In this article, we focus on providing practice materials, optimized for those seeking to improve their summarizing skills relevant to “Gender Equality in Educational Opportunities”. Let’s dive into some sample tasks to practice, followed by analysis and answer breakdowns.
Summarize Written Text: Practice with “Gender Equality in Educational Opportunities”
Task Example 1
The global movement towards gender equality has made significant progress in various domains, and education is no exception. Over the past few decades, there have been concerted efforts to ensure equal access to education for both males and females. Despite these positive advancements, some regions continue to experience disparities in educational opportunities due to cultural norms, economic obstacles, and lack of infrastructure. Women, in particular, are still more likely to face challenges such as early marriage, domestic responsibilities, and restricted access to higher education. Governments, non-governmental organizations, and global institutions must continue prioritizing gender equality in educational systems as a cornerstone for economic development and societal advancement.
- Task: Summarize the text in one sentence.
Sample Answer 1 (Band Score: 90)
While significant progress has been made in addressing gender equality within educational systems, persistent barriers—stemming from cultural, economic, and societal factors—continue to limit women’s access to education, emphasizing the need for sustained reforms by governments and global institutions.
- Analysis:
- Content: Accurately summarizes all key details, focusing on both past progress and ongoing issues.
- Form: The answer is one complete sentence, between 5-75 words as required (47 words).
- Grammar: Perfect grammar with appropriate use of conjunctions and transitional phrases.
- Vocabulary: Advanced vocabulary with words like “persistent barriers”, “cultural”, and “economic”.
- Spelling: Correct spelling throughout.
Sample Answer 2 (Band Score: 79)
Although education has become more accessible to both genders, women still face considerable challenges in some regions, necessitating further government and international efforts.
- Analysis:
- Content: Covers the overarching theme but misses some specific challenges such as early marriage or domestic responsibilities.
- Form: One complete sentence (30 words) within the word limit.
- Grammar: Well-structured, though simpler grammar than the 90-band sample.
- Vocabulary: Average, with basic terms like “challenges” and “efforts”.
- Spelling: No errors.
Sample Answer 3 (Band Score: 65)
Men and women have more opportunities for education, but there are still issues in some areas.
- Analysis:
- Content: The summary is overly broad and lacks necessary details about the specific barriers women face.
- Form: One short sentence (14 words) but lacks depth.
- Grammar: Basic grammar with no significant mistakes.
- Vocabulary: Basic; lacks variety.
- Spelling: No spelling mistakes.
Key Vocabulary for Summarizing Gender Equality in Education
Here’s a list of 10 challenging words/phrases from the text:
- Concerted /kənˈsɜːtɪd/ – Adj: Planned, coordinated (e.g., “Concerted efforts are required to achieve results.”)
- Disparities /dɪˈspærɪtiz/ – Noun: Differences, inequality (e.g., “There are disparities in income levels across countries.”)
- Cultural norms /ˈkʌltʃərəl nɔːmz/ – Noun phrase: Socially accepted behaviors and practices (e.g., “Cultural norms often affect women’s education.”)
- Infrastructure /ˈɪnfrəstrʌktʃər/ – Noun: The basic physical and organizational structures (e.g., “Poor infrastructure prevents rural students from attending school.”)
- Domestic responsibilities /dəˈmɛstɪk rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪltiz/ – Noun phrase: Duties related to running a household (e.g., “Domestic responsibilities reduce the time girls have for studying.”)
- Access /ˈæksɛs/ – Noun: The opportunity to use or benefit from something (e.g., “Girls often have limited access to education.”)
- Advancement /ədˈvɑːnsmənt/ – Noun: Progress or development (e.g., “Gender equality leads to societal advancement.”)
- Prioritizing /praɪˈɒrətaɪzɪŋ/ – Verb: Giving something more importance (e.g., “Governments are prioritizing education reforms.”)
- Societal /səˈsaɪətəl/ – Adj: Related to society as a whole (e.g., “Societal changes improve gender equality.”)
- Sustained /səˈsteɪnd/ – Adj: Continuous or ongoing (e.g., “Achieving gender equality requires sustained efforts.”)
Conclusion
Through these Summarize Written Text examples, we’ve analyzed different answer lengths and scoring bands, demonstrating the spectrum of responses that could arise from a complex topic. Gender equality in educational opportunities is not only a significant global issue but also a commonly tested theme in the PTE exam, making it important for test-takers to understand how to effectively summarize information on this topic.
Start practicing regularly with similar materials. Remember, this subject is also discussed globally in education, as seen in helpful resources like Gender equality in global education. Confidently reformulate the content in your own words and enhance your summary skills with continued effort!