There were two types of soldier in the Roman Army…
Read the text aloud.
There were two types of soldier in the Roman Army: the roman legionary and the auxiliaries. The legionaries were the very best soldiers and the auxiliaries were actually non-Roman citizens. Legionaries wore an undershirt made of linen and a woollen tunic. The linen helped the soldiers to stay cool while the wool helped to trap heat, keeping the soldiers warm.
Opens question #010391 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
There were two types of soldier in the Roman Army:‖the Roman legionary|and the auxiliaries.‖The legionaries were the very best soldiers|and the auxiliaries were actually non-Roman citizens.‖Legionaries wore an undershirt made of linen|and a woollen tunic.‖The linen helped the soldiers to stay cool|while the wool helped to trap heat,|keeping the soldiers warm.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Words to stress correctly
| legionaries | LE·gion·ar·ies | /ˈlidʒənɛriz/ |
| non-roman | non-·RO·man | /nɑnˈroʊmən/ |
| actually | AC·tu·al·ly | /ˈæktʃuəli/ |
| undershirt | UN·der·shirt | /ˈʌndɚʃɝt/ |
| citizens | CIT·i·zens | /ˈsɪtəzənz/ |
60 words, aim for 23–27 seconds. No numbers except the word "two". Breathe after Army, auxiliaries, citizens, tunic; short pauses after legionary, soldiers, linen, cool and heat.
Where marks are usually lost
Stress LE·gion·ar·ies (said three times), non-·RO·man, AC·tu·al·ly, UN·der·shirt, CIT·i·zens. Keep plural -s on types, legionaries, auxiliaries, soldiers, citizens and -ed on helped.
General tip: practise legionaries and auxiliaries aloud before you start; they return, so a stumble costs you more than once.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 罗马军队中有两类士兵：罗马军团士兵和辅助兵。军团士兵是最精锐的士兵，而辅助兵实际上是非罗马公民。军团士兵穿亚麻内衣和羊毛束腰外衣。亚麻帮助士兵保持凉爽，而羊毛帮助锁住热量，让士兵保暖。
हिन्दी: रोमन सेना में दो प्रकार के सैनिक थे: रोमन लीजनरी और सहायक सैनिक। लीजनरी सबसे अच्छे सैनिक थे और सहायक सैनिक वास्तव में गैर-रोमन नागरिक थे। लीजनरी लिनन की बनी अंडरशर्ट और ऊनी ट्यूनिक पहनते थे। लिनन सैनिकों को ठंडा रहने में मदद करता था जबकि ऊन गर्मी रोककर सैनिकों को गर्म रखता था।
नेपाली: रोमन सेनामा दुई प्रकारका सिपाही थिए: रोमन लिजनरी र सहायक सिपाहीहरू। लिजनरीहरू सबैभन्दा उत्कृष्ट सिपाही थिए र सहायकहरू वास्तवमा गैर-रोमन नागरिक थिए। लिजनरीहरूले लिनेनको भित्री कमिज र ऊनी ट्युनिक लगाउँथे। लिनेनले सिपाहीहरूलाई शीतल रहन मद्दत गर्थ्यो भने ऊनले ताप रोकेर सिपाहीहरूलाई न्यानो राख्थ्यो।
Tiếng Việt: Quân đội La Mã có hai loại binh sĩ: lính lê dương La Mã và lính phụ trợ. Lính lê dương là những binh sĩ giỏi nhất, còn lính phụ trợ thực ra là những người không phải công dân La Mã. Lính lê dương mặc áo lót bằng vải lanh và áo tunic bằng len. Vải lanh giúp binh sĩ mát mẻ, còn len giữ nhiệt, giúp binh sĩ ấm áp.
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.