PTE Academic — Pearson Test of English
Take the PTE Reading — Multiple Choice, Set 1: 20 multiple-choice questions (30 minutes) with instant scoring and a full answer review. Covers 20 PTE…
What this test covers
The first 5 questions of this test, with the correct answer and explanation.
Q1. Read the passage: Storing renewable energy Solar and wind power are now among the cheapest sources of electricity, but they share a weakness: they produce power only when the sun shines or the wind blows. To make them reliable, electricity grids need ways of storing surplus energy and releasing it when demand is high. Large lithium-ion batteries can respond within milliseconds and have become far cheaper over the past decade, yet they typically store energy for only a few hours. For longer periods, engineers are turning to other solutions, such as pumping water uphill into reservoirs and releasing it through turbines, or converting surplus electricity into hydrogen fuel. What is the main weakness of solar and wind power, according to the text?
Answer: A. They only produce power when conditions allow
Explanation: They produce power only when the sun shines or the wind blows.
Q2. Read the passage: Storing renewable energy Solar and wind power are now among the cheapest sources of electricity, but they share a weakness: they produce power only when the sun shines or the wind blows. To make them reliable, electricity grids need ways of storing surplus energy and releasing it when demand is high. Large lithium-ion batteries can respond within milliseconds and have become far cheaper over the past decade, yet they typically store energy for only a few hours. For longer periods, engineers are turning to other solutions, such as pumping water uphill into reservoirs and releasing it through turbines, or converting surplus electricity into hydrogen fuel. What does the text say about lithium-ion batteries?
Answer: A. They respond quickly but usually store energy for only a few hours
Explanation: They respond within milliseconds and are cheaper, but store energy for only a few hours.
Q3. Read the passage: Storing renewable energy Solar and wind power are now among the cheapest sources of electricity, but they share a weakness: they produce power only when the sun shines or the wind blows. To make them reliable, electricity grids need ways of storing surplus energy and releasing it when demand is high. Large lithium-ion batteries can respond within milliseconds and have become far cheaper over the past decade, yet they typically store energy for only a few hours. For longer periods, engineers are turning to other solutions, such as pumping water uphill into reservoirs and releasing it through turbines, or converting surplus electricity into hydrogen fuel. Which method of longer-term storage is mentioned?
Answer: A. Pumping water uphill into reservoirs
Explanation: Pumped water and hydrogen are given as longer-term options.
Q4. Read the passage: Storing renewable energy Solar and wind power are now among the cheapest sources of electricity, but they share a weakness: they produce power only when the sun shines or the wind blows. To make them reliable, electricity grids need ways of storing surplus energy and releasing it when demand is high. Large lithium-ion batteries can respond within milliseconds and have become far cheaper over the past decade, yet they typically store energy for only a few hours. For longer periods, engineers are turning to other solutions, such as pumping water uphill into reservoirs and releasing it through turbines, or converting surplus electricity into hydrogen fuel. The word "surplus" in the text means
Answer: C. extra
Explanation: Surplus energy is energy beyond what is needed at the time.
Q5. Read the passage: The tea trade Tea was drunk in China for centuries before it reached Europe in the early seventeenth century. At first it was an expensive luxury, but by the late eighteenth century it had become an everyday drink in Britain. This growing demand had far-reaching consequences. Because Britain bought large quantities of Chinese tea but sold relatively little to China in return, silver flowed out of the country. In the nineteenth century, British companies began growing tea in India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), partly to reduce this dependence on Chinese supplies. According to the text, when did tea become an everyday drink in Britain?
Answer: A. By the late eighteenth century
Explanation: It started as a luxury and was an everyday drink by the late 1700s.
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Q6. Read the passage: The tea trade Tea was drunk in China for centuries before it reached Europe in the early seventeenth century. At first it was an expensive luxury, but by the late eighteenth century it had become an everyday drink in Britain. This growing demand had far-reaching consequences. Because Britain bought large quantities of Chinese tea but sold relatively little to China in return, silver flowed out of the country. In the nineteenth century, British companies began growing tea in India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), partly to reduce this dependence on Chinese supplies. Why did silver flow out of Britain?
Q7. Read the passage: The tea trade Tea was drunk in China for centuries before it reached Europe in the early seventeenth century. At first it was an expensive luxury, but by the late eighteenth century it had become an everyday drink in Britain. This growing demand had far-reaching consequences. Because Britain bought large quantities of Chinese tea but sold relatively little to China in return, silver flowed out of the country. In the nineteenth century, British companies began growing tea in India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), partly to reduce this dependence on Chinese supplies. Why did British companies begin growing tea in India and Ceylon?
Q8. Read the passage: The tea trade Tea was drunk in China for centuries before it reached Europe in the early seventeenth century. At first it was an expensive luxury, but by the late eighteenth century it had become an everyday drink in Britain. This growing demand had far-reaching consequences. Because Britain bought large quantities of Chinese tea but sold relatively little to China in return, silver flowed out of the country. In the nineteenth century, British companies began growing tea in India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), partly to reduce this dependence on Chinese supplies. Which country was called Ceylon?
Q9. Read the passage: Endangered languages Linguists estimate that around 7,000 languages are spoken in the world today, but a large share of them have only a few thousand speakers, and many are no longer being learned by children. When a language disappears, the loss is not only of words. Languages contain detailed knowledge about local plants, animals and landscapes, as well as stories, songs and ways of thinking that may not exist anywhere else. Communities and researchers are trying to reverse this trend by recording older speakers, creating dictionaries and, most importantly, teaching the language to young people. What is the main idea of the text?
