A lullaby or cradle song, is a soothing song or…
Read the text aloud.
A lullaby or cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for children. The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies they are used to pass down cultural knowledge or tradition. Lullabies can be found in many countries, and have existed since ancient times.
Opens question #010448 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
A lullaby or cradle song,|is a soothing song or piece of music|that is usually played for children.‖The purposes of lullabies vary.|In some societies|they are used to pass down cultural knowledge or tradition.‖Lullabies can be found in many countries,|and have existed since ancient times.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 19–23 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| societies | so·CI·e·ties | /səˈsaɪətiz/ |
| tradition | tra·DI·tion | /trəˈdɪʃən/ |
| usually | U·su·al·ly | /ˈjuʒəwəli/ |
| existed | ex·IS·ted | /ɪɡˈzɪstəd/ |
| lullabies | LUL·la·bies | /ˈlʌləbaɪz/ |
| purposes | PUR·pos·es | /ˈpɝpəsəz/ |
50 words in 19–23 seconds, no numbers. Breathe after children and after tradition; the short sentence The purposes of lullabies vary. gets a full stop but only a short pause, and the final sentence runs on one breath.
Where marks are usually lost
First-syllable words: LUL·la·bies, PUR·pos·es, U·su·al·ly; second-syllable: so·CI·e·ties, tra·DI·tion, ex·IS·ted. The short sentence The purposes of lullabies vary. is easy to rush. Keep every plural: purposes, lullabies, societies, countries, times, and the -ed in played, used, existed.
General tip: ignore the stray comma after cradle song, and read A lullaby or cradle song is… as one smooth phrase.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 摇篮曲，又称催眠曲，是一种舒缓的歌曲或乐曲，通常为儿童播放。摇篮曲的用途各不相同。在一些社会中，它们被用来传承文化知识或传统。摇篮曲在许多国家都能找到，并且自古以来就已存在。
हिन्दी: लोरी या पालना गीत एक सुकून देने वाला गीत या संगीत का टुकड़ा है जो सामान्यतः बच्चों के लिए बजाया जाता है। लोरियों के उद्देश्य अलग-अलग होते हैं। कुछ समाजों में उनका उपयोग सांस्कृतिक ज्ञान या परंपरा को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए किया जाता है। लोरियाँ अनेक देशों में मिलती हैं और प्राचीन काल से मौजूद हैं।
नेपाली: लुल्लाबी अर्थात् कोक्रो गीत एक शान्त पार्ने गीत वा संगीतको टुक्रा हो जुन प्रायः बालबालिकाका लागि बजाइन्छ। लुल्लाबीका उद्देश्यहरू फरक-फरक हुन्छन्। केही समाजहरूमा तिनलाई सांस्कृतिक ज्ञान वा परम्परा हस्तान्तरण गर्न प्रयोग गरिन्छ। लुल्लाबी धेरै देशहरूमा पाइन्छन् र प्राचीन कालदेखि अस्तित्वमा छन्।
Tiếng Việt: Bài hát ru, hay khúc hát bên nôi, là một bài hát hoặc bản nhạc êm dịu thường được chơi cho trẻ em. Mục đích của các bài hát ru rất đa dạng. Ở một số xã hội, chúng được dùng để truyền lại kiến thức văn hóa hoặc truyền thống. Bài hát ru có ở nhiều nước và đã tồn tại từ thời cổ đại.
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.