Space Tourism’s Environmental Footprint – Summarize Written Text Practice for PTE

In the PTE Academic exam, the Summarize Written Text (SWT) is a key component in the Speaking & Writing section. One of the frequently discussed topics in PTE exams is the environmental impact of different human activities, especially space tourism. Below, we have crafted a sample SWT question based on the “Space tourism’s environmental footprint” theme, along with answer examples and analysis to help you practice effectively.

Summarize Written Text Sample Exercise: Space Tourism’s Environmental Impact

Instructions:
Read the following text and summarize it in one sentence. Your response should be between 5 to 75 words.

The rise of space tourism is a significant development in the 21st century, but it comes at a cost to the environment. Rockets used in space travel generate substantial carbon emissions, comparable to the entire aviation industry. These emissions accumulate in the upper atmosphere, contributing to global warming, ozone layer depletion, and altering Earth’s climate systems. Furthermore, the production and disposal of rocket components introduce additional pollutants, including heavy metals and other toxic materials, which increase the long-term environmental impact. While space tourism holds potential economic benefits as a growing industry and offers novel opportunities for scientific research, its environmental footprint remains a crucial challenge that must be addressed for it to be sustainable in the future.

Model Answers Based on Different Band Scores:

Band 90-79 Response:

Space tourism poses a significant environmental challenge as rockets generate carbon emissions and other pollutants that harm the atmosphere and climate, while its economic benefits and scientific advancements highlight the need for sustainable solutions.

Evaluation:

• Content: Outstanding, captures the key points about carbon emissions, pollutants, and the need for sustainability.
• Form: Excellent, fits within the word limit and presents a comprehensive summary.
• Grammar: Correct use of complex sentences and transitional phrases.
• Vocabulary: Strong choice of academic words like “significant,” “sustainability,” and “pollutants.”
• Spelling: Perfect.

Band 78-65 Response:

While space tourism has potential economic growth, it also creates high carbon emissions and pollutants which have harmful effects on the atmosphere and climate.

Evaluation:

• Content: Good, conveys the primary environmental issues but lacks depth in discussing the scientific opportunities.
• Form: Meets the word limit requirements.
• Grammar: Adequate, though some complex sentence structure could be improved.
• Vocabulary: Adequate but basic; lacks more sophisticated terms for nuanced discussion.
• Spelling: Correct.

Band 64-50 Response:

Space tourism attracts interest but damages the environment due to rockets’ carbon emissions and pollution.

Evaluation:

• Content: Limited, mentions environmental harm but misses important details like the accumulation of emissions in the upper atmosphere and specific pollutants.
• Form: Meets word limit, but the sentence could be more comprehensive.
• Grammar: Simple sentence structure with minimal complexity.
• Vocabulary: Basic, lacking advanced vocabulary relevant to the topic.
• Spelling: No errors.

Band Below 50 Response:

Space tourism is bad for the planet because of rocket pollution.

Evaluation:

• Content: Very limited, fails to capture essential details and only makes broad generalizations.
• Form: Meets the word limit but is overly simplistic.
• Grammar: Too rudimentary, lacks cohesion and complexity.
• Vocabulary: Very basic with no attempt at academic language.
• Spelling: No mistakes.

Key Vocabulary for This Task

Here are 10 potential vocabulary words from the sample text, along with their definitions and usage examples to help improve your language skills:

1. Atmosphere /ˈætməsˌfɪə(r)/ – The layer of gases surrounding the earth (Example: Changes in the atmosphere can have long-term effects on global climate.)
2. Carbon Emissions /ˈkɑːbən ɪˈmɪʃən/ – The release of carbon dioxide into the environment (Example: Reducing carbon emissions is crucial to combatting climate change.)
3. Depletion /dɪˈpliːʃən/ – The reduction in the quantity or availability of something (Example: The depletion of the ozone layer poses severe environmental risks.)
4. Pollutants /pəˈluːtənts/ – Substances that contaminate the environment (Example: Industrial wastes are significant sources of pollutants.)
5. Sustainability /səˌsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti/ – The ability to maintain balance and avoid the depletion of natural resources (Example: Sustainability is key to ensuring space tourism doesn’t lead to irreversible environmental damage.)
6. Toxic /ˈtɒksɪk/ – Poisonous and harmful (Example: Toxic materials released during rocket launches can cause long-term environmental harm.)
7. Ozone Layer /ˈəʊzəʊn ˈleɪə(r)/ – A layer in the earth’s stratosphere that absorbs most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation (Example: The thinning of the ozone layer is linked to higher carbon emissions.)
8. Climate Systems /ˈklaɪmət ˈsɪstəmz/ – The complex interplay between the Earth’s atmosphere and other environmental factors (Example: Rocket pollution can significantly disrupt Earth’s delicate climate systems.)
9. Scientific Research /ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˈriːsɜːtʃ/ – Investigative studies aimed at discovering new information (Example: Space tourism offers untapped opportunities for scientific research beyond Earth’s atmosphere.)
10. Rocket Components /ˈrɒkɪt kəmˈpəʊnənts/ – The individual parts of a rocket which may include toxic materials (Example: Manufacturers are exploring ways to recycle rocket components to minimize environmental impact.)

Conclusion

Summarizing written texts about topics like space tourism’s environmental footprint is a common challenge in the PTE exam. This theme not only highlights the growing dependency on futuristic technologies but also emphasizes the need for environmental sustainability. Effective preparation for this task requires not just good summarization skills but also a solid understanding of the topic. To explore more about space tourism’s other impacts, including its influence on the economy, check out our article on the Economic impacts of space tourism.

Practice more with such diverse topic examples to improve your summarizing capacity and vocabulary for the PTE exam. Feel free to ask questions or share your responses in the comments below for further feedback!