Antibiotic Resistance: A Global Health Crisis

Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in global health, posing significant challenges to medical treatments worldwide. This article provides a comprehensive practice exercise for the PTE Summarize Written Text task, focusing on the critical issue of antibiotic resistance and its impact on global health. Let’s dive into an authentic PTE-style question and explore effective summarization techniques.

PTE Summarize Written Text Sample Question

The discovery of antibiotics in the 1920s revolutionized medicine, providing effective treatments for bacterial infections that were once life-threatening. However, the overuse and misuse of these powerful drugs have led to a global health crisis: antibiotic resistance. This phenomenon occurs when bacteria evolve to withstand the effects of antibiotics, rendering these medications ineffective. The World Health Organization has declared antibiotic resistance one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today. It affects people of all ages and in every country, potentially leading to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased mortality. The primary drivers of this crisis include overprescription of antibiotics, patients not completing their prescribed courses, overuse in livestock, and lack of new antibiotic development. To combat this issue, a multi-faceted approach is necessary, involving healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public in promoting responsible antibiotic use and developing new treatment strategies.

Read the passage above and summarize it using one sentence. Type your response in the box below. You have 10 minutes to finish this task. Your response will be judged on the quality of your writing and on how well your response presents the key points in the passage.

Sample Answers and Analysis

Here are three sample answers with varying band scores:

1. High Band Score (90):

Antibiotic resistance, driven by overuse and misuse of antibiotics, poses a significant global health threat that requires a collaborative effort from healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public to promote responsible use and develop new treatment strategies.

Analysis:

• Content: Captures the main idea of antibiotic resistance, its causes, and the need for a multi-faceted solution.
• Form: Concise and within the word limit (under 75 words).
• Grammar: Uses complex sentence structure correctly.
• Vocabulary: Employs appropriate academic vocabulary (e.g., “poses,” “collaborative effort”).
• Spelling: No spelling errors.

Antibiotic resistance poses a significant global health threat

2. Medium Band Score (75):

Antibiotic resistance is a major global health issue caused by overuse of antibiotics, affecting people worldwide and requiring action from healthcare professionals and the public to address the problem.

Analysis:

• Content: Covers the main points but lacks detail on specific causes and solutions.
• Form: Concise and within the word limit.
• Grammar: Uses correct grammar but with a simpler sentence structure.
• Vocabulary: Uses appropriate vocabulary but less varied than the high-scoring response.
• Spelling: No spelling errors.

3. Low Band Score (60):

Antibiotics are becoming less effective because people use them too much, and this is a big problem for health all over the world that needs to be fixed.

Analysis:

• Content: Conveys the basic idea but misses many key points.
• Form: Within the word limit but overly simplistic.
• Grammar: Uses basic grammar correctly but lacks complexity.
• Vocabulary: Limited vocabulary range, using simple terms.
• Spelling: No spelling errors, but overall language use is basic.

Key Vocabulary and Grammar

To enhance your performance in the PTE Summarize Written Text task, especially when dealing with topics like antibiotic resistance, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with relevant vocabulary. Here are 10 advanced words from the text, along with their phonetic transcriptions, meanings, and example sentences:

1. Revolutionized /ˌrɛvəˈluːʃənaɪzd/
   Meaning: Caused a complete or dramatic change
   Example: The invention of the internet revolutionized global communication.

2. Phenomenon /fɪˈnɒmɪnən/
   Meaning: A fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen
   Example: Climate change is a global phenomenon affecting ecosystems worldwide.

3. Ineffective /ˌɪnɪˈfɛktɪv/
   Meaning: Not producing any significant or desired effect
   Example: The old marketing strategy proved ineffective in reaching younger audiences.

4. Mortality /mɔːˈtælɪti/
   Meaning: The state of being subject to death
   Example: Improved healthcare has significantly reduced infant mortality rates.

5. Overprescription /ˌəʊvəprɪˈskrɪpʃən/
   Meaning: The act of prescribing medicine too frequently or in excessive amounts
   Example: Overprescription of painkillers has contributed to the opioid crisis.

Causes and effects of antibiotic resistance

6. Multi-faceted /ˌmʌltiˈfæsɪtɪd/
   Meaning: Having many different aspects or features
   Example: Solving climate change requires a multi-faceted approach involving various sectors.

7. Policymakers /ˈpɒlɪsiˌmeɪkəz/
   Meaning: People responsible for forming new policies, especially in politics
   Example: Policymakers are working on new regulations to protect consumer data.

8. Livestock /ˈlaɪvstɒk/
   Meaning: Farm animals regarded as an asset
   Example: The farm raised various types of livestock, including cattle and sheep.

9. Evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃn/
   Meaning: The gradual development of something
   Example: The evolution of smartphones has transformed how we communicate.

10. Render /ˈrɛndə/
    Meaning: Cause to be or become; make
    Example: The heavy snowfall rendered the roads impassable.

Conclusion

Mastering the PTE Summarize Written Text task requires practice with diverse, complex topics like antibiotic resistance and its impact on global health. This sample question reflects the type of content you might encounter in the actual PTE exam, challenging your ability to distill key information from a detailed passage. Remember to focus on capturing the main ideas, using appropriate academic vocabulary, and adhering to proper grammar and sentence structure. Regular practice with such examples will enhance your summarization skills and boost your confidence for the PTE exam.

PTE Summarize Written Text practice session

FAQ

1. How can I improve my ability to identify the main ideas in a Summarize Written Text task?
   Focus on understanding the overall theme of the passage. Look for topic sentences, repeated concepts, and the concluding statement. Practice identifying key points in various texts to sharpen your skills.

2. What’s the ideal word count for a PTE Summarize Written Text response?
   Aim for 30-40 words. This range allows you to include essential information without becoming too wordy. Remember, conciseness is key in this task.

3. How important is vocabulary in scoring high on this task?
   Vocabulary is crucial. Using a range of appropriate academic words demonstrates language proficiency. However, ensure you use words correctly and in context. It’s better to use simpler words accurately than misuse complex ones.

4. Can I use direct quotes from the passage in my summary?
   It’s best to paraphrase the information in your own words. This shows your understanding and language skills. If you must use a key phrase, keep it brief and incorporate it smoothly into your sentence.

5. How can I practice time management for this task?
   Set a timer for 10 minutes when practicing. Allocate 2-3 minutes for reading and understanding the passage, 5-6 minutes for drafting and refining your summary, and 1-2 minutes for final proofreading. Regular timed practice will help you become more efficient.