The Classic Era of Mayan came to an end around…
Read the text aloud.
The Classic Era of Mayan came to an end around 900 AD. Why this happened is unclear; the cities were probably over-farming the land, so that a period of drought led to famine. Recent geological research supports this, as there appears to have been a 200-year drought around this time.
Opens question #010485 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
The Classic Era of Mayan|came to an end around 900 AD.‖Why this happened is unclear;|the cities were probably over-farming the land,‖so that a period of drought|led to famine.‖Recent geological research supports this,|as there appears to have been a 200-year drought|around this time.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Aim for 19–23 seconds.
Words to stress correctly
| geological | ge·o·LOG·i·cal | /dʒiəˈlɑdʒɪkəl/ |
| probably | PROB·a·bly | /ˈprɑbəbli/ |
| research | re·SEARCH | /riˈsɝtʃ/ |
| supports | sup·PORTS | /səˈpɔrts/ |
| unclear | un·CLEAR | /ənˈklɪr/ |
| appears | ap·PEARS | /əˈpɪrz/ |
50 words, aim 19–23 seconds. 900 AD = 'nine hundred A D'; 200-year = 'two-hundred-year'. Breathe after 900 AD, after the land, after famine. The semicolon after unclear is only a short pause.
Where marks are usually lost
Stressing the first syllable of re·SEARCH, sup·PORTS, ap·PEARS, un·CLEAR — all stress the second. Dropping -s/-z in cities, supports, appears and -ed in happened. Hesitating before ge·o·LOG·i·cal or before 200-year.
General tip: say 'nine hundred A D' as one smooth unit, and keep drought a single syllable /draʊt/.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 玛雅的古典时代大约在公元900年结束。原因尚不清楚;这些城市很可能过度耕作土地,以致一段干旱期导致了饥荒。近期的地质研究支持这一观点,因为当时似乎发生过一场持续200年的干旱。
हिन्दी: माया का क्लासिक युग लगभग 900 ईस्वी में समाप्त हो गया। ऐसा क्यों हुआ यह अस्पष्ट है; शहर शायद ज़मीन पर अत्यधिक खेती कर रहे थे, जिससे सूखे की एक अवधि ने अकाल को जन्म दिया। हाल का भूवैज्ञानिक शोध इसका समर्थन करता है, क्योंकि लगता है कि उस समय लगभग 200 साल का सूखा पड़ा था।
नेपाली: माया सभ्यताको क्लासिक युग लगभग सन् ९०० तिर अन्त्य भयो। यस्तो किन भयो स्पष्ट छैन; सहरहरूले सम्भवतः जमिनमा अत्यधिक खेती गरिरहेका थिए, जसले गर्दा खडेरीको अवधिले अनिकाल ल्यायो। हालैको भूवैज्ञानिक अनुसन्धानले यसलाई समर्थन गर्छ, किनभने त्यस समयतिर लगभग २०० वर्ष लम्बिएको खडेरी परेको देखिन्छ।
Tiếng Việt: Thời kỳ Cổ điển của người Maya kết thúc vào khoảng năm 900 sau Công nguyên. Vì sao điều này xảy ra vẫn chưa rõ; các thành phố có lẽ đã canh tác đất quá mức, nên một thời kỳ hạn hán đã dẫn đến nạn đói. Nghiên cứu địa chất gần đây ủng hộ điều này, vì dường như đã có một đợt hạn hán kéo dài 200 năm vào khoảng thời gian đó.
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.