Every few seconds, our eyelids automatically shutter and our eyeballs…
Read the text aloud.
Every few seconds, our eyelids automatically shutter and our eyeballs roll back in their sockets. So why doesn't blinking plunge us into intermittent darkness and light? New research shows that the brain works extra hard to stabilize our vision despite our fluttering eyes. When our eyeballs roll back in their sockets during a blink, they don't always return to the same spot when we reopen our eyes.
Opens question #010441 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
Every few seconds,|our eyelids automatically shutter|and our eyeballs roll back in their sockets.‖So why doesn't blinking plunge us into intermittent darkness and light?‖New research shows that the brain works extra hard|to stabilize our vision despite our fluttering eyes.‖When our eyeballs roll back in their sockets during a blink,‖they don't always return to the same spot|when we reopen our eyes.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 26–30 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| automatically | au·to·MAT·i·cally | /ɔtəˈmætɪkli/ |
| intermittent | in·ter·MIT·tent | /ɪntɚˈmɪtənt/ |
| reopen | re·O·pen | /riˈoʊpən/ |
| fluttering | FLUT·ter·ing | /ˈflʌtɚɪŋ/ |
| stabilize | STA·bi·lize | /ˈsteɪbəlaɪz/ |
| research | re·SEARCH | /riˈsɝtʃ/ |
67 words, aim 26–30 seconds; no numbers. Breathe after sockets (both times), after light, after fluttering eyes and after blink; short pauses after seconds, shutter, extra hard and same spot.
Where marks are usually lost
Mis-stressing au·to·MAT·i·cally or in·ter·MIT·tent. Flattening the question—light? needs a clear rise. Dropping endings in eyelids, eyeballs, sockets, shows, works.
General tip: Say doesn't and don't as written—don't expand them to "does not" or "do not".
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 每隔几秒钟,我们的眼皮会自动闭合,眼球在眼窝中向后转动。那么,为什么眨眼不会让我们陷入断断续续的黑暗与光明之中呢?新研究表明,尽管我们的眼睛不停颤动,大脑仍会格外努力地稳定我们的视觉。当眨眼时眼球在眼窝中向后转动,再次睁开眼睛时它们并不总是回到同一位置。
हिन्दी: हर कुछ सेकंड में हमारी पलकें अपने आप बंद होती हैं और हमारी आँखों की पुतलियाँ अपने गड्ढों में पीछे की ओर घूम जाती हैं। तो पलक झपकाना हमें रुक-रुक कर आने वाले अंधेरे और रोशनी में क्यों नहीं डुबो देता? नया शोध दिखाता है कि हमारी फड़फड़ाती आँखों के बावजूद मस्तिष्क हमारी दृष्टि को स्थिर रखने के लिए अतिरिक्त मेहनत करता है। जब पलक झपकने के दौरान पुतलियाँ पीछे घूमती हैं, तो आँखें फिर खोलने पर वे हमेशा उसी जगह वापस नहीं आतीं।
नेपाली: हरेक केही सेकेन्डमा हाम्रा परेला आफैँ बन्द हुन्छन् र हाम्रा आँखाका डल्ला आँखाको खोपिल्टोमा पछाडि घुम्छन्। त्यसो भए आँखा झिम्क्याउँदा हामी किन रोकिँदै आउने अँध्यारो र उज्यालोमा डुब्दैनौँ? नयाँ अनुसन्धानले देखाउँछ कि हाम्रा चल्ने आँखाका बाबजुद मस्तिष्कले हाम्रो दृष्टि स्थिर राख्न थप मिहिनेत गर्छ। झिम्काइको बेला आँखाका डल्ला पछाडि घुमेपछि, हामीले आँखा फेरि खोल्दा तिनीहरू सधैँ उही ठाउँमा फर्कंदैनन्।
Tiếng Việt: Cứ vài giây một lần, mí mắt chúng ta tự động khép lại và nhãn cầu đảo ngược vào trong hốc mắt. Vậy tại sao việc chớp mắt không khiến chúng ta rơi vào trạng thái tối–sáng ngắt quãng? Nghiên cứu mới cho thấy bộ não làm việc cật lực để ổn định thị giác của chúng ta bất chấp đôi mắt luôn chớp động. Khi nhãn cầu đảo ngược vào hốc mắt trong lúc chớp, chúng không phải lúc nào cũng trở về đúng vị trí cũ khi ta mở mắt lại.
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.