Mastering PTE Summarize Written Text: Economic Inequality Between Nations

Economic Inequality Between Developed And Developing Nations is a critical global issue. This article provides a comprehensive guide to tackling this topic in the PTE Summarize Written Text section, offering valuable insights and strategies to excel in your exam.

Understanding the Task: Summarize Written Text

Before diving into our sample question, let’s briefly review the requirements of the PTE Summarize Written Text task:

• Read a passage of up to 300 words
• Summarize the main points in one sentence
• Use 5-75 words in your response
• Complete the task within 10 minutes

Now, let’s examine a sample question based on our key topic.

Sample Question: Economic Inequality Between Nations

The growing economic disparity between developed and developing nations has been a subject of intense debate among economists and policymakers for decades. This inequality is characterized by vast differences in income levels, access to resources, and overall quality of life. Developed countries, primarily located in North America and Western Europe, enjoy high standards of living, advanced infrastructure, and robust social welfare systems. In contrast, developing nations, often found in Africa, parts of Asia, and South America, struggle with poverty, inadequate healthcare, and limited educational opportunities. Factors contributing to this divide include historical colonialism, unequal trade relationships, and the concentration of global wealth and technological advancements in developed countries. Despite efforts by international organizations to bridge this gap through aid programs and economic partnerships, progress has been slow and uneven. Critics argue that the current global economic system perpetuates these inequalities, calling for fundamental reforms in international trade policies and wealth distribution mechanisms to create a more equitable world economy.

Economic inequality between developed and developing nations

Now, let’s examine sample responses at different band scores:

Sample Responses

1. High Score (Band 8-9):

   “The persistent economic inequality between developed and developing nations, characterized by disparities in income, resources, and quality of life, stems from historical factors and current global economic structures, with efforts to bridge this gap yielding limited success due to systemic challenges.”

   Analysis: This response effectively captures the main points of the passage, including the nature of the inequality, its causes, and the challenges in addressing it. It uses complex sentence structure and sophisticated vocabulary, demonstrating a high level of language proficiency.

2. Medium Score (Band 6-7):

   “Economic inequality between developed and developing countries is a major issue, involving differences in living standards and resources, caused by historical and current economic factors, with slow progress in resolving these disparities.”

   Analysis: This response covers the key points but lacks the depth and sophistication of the higher-scoring answer. It uses simpler language and structure but still conveys the main ideas accurately.

3. Low Score (Band 4-5):

   “There is a big difference between rich and poor countries in terms of money and living conditions, which is hard to fix.”

   Analysis: This response oversimplifies the issue and misses several key points from the passage. The language is basic and lacks the precision required for a higher score.

Key Vocabulary

1. Economic disparity (/ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk dɪˈspærəti/) – Difference in economic well-being between groups.
   Example: The economic disparity between urban and rural areas is widening.

2. Policymakers (/ˈpɒləsiˌmeɪkəz/) – People responsible for making policy decisions.
   Example: Policymakers are debating new strategies to reduce unemployment.

3. Infrastructure (/ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌktʃə/) – Basic physical systems of a country or region.
   Example: The country is investing heavily in its transportation infrastructure.

4. Colonialism (/kəˈləʊniəlɪzəm/) – Practice of acquiring control over another country.
   Example: The effects of colonialism are still felt in many African nations today.

5. Perpetuates (/pəˈpetʃueɪts/) – Makes something continue indefinitely.
   Example: This system perpetuates inequality by favoring the wealthy.

6. Robust (/rəʊˈbʌst/) – Strong and healthy.
   Example: The company has a robust financial outlook for the coming year.

7. Inadequate (/ɪnˈædɪkwət/) – Not sufficient or satisfactory.
   Example: The current healthcare system is inadequate to meet the needs of the population.

8. Uneven (/ʌnˈiːvən/) – Not consistent or regular.
   Example: Economic growth has been uneven across different sectors of the economy.

9. Equity (/ˈekwəti/) – Fairness and impartiality.
   Example: The new policy aims to promote greater equity in educational opportunities.

10. Wealth distribution (/welθ ˌdɪstrɪˈbjuːʃən/) – How wealth is divided among members of society.
    Example: The country’s wealth distribution has become increasingly skewed in recent years.

Conclusion

Mastering the PTE Summarize Written Text task on topics like economic inequality between developed and developing nations requires a combination of comprehension skills, concise writing, and effective use of academic vocabulary. Practice with diverse topics and focus on identifying main ideas to improve your performance in this crucial exam section.

FAQs

1. Q: How can I ensure I capture all the main points in my summary?
   A: Read the passage carefully, underline key ideas, and ensure your summary touches on the causes, characteristics, and potential solutions mentioned in the text.

2. Q: Is it necessary to use complex vocabulary in my summary?
   A: While using appropriate academic vocabulary can enhance your score, clarity and accuracy are more important. Focus on conveying the main ideas precisely.

3. Q: How can I improve my time management for this task?
   A: Practice summarizing various texts within the 10-minute limit. Allocate about 3-4 minutes for reading and planning, and 6-7 minutes for writing and reviewing your response.

4. Q: Should I include my personal opinion in the summary?
   A: No, stick to the information provided in the passage. Your summary should be an objective representation of the text’s main points.

5. Q: How important is grammar in scoring for this task?
   A: Grammar is crucial. Ensure your sentence is grammatically correct and coherent, as it significantly impacts your score alongside content and vocabulary.