The “Summarize Written Text” item in the Speaking & Writing section of the PTE exam challenges candidates to read a passage and summarize its main point in a single sentence. One of the common topics that might appear is public health policies, particularly for aging populations, a critical issue in public health challenges today. This guide will provide sample prompts and model answers for practicing this task, focusing on issues related to aging populations.
Understanding the Summarize Written Text Task in PTE
The “Summarize Written Text” requires test-takers to present the essence of complex texts concisely. You’ll need to distill the main idea of a 150-400-word passage into a single sentence of no more than 75 words. This task assesses both your comprehension and writing abilities – essential for handling real-life complex information quickly and accurately.
One subject often appearing in this section is public health, including issues like universal healthcare systems and the sustainability of healthcare for aging populations. As many countries face increasing aging populations, summing up passages in this area is a valuable skill.
Discussion on aging policies and public health solutions
Summarize Written Text Sample Prompt: Public Health Policies for Aging Populations
Below is a sample passage on which you’ll need to base your summary. Remember, you’re tasked with writing a single sentence that captures the key ideas.
Prompt:
As many nations face an aging population, healthcare systems are under immense pressure to adapt. Rising life expectancy, coupled with falling birth rates, creates a demographic shift where older citizens increasingly outnumber the young. Governments must evolve their public health policies to ensure affordable and effective care for the elderly. These policies involve adjusting healthcare delivery, increasing retirement age, and improving elderly care infrastructure. Without significant modifications, the cost of inaction may cripple health systems, severely impacting long-term care, and access for all citizens.
Your task: Summarize the paragraph in one sentence.
Model Answers with Band Scores
Band Score 90:
Governments must modify public health policies to adapt to an aging population by adjusting healthcare systems, retirement ages, and elderly care facilities, as the increasing elderly population and rising healthcare costs pose a serious threat to the sustainability of healthcare systems.
- Content: Excellent coverage of all essential ideas—policy modifications, demographic changes, healthcare challenges.
- Form: Completed in a single sentence without errors in structure.
- Grammar: 100% grammatically accurate.
- Vocabulary: Appropriate and precise.
- Spelling: Correct.
Band Score 80:
Adaptations in healthcare policies are necessary to meet the demands of an aging population, including improving elderly care, retirement adjustments, and healthcare affordability.
- Content: Captures main points but misses a mention of healthcare sustainability or long-term effects.
- Form: Correct sentence structure; meets word count requirements.
- Grammar: Good, with minimal errors.
- Vocabulary: Correct but could use more precise terms.
- Spelling: No spelling mistakes.
Band Score 70:
To address aging populations, healthcare systems need adjustment, particularly in care for the elderly and policy changes for retirement.
- Content: Includes key ideas but omits the significant coverage of healthcare sustainability.
- Form: Shorter sentence but still within word limit.
- Grammar: Some simplifications but correct overall.
- Vocabulary: Minor vocabulary issues.
- Spelling: Correct.
Band Score 60:
An aging population requires changes to health and retirement policies.
- Content: Summary is overly brief, omitting key aspects like the health system’s future sustainability.
- Form: Short, clear, but lacks depth.
- Grammar: Simple but non-complex, no errors.
- Vocabulary: Basic, lacks variety.
- Spelling: Correct.
Vocabulary and Grammar Insights
Here are 10 challenging words and structures from the passage with definitions and sample usage to solidify your vocabulary for the PTE:
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Demographic shift /ˈdɛm.əˌɡræf.ɪk ʃɪft/ (n.): A change in the structure of a population.
- Sample: The demographic shift in many countries is leading to more older people than younger ones.
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Sustainability /səˌsteɪnəˈbɪləti/ (n.): The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level, especially in terms of the environment or economy.
- Sample: Financial sustainability of healthcare systems is crucial with rising elderly populations.
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Infrastructure /ˈɪn.frəˌstrʌk.tʃər/ (n.): The basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society.
- Sample: Countries need to invest in elderly care infrastructure.
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Inaction /ɪˈnæk.ʃən/ (n.): Failure to take action.
- Sample: Prolonged inaction on healthcare reform will escalate the problem.
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Crippling /ˈkrɪpə.lɪŋ/ (adj.): Causing severe damage or harm.
- Sample: Healthcare costs are crippling many economies due to increased elderly care.
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Outnumber /aʊtˈnʌm.bər/ (v.): To be greater in number.
- Sample: In many developed countries, the elderly will soon significantly outnumber the young.
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Affordable /əˈfɔːdəbl/ (adj.): Reasonably priced.
- Sample: Governments struggle to maintain affordable healthcare for their aging populations.
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Life expectancy /laɪf ɪkˈspek.tən.si/ (n.): The average period a person may expect to live.
- Sample: Increasing life expectancy has put additional pressure on healthcare services.
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Retirement age /rɪˈtaɪər.mənt eɪdʒ/ (n.): The age at which a person stops working entirely.
- Sample: Some countries have raised the retirement age in response to aging populations.
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Long-term care /ˌlɒŋ tɜːm keə/ (n.): Treatment or services for people needing help over an extended time.
- Sample: Long-term care needs for the elderly are becoming a pressing issue.
Conclusion
“Public Health Policies For Aging Populations” is a crucial topic in the Summarize Written Text part of the PTE exam, reflecting real-world issues. As demonstrated by the variety of model answers, success in this task lies in clearly identifying the key points and crafting a grammatically accurate, well-structured summary. Continual practice with similar themes, such as those related to Urban poverty and social inclusion policies or Public health challenges in aging societies, will refine your summarization abilities—key to excelling in your PTE exam.
