PTE · Reorder Paragraphs

Bilingualism and Cognitive Development

5 original Reorder Paragraphs questions. Question 1 is free to answer and check right here; log in free to practise the rest in the BandLadder app.
  • 5 questions
  • Question 1 free, no login
  • PTE Academic and PTE Core
Log in to practise all 5 →Try question 1
1

Cognitive Reserve and Ageing

Free to try, no login

The text boxes below are in a random order. Restore the original order.

Use the arrows to move a box up or down.

  1. AConsequently, the brain can compensate for physical tissue damage for longer periods before outward behavioural impairments finally manifest.
  2. BIn clinical assessments, such bilingual individuals regularly exhibit symptoms of cognitive decline several years later than their monolingual peers.
  3. CEpidemiological research indicates that lifelong bilingualism plays a protective role in maintaining brain function during old age.
  4. DThis observed delay occurs because managing two distinct linguistic systems strengthens neural pathways, building what neuroscientists term cognitive reserve.

Questions 2–5

The text boxes below are in a random order. Restore the original order.

Read them here; log in to answer and check them.

2

Language Processing in Infants

  1. AThis continuous auditory sorting fosters heightened cognitive flexibility well before the infants can speak full sentences.
  2. BFor instance, eye-tracking experiments show that such babies switch visual attention far more rapidly than monolingual peers.
  3. CTo make sense of these overlapping inputs, their developing brains must track subtle phonetic contrasts across both tongues.
  4. DThese enhanced switching skills provide an early foundation for broader executive control throughout childhood.
  5. EInfants raised in bilingual households face the complex challenge of processing two distinct acoustic streams simultaneously.
3

The Mechanics of Code-Switching

  1. AFar from reflecting linguistic confusion or vocabulary gaps, this communicative strategy adheres to rigorous structural and pragmatic constraints.
  2. BSpeakers apply these underlying grammatical rules instantaneously, selecting precise words that best capture nuanced cultural concepts or emotional tones.
  3. CFluent bilingual speakers frequently alternate between two linguistic systems within a single conversation, an everyday practice known as code-switching.
  4. DAs a result, linguistic analysis demonstrates that code-switching reflects advanced mastery and cognitive dexterity rather than communicative deficiency.
4

Inhibitory Control and Selection

  1. ABrain scans reveal that this suppression recruits the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia during speech production.
  2. BIn the bilingual brain, both linguistic systems remain permanently active even when only one is currently in use.
  3. COver time, the repeated engagement of these neural regions strengthens general executive functioning across non-verbal tasks as well.
  4. DTo prevent unwanted words from intruding, the brain must actively suppress the non-target language via inhibitory control mechanisms.
  5. EThis co-activation creates potential interference whenever a speaker prepares to utter a single phrase.
5

Dual-Language Immersion Classrooms

  1. ARather than treating the foreign tongue as an isolated academic subject, these innovative curricula deliver core coursework in both languages equally.
  2. BMoreover, these academic advantages are accompanied by enhanced cross-cultural empathy and significantly lower levels of social friction among classmates.
  3. CLongitudinal evaluations demonstrate that pupils educated under such immersion frameworks achieve higher overall literacy and numeracy scores over time.
  4. DDual-language immersion programmes deliberately integrate native speakers of two different mother tongues within the same primary school classroom.

Want to answer the other 4?

Log in to practise Reorder Paragraphs in the BandLadder app: the full question bank, instant scoring the way Pearson marks it, and answer explanations.

Log in to practise Reorder ParagraphsNew here? Create a free account

Ready for the whole test?

Take a full PTE mock with every question type, the real timings and a score on Pearson's 10–90 scale the moment you finish.

Try a free PTE mock →

Keep practising

More Reorder Paragraphs sets

Practise every PTE question type

  • ✓Full question bank for every type
  • ✓Instant scoring, marked the way Pearson does
  • ✓BandLadder AI scoring for speaking and writing
Practise in the app

Free account · no card

© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy

Log in to practise all 5