Invaders, pirates, warriors - the history books taught us that…
Read the text aloud.
Invaders, pirates, warriors - the history books taught us that Vikings were brutal predators who travelled by sea from Scandinavia to pillage and raid their way across Europe and beyond. Now cutting-edge DNA sequencing of more than 400 Viking skeletons from archaeological sites scattered across Europe and Greenland will rewrite the history book.
Opens question #010356 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
Invaders,|pirates,|warriors -|the history books taught us that Vikings were brutal predators‖who travelled by sea from Scandinavia|to pillage and raid their way across Europe and beyond.‖Now cutting-edge DNA sequencing of more than 400 Viking skeletons‖from archaeological sites scattered across Europe and Greenland|will rewrite the history book.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 20–24 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| archaeological | ar·chae·o·LOG·i·cal | /ɑrkiəˈlɑdʒɪkəl/ |
| scandinavia | scan·di·NA·vi·a | /skændɪˈneɪviə/ |
| invaders | in·VAD·ers | /ɪnˈveɪdɚz/ |
| cutting-edge | CUT·ting-·edge | /ˈkʌtɪŋɛdʒ/ |
| sequencing | SE·quen·cing | /ˈsikwənsɪŋ/ |
| predators | PRED·a·tors | /ˈprɛdətɚz/ |
53 words, aim 20–24 seconds. One number: 400 = four hundred. Breathe after predators, beyond. and skeletons; the opening Invaders, pirates, warriors - takes three short pauses, then go straight into the history books.
Where marks are usually lost
Stress ar·chae·o·LOG·i·cal, Scan·di·NA·vi·a, in·VAD·ers, CUT·ting-edge, SE·quen·cing, PRED·a·tors. Say DNA as three letters. Keep -s on Vikings, skeletons, sites and -ed on travelled, scattered; don't freeze before archaeological.
General tip: archaeological is 'ar-kee-o-loj-i-kal'—the ch is /k/, not /tʃ/.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 入侵者、海盗、战士——历史书告诉我们，维京人是残暴的掠夺者，他们从斯堪的纳维亚乘船出海，一路洗劫和突袭欧洲各地乃至更远的地方。如今，对来自欧洲和格陵兰各处考古遗址的 400 多具维京人骸骨进行的尖端 DNA 测序，将改写历史书。
हिन्दी: आक्रमणकारी, समुद्री डाकू, योद्धा — इतिहास की किताबों ने हमें सिखाया कि वाइकिंग क्रूर शिकारी थे जो स्कैंडिनेविया से समुद्र के रास्ते आकर यूरोप और उससे आगे तक लूटपाट और हमले करते थे। अब यूरोप और ग्रीनलैंड में फैले पुरातात्विक स्थलों से मिले 400 से अधिक वाइकिंग कंकालों की अत्याधुनिक DNA सीक्वेंसिंग इतिहास की किताब फिर से लिखेगी।
नेपाली: आक्रमणकारी, समुद्री डाँका, योद्धा — इतिहासका किताबले हामीलाई सिकाए कि भाइकिङहरू क्रूर लुटेरा थिए जो स्क्यान्डिनेभियाबाट समुद्रमार्ग आएर युरोप र त्यसभन्दा पर लुटपाट र आक्रमण गर्दै हिँड्थे। अब युरोप र ग्रिनल्यान्डभरि छरिएका पुरातात्त्विक स्थलहरूबाट प्राप्त 400 भन्दा बढी भाइकिङ कङ्कालको अत्याधुनिक DNA अनुक्रमणले इतिहासको किताब पुनर्लेखन गर्नेछ।
Tiếng Việt: Kẻ xâm lược, hải tặc, chiến binh — sách sử dạy ta rằng người Viking là những kẻ săn mồi tàn bạo, đi biển từ Scandinavia để cướp phá và đột kích khắp châu Âu và xa hơn. Nay, việc giải trình tự DNA tối tân trên hơn 400 bộ xương Viking từ các di chỉ khảo cổ rải rác khắp châu Âu và Greenland sẽ viết lại sách sử.
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.