In today’s world, Urban Resilience To Natural Disasters has become a critical aspect of urban planning and management. The ability of cities to withstand and recover from disasters is increasingly being tested as populations grow and climate change intensifies. In this article, we will explore a Summarize Written Text question related to urban resilience and provide detailed answers for different score bands, analysis of answers, and key vocabulary explanations.
Sample Task for Summarize Written Text: Urban Resilience to Natural Disasters
Resilience against natural disasters in urban areas is essential for sustainable development. As cities continue to grow, their vulnerability to environmental shocks, such as earthquakes, floods, and storms, also increases. Governments and urban planners acknowledge that traditional infrastructure solutions are not sufficient to tackle this escalating problem. Modern approaches emphasize the integration of adaptive infrastructure, including green spaces and renewable energy sources, which not only enhance disaster resilience but also promote environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the use of innovative technologies, such as early warning systems and disaster-management software, can significantly reduce the damage caused by natural events. However, the success of these urban resilience strategies depends heavily on economic resources, proper governance, and community engagement.
Task: In one sentence, summarize the paragraph.
Sample Answers and Band-Levels
Band 90
The paragraph discusses how modern urban resilience strategies, relying on adaptive infrastructure, renewable energy, and innovative technologies, are essential for reducing the impact of natural disasters, but their success requires significant economic resources, governance, and community involvement.
- Content: Full marks for addressing all critical points, including infrastructure, technology, and the importance of resources.
- Form: Sentence is well-structured; under 75 words.
- Grammar: Grammatically flawless.
- Vocabulary: Appropriate use of advanced vocabulary such as “adaptive infrastructure”, “innovative technologies”, “community engagement”.
- Spelling: Correct throughout.
Band 75
The passage highlights the need for urban resilience strategies like adaptive infrastructure and disaster-management technologies, which help cities cope with natural disasters, though community involvement and financial resources are critical for success.
- Content: Covers most main points, but omits some details like renewable energy or specific examples of natural disasters.
- Form: Well within word limit and properly structured.
- Grammar: Generally accurate, but slightly less complex sentence structure.
- Vocabulary: Good vocabulary usage, though some advanced words like “integrate” or “governance” are missing.
- Spelling: No issues detected.
Band 60
The text explains that cities need adaptive infrastructure and technologies to be resilient to natural disasters, but also emphasizes the importance of money and governance for these plans to work.
- Content: Captures the foundation of the paragraph but lacks elaboration on renewable energy.
- Form: Correct word count, but sentence structure is more simplistic.
- Grammar: Some minor errors in phrasing, e.g., “emphasizes” could be clearer within sentence structure.
- Vocabulary: Basic vocabulary, missing more advanced terms such as “community engagement” or “sustainability”.
- Spelling: No issues.
Band 50
The passage tells us that cities need good infrastructure and technology to survive natural disasters but adds that money is needed for it to work.
- Content: Key points are incompletely addressed, omitting the necessity of green spaces, community engagement, and governance.
- Form: Sentence is simple and lacks depth.
- Grammar: There are minor issues with the simplicity of sentence construction.
- Vocabulary: Basic level of vocabulary without the advanced terms required; words like “infrastructure” and “technology” are not sufficiently expanded upon.
- Spelling: Correct, but simplistic.
Vocabulary and Grammar Focus
For this PTE task, it is essential to be familiar with complex vocabulary related to urban resilience and natural disasters. Below are 10 useful words from the text, along with their definitions, pronunciation, and example:
| Word | Phonetic Pronunciation | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resilience | /rɪˈzɪlɪəns/ | The ability to recover quickly from difficulties | The city’s resilience to floods improved after new infrastructure developments. |
| Infrastructure | /ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌkʧə/ | The basic organizational or structural framework needed for the operation of society | Improving urban infrastructure helps mitigate the effects of natural disasters. |
| Renewable | /rɪˈnjuːəbl/ | Capable of being replenished naturally | Countries should focus on renewable energy in disaster-prone areas. |
| Sustainability | /səˌsteɪnəˈbɪləti/ | The ability to maintain a process or situation over time | The sustainability of urban environments is increasingly important due to climate change. |
| Governance | /ˈɡʌvəˌnæns/ | The process of governing, managing, or directing a community or organization | Effective governance ensures better disaster management in urban areas. |
| Adaptive | /əˈdæptɪv/ | Designed to suit new or changing conditions | Adaptive strategies in city planning are crucial for minimizing disaster impacts. |
| Engagement | /ɪnˈɡeɪʤmənt/ | The involvement or participation of a group or individual | Community engagement is necessary for the success of urban resilience initiatives. |
| Innovative | /ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv/ | Featuring new methods or ideas | Innovative technologies, such as early warning systems, help reduce disaster damage. |
| Vulnerability | /ˌvʌlnərəˈbɪləti/ | The quality of being easily harmed or affected | Urban areas’ vulnerability to disasters increases as they expand. |
| Mitigate | /ˈmɪtɪgeɪt/ | To make less severe or serious | Improving resilience can mitigate the effects of urban flooding. |
Conclusion
The Summarize Written Text part of the PTE test, like the task on urban resilience to natural disasters, accurately reflects the types of challenges cities face today and how they are being addressed. Practice answering these questions with clarity, conciseness, and attention to detail is key to succeeding in this portion of the PTE. To further enhance your understanding, explore other related topics such as “Urban development and green spaces” and “Renewable energy in disaster-prone areas.” These topics underscore the crucial intersection between urban planning and sustainable resilience.
