Mendeleev
Choose the word for each blank.
Uniquely stable, they seemed to participate in no chemical reactions. But by understanding the stability of the noble gases, physicists discovered the key to chemical bonding 1. Dmitri Mendeleev added the noble gases to his periodic table in 1902, where he arranged the elements in rows and columns 2 to their atomic weight. Mendeleev was able to see repeating (or periodic) patterns in their properties. The noble gases appeared 3 in the periodic table, occurring in every eighth position, at least amongst the lighter elements.
Options for each gap (alphabetical)
- 1 away · himself · itself · themselves
- 2 according · bond · contributing · need
- 3 abruptly · enormously · regularly · vividly
Opens question #120285 in the RealPTE practice screen.
More Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks questions
Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks format (Pearson)
Pearson's name: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)
| Prompt | Text up to 200 words |
|---|---|
| Time to answer | Not set per question (Part 2 lasts 23–30 minutes) |
| Skills assessed | Reading, Writing |
How it is scored
- Partial credit applies: a partly correct response still scores.
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic & UKVI test format, Part 2: Reading, checked 9 October 2026.