The Roman state was tested almost to destruction by the…
Read the text aloud.
The Roman state was tested almost to destruction by the defeat at Cannae by the Carthaginians led by Hannibal – and according to the historian Polybius, it was only what he called the “peculiar virtues” of the Roman constitution that allowed it to survive this crisis.
Opens question #010325 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
The Roman state was tested almost to destruction|by the defeat at Cannae by the Carthaginians led by Hannibal –‖and according to the historian Polybius,|it was only what he called the “peculiar virtues” of the Roman constitution‖that allowed it to survive this crisis.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 18–21 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| constitution | con·sti·TU·tion | /kɑnstəˈtuʃən/ |
| historian | hi·STO·ri·an | /hɪˈstɔriən/ |
| destruction | de·STRUC·tion | /dɪsˈtrʌkʃən/ |
| according | ac·COR·ding | /əˈkɔrdɪŋ/ |
| peculiar | pe·CU·liar | /pəˈkjuljɚ/ |
| hannibal | HAN·ni·bal | /ˈhænɪbəl/ |
46 words in 18–21 seconds, no numbers. Breathe after Hannibal (at the dash) and after constitution; short pauses after destruction and Polybius. Read Cannae, Carthaginians, Polybius at normal speed, without slowing.
Where marks are usually lost
Stress con·sti·TU·tion on the third syllable; hi·STO·ri·an, de·STRUC·tion, ac·COR·ding, pe·CU·liar on the second; HAN·ni·bal on the first. Hesitating before Carthaginians or Polybius breaks fluency. Keep -ed in tested, called, allowed and -s in Carthaginians, virtues.
General tip: The dash is a breath, not a full stop—keep the pitch up at Hannibal so the listener hears the sentence continue.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 罗马国家在坎尼战役中被汉尼拔率领的迦太基人击败，几乎濒临毁灭——据历史学家波利比乌斯所说，正是他所称的罗马政体的“独特美德”使其得以渡过这场危机。
हिन्दी: हैनिबल के नेतृत्व में कार्थेज के लोगों द्वारा कैने में हार से रोमन राज्य लगभग विनाश की कगार तक परखा गया – और इतिहासकार पॉलिबियस के अनुसार, केवल रोमन संविधान के वे “विशिष्ट गुण”, जैसा उन्होंने कहा, ही थे जिनसे वह इस संकट से उबर सका।
नेपाली: ह्यानिबलको नेतृत्वमा कार्थेजवासीहरूबाट क्यानीमा भएको पराजयले रोमन राज्यलाई लगभग विनाशको संघारसम्म परीक्षण गर्यो – र इतिहासकार पोलिबियसका अनुसार, रोमन संविधानका उनले भनेका “विशिष्ट गुण”हरूले मात्र यसलाई यो संकट पार गर्न सक्षम बनाए।
Tiếng Việt: Nhà nước La Mã đã bị thử thách gần như đến mức diệt vong bởi thất bại tại Cannae trước người Carthage do Hannibal chỉ huy – và theo sử gia Polybius, chính cái mà ông gọi là “những đức tính đặc biệt” của hiến pháp La Mã mới cho phép nó sống sót qua cuộc khủng hoảng này.
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.