There were various explanations for volcano behaviour before the structure…
Read the text aloud.
There were various explanations for volcano behaviour before the structure of the earth's mantle as a semisolid material was developed. For decades, awareness that compression and radioactive materials may be heat sources was discounted and volcanic action was often attributed to chemical reactions and a thin layer of molten rock near the surface.
Pause plan and hard words
Pause plan (/ short pause, // longer pause)
There were various explanations for volcano behaviour / before the structure of the earth's mantle / as a semisolid material was developed. // For decades, / awareness that compression and radioactive materials / may be heat sources / was discounted / and volcanic action was often attributed to chemical reactions / and a thin layer of molten rock near the surface.
53 words. Breathe after the full stop that ends the first sentence; the second sentence is long, so take a quick breath before 'and volcanic action'. There are no numbers to read.
Words to practise
| Word | Stress |
|---|---|
| explanations | ex·pla·NA·tions |
| semisolid | sem·i·SOL·id |
| compression | com·PRES·sion |
| radioactive | ra·di·o·AC·tive |
| attributed | at·TRIB·ut·ed |
| molten | MOL·ten |
RealPTE numbers
- 5 students practised this question on RealPTE
- In this week's prediction list
From RealPTE practice records and students’ “I sat this” reports, counted weekly (last count 2026-10-21). Reports are what students tell us; predictions are not guaranteed.
Questions about this question
What is the answer to PTE Read Aloud #731002?
Read it in sense groups: pause briefly at the single slashes and a little longer at the double slashes in the plan above. Practise explanations, semisolid, compression, radioactive first.
How do I get full marks on this Read Aloud question?
Read every word as written, pause at the sense-group boundaries and stress the right syllables. Content counts the words you read correctly; fluency and pronunciation are scored too.
Can I practise #731002 with scoring?
Yes. The practice button on this page opens question #731002 in the RealPTE practice screen, where your answer is scored when you finish.
Opens question #731002 in the RealPTE practice screen.
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.