Summarize Written Text in PTE Exam: Climate Change’s Effect on Agriculture

In the PTE exam, the Summarize Written Text task is part of the Speaking and Writing section. It challenges test takers to accurately summarize a given passage into a single sentence, maintaining all key points in a compact form. In this article, we will focus on a common topic appearing in the summarizing task: Climate Change’s Effect on Agriculture. This topic has grown in significance due to its global relevance, and candidates can expect similar themes in the PTE.

Let’s explore some example questions on this topic, complete with possible sample answers and analyses.

Summarize Written Text Example Question: Climate Change and Agriculture

Below is a sample Summarize Written Text passage based on the topic of climate change effects on agriculture. Your task is to summarize the given passage into a single sentence of no more than 75 words.

Climate change poses a threat to agricultural systems worldwide. Rising temperatures and volatile weather patterns directly impact crop yields, leading to lower productivity in important regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. Changes in rainfall patterns result in increased incidence of drought and flooding, while the intensification of pests and diseases exacerbates the problem. Farmers in these regions are forced to adapt by switching crops, improving irrigation techniques, or migrating to areas with more favorable conditions.

Your task: Write a one sentence summary of this passage, under 75 words. Focus on key points and maintain clarity.

Sample Answers for Different Band Scores

Band 90 (High proficiency):

Climate change puts agricultural systems at risk by causing unpredictable weather, reducing crop yields, exacerbating droughts and floods, and intensifying pest growth, forcing farmers to adapt through crop changes, improved irrigation, or migration.

• Content: Excellent, all key facts are captured—climate change effects, regional impact, adaptation.
• Form: One clear sentence, well within word limit.
• Grammar: Flawless.
• Vocabulary: Advanced vocabulary with terms like “unpredictable,” “exacerbating.”
• Spelling: Perfect.

Band 70 (Competent):

Climate change is harming farming by making weather patterns unpredictable, hurting crop productivity, and making pests more severe, leading farmers to adapt with different crops or irrigation methods.

• Content: Good, includes main points but lacks specific examples (drought, flood).
• Form: One sentence, clear structure.
• Grammar: No major errors.
• Vocabulary: Sufficient but less precise than Band 90.
• Spelling: Correct.

Band 60 (Moderate proficiency):

Climate change is causing bad weather and that results in lower crop production, and farmers are having to change crops and irrigation systems.

• Content: Touches on key ideas, but less detail (no location specifics, fewer effects mentioned).
• Form: Fulfills one sentence requirement, a bit repetitive.
• Grammar: Simple structure, lacks fluency.
• Vocabulary: Basic words such as “bad weather” instead of “unpredictable” or “volatile.”
• Spelling: Correct.

Analysis & Key Insights

In the Summarize Written Text task, content and form are crucial for scoring well. Your response must not only capture all the important details but also maintain the grammatical structure of a single, coherent sentence. Key vocabulary choices also play a part in higher scoring answers, as seen in the difference between “exacerbating” and “making something worse.”

Understanding how farmers adapt, or how climate change affects specific regions, is critical to responding effectively in the exam. Notably, similar challenges related to Climate change effects on water resources might appear in other exam modules, emphasizing the relevance of environmental topics in the PTE test.

Vocabulary Building for “Climate Change’s Effect on Agriculture”

Understanding essential vocabulary related to climate and its impact on agriculture is key for the Summarize Written Text task. Below, we highlight 10 challenging words from the passage, their pronunciation, meaning, and usage:

1. Volatile /ˈvɑː.lə.t̬əl/ (adj): easily changeable, especially for the worse.
   Example: The weather became increasingly volatile, leading to unexpected storms.

2. Productivity /ˌproʊ.dʌkˈtɪv.ə.t̬i/ (n): the rate at which crops or goods are produced.
   Example: Modern technologies have increased productivity on farms.

3. Drought /draʊt/ (n): a prolonged period with no precipitation.
   Example: The prolonged drought caused severe famine in many regions.

4. Exacerbate /ɪɡˈzæs.ɚ.beɪt/ (v): to make something worse.
   Example: The pests exacerbate the already difficult conditions for the farmers.

5. Adapt /əˈdæpt/ (v): to change or modify to suit conditions.
   Example: Farmers had to adapt their irrigation systems to deal with the water shortages.

6. Migration /maɪˈɡreɪ.ʃən/ (n): the movement of people from one area to another.
   Example: Climate change has forced the migration of farmers in search of better land.

7. Incidence /ˈɪn.sɪ.dəns/ (n): the occurrence rate of something undesirable.
   Example: The incidence of crop failure has risen significantly in drought-stricken areas.

8. Intensification /ɪnˌtɛn.sə.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (n): the action of making something more severe.
   Example: The intensification of pest populations has devastated crops.

9. Irrigation /ˌɪr.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ (n): the artificial application of water to soil for growing crops.
   Example: Improved irrigation systems can help to compensate for irregular rainfall.

10. Crop Yield /krɒp jiːld/ (phrase): the amount of produce grown from a unit of land.
    Example: Farmers are worried about reduced crop yields due to extreme weather conditions.

Conclusion

The Summarize Written Text task in the PTE highlights essential topics such as climate change’s effect on agriculture, recognizing the widespread impact environmental changes have on food systems. This sample task allows you to practice both your comprehension and summarizing abilities, while engaging with real-life issues that frequently appear on the exam. Practicing often with thematic questions such as those relating to Climate change effects on water resources deepens your understanding and prepares you for similar challenges in the actual test.

Feel free to leave a comment below with your own summary or any PTE- related questions!