Summarize Written Text for PTE: Challenges of Transitioning to Circular Economies

Transitioning to circular economies is a topic commonly discussed in both academic and business circles, making it a potential topic in the Summarize Written Text section of the PTE exam. This section tests your ability to summarize a given text in one single sentence, which assesses important skills such as comprehension, condensing information, and conveying meaning effectively.

In today’s article, we will provide you with a practice prompt related to “Challenges Of Transitioning To Circular Economies,” which you can use to sharpen your skills. Let’s dive in.

Understanding the Summarize Written Text Task in PTE

The Summarize Written Text task in the PTE Speaking & Writing section involves reading a passage between 150 to 300 words and summarizing it into a single sentence of no more than 75 words.

Key Points You Need to Focus On:

1. Content: Capture the essence of the passage without missing major points.
2. Form: Your summary must be a single sentence with correct punctuation.
3. Grammar: Grammar should be impeccable, with subject-verb agreement, appropriate use of clauses, and accurate tense usage.
4. Vocabulary: Demonstrating a range of relevant vocabulary helps in scoring well.
5. Spelling: Double-check your spelling accuracy to avoid penalization.

Now, on to the practice.

Practice Prompt: Challenges of Transitioning to Circular Economies

Instructions: Read the following passage and summarize it in one sentence. Your response must be between 5 and 75 words.

Circular economies aim to redefine growth by focusing on positive society-wide benefits, decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite natural resources, and eliminating waste through careful design and sustainable systems. However, the transition from a linear to a circular economy faces numerous challenges. It requires overcoming significant economic, political, and cultural barriers. On the economic side, businesses are often unwilling to make the required investments due to the reluctance to change traditional models. Politically, policy frameworks are inadequate to regulate circular practices consistently across countries. Cultural resistance also remains, as societies are accustomed to a ‘take-make-waste’ production model, making it difficult to redefine norms on sustainability. There are also technical barriers, such as developing recycling systems that handle complex materials effectively without degrading the quality of resources. Still, the vast economic and environmental benefits of circular economies make transitioning to this model a critical need for long-term sustainability.

Your task: Summarize the passage in one sentence.

Sample Responses and Analysis

Band 90 Sample Response:

While transitioning to a circular economy presents environmental and economic benefits, significant challenges arise in convincing businesses to invest, overcoming inadequacies in political frameworks, handling technical barriers in recycling, and shifting deeply ingrained cultural behaviors.

Analysis

• Content: The summary captures the full scope of the passage’s ideas, including economic, political, cultural, and technical challenges.
• Form: It’s one coherent sentence.
• Grammar: The grammar is precise, and appropriate linking words are used such as “while” and “and.”
• Vocabulary: Effective use of formal terms like “circular economy,” “benefits,” and “challenges.”
• Spelling: No spelling mistakes.

Band 80 Sample Response:

Although shifting to a circular economy has considerable environmental and economic benefits, significant challenges exist, such as political, economic, technical, and cultural barriers.

Analysis

• Content: Addresses the key points about benefits and challenges, but lacks the depth of the technical specificity found in the original text (no mention of specific recycling difficulties or policy inadequacies).
• Form: Correct sentence structure.
• Grammar: Correct use of clauses, though simpler than the Band 90 response.
• Vocabulary: Uses basic but accurate word choices like “benefits” and “barriers.”
• Spelling: Completely accurate.

Band 70 Sample Response:

Transitioning to a circular economy is difficult due to business reluctance, political issues, and cultural resistance.

Analysis

• Content: Captures some of the challenges but does not mention benefits or technical obstacles like recycling systems.
• Form: The sentence structure is still coherent.
• Grammar: Simple but correct grammar.
• Vocabulary: Basic vocabulary, lacks complex wording.
• Spelling: No errors.

Band 60 Sample Response:

The transition to circular economies is hard because of many problems with businesses, political things, and cultural beliefs.

Analysis

• Content: Omits important concepts such as the environmental benefits and technical challenges.
• Form: The structure is clear but lacks complexity.
• Grammar: “Political things” is too vague and informal.
• Vocabulary: Simplistic and inaccurate phrasing like “political things.”
• Spelling: No mistakes, but informal tone lowers score.

Vocabulary and Grammar Focus

Vocabulary Highlights:

1. Decouple /dɪˈkʌpl̩/ (verb): To separate one thing from another.

   • The concept of a circular economy seeks to decouple economic activity from natural resource consumption.

2. Finite /ˈfaɪnaɪt/ (adjective): Having limits or bounds.

   • Many industries depend on finite resources such as fossil fuels.

3. Sustainability /səˌsteɪnəˈbɪləti/ (noun): The quality of not being harmful to the environment.

   • Sustainability is a key objective of circular economies.

4. Reluctance /rɪˈlʌktəns/ (noun): Unwillingness to do something.

   • Businesses show reluctance in abandoning profitable but unsustainable models.

5. Policy Framework /ˈpɑːləsi ˈfreɪmwɜːrk/ (noun): A set of guidelines to direct actions in a specific area.

   • Governments need better policy frameworks to regulate circular practices.

6. Ingrained /ɪnˈɡreɪnd/ (adjective): Deep-seated, firmly fixed in the mind.

   • Ingrained habits of consumption are hard to shift.

7. Take-make-waste /teɪk meɪk weɪst/ (noun): A linear economic model of production.

   • The current ‘take-make-waste’ production model promotes inefficiency.

8. Adequate /ˈædɪkwət/ (adjective): Sufficient or satisfactory.

   • Current regulations are not adequate to support the transition toward sustainability.

9. Norms /nɔːrmz/ (noun): Accepted standards or ways of behaving in a society.

   • Redefining societal norms is a crucial part of the transition to circular economies.

10. Recycling /rɪˈsaɪklɪŋ/ (noun): The process of converting waste into reusable material.

    • Effective recycling is key to eliminating waste in a circular economy.

Conclusion

The task of summarizing a passage about challenges of transitioning to circular economies is common in the PTE Summarize Written Text section. Practicing this will improve your ability to condense complex information and communicate the core message clearly.

For the best results in PTE, continue practicing this task regularly by using similar real-world topics and providing feedback. Let us know your thoughts or share your own summaries in the comments below to get feedback and improve your skills.