PTE Academic Reading Practice Test 12 (with Answers)

Type 1 · Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)

Click each blank and choose the correct word from its dropdown menu.

The Early History of Eyeglasses

The first wearable eyeglasses are generally in northern Italy toward the end of the thirteenth century, although the identity of the actual inventor remains uncertain and disputed among historians. Early lenses by hand from clear quartz or glass and were typically mounted in simple frames that a wearer had to hold up to the eyes or balance precariously on the nose, since hinged frames that rested comfortably on the ears . For centuries, eyeglasses remained a luxury available mainly to wealthy scholars, merchants and clergy, since producing accurately ground lenses considerable skill and time. industrial glassmaking and lens-grinding techniques improved substantially during the nineteenth century, eyeglasses gradually became far more affordable and widely available to ordinary people.

📖 বাংলা অনুবাদ · Bangla translation

প্রথম পরিধানযোগ্য চশমা ত্রয়োদশ শতাব্দীর শেষের দিকে উত্তর ইতালিতে আবির্ভূত হয়েছিল বলে মনে করা হয়, যদিও প্রকৃত উদ্ভাবকের পরিচয় অনিশ্চিত। শতাব্দীর পর শতাব্দী ধরে চশমা মূলত ধনী পণ্ডিত, বণিক ও যাজকদের জন্য একটি বিলাসিতা ছিল।

Type 2 · Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

Read each passage and select all the options that are correct — more than one answer may be right.

How Migratory Birds Navigate Long Distances

Many migratory bird species travel astonishing distances each year, sometimes covering thousands of kilometres between breeding and wintering grounds with remarkable precision, a navigational feat that has puzzled scientists for generations. Research suggests that birds rely on multiple complementary navigational cues rather than any single method, including the position of the sun during the day, star patterns visible at night, and even the Earth's magnetic field, which some species appear able to sense directly through specialised cells believed to contain tiny magnetic particles. Some studies also indicate that certain birds may use recognisable landmarks, such as coastlines, mountain ranges, or river systems, to fine-tune their navigation once they have travelled reasonably close to a general destination area. Because young birds of some migratory species complete their very first migration entirely independently, without adult birds to guide them, researchers believe at least part of this navigational ability must be genetically inherited rather than learned purely through experience.

According to the passage, which TWO statements are true?

Some birds appear able to sense the Earth's magnetic field directly through specialised cells. Young birds of some species complete their first migration independently, without adult guidance. Migratory birds rely on a single navigational method and no others. All migratory birds are guided entirely by adult birds during their first migration. Landmarks such as coastlines play no role whatsoever in bird navigation.

The Rise of Urban Bike-Sharing Programs

Urban bike-sharing programs, which allow residents and visitors to rent bicycles for short trips from docking stations scattered throughout a city, have expanded rapidly in cities worldwide over the past two decades as municipalities seek affordable ways to reduce traffic congestion and short car trips. Modern systems typically rely on smartphone apps that allow users to locate available bikes, unlock them electronically, and pay automatically based on rental duration, considerably simplifying the process compared to earlier, more cumbersome key-based rental systems. Studies of established bike-sharing programs have generally found that most trips replace short car journeys or taxi rides rather than walking trips, suggesting these programs can meaningfully reduce urban vehicle traffic when adopted widely enough. However, bike-sharing programs also face persistent operational challenges, including bikes accumulating disproportionately at popular destinations while remaining scarce elsewhere, requiring cities or operators to regularly redistribute bicycles using trucks or vans to keep the system functioning smoothly across an entire service area.

According to the passage, which TWO statements are true?

Most bike-share trips replace short car journeys or taxi rides rather than walking trips. Bikes tend to accumulate disproportionately at popular destinations, requiring redistribution. Bike-sharing programs have declined in popularity over the past two decades. Modern systems still rely exclusively on physical keys rather than smartphone apps. Bike redistribution is never necessary in any bike-sharing system.

Type 3 · Reorder Paragraphs

Drag the paragraphs into the correct order, or use the ▲▼ buttons.

The Construction of the Suez Canal

Long before its eventual construction, various rulers and engineers had proposed connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas through Egypt, recognising the enormous potential benefit to international trade of avoiding the long voyage around Africa.

Construction proved extraordinarily difficult, requiring workers to excavate through desert terrain over many years using a combination of manual labour and, later, steam-powered dredging equipment.

Serious construction finally began in 1859 under a French-led company, following years of negotiation and planning between European interests and Egyptian authorities.

