Modern science says: ‘The Sun is the past, the Earth…
Read the text aloud.
Modern science says: ‘The Sun is the past, the Earth is the present, the moon is the future.‘ From an incandescent mass we have originated, and into a frozen mass, we shall turn. Merciless is the law of nature, and rapidly and irresistibly we are drawn to our doom.
Opens question #010347 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
Modern science says:|‘The Sun is the past,|the Earth is the present,|the moon is the future.’‖From an incandescent mass we have originated,|and into a frozen mass,|we shall turn.‖Merciless is the law of nature,|and rapidly and irresistibly|we are drawn to our doom.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 19–22 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| irresistibly | ir·re·SIST·i·bly | /ɪrɪˈzɪstəbli/ |
| originated | o·RIG·i·nat·ed | /ɚˈɪdʒəneɪtəd/ |
| incandescent | in·can·DES·cent | /ɪnkənˈdɛsənt/ |
| merciless | MER·ci·less | /ˈmɝsələs/ |
| rapidly | RAP·id·ly | /ˈræpədli/ |
49 words in 19–22 seconds, so slightly slower and more deliberate than usual; no numbers. Breathe after future.’ and turn.; give the three short quoted clauses the same rhythm, with a small pause at each comma.
Where marks are usually lost
Front stress on MER·ci·less and RAP·id·ly; mid stress on in·can·DES·cent, o·RIG·i·nat·ed and ir·re·SIST·i·bly. Stumbling over the inverted opening Merciless is the law. Dropping endings in says, originated, drawn, frozen.
General tip: Merciless is the law of nature starts with the adjective, so stress Merciless firmly and let the rest of the clause run on without a pause.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 现代科学说：“太阳是过去，地球是现在，月球是未来。”我们起源于一团炽热发光的物质，也将化为一团冰冻的物质。自然法则是无情的，我们正迅速且不可抗拒地被拖向我们的末日。
हिन्दी: आधुनिक विज्ञान कहता है: 'सूर्य अतीत है, पृथ्वी वर्तमान है, चंद्रमा भविष्य है।' हम एक तप्त-दीप्त पिंड से उत्पन्न हुए हैं, और एक जमे हुए पिंड में बदल जाएँगे। प्रकृति का नियम निर्दयी है, और हम तेज़ी से तथा अप्रतिरोध्य रूप से अपने विनाश की ओर खींचे जा रहे हैं।
नेपाली: आधुनिक विज्ञान भन्छ: 'सूर्य विगत हो, पृथ्वी वर्तमान हो, चन्द्र भविष्य हो।' हामी एक तातो चम्किलो पिण्डबाट उत्पन्न भएका छौँ, र एक जमेको पिण्डमा परिणत हुनेछौँ। प्रकृतिको नियम निर्दयी छ, र हामी छिटो र अप्रतिरोध्य रूपमा आफ्नो विनाशतर्फ तानिँदैछौँ।
Tiếng Việt: Khoa học hiện đại nói: “Mặt Trời là quá khứ, Trái Đất là hiện tại, Mặt Trăng là tương lai.” Chúng ta sinh ra từ một khối vật chất nóng sáng, và sẽ biến thành một khối băng giá. Quy luật tự nhiên thật tàn nhẫn, và chúng ta đang bị kéo nhanh chóng, không thể cưỡng lại, về phía sự diệt vong của mình.
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.