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PTE Part 2 (Reading) – Item 1: Fill in the blanks (dropdown) – exercise 2

Free PTE reading practice 2 – Fill in the blanks

Free PTE reading practice 1To complete free PTE reading practice 2, you need to choose the correct answer from the 4 possible options in a dropdown menu. You will need to use a range of skills to find the correct answer – logic, inference, grammar and more. Texts can be up to 300 words long.

Here’s an example of this question type. Select the correct answers from each of the dropdown boxes. Answers are given below the text.

Everywhere around the world, in many majorcentres, subway systems are struggling to cover costs, to invest capital in maintenance systems and expensive upgrades, and to attract passengers. Metro systems go cap-in-hand to central and municipal governmentsfunds and guarantees of continued existence, while plans of development and extension of lines and services are often shelved. In New York, for example, less than half of the cost is– in fact, fares cover only 45% of costs, which means transport taxes and government grants are required to keep the trains operating, and the transit system must go into debt if it considers upgrades or expansion, and, worryingly, often just to keep trains rolling withand maintenance. However, one system, in one major metropolitan centre, has bucked the trend, and is operating not only at a profit, but at a standard so high that other cities can only look on with envy. Hong Kong’s ‘farebox recovery ratio’ – the percentage of operating costs covered by fares – is at anhigh level of 185%. The next highest urban ratio, that of Singapore, is healthy, but, next to Hong Kong, it has a ways to go, at 125%.

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Answers and further detail

Free PTE reading practice 1 – answers (further detail about the answers is given at the bottom of the page)

The correct answers are shown in the text below.
Everywhere around the world, in many major urban centres, subway systems are struggling to cover costs, to invest capital in maintenance systems and expensive upgrades, and to attract passengers. Metro systems go cap-in-hand to central and municipal governments seeking funds and guarantees of continued existence, while plans of development and extension of lines and services are often shelved. In New York, for example, less than half of the cost is recovered – in fact, fares cover only 45% of operating costs, which means transport taxes and government grants are required to keep the trains operating, and the transit system must go into debt if it considers upgrades or expansion, and, worryingly, often just to keep trains rolling with repairs and maintenance. However, one system, in one major metropolitan centre, has bucked the trend, and is operating not only at a profit, but at a standard so high that other cities can only look on with envy. Hong Kong’s ‘farebox recovery ratio’ – the percentage of operating costs covered by fares – is at an astonishingly high level of 185%. The next highest urban ratio, that of Singapore, is healthy, but, next to Hong Kong, it has a ways to go, at 125%.

Explanation of the correct answers for Free PTE reading practice 1:
Answer 1: the answer here is URBAN. Although ‘large’ could potentially fit, it is more logical that a text about subways would refer to an urban centre. Whether or not the place being described is ‘cosmopolitan’ is not relevant to there being subways. A government centre is unlikely to be large enough to have a large subway system.
Answer 2: the answer here is SEEKING. The phrase ‘cap in hand’ is used when someone is asking for something, not offering. Another hint that this was the correct answer is that the other three options (providing, generating and offering) are all very similar in meaning (money goes FROM them TO the government), which does not suit the context.
Answer 3: the answer here is RECOVERED. In this context, ‘recovered’ means ‘to get back. Respect, remove and restore are not commonly applied to costs.
Answer 4: the answer here is REPAIRS. This should have been relatively simple – ‘repairs and maintenance’ is a common phrase, whereas none of the other options logically suit.
Answer 5: the answer here is ASTONISHINGLY. Compared to the other subway systems mentioned, the fact the Hong Kong system can reach such a high percentage is presented as a surprising and positive statistic. This means that ‘disappointingly’ doesn’t fit because it has a negative meaning. Neither ‘slightly’ or ‘marginally’ fit because the statistic is referred to as ‘high’, meaning the remaining option is astonishingly.

We hope free PTE reading practice 2 has helped! Make sure to take a look at our other PTE resources and practice exercises here.

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PTE Part 2 (Reading) – Item 1: Fill in the blanks (dropdown) – exercise 2

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PTE Part 2 (Reading) – Item 1: Fill in the blanks (dropdown) – exercise 2