The Summarize Written Text task is an important component of the Speaking & Writing section of the PTE Academic exam. The purpose of this task is to assess your ability to understand and summarize key points from a text clearly and efficiently. One common topic that often appears in this section is related to environmental issues, and one of the most pressing crises today is the plastic pollution crisis and how it impacts marine life. In this article, we provide sample Summarize Written Text tasks that you can practice, along with model answers and detailed analysis based on the PTE scoring criteria.
Let’s delve into the Summarize Written Text task for this specific topic: plastic pollution’s effect on marine life.
Sample Summarize Written Text Task on Plastic Pollution
Here is a practice task related to the Plastic Pollution Crisis In The Oceans And Its Effect On Marine Life. Follow the instructions carefully as you attempt the summary.
Task
Plastic pollution has become a significant environmental issue, particularly affecting the world’s oceans and marine ecosystems. Approximately 8 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year. This pollution not only damages beaches and coastal areas but also severely impacts marine life. Many species, including fish, whales, and seabirds, mistake plastic for food, leading to ingestion, which can block their digestive systems and cause death. Additionally, plastics can leach harmful chemicals into the water, contaminating marine species and potentially entering the human food chain. If the current trends continue, it is estimated that by 2050, the oceans will contain more plastic by weight than fish.
Summarize the text in one sentence. Your response should be between 5 and 75 words.
Suggested Model Answers
Band 90+ Answer
The plastic pollution crisis, impacting oceans drastically by harming marine life through ingestion, chemical contamination, and potential effects on the human food chain, is projected to result in oceans containing more plastic than fish by 2050 if the current trends continue.
Analysis:
- Content: Fully captures the key ideas: plastic’s impact on oceans, marine life, and human food chains, along with the projection for future plastic levels.
- Form: The response is one sentence and within the required word limit.
- Grammar: Complex sentence structure is used effectively for clarity.
- Vocabulary: Advanced vocabulary with terms like ingestion, contamination, projected enhances the response.
- Spelling: No errors present.
Band 79+ Answer
Plastic pollution severely harms marine life by causing ingestion and spreading chemicals, and if not addressed, could lead to more plastic in the oceans than fish by 2050.
Analysis:
- Content: Gathers the main points including ingestion, chemical effects, and the 2050 projection.
- Form: Meets the word limit and is concise.
- Grammar: Simple yet clear sentence construction.
- Vocabulary: More basic than higher-band response, but accurate.
- Spelling: No mistakes.
Band 65+ Answer
The oceans are being harmed by increasing plastic, which affects marine species who eat it, and there could be more plastic than fish by 2050.
Analysis:
- Content: Covers the basic points but lacks detail on chemical contamination and potential human impact.
- Form: Follows the sentence and word count rules.
- Grammar: Simple sentence is correct but lacks complexity.
- Vocabulary: Basic words like harm and eat could be more sophisticated.
- Spelling: Perfect spelling.
Vocabulary and Grammar for the Task
Learning specific vocabulary will help you create more sophisticated summaries. Below are 10 advanced words from the provided task with their meanings and usage.
-
Ingestion /ɪnˈʤɛsʧən/ (n.) – The process of absorbing substances or matter, especially through eating.
Example: Ingestion of plastic waste by marine species can result in serious health risks. -
Leach /liːtʃ/ (v.) – To dissolve and carry away, commonly used to describe chemicals moving into water sources.
Example: Over time, plastics in the ocean leach dangerous chemicals into marine habitats. -
Contamination /kənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃən/ (n.) – The presence of a harmful or unwanted substance in a place where it does not belong.
Example: Chemical contamination from degraded plastics poses threats to marine biodiversity. -
Ecosystem /ˈiːkoʊˌsɪsʧəm/ (n.) – A community of living organisms and their physical environment interacting as a system.
Example: Plastic pollution destabilizes entire marine ecosystems. -
Projection /prəˈʤɛkʃən/ (n.) – An estimate or forecast based on current trends or data.
Example: Current projections suggest more plastic by weight in the oceans than fish by 2050. -
Marine /məˈriːn/ (adj.) – Related to the sea or ocean.
Example: Marine life, including fish and seabirds, suffers due to ingesting plastic materials. -
Metric Ton /ˈmɛtrɪk tʌn/ (n.) – A unit of mass equivalent to 1000 kilograms.
Example: It is estimated that 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans each year. -
Severe /sɪˈvɪəʳ/ (adj.) – Very intense or critical in nature.
Example: The effects of plastic waste on marine life are severe and often lead to fatal outcomes. -
Human food chain /ˈhjuːmən fuːd ʧeɪn/ (n.) – The sequence in which humans obtain food and nutrients from animals and plants.
Example: Chemicals from plastics can contaminate the human food chain through seafood. -
Threat /θrɛt/ (n.) – A potential danger or harm.
Example: The plastic pollution crisis poses a long-term threat to global marine biodiversity.
Conclusion
The Summarize Written Text task in the PTE exam is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your ability to condense complex information into one strong, succinct sentence. In today’s global context, plastic pollution in the oceans is a prominent issue that’s frequently discussed, making it a common theme in such tasks. Practicing this topic will increase both your familiarity with the content and give you valuable experience in mastering the art of summarization.
We hope you find the provided practice task helpful. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or if you’d like to share your own attempts at summarizing!
