The PTE (Pearson Test of English) Speaking & Writing section assesses your ability to summarize written texts in a clear and organized manner. One of the commonly tested topics in the Summarize Written Text task is Urban Planning For Climate Adaptation, a crucial subject as cities face the growing threat of climate change.
In this article, we will provide you with sample Summarize Written Text questions, covering the essential aspects of urban planning for climate adaptation to help you practice for your upcoming PTE exam.
Summarize Written Text: What to Expect
The Summarize Written Text task in PTE requires candidates to read a passage and distill the main points into a single-sentence summary, which should not exceed 75 words. You’ll be scored on Content, Form, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Spelling.
Urban planning for climate adaptation—a topic that falls under sustainability and environmental management—has become highly relevant due to increasing urbanization and environmental challenges. These factors often appear in questions within this task, so it is essential to be well-prepared.
Sample Question 1: Urban Planning for Climate Adaptation
Prompt:
Urban areas are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events. As such, urban planning efforts must incorporate climate adaptation strategies to enhance the resilience of cities. Solutions may include creating green spaces, improving water management systems, and using sustainable materials in infrastructure. These measures help to mitigate the effects of climate change while providing additional benefits such as improved air quality and increased biodiversity.
Task: Summarize the passage above in one sentence.
Model Answers:
Band 90:
Urban planning strategies incorporating climate adaptation, such as green spaces and enhanced water systems, are essential to mitigate the impacts of climate change and provide additional environmental benefits like improved air quality and biodiversity.
- Content: Fully covers all key points about adaptation strategies and their benefits.
- Form: Adequate length and single-sentence structure.
- Grammar: Flawless syntax and punctuation.
- Vocabulary: Precise use of terms like “mitigate,” “impacts,” and “biodiversity.”
- Spelling: No mistakes.
Band 70:
Cities must adapt to climate change influences by adopting measures such as creating green spaces and enhancing infrastructure, which also provide environmental benefits.
- Content: Covers most essential points, though missing details like specific advantages such as air quality improvement.
- Form: Structure and length are correct.
- Grammar: Generally correct with minor simplifications.
- Vocabulary: Clear but less precise than higher bands.
- Spelling: No mistakes.
Band 50:
Urban planning needs to consider climate change by adding more green spaces and improving infrastructure.
- Content: Minimal content that does not mention important aspects like water management or additional benefits.
- Form: Sentence is too simple for a high band.
- Grammar: Basic but correct.
- Vocabulary: Lacks complexity.
- Spelling: No mistakes.
Read more about environmental sustainability in urban design
Sample Question 2: Challenges in Urban Climate Adaptation
Prompt:
The rapid urbanization in many parts of the world presents significant challenges for climate adaptation. With dense populations, cities are more exposed to risks like flooding and heatwaves. Urban planning frameworks must be adjusted to address these growing concerns, focusing on infrastructure resilience and climate-resilient building materials. Policymakers must also engage communities in planning processes so that sustainable urban growth can be achieved while preparing for future climate risks.
Task: Summarize the passage above in one sentence.
Model Answers:
Band 90:
To address climate risks such as flooding and heatwaves in rapidly urbanizing areas, urban planning must prioritize resilient infrastructure and materials, while involving communities in the process to ensure sustainable growth.
- Content: Complete, covering all key issues—risks, solutions, and community involvement.
- Form: Well within the word limit, single-sentence construction.
- Grammar: Excellent sentence structure and use of punctuation.
- Vocabulary: Sophisticated and precise, e.g., “resilient infrastructure,” “community involvement.”
- Spelling: No mistakes.
Band 70:
Cities need to focus on resilient infrastructure and materials and involve the community in decision-making to manage climate risks as urbanization increases.
- Content: Covers most points but simplifies the discussion about different risks.
- Form: Structure and length are correct.
- Grammar: Minor errors in structure but still fluent.
- Vocabulary: Effective but slightly basic.
- Spelling: No mistakes.
Band 50:
Coping with climate change in cities will involve better infrastructure and involving local people.
- Content: Very minimal, missing specifics on urbanization risks and solutions like building materials.
- Form: Lacks complexity in sentence structure.
- Grammar: Basic sentence but grammatically correct.
- Vocabulary: Extremely simple and does not reflect the complexity of the topic.
- Spelling: No mistakes.
Urban planning for climate adaptation strategies
Vocabulary and Grammar for Summarize Written Text
Now, let’s focus on some challenging vocabulary that may appear in this topic. Mastering these terms will improve your performance in Summarize Written Text tasks:
| Word | Phonetic | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resilient | /rɪˈzɪliənt/ | Able to withstand or recover from difficult conditions | Cities must become more resilient to climate threats. |
| Infrastructure | /ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌkʧər/ | The fundamental systems serving a country or city | The urban infrastructure needs climate-proof upgrades. |
| Mitigate | /ˈmɪtɪˌɡeɪt/ | To make less severe | Adaptation strategies are critical to mitigate climate change impacts. |
| Biodiversity | /ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɜrsəti/ | The variety of life within a region | Green spaces can enhance urban biodiversity. |
| Sustainable | /səˈsteɪnəbl/ | Using resources in a way that does not deplete them for the future | Sustainable materials are important for infrastructure resilience. |
| Urbanization | /ˌɜrbənəˈzeɪʃən/ | Growth of cities and migration of people into them | Rapid urbanization increases the need for climate-adaptive infrastructure. |
| Adaptation | /ˌædəpˈteɪʃən/ | Adjusting to new conditions | Urban planning should include climate adaptation measures. |
| Green space | /ɡriːn speɪs/ | Parks or areas with vegetation in urban environments | Green spaces can help reduce the heat island effect. |
| Flooding | /ˈflʌdɪŋ/ | The overflow of water onto dry land | Improved water systems are essential to cope with flooding. |
| Policymaker | /ˈpɔːlɪˌsɪmeɪkər/ | One involved in making laws and policies | Policymakers must collaborate to create effective urban adaptation strategies. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, urban planning for climate adaptation is an important topic often featured in the PTE Summarize Written Text section. By studying relevant content and practicing sample questions, you can improve your summarization skills and gain a stronger understanding of the issue. Remember, excellence in this task hinges on mastering vocabulary, grammar, and the ability to distill complex information into concise sentences. Keep practicing and feel free to ask questions in the comments!
Explore further about environmental sustainability in urban design for a deeper understanding of how climate adaptation measures integrate with urban development.
