Sample PTE Summarize Written Text Practice: Environmental Sustainability in Urban Design

In the PTE academic exam, the Summarize Written Text (SWT) task in the Speaking & Writing section challenges test-takers to summarize lengthy passages in just one sentence. Here, we’ll focus on a crucial topic that has often appeared in PTE exams—Environmental Sustainability In Urban Design. This topic is vital not only for its growing importance globally but also due to its relevance in urban planning policies, development strategies, and ecological practices.

The goal of this article is to provide you with practice prompts, in-depth analyses, and sample band responses for the Summarize Written Text task based around this topic. Engaging with these examples will help you practice and improve your overall score.

Sample PTE Exam Summarize Written Text Prompts

For each prompt mentioned below, you are required to “Summarize the text in one sentence“, focusing on covering all the crucial information succinctly and effectively.

Prompt 1: The Role of Green Spaces in Urban Areas

Urban areas around the world are struggling with high pollution levels, decreasing green cover, and rising CO2 emissions. Urban planners have devised solutions to counterbalance environmental degradation, one of which involves introducing and expanding green spaces like parks, community gardens, and rooftop agriculture areas. These green spaces not only combat pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide but also promote biodiversity, provide natural recreation spaces, reduce urban heat island effects, and improve mental well-being for city inhabitants. Studies show that the introduction of such spaces makes cities healthier and more sustainable as well as helps them adapt to inevitable environmental changes, such as the growing number of heatwaves and floods caused by climate change. The long-term benefits of such initiatives are becoming ever more important as cities grow denser and global temperatures continue to rise.

Prompt question: Summarize the text in one sentence.

Responses for Prompt 1

Band 90 Response:

Green spaces in rapidly urbanized areas serve multiple purposes, including absorbing CO2, fostering biodiversity, enhancing mental health, and adapting cities to climate change, making them essential in achieving environmental sustainability.

• Content: Comprehensive and inclusive. All key ideas from the passage are summarized.
• Form: One sentence, 63 words, meeting the requirement.
• Grammar: Perfect subject-verb agreement, appropriate use of present tense.
• Vocabulary: Diverse vocabulary with precise terms like “fostering biodiversity” and “adapting cities.”
• Spelling: Error-free.

Band 75 Response:

Green spaces in cities help absorb carbon dioxide, promote biodiversity, and improve mental health, thus making cities more sustainable and better-equipped to handle climate change.

• Content: Captures the majority of essential information, though lacks the mention of urban heat island effect and long-term adaptation.
• Form: Correct format, 31 words with proper structure.
• Grammar: Grammatically sound, no issues observed.
• Vocabulary: Adequate vocabulary use, though somewhat less varied.
• Spelling: No mistakes.

Band 65 Response:

Green spaces in cities help reduce CO2 emissions and provide benefits for mental health, biodiversity, and sustainability.

• Content: Partial coverage, leaving out important specifics like climate adaptation or urban heat.
• Form: Simple structure, 21 words, meeting length requirement.
• Grammar: Grammatically correct but lacks complexity.
• Vocabulary: Familiar words used but insufficient breadth.
• Spelling: Correct.

Prompt 2: Energy Efficiency in Urban Architecture

Modern cities are experiencing rapid population growth, necessitating both new construction and energy efficiency. Environmentally sustainable urban design focuses on reducing the carbon footprint of buildings through energy-efficient systems, renewable energy sources, and maximizing natural resources like daylight and airflow. Energy-efficient architecture not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also lowers electricity costs over the long term. Buildings designed with solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, and sustainable materials are increasingly becoming the norm, with global policies pushing for more stringent regulations around energy usage in urban settings. These energy-conscious designs help cities transition towards sustainability and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Prompt question: Summarize the text in one sentence.

Responses for Prompt 2

Band 90 Response:

Environmentally sustainable architecture in urban areas focuses on minimizing carbon footprints through the use of energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy, and sustainable materials, ultimately reducing greenhouse gas emissions and electricity costs while combating climate change.

