issue; take a short pause around the dash phrase until the price goes up.
Where marks are usually lost
Stress de·FIN·i·tive and com·MEM·ora·tive on the second syllable, CAT·e·go·ries on the first. Don't hesitate before indefinite or anniversaries. Keep the final -s on letters, stamps, collectors, issues, events.
General tip: the dash phrase is an aside — drop your pitch slightly, then return to normal pitch on are called.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 如今写信的人少得多，因此对邮票的需求也减少了，但仍有几类邮票吸引着收藏者。在不定期限内（直到价格上涨前）通用的邮票被称为「普通邮票」，而更具收藏价值的一类是「纪念邮票」，用于纪念人物、事件和周年纪念日。
हिन्दी: आज बहुत कम लोग पत्र लिखते हैं और इसलिए डाक टिकटों की ज़रूरत कम है, फिर भी कुछ श्रेणियों के टिकट संग्राहकों को आकर्षित करते हैं। अनिश्चित अवधि तक—कीमत बढ़ने तक—सामान्य उपयोग में रहने वाले टिकट 'डेफिनिटिव' कहलाते हैं, जबकि अधिक संग्रहणीय प्रकार 'स्मारक' टिकट है, जो लोगों, घटनाओं और वर्षगाँठों का सम्मान करता है।
नेपाली: आजभोलि धेरै कम मानिस पत्र लेख्छन् र त्यसैले टिकटको प्रयोग घटेको छ, तैपनि केही प्रकारका टिकटहरू संग्रहकर्ताहरूलाई आकर्षित गर्छन्। अनिश्चित अवधिसम्म—मूल्य नबढुन्जेल—सामान्य प्रयोगमा रहने टिकटलाई 'डेफिनिटिभ' भनिन्छ, जबकि बढी संग्रहयोग्य प्रकार 'स्मारक' टिकट हो, जसले व्यक्ति, घटना र वार्षिकोत्सवहरूको सम्मान गर्छ।
Tiếng Việt: Ngày nay số người viết thư ít hơn nhiều nên nhu cầu tem giảm, nhưng vẫn có vài loại tem thu hút người sưu tập. Tem dùng phổ biến trong thời gian không xác định — cho đến khi giá tăng — gọi là tem 'phổ thông', còn loại đáng sưu tập hơn là tem 'kỷ niệm', tôn vinh con người, sự kiện và các ngày kỷ niệm.
More Read Aloud questions
Read Aloud format (Pearson)
| Prompt | Text up to 60 words |
|---|---|
| Preparation | 30–40 seconds |
| Time to answer | Depends on the length of the text |
| Skills assessed | Speaking |
| Scored on | Content; Pronunciation; Oral fluency |
How it is scored
- Content is scored by counting the correct words in your response.
- If you stay silent for more than 3 seconds, the recording stops.
- You can record your response only once.
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic & UKVI test format, Part 1: Speaking & Writing, checked 9 October 2026.