When the canal officially opened in 1869, it dramatically shortened shipping routes between Europe and Asia, transforming global maritime trade patterns almost immediately.

The Domestication of the Horse

Archaeological and genetic evidence suggests horses were first domesticated by human communities on the Eurasian steppe several thousand years ago, initially perhaps primarily for meat and milk rather than transportation.

Once humans began using horses for riding and pulling carts or chariots, the animals dramatically transformed human mobility, warfare, trade and communication across vast distances.

Selective breeding over subsequent centuries produced distinct horse breeds suited to different purposes, from heavy draft horses bred for pulling loads to swift, lighter breeds bred for speed.

Even after the invention of mechanised transport in the twentieth century largely replaced horses for everyday travel, horses remain culturally significant today in sport, recreation and certain agricultural contexts.

Type 4 · Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop)

Click a word in the box below to select it, then click the blank where it fits (or drag it directly). Two extra words will not be used.

compost nutrients microorganisms decompose landfill expensive mandatory

How Composting Turns Waste into Soil

Composting is a natural process in which _____ such as bacteria and fungi break down organic waste, including food scraps and dried leaves, into a nutrient-rich material that can be used to improve garden soil. Under the right conditions of moisture, oxygen and temperature, these organisms _____ organic material far more quickly than it would break down if left untouched, while also generating heat as a natural byproduct of their activity. The resulting _____ is rich in _____ that plants need to grow, making it a valuable, low-cost soil amendment for gardeners. Composting food waste at home also reduces the amount of organic material sent to _____ sites, where it would otherwise decompose without oxygen and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

📖 বাংলা অনুবাদ · Bangla translation

কম্পোস্টিং একটি প্রাকৃতিক প্রক্রিয়া যেখানে ব্যাকটেরিয়া ও ছত্রাকের মতো অণুজীব জৈব বর্জ্য ভেঙে পুষ্টিকর পদার্থে পরিণত করে, যা বাগানের মাটি উন্নত করতে ব্যবহার করা যায়। বাড়িতে খাদ্য বর্জ্য কম্পোস্ট করলে ল্যান্ডফিলে পাঠানো জৈব বর্জ্যের পরিমাণও কমে।

Type 5 · Multiple Choice, Single Answer

Read each passage and select the single best answer.

The Function of a Camera's Aperture

A camera's aperture, an adjustable opening within the lens that controls how much light passes through to reach the camera's sensor or film, plays a central role in determining both exposure and a photograph's depth of field, the range of distance that appears acceptably sharp in an image. A wider aperture setting allows more light to enter in a given amount of time, which is useful in dim conditions, but also produces a shallower depth of field, causing backgrounds and foregrounds outside the main focal point to appear more blurred. Conversely, a narrower aperture setting admits less light, requiring either a longer exposure time or higher sensor sensitivity to compensate, but produces a greater depth of field, keeping a larger range of distances in relatively sharp focus throughout the frame. Photographers therefore select aperture settings deliberately based on their creative intent, choosing a wide aperture to isolate a subject against a blurred background, for instance, or a narrow aperture when they want an entire landscape scene to appear sharp from foreground to background.

According to the passage, what effect does a wider aperture setting have on a photograph?

It allows more light in but produces a shallower depth of field with more background blur. It always keeps the entire image in perfectly sharp focus from foreground to background. It reduces the amount of light reaching the camera's sensor. It has no effect on depth of field whatsoever.

The Purpose of Building Foundations

Every building relies on a foundation, the structural component that transfers the weight of the entire building safely into the underlying soil or rock, to remain stable and prevent excessive settling or collapse over time. Engineers must carefully assess the load-bearing properties of soil at a construction site before designing an appropriate foundation, since soil composition varies considerably from location to location, with some soils, such as loose sand or expansive clay, requiring more elaborate foundation designs than firm bedrock does. In areas with weak or unstable surface soil, engineers frequently use deep foundations, such as piles driven far below the surface to reach more stable soil or bedrock layers, rather than relying on shallow foundations that spread a building's weight closer to the surface. Foundation design also typically accounts for local environmental factors, including seismic activity, groundwater levels and freeze-thaw cycles, all of which can affect how soil behaves under the sustained weight of a structure over many decades.

According to the passage, why do engineers sometimes use deep foundations with piles driven far below the surface?

To reach more stable soil or bedrock layers in areas with weak or unstable surface soil. To reduce the total cost of construction in every possible case. Because shallow foundations are always structurally superior everywhere. Because local environmental factors never affect foundation design.

PTE Reading Practice Test 12