• Content: Well-rounded, captures key ideas on energy efficiency, use of sustainable materials, and climate change mitigation.
• Form: One sentence structure, 43 words, appropriately concise.
• Grammar: No grammatical errors, correct tense use.
• Vocabulary: Advanced vocabulary successfully employed.
• Spelling: Accurate spelling.

Band 75 Response:

Energy-efficient designs in urban buildings reduce greenhouse gas emissions and electricity costs, supporting cities in combating climate change and becoming more sustainable.

• Content: Substantial coverage, but slightly lacking the emphasis on renewable energy sources and sustainable materials.
• Form: Concisely structured, 24 words.
• Grammar: Clear and grammatically sound.
• Vocabulary: Good command of vocabulary, slightly less varied.
• Spelling: Error-free.

Band 65 Response:

Energy efficiency in urban buildings helps reduce emissions and save energy costs.

• Content: Missing essential points on sustainable materials and combatting climate change.
• Form: Effectively structured but too brief at 13 words.
• Grammar: No errors, but lacks sentence complexity.
• Vocabulary: Simple vocabulary, missing detail.
• Spelling: Correct.

Sustainable architectural designs with renewable energy and natural resources in cities

Key Vocabulary from the Passage

Here are 10 advanced vocabulary terms used throughout the passages, complete with their definitions and examples to help you improve your understanding!

1. Carbon footprint (/’kɑː.bən ˈfʊt.prɪnt/): The total amount of greenhouse gases produced by human activities, typically expressed in equivalent tons of CO2.
   Example: The city’s carbon footprint was reduced significantly after introducing more green spaces.

2. Biodiversity (/ˌbaɪ.oʊ.dəˈvɝː.sə.t̬i/): The variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat.
   Example: Preserving urban green spaces enhances biodiversity.

3. Renewable energy (/rɪˈnuː.ə.bəl ˈɛn.ɚ.dʒi/): Energy derived from natural resources that are replenished constantly such as wind, sunlight, and water.
   Example: Many buildings are now equipped with renewable energy sources like solar panels.

4. Urban heat island effect (/ˈɝː.bən hiːt ˈaɪ.lənd ɪˈfɛkt/): An area, typically a city, that is significantly warmer than its rural surroundings due to human activities.
   Example: Planting more trees can help reduce the urban heat island effect.

5. Sustainable materials (/səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl məˈtɪr.i.əlz/): Materials that do not deplete natural resources or harm the environment when used.
   Example: The use of sustainable materials in construction is growing in popularity.

6. Adaptation (/əˌdæpˈteɪ.ʃən/): The process of adjusting to new environmental conditions to reduce vulnerability to climate change.
   Example: Climate adaptation strategies in urban design are essential for long-term sustainability.

7. Greenhouse gas emissions (/ˈɡrɪn.haʊs ˈɡæs əˈmɪʃ.ənz/): The release of gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect, mainly carbon dioxide.
   Example: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to mitigate the effects of climate change.

8. Energy-efficient (/ˈɛn.ɚ.dʒi əˈfɪʃ.ənt/): Using less energy to perform the same task, thereby reducing energy waste.
   Example: Energy-efficient appliances are becoming standard in modern buildings.

9. Mitigate (/ˈmɪt̬.ɪ.ɡeɪt/): To make less severe or serious.
   Example: Urban policies are focusing on mitigating the impacts of climate change.

10. Ecological resilience (/ˌiː.kə.lɑːdʒ.ɪ.kəl rɪˈzɪl.jəns/): The capacity of an ecosystem to recover from disturbances and maintain its functions.
    Example: Increasing urban green spaces helps build ecological resilience.

Conclusion

Summarizing written texts in the PTE Academic requires a balanced mix of understanding content, employing proper grammar, and choosing optimal vocabulary. Practicing with environmental sustainability in urban design, a key topic, can greatly benefit your preparedness for the exam. Remember, correctly interpreting the passage and delivering a concise, well-rounded summary are critical skills to develop.

For more insights on Renewable energy policies in urban planning, head over to our dedicated article and explore how modern urban landscapes are reshaping themselves to combat climate change.

Feel free to leave comments and let us know your thoughts!