PTE Academic speaking read aloud practice passages 30

PTE Academic speaking read aloud practice passages

PTE Academic speaking read aloud practice passages.Look at the text below. In 40 seconds, you must read this text aloud as naturally and clearly as possible.

1.The nation had few taxes in its early history. From 1791 to 1802, the United States government was supported by internal taxes on distilled spirits, carriages, refined sugar, tobacco and snuff, property sold at auction, corporate bonds, and slaves. The high cost of the War of 1812 brought about the nation’s first sales taxes on gold, silverware, jewelry, and watches. In 1817, however, Congress did away with all internal taxes, relying on tariffs on imported goods to provide sufficient funds for running the government.

2.The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief and Reconciliation Act of 2003 accelerated the tax rate cuts that had been enacted in 2001, and temporarily reduced the tax rate on capital gains and dividends to 15%. In 2004, the U.S. was forced to eliminate a corporate tax provision that had been ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization. Along with that tax hike, Congress passed a cornucopia of tax breaks, which for individuals included an option to deduct the payment of whichever state taxes were higher, sales or income taxes.

3.Australian Muslim women dress in diverse styles and are increasingly choosing to engage with global fashion trends while also expressing their faith. Faith, fashion, fusion explores Sydney’s emerging modest fashion market and the work of a new generation of fashion designers, retailers and bloggers offering stylish clothing and fashion advice to Muslim women.

4.One of the striking features of the town of Griffith is its ‘Italianess’. Some sixty percent of its population can claim an Italian heritage. Griffith was established in 1916 as part of the new Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA). The largest town in the Riverina, it was designed by Walter Burley Griffin . Returned servicemen and assisted British migrants were encouraged to take up irrigation blocks after the First World War when the MIA failed to attract settlers.

5.Since 1948 there have been 67 UN peacekeeping operations. Close to 130 nations have contributed personnel at various times, and 115 are currently providing uniformed peacekeepers. As of Aug.31, 2012, there were 15 peacekeeping operations under way with a total of 116,515 personnel. Of the 18,170 civilians serving, 12,573 are local. Total fatalities among the peacekeepers stand at 3,025.

6.April 24, 2015, marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian genocide. Much of the world considers the massacre to be the first genocide of the 20th century. According to a majority of historians, between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians were murdered or died of starvation at the hands of the Turkish government.