The Pearson Test of English (PTE) is a comprehensive English examination assessing all language skills, including Speaking and Writing. One specific task that challenges your summarizing skills is called “Summarize Written Text,” which requires you to overview a given passage in one sentence. This article will introduce sample practice topics related to Ocean Acidification’s Effects on Biodiversity to help you prepare for the PTE Summarize Written Text task. The topic of ocean acidification is highly relevant in today’s world due to its significant impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity.
Why Ocean Acidification is A Common Topic in PTE Summarize Written Text?
Ocean acidification is now a global concern, as it directly affects marine biodiversity and the health of ecosystems that billions rely on for food, livelihood, and climate regulation. As a result, this topic often appears in academic assessments such as the PTE exam. Understanding the ecological and environmental issues caused by ocean acidification will make you better prepared for both content and language aspects of this exam task.
Sample PTE Summarize Written Text Task: Ocean Acidification’s Effects on Biodiversity
Below is a sample topic based on the impact of ocean acidification on biodiversity. Your task is to summarize the following text in one sentence.
Ocean acidification refers to the ongoing decrease in pH levels of the Earth’s oceans, caused primarily by the absorption of increased levels of atmospheric CO2. This process significantly affects marine biodiversity, particularly species vital to marine ecosystems’ health, such as coral reefs, mollusks, and some types of plankton. These organisms rely on calcium carbonate to build their shells and skeletons, which becomes more difficult to form as the water becomes more acidic. Coral reefs, for example, support an extensive variety of marine life by providing habitat and nursery grounds for diverse species. As acidification exacerbates, coral reefs diminish, leading to cascading effects throughout the food chain, including fish species dependent on these reefs for survival. Moreover, acidification disrupts food availability for other marine organisms, including higher predators like sharks, ultimately affecting human fisheries, coastal protection, and global biodiversity. If the current levels of CO2 emissions remain unchecked, scientists predict that these effects will intensify, threatening the overall structure of marine ecosystems worldwide.
Ocean acidification and its detrimental effects on marine biodiversity
Model Answers Based on PTE Scoring Bands
Band 90 (5/5 rating for Content, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Spelling)
Ocean acidification, caused by rising CO2 levels, harms marine biodiversity by weakening calcium carbonate-dependent species like corals, disrupting ecosystems and food chains with severe impacts on human fisheries and global biodiversity.
Band 80 (4/5 rating for Content, Form, Grammar)
Ocean acidification due to CO2 absorption severely affects marine life like coral reefs, disrupts food chains, and threatens biodiversity and human activities.
Band 70 (3/5 rating for Grammar, Vocabulary)
Ocean acidification negatively affects marine organisms, particularly coral reefs, and disrupts food chains and biodiversity.
Band 60 (2/5 rating for Content, Grammar)
Acidification of the ocean caused by CO2 makes shells harder to form and bad for marine life.
Analysis of Responses
Content
In Band 90, the key points are well-covered within a single sentence, capturing the causes, effects on biodiversity, and human relevance concretely. Lower band responses gradually miss out on critical content elements such as detailed impacts on specific species and ecosystem complexity.
Analysis of PTE summaries based on content, form, grammar, and vocabulary strength
Form
All summaries kept within the task’s required format of one concise sentence, although higher band answers did so with greater grammatical sophistication.
Grammar
Band 90 demonstrates advanced grammatical structures such as correct coordination of clauses and passive voice usage. Band 60, by contrast, shows limited range with essential subject-verb constructions only.
Vocabulary
Band 90 and Band 80 summaries use more specific vocabulary, such as “ecosystems,” “disrupt,” and “calcium carbonate-dependent species,” compared to simpler lexis in Band 60 and 70 responses (“bad for marine life”).
Spelling
No misspellings are present, although higher-level summaries utilize more challenging, subject-specific terminology.
Useful Vocabulary for Discussing Ocean Acidification
Here are 10 advanced vocabulary words related to ocean acidification, along with their phonetic transcription, meanings, and examples of how to use them effectively:
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Absorption (/əbˈzɔrpʃən/): The process by which a substance is taken in or absorbed.
“The absorption of CO2 by the oceans triggers chemical reactions affecting marine life.”
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Calcium carbonate (/ˈkælsiəm ˈkɑrbəˌneɪt/): A chemical compound used by marine organisms to form skeletons and shells.
“Marine organisms depend on calcium carbonate to form protective shells.”
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Ecosystem (/ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm/): A biological community of interacting organisms and their environment.
“Ocean acidification threatens the balance of marine ecosystems.”
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pH levels (/piːˈeɪʧ ˈlɛvəlz/): A scale used to measure the acidity or alkalinity of a substance.
“The decrease in ocean pH levels is a sign of increasing acidity.”
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Biodiversity (/ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɜrsəti/): The variety of life in the world or a particular habitat.
“Ocean acidification poses a significant threat to marine biodiversity.”
Advanced vocabulary for discussing ocean acidification in academic contexts
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Exacerbate (/ɪgˈzæsərˌbeɪt/): To make a problem, situation, or negative feeling worse.
“Ocean acidification exacerbates the decline of coral reefs.”
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Food chain (/fuːd ʧeɪn/): A hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.
“Disruption of the marine food chain could lead to widespread ecosystem collapse.”
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Coral reef (/ˈkɔrəl riːf/): A diverse underwater ecosystem held together by calcium carbonate structures secreted by corals.
“Coral reefs provide essential habitats for many marine species.”
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Fisheries (/ˈfɪʃəriz/): Areas or activities involved in catching fish for human consumption.
“Ocean acidification could have drastic effects on global fisheries.”
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Atmospheric (/ˌætməsˈfɪrɪk/): Pertaining to the atmosphere.
“The increase in atmospheric CO2 is the root cause of ocean acidification.”
Conclusion
In this article, we focused on the PTE Summarize Written Text task using the example of ocean acidification and its effects on biodiversity. We provided an in-depth analysis of both the summarization task itself and how well different answers aligned with the scoring criteria. Ocean acidification is a critical topic in environmental science and appears frequently in various academic settings, making it an important focus for study and practice in the PTE exam. To improve your performance, we recommend regularly practicing with a variety of passages and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your summaries.
