PTE Highlight Incorrect Words sample questions with answers

• On screen seeds; the speaker says grasses
• On screen crushing; the speaker says grinding
• On screen hunting; the speaker says feeding

What the speaker says

Preserved stomach contents show that woolly mammoths relied primarily on grasses during the warmer months. When winter arrived, they shifted their focus towards woody shrubs and mosses that remained beneath the snow. Their broad molars were remarkably adapted for grinding tough plant fibres, allowing them to extract nutrients efficiently throughout the year. Stable isotope analyses confirm this seasonal transition in feeding strategies.

• On screen soil; the speaker says terrain
• On screen dropped; the speaker says retained
• On screen smaller; the speaker says larger

What the speaker says

Wild einkorn was among the earliest crops harvested by prehistoric foraging communities. Unlike modern varieties, its fragile stems shattered naturally to disperse seeds across the rocky terrain. Early cultivators intentionally selected rare mutant plants that retained their grains on the stalk during harvest. This crucial development prevented natural seed loss and allowed farmers to gather significantly larger yields with far less physical effort.

• On screen wholesale; the speaker says urban
• On screen financial; the speaker says agricultural
• On screen protect; the speaker says prevent

What the speaker says

In developing regions, substantial amounts of fresh produce spoil before ever reaching urban markets. Inadequate refrigeration facilities and poor transport networks mean that perishable crops decay rapidly in transit. Agricultural economists suggest that investing in simple cooling storage could prevent millions of tonnes of nutritious fruit and vegetables from rotting unnecessarily each year.

• On screen slowest; the speaker says first
• On screen centuries; the speaker says generations
• On screen public; the speaker says domestic

What the speaker says

When cultures interact through trade or migration, culinary terminology is often among the first categories to transfer into another language. Borrowed cooking terms usually describe specific techniques or unfamiliar ingredients that lack direct equivalents. Over several generations, many of these foreign expressions become thoroughly integrated, so native speakers rarely recognise their external origins during ordinary domestic conversations.

• On screen chemical; the speaker says electrical
• On screen temporary; the speaker says permanent

What the speaker says

Inside the inner ear tiny sensory cells called stereocilia convert sound waves into electrical signals for the brain. When exposed to intense acoustic pressure these delicate structures can bend or break completely. Because mammalian auditory cells cannot regenerate naturally repeated exposure causes permanent damage. Over time this destruction leads to persistent difficulties in distinguishing speech from background noise.

• On screen bones; the speaker says teeth
• On screen discover; the speaker says determine
• On screen latest; the speaker says earliest

What the speaker says

Archaeologists studying early pastoral communities look closely at animal teeth for evidence of human control. When metal or bone bits are placed inside the mouth to guide an animal, they leave distinctive wear patterns on the premolars. Researchers examine these microscopic grooves to determine whether horses were ridden rather than simply hunted for meat. This dental analysis provides some of the earliest physical proof of mounted travel across the ancient grasslands.

• On screen travel; the speaker says filter
• On screen modern; the speaker says fragile
• On screen collectors; the speaker says researchers

What the speaker says

When an organism dies and is quickly buried by sediment, groundwater rich in dissolved minerals begins to filter through the remains. These mineral deposits gradually crystallise inside the microscopic empty spaces within bones and shells. Over thousands of years, this internal filling strengthens the fragile structure without destroying the original organic material. As a result, the physical shape and cellular details remain remarkably intact for modern researchers to study.

• On screen final; the speaker says initial
• On screen absorbs; the speaker says releases
• On screen widen; the speaker says block

What the speaker says

Mineral straws represent the initial stage of stalactite development beneath cavern ceilings. Rainwater absorbs carbon dioxide while moving through soil, becoming slightly acidic before dissolving limestone rock. As this liquid drips into the chamber, it releases gas and leaves behind a microscopic ring of calcite. Over centuries, these delicate hollow tubes grow downwards, maintaining an exceptionally uniform width until mineral deposits block their central channel.

• On screen fluid; the speaker says material
• On screen theoretical; the speaker says fundamental
• On screen illnesses; the speaker says attacks

What the speaker says

Long before modern laboratories existed, early medical practitioners attempted to protect communities from lethal epidemics through deliberate exposure. By transferring material from mild cases into healthy individuals, healers observed that patients often developed milder symptoms and gained lasting defence against future infection. Although these early methods carried substantial risks, they established the fundamental principle that surviving a controlled illness could prime the human body to resist more dangerous attacks.

• On screen gradual; the speaker says rapid
• On screen cold; the speaker says hot
• On screen improves; the speaker says weakens

What the speaker says

Specialised taste receptor cells on the human tongue have a remarkably brief lifespan, renewing completely every ten to fourteen days. This rapid turnover protects our sensory system from damage caused by hot liquids and acidic foods. Basal cells situated near the base of each bud continuously divide and mature to replace degraded receptors. When this regenerative cycle slows due to illness or advanced age, overall flavour perception weakens significantly.