PTE Read Aloud practice: 20 passages with answers

It’s unclear why the animals look forever young, but it may be because their native lakes never dried up, at least not before Spanish colonizers started draining lakes near present-day Mexico City to control flooding in the 1600s. Other amphibians that live in areas with transient streams or lakes mature from water-living young into adults capable of thriving on land or in water.

Across Europe, electricity and gas prices are skyrocketing – this is a massive burden for large sections of the population. In Greece, too, energy bills have risen sharply in recent months. Since the financial and economic crisis, many people are living on the edge of poverty.

The physical location of a restaurant in the competitive landscape of the city has long been known as a major factor in its likely success or failure. Once restaurants are established in such environments they can do little about their location. All they can do is work to improve customer access to their premises.

When countries assess their annual carbon dioxide emissions, they count up their cars and power stations, but bush fires are not included presumably because they are deemed to be events beyond human control. In Australia, Victoria alone sees several hundred thousand hectares burn each year; in both 2004 and the present summer, the figure has been over 1 million hectares.

City dwellers often overlook their skyline, but it's worth appreciating how remarkable it truly is. Skyscrapers represent incredible engineering achievements and reflect human advancement. Additionally, skylines showcase diverse architectural designs, since cities evolved over many years.

A recent study by Western researchers found that when animals produce sounds while sitting on the ground, like the chirping of crickets, their volume and range can increase by up to ten times. This discovery challenges the conventional belief in the field of animal communication that the ground impedes sound transmission.

Volunteering in local communities fosters social connections and provides a sense of purpose. Studies show that people who volunteer regularly report higher levels of happiness and lower rates of depression.

Modern technology has impacted every area of our lives and become a crucial factor in no time. We even reached a point where everything we use in our daily life is directly or indirectly related to the technological advancement of some form. So, modern technology cannot be avoided even if we intentionally wanted to.

During the winter season, various eye issues can arise due to harsh weather conditions. Excess tearing and watery eyes, often caused by cold air and icy winds can lead to eye redness and inflammation. This can often be due to dry eyes from the combination of entering and exiting the cold weather and rooms that have been heated with central heating.

The problem begins with the alphabet itself. Building a spelling system for English using letters that come from Latin — despite the two languages not sharing exactly the same set of sounds — is like building a playroom using an IKEA office set.

Due to the growing urgency of the climate crisis, there has been a significant increase in the establishment of commercial tree plantations as a means to counterbalance excessive carbon emissions. However, experts argue that these carbon-offset plantations may have negative impacts on biodiversity and other vital functions of ecosystems.

Microbes can either multiply by splitting or save energy by sustaining only essential functions. It's possible that in the harsh environment beneath the South Pacific, these organisms divided extremely slowly over hundreds of years. If so, the studied microbes might stem from an even older lineage.

Biodegradable polymers have been used as carriers in drug delivery systems for more than four decades. Early work used crude natural materials for particle fabrication, whereas more recent work has utilized synthetic polymers. The commercial success of these polymers has led to further research in the field aimed at bringing forward new formulation types for improved delivery of various small molecule and biologic drugs.

There are many kinds of pond, but nearly all are small bodies of shallow, stagnant water in which plants with roots can grow. Water movement is slight and temperatures fluctuate widely. The wealth of plants ensures that during daylight hours oxygen is plentiful. However, at night, when photosynthesis no longer takes place, oxygen supplies can fall very low.

A thesis is a claim that you can argue for or against. It should be something that you can present persuasively and clearly in the scope of your paper, so keep in mind the page count. If possible, your thesis should be somewhat original.

Like coffee, plain tea contains just a couple of calories per cup and no sugar. But what’s added in it can change that situation. A medium sweet tea and a large iced latte from fast food restaurants both pack about seven teaspoons of sugar. However, the American Heart Association recommends no more than six teaspoons for the whole day.

Much of today's business is conducted across international borders, and while the majority of the global business community might share the use of English as a common language, the nuances and expectations of business communication might differ greatly from culture to culture.

Globalization has transformed the world economy, facilitating the flow of goods, services, and capital across borders. It has led to increased competition and efficiency, as businesses seek to expand their markets and reduce costs. However, globalization has also contributed to economic inequality, as some countries and individuals have benefited more than others.

Camel carvings etched into rock faces in Saudi Arabia are probably the world's oldest large-scale animal reliefs, according to a study. When the carvings were initially found in 2018, researchers thought they dated back around 2,000 years. This estimate was based on their resemblance to reliefs at the renowned ancient city of Petra in Jordan.

The second group that is particularly vulnerable are night shift workers, and the third group that is particularly vulnerable are people with sleep disorders, particularly sleep apnea. One out of three men and one out of six women have sleep apnea. And yet, 85 percent are undiagnosed and untreated. And it more than doubles the risk of cancers.