Academic Reading Flashcards

How many text boxes must you typically arrange in a PTE Re-order Paragraphs task?

Answer: 4–5

PTE Re-order Paragraphs tasks usually present 4 to 5 scrambled text boxes to be placed in the correct order.

In a PTE passage, the author writes: 'Critics _______ the policy as shortsighted, while proponents hailed it as a pragmatic compromise.' Which word fits the blank?

Answer: dismissed

The contrast with 'proponents hailed it' indicates critics viewed the policy negatively — 'dismissed' conveys that negative reaction.

Which of the following best describes 'cohesion' in the context of PTE academic reading?

Answer: The grammatical and lexical links that connect sentences and paragraphs

Cohesion refers to the linguistic devices (pronouns, conjunctions, synonyms) that link parts of a text together.

A PTE reading passage on marine biology uses 'benthic zone' to describe a region. This term refers to:

Answer: The zone of the ocean floor and its immediate environment

The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water, including the sediment surface and subsurface layers.

For PTE Multiple-choice, choose single answer (Reading), what is the recommended first step when tackling the question?

Answer: Read the question first, then read the passage with that question in mind

Reading the question first focuses your attention on what information to look for as you read the passage.

A passage states: 'The renaissance of urban farming is _______ to technological advances in hydroponics and LED lighting.' Which word best fits?

Answer: attributable

Attributable means caused by or credited to, indicating technology drove the revival of urban farming.

In PTE Reading, discourse markers such as 'however,' 'furthermore,' and 'consequently' are especially useful for which task?

Answer: Re-order Paragraphs

Discourse markers signal logical relationships between paragraphs, making them key clues for determining correct paragraph order.