Early in the 19th century, Wordsworth opposed the coming of…
Read the text aloud.
Early in the 19th century, Wordsworth opposed the coming of the steam train to the Lake District, saying it would destroy its natural character. Meanwhile, Blake denounced the "dark satanic mills" of the Industrial Revolution. The conservation of the natural environment, however, did not become a major theme in politics until quite recently.
Opens question #010321 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
Early in the 19th century,|Wordsworth opposed the coming of the steam train to the Lake District,‖saying it would destroy its natural character.|Meanwhile, Blake denounced the "dark satanic mills" of the Industrial Revolution.‖The conservation of the natural environment, however,|did not become a major theme in politics|until quite recently.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 20–24 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| conservation | con·ser·VA·tion | /kɑnsɚˈveɪʃən/ |
| environment | en·VI·ron·ment | /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/ |
| industrial | in·DUS·tri·al | /ɪnˈdʌstriəl/ |
| revolution | re·vo·LU·tion | /rɛvəˈluʃən/ |
| satanic | sa·TA·nic | /səˈtænɪk/ |
| however | how·E·ver | /haʊˈɛvɚ/ |
53 words in 20–24 seconds. Say 19th as “nineteenth”. Breathe after District and Revolution; short pauses after century, character and however. Lift the voice slightly on the quoted dark satanic mills.
Where marks are usually lost
Stress con·ser·VA·tion and re·vo·LU·tion on the third syllable; en·VI·ron·ment, in·DUS·tri·al, sa·TA·nic, how·E·ver on the second. Don't stall on Wordsworth or 19th. Keep -ed in opposed, denounced and -s in its, mills, politics.
General tip: nineteenth ends in /nθ/—tongue between the teeth for the last sound; don't let it collapse into “nineteen”.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 19世纪初，华兹华斯反对蒸汽火车进入湖区，称它会破坏湖区的自然风貌。与此同时，布莱克谴责工业革命的“黑暗撒旦磨坊”。然而，自然环境的保护直到最近才成为政治中的一个重要议题。
हिन्दी: 19वीं सदी के आरंभ में वर्ड्सवर्थ ने लेक डिस्ट्रिक्ट में भाप रेलगाड़ी के आने का विरोध किया, यह कहते हुए कि इससे उसका प्राकृतिक स्वरूप नष्ट हो जाएगा। इसी बीच ब्लेक ने औद्योगिक क्रांति की “अंधेरी शैतानी मिलों” की निंदा की। हालाँकि, प्राकृतिक पर्यावरण का संरक्षण हाल ही तक राजनीति का प्रमुख विषय नहीं बना।
नेपाली: 19औं शताब्दीको सुरुमा वर्ड्सवर्थले लेक डिस्ट्रिक्टमा भाप रेल आउनुको विरोध गरे, यसले त्यहाँको प्राकृतिक स्वरूप नष्ट गर्छ भन्दै। त्यसैबेला ब्लेकले औद्योगिक क्रान्तिका “अँध्यारा शैतानी मिलहरू” को निन्दा गरे। तर प्राकृतिक वातावरणको संरक्षण हालसालैसम्म राजनीतिको प्रमुख विषय बनेन।
Tiếng Việt: Đầu thế kỷ 19, Wordsworth phản đối việc đưa tàu hơi nước đến vùng Lake District, cho rằng nó sẽ hủy hoại đặc tính tự nhiên của nơi này. Trong khi đó, Blake lên án “những nhà máy đen tối quỷ quái” của Cách mạng Công nghiệp. Tuy nhiên, việc bảo tồn môi trường tự nhiên mãi đến gần đây mới trở thành một chủ đề lớn trong chính trị.
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.