PTE Academic Reading 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A PTE passage reads: 'Despite the city's rapid expansion, its _______ infrastructure has struggled to keep pace.' Which word best completes the sentence?
- aesthetic
- cultural
- physical (Correct answer)
- political
Correct answer: physical
Physical infrastructure (roads, utilities, transit) is what typically strains under rapid urban expansion.
Question 2: In PTE Re-order Paragraphs, which sentence most commonly functions as the opening (first) paragraph?
- One containing a pronoun with no prior antecedent
- One that introduces the main topic or defines a key concept (Correct answer)
- One that presents a counterargument
- One that ends with an ellipsis or transition word
Correct answer: One that introduces the main topic or defines a key concept
The first paragraph typically introduces the topic or provides background before subsequent paragraphs develop the argument.
Question 3: A passage concludes: 'These findings suggest that early intervention is _______ to long-term recovery.' Which word fits best?
- detrimental
- incidental
- integral (Correct answer)
- peripheral
Correct answer: integral
Integral means essential or fundamental, aligning with the idea that early intervention is central to recovery.
Question 4: Which clue MOST reliably helps you identify the last paragraph in a PTE Re-order Paragraphs task?
- It contains the longest sentence
- It summarizes the argument or offers a conclusion without introducing new main ideas (Correct answer)
- It begins with a coordinating conjunction
- It references a specific date or statistic
Correct answer: It summarizes the argument or offers a conclusion without introducing new main ideas
Concluding paragraphs typically summarize, synthesize, or provide closure rather than introducing new primary claims.
Question 5: In a PTE academic text on economics, 'aggregate demand' refers to:
- The total spending by government only
- The combined demand for goods and services across an entire economy (Correct answer)
- The demand for a single leading export
- Consumer confidence as measured by surveys
Correct answer: The combined demand for goods and services across an entire economy
Aggregate demand is the total demand for all goods and services in an economy at a given price level.
Question 6: Which PTE Reading question type contributes to BOTH Reading and Writing scores?
- Multiple-choice, choose single answer
- Re-order Paragraphs
- Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks (Correct answer)
- Reading: Fill in the Blanks
Correct answer: Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks
Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks is the only Reading task that also affects the Writing score.
Question 7: A PTE passage about neuroscience states that a process occurs 'involuntarily.' This most closely means the process happens:
- Slowly and deliberately
- Without conscious control (Correct answer)
- Only during sleep
- In response to external commands
Correct answer: Without conscious control
Involuntarily means without intention or conscious direction, such as reflexes or autonomic body functions.
PTE Academic Reading 3
A PTE passage reads: 'Despite the city's rapid expansion, its _______ infrastructure has struggled to keep pace.' Which word best completes the sentence?