Academic Reading Skills Flashcards

A passage states: 'It is widely believed that multitasking increases productivity; however, research consistently shows the opposite.' The primary rhetorical move in this sentence is:

Answer: Presenting a common belief and immediately refuting it with evidence

The sentence sets up a contrast between a popular misconception and contradicting research evidence — a classic academic refutation strategy.

When reading for the main idea of a PTE passage, which part of the text should you prioritize?

Answer: The first and last paragraphs plus the topic sentences of body paragraphs

The introduction, conclusion, and topic sentences together provide the clearest map of a passage's central argument.

In the context of PTE Reading, a 'distractor' answer choice is best described as:

Answer: A plausible-sounding but incorrect option designed to mislead test-takers

Distractors are deliberately crafted to look appealing by using words from the passage or half-true information, testing whether you read carefully.

A passage discusses both the advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified crops without clearly favoring one side. The author's tone is best described as:

Answer: Balanced and objective

Presenting multiple perspectives without endorsing one signals an objective, balanced tone aimed at informing rather than persuading.

Which of the following sentences contains a fact rather than an opinion?

Answer: Global average temperatures rose by approximately 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels by 2022.

A measurable, verifiable statistic (temperature rise by a specific amount) is a fact; the other options express value judgments or recommendations.

In PTE Academic, the Reading: Fill in the Blanks task (without writing) contributes points to which skill score?

Answer: Reading only

The Reading: Fill in the Blanks task (drag-and-drop words) scores only toward the Reading component of the PTE Academic test.

A passage uses the phrase 'this phenomenon.' In PTE Reading, locating what 'this phenomenon' refers to requires understanding:

Answer: Reference and anaphora — tracing what a pronoun or noun phrase points back to

Anaphoric reference means a word or phrase points back to something mentioned earlier; identifying what 'this phenomenon' refers to requires locating the antecedent.