Q10. Read the passage: Endangered languages Linguists estimate that around 7,000 languages are spoken in the world today, but a large share of them have only a few thousand speakers, and many are no longer being learned by children. When a language disappears, the loss is not only of words. Languages contain detailed knowledge about local plants, animals and landscapes, as well as stories, songs and ways of thinking that may not exist anywhere else. Communities and researchers are trying to reverse this trend by recording older speakers, creating dictionaries and, most importantly, teaching the language to young people. According to the text, what is lost when a language disappears?
Q11. Read the passage: Endangered languages Linguists estimate that around 7,000 languages are spoken in the world today, but a large share of them have only a few thousand speakers, and many are no longer being learned by children. When a language disappears, the loss is not only of words. Languages contain detailed knowledge about local plants, animals and landscapes, as well as stories, songs and ways of thinking that may not exist anywhere else. Communities and researchers are trying to reverse this trend by recording older speakers, creating dictionaries and, most importantly, teaching the language to young people. Which effort does the text describe as most important?
Q12. Read the passage: Endangered languages Linguists estimate that around 7,000 languages are spoken in the world today, but a large share of them have only a few thousand speakers, and many are no longer being learned by children. When a language disappears, the loss is not only of words. Languages contain detailed knowledge about local plants, animals and landscapes, as well as stories, songs and ways of thinking that may not exist anywhere else. Communities and researchers are trying to reverse this trend by recording older speakers, creating dictionaries and, most importantly, teaching the language to young people. About how many languages are spoken in the world today, according to linguists?
Q13. Read the passage: Microplastics Microplastics are plastic fragments smaller than five millimetres. Some are manufactured at this size, such as the beads once common in cosmetics, while most result from larger items, including bottles and synthetic clothing, slowly breaking apart. These particles have been found in oceans, rivers, soil and even the air, and they have been detected in drinking water and seafood. Scientists do not yet fully understand their effects on human health, but laboratory studies suggest that some particles can carry harmful chemicals. As a result, several countries have banned plastic microbeads in cosmetics. How are microplastics defined in the text?
Q14. Read the passage: Microplastics Microplastics are plastic fragments smaller than five millimetres. Some are manufactured at this size, such as the beads once common in cosmetics, while most result from larger items, including bottles and synthetic clothing, slowly breaking apart. These particles have been found in oceans, rivers, soil and even the air, and they have been detected in drinking water and seafood. Scientists do not yet fully understand their effects on human health, but laboratory studies suggest that some particles can carry harmful chemicals. As a result, several countries have banned plastic microbeads in cosmetics. According to the text, where do most microplastics come from?
Q15. Read the passage: Microplastics Microplastics are plastic fragments smaller than five millimetres. Some are manufactured at this size, such as the beads once common in cosmetics, while most result from larger items, including bottles and synthetic clothing, slowly breaking apart. These particles have been found in oceans, rivers, soil and even the air, and they have been detected in drinking water and seafood. Scientists do not yet fully understand their effects on human health, but laboratory studies suggest that some particles can carry harmful chemicals. As a result, several countries have banned plastic microbeads in cosmetics. What does the text say about the health effects of microplastics?
Q16. Read the passage: Microplastics Microplastics are plastic fragments smaller than five millimetres. Some are manufactured at this size, such as the beads once common in cosmetics, while most result from larger items, including bottles and synthetic clothing, slowly breaking apart. These particles have been found in oceans, rivers, soil and even the air, and they have been detected in drinking water and seafood. Scientists do not yet fully understand their effects on human health, but laboratory studies suggest that some particles can carry harmful chemicals. As a result, several countries have banned plastic microbeads in cosmetics. What action have several countries taken?
Q17. Read the passage: Working from home The rapid shift to working from home in 2020 gave researchers an unexpected natural experiment. Early studies produced mixed results. Some found that employees working from home were more productive, partly because they no longer spent time commuting and faced fewer interruptions. Others found that collaboration and the training of new staff suffered without face-to-face contact. As a result, many organisations have adopted hybrid arrangements, in which employees spend part of the week in the office and part at home, hoping to combine the advantages of both. Why does the text call the 2020 shift a "natural experiment"?
Q18. Read the passage: Working from home The rapid shift to working from home in 2020 gave researchers an unexpected natural experiment. Early studies produced mixed results. Some found that employees working from home were more productive, partly because they no longer spent time commuting and faced fewer interruptions. Others found that collaboration and the training of new staff suffered without face-to-face contact. As a result, many organisations have adopted hybrid arrangements, in which employees spend part of the week in the office and part at home, hoping to combine the advantages of both. According to the text, why were some home workers more productive?
Q19. Read the passage: Working from home The rapid shift to working from home in 2020 gave researchers an unexpected natural experiment. Early studies produced mixed results. Some found that employees working from home were more productive, partly because they no longer spent time commuting and faced fewer interruptions. Others found that collaboration and the training of new staff suffered without face-to-face contact. As a result, many organisations have adopted hybrid arrangements, in which employees spend part of the week in the office and part at home, hoping to combine the advantages of both. What problem with working from home is mentioned?
Q20. Read the passage: Working from home The rapid shift to working from home in 2020 gave researchers an unexpected natural experiment. Early studies produced mixed results. Some found that employees working from home were more productive, partly because they no longer spent time commuting and faced fewer interruptions. Others found that collaboration and the training of new staff suffered without face-to-face contact. As a result, many organisations have adopted hybrid arrangements, in which employees spend part of the week in the office and part at home, hoping to combine the advantages of both. What is a hybrid arrangement, according to the text?