Practice Summarize Written Text: Renewable Energy in Community Development for PTE Exam

In the PTE Academic exam’s Speaking & Writing section, the Summarize Written Text task requires candidates to summarize a given passage into a single sentence. One popular topic that may appear is Renewable Energy In Community Development, given the significant global interest in sustainable development. This article will present practice exercises, providing real-like exam experience along with ideal sample answers for varied PTE score bands.

Task 1: Summarize Written Text Practice

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and summarize it into a single sentence. Make sure your summary includes the main points of the text and does not exceed 75 words. Your response will be evaluated based on content, form, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling.

Passage:

“Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, have been steadily integrated into community development projects worldwide. These projects aim to reduce dependency on non-renewable energy and decrease the harmful environmental effects of fossil fuels. Local communities benefit from sustainable energy projects through job creation, improved health outcomes, and increased energy security. Moreover, they gain a sense of ownership, contribution, and empowerment by directly participating in the transition to green energy practices.”

Sample Answers

1. Band 90:
   Renewable energy projects, focusing on wind and solar power, are being integrated globally, reducing dependence on non-renewable sources, creating employment, enhancing health, improving energy security, and empowering local communities to partake in sustainable transitions.

   • Content: Excellent. All critical points covered.
   • Form: Correct – within word limit, single sentence.
   • Grammar: Excellent – no errors.
   • Vocabulary: Excellent – diverse and accurate use of vocabulary.
   • Spelling: Perfect.

2. Band 70:
   Renewable energy projects, especially solar and wind, are reducing the need for non-renewable energy and helping local populations through jobs and better energy security.

   • Content: Good effort, but the empowerment and health benefits are not mentioned.
   • Form: Correct – within word limit, single sentence.
   • Grammar: Generally good.
   • Vocabulary: Acceptable – but limited in comparison to the passage’s full range.
   • Spelling: Perfect.

3. Band 50:
   The use of renewable sources like solar or wind makes local life easier and improves energy.

   • Content: Incomplete. Omits critical details such as job creation, health, and community empowerment.
   • Form: Correct.
   • Grammar: Minor grammatical issues.
   • Vocabulary: Limited and lacks richness.
   • Spelling: Perfect.

Task 2: Summarize Written Text Practice

Passage:

“Renewable energy plays a crucial role in rural development by providing access to sustainable electricity, ensuring the growth of small businesses, and improving the quality of life. Particularly in remote areas, renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines offer a cost-effective solution where traditional energy infrastructure is lacking or prohibitively expensive. Thus, renewable energy contributes to bridging the gap between urban and rural energy access while also promoting environmental conservation.”

Sample Answers

1. Band 90:
   Renewable energy is essential in rural development as it provides affordable electricity to remote areas, fosters small business growth, improves quality of life, and helps bridge energy access disparities between rural and urban regions while promoting sustainability.

   • Content: Excellent – captures all the ideas from the original text.
   • Form: Correct – concise and grammatically accurate.
   • Grammar: Flawless.
   • Vocabulary: Great use of terminology related to renewable energy and rural development.
   • Spelling: No mistakes.

2. Band 70:
   Renewable energy helps rural areas by providing electric power to improve small businesses and everyday life while being environmentally friendly.

   • Content: Important details included but lacks information about bridging rural and urban disparities.
   • Form: Adequate.
   • Grammar: Good – no significant issues.
   • Vocabulary: Satisfactory comprehension of the passage’s key concepts.
   • Spelling: No errors.

3. Band 50:
   Renewable energy helps rural areas by providing cheaper power.

   • Content: Very basic, missing major points about business, life quality, and urban-rural connections.
   • Form: Correct.
   • Grammar: Simple sentence structure.
   • Vocabulary: Limited range, simplistic.
   • Spelling: No errors.

Task 3: Summarize Written Text Practice

Passage:

“Urban planning strategies are increasingly including renewable energy policies to promote sustainability. These policies aim to incorporate green energy solutions at the urban design level, such as solar panels on rooftops and wind turbines integrated into city layouts. By focusing on renewable energy, urban areas can reduce their carbon footprints, improve air quality, and ensure energy resilience. Furthermore, the shift towards sustainable energy contributes to the creation of smarter and more livable cities.”

Sample Answers

1. Band 90:
   Urban planning is increasingly adopting renewable energy solutions like solar panels and wind turbines into city designs to reduce carbon emissions, enhance air quality, and create resilient, livable, and smarter cities.

   • Content: Thoroughly addresses the passage.
   • Form: Correct.
   • Grammar: Flawlessly constructed.
   • Vocabulary: Excellent choice of words, fitting with the context.
   • Spelling: Perfect.

2. Band 70:
   Urban areas are using renewable energy like solar and wind to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions.

   • Content: Missing details about city resilience and smart city creation.
   • Form: Adequate.
   • Grammar: Good, structured.
   • Vocabulary: Appropriate but lacks variety.
   • Spelling: No issues.

3. Band 50:
   Cities are using renewable energy to cut carbon emissions and make the air cleaner.

   • Content: Very basic, omits key elements.
   • Form: Correct.
   • Grammar: Simple grammatical structure.
   • Vocabulary: Basic vocabulary with no attempt to add complexity.
   • Spelling: No mistakes.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Here’s a list of 10 challenging words from the passages above related to renewable energy and sustainable development:

1. Resilience /rɪˈzɪliəns/ – The ability to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Example: The community showed resilience in adapting to renewable energy technologies.
2. Empowerment /ɪmˈpaʊərmənt/ – Granting power or authority. Example: Renewable energy empowers local communities.
3. Sustainability /səˌsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti/ – The ability to maintain or continue a process indefinitely. Example: Renewable energy promotes sustainability.
4. Carbon footprint /ˈkɑːrbən ˈfʊtprɪnt/ – The total emissions of carbon dioxide from human activities. Example: Reducing the city’s carbon footprint is a priority in urban planning.
5. Disparity /dɪˈspærɪti/ – A great difference. Example: Renewable energy helps reduce the disparity between urban and rural energy access.
6. Infrastructure /ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌkʧər/ – The basic physical systems of a business or nation. Example: Rural areas often lack the infrastructure for non-renewable energy.
7. Decentralized /diːˈsɛntrəˌlaɪzd/ – Distributing power away from a central authority. Example: Decentralized renewable energy can benefit remote areas.
8. Cost-effective /kɒst ɪˈfɛktɪv/ – Providing good value for the amount paid. Example: Wind power is a cost-effective solution for rural energy needs.
9. Conservation /ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃən/ – Preservation, protection, or restoration of the natural environment. Example: Renewable energy promotes environmental conservation.
10. Smart Cities /smɑːt ˈsɪtiz/ – Urban areas that use technology to provide services and solve problems. Example: Renewable energy is key to the development of smart cities.

Conclusion

The topic of Renewable Energy in Community Development frequently appears in the PTE exam’s Summarize Written Text tasks, emphasizing its importance for test-takers. By practicing real-like exam tasks and understanding model answers, you can enhance your performance significantly. Renewable energy also ties into various other areas, such as Renewable energy policies in urban planning and Nuclear energy versus renewable sources. Feel free to leave your comments below to discuss strategies or ask questions!