Academic Reading Skills Flashcards
7 cards from real PTE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Academic Reading Skills flashcards as text
A PTE passage includes the sentence: 'The policy was met with equivocal responses from the public.' What does 'equivocal' mean in this context?
Answer: Mixed or ambiguous, open to multiple interpretations
Equivocal means ambiguous or open to more than one interpretation — the public neither fully supported nor opposed the policy.
In the PTE Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks task, which approach is most effective for selecting the correct word?
Answer: Consider grammar, meaning, and collocation with surrounding words
The correct word must fit grammatically, make logical sense in context, and collocate naturally with adjacent words.
A passage concludes: 'These findings challenge long-held assumptions about cognitive decline in aging populations.' The author's primary purpose here is to:
Answer: Highlight the significance of the findings by contrasting them with existing beliefs
By contrasting the findings with 'long-held assumptions,' the author underscores the importance and novelty of the research.
Which transition word best signals a CONTRAST between two ideas in academic reading?
Answer: Nevertheless
Nevertheless signals contrast or concession — it introduces an idea that contradicts or qualifies what was just stated.
In PTE Reading, an 'inference' question asks you to:
Answer: Draw a logical conclusion based on information implied but not directly stated
Inference requires 'reading between the lines' — using clues in the text to reach a conclusion the author implies but does not state outright.
A passage reads: 'While proponents of standardized testing argue it ensures consistency, critics contend it fails to capture the full spectrum of student ability.' This sentence structure is best described as:
Answer: A balanced presentation of two opposing perspectives
The structure 'While X argues…, critics contend…' presents two contrasting positions without endorsing either, indicating balanced argumentation.
In PTE Academic Reading, what score penalty applies if you select an incorrect answer in the Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answers task?
Answer: You lose one point for each wrong answer selected
In the multiple-answer task, selecting incorrect options results in negative scoring, so guessing randomly is risky.