PTE Summarize Written Text Practice: Urbanization and Loss of Biodiversity

Urbanization is one of the most prevalent topics in today’s PTE Summarize Written Text task. This post will walk you through a sample exam-style task related to “Urbanization And Loss Of Biodiversity,” which highlights one of the critical challenges faced by modern societies. For those aspiring to score high in the PTE Academic test, practicing this topic is essential, as it ties into broader subjects like environmental sustainability and public health issues.

Sample Task: Urbanization and Loss of Biodiversity

In this PTE Summarize Written Text task, you are required to summarize the following passage into a single sentence without exceeding 75 words. Ensure that your response embodies the main ideas concisely while adhering to proper grammar and sentence structure.

Instructions: After reading the complete text, summarize it in one sentence. You have 10 minutes to complete this task.

Urbanization has led to significant ecological changes, primarily through habitat destruction and fragmentation, which severely impacts biodiversity. As cities expand to accommodate growing populations, forests, wetlands, and grasslands make way for infrastructure, reducing the natural habitats of countless species. Alongside the introduction of invasive species and pollution, this results in the loss of many plants and animals, creating an ongoing biodiversity crisis. Environmental experts stress the need for sustainable urban planning to mitigate these adverse effects.

Sample Responses for Different Band Scores

Response for Band 90:

Urbanization depletes biodiversity by causing habitat destruction and fragmentation for expanding human populations, leading to species loss, and experts advocate for sustainable urban planning to address these impacts.

Analysis:

• Content: Fully conveys the text’s main ideas, including habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and the call for sustainable planning.
• Form: One sentence with proper grammar.
• Grammar: No errors. Excellent use of complex sentence structures.
• Vocabulary: Advanced choice of words such as “depletes,” “fragmentation,” and “mitigate.”
• Spelling: No errors.

Response for Band 79:

Urbanization leads to habitat destruction, reduces biodiversity, and experts advise sustainable planning to cope with these impacts.

Analysis:

• Content: Captures the passage’s core elements, but the idea of fragmentation is missing.
• Form: Correct form with only one sentence, well-structured.
• Grammar: Clean and error-free.
• Vocabulary: Adequate, but simpler phrases could be expanded with more specific terms.
• Spelling: No errors.

Response for Band 65:

Expanding cities harm biodiversity by destroying habitats, and experts urge sustainable planning.

Analysis:

• Content: Overall message is clear, but details about fragmentation and pollution are missing.
• Form: One sentence is utilized effectively.
• Grammar: No major errors but could benefit from more conjunctions to foster a smoother flow.
• Vocabulary: Basic level; the terms “destroying” and “harm” are used in place of more complex equivalents.
• Spelling: Correct.

Explanation of Criteria

• Content evaluates how well you included the main points of the text in your summary.
• Form ensures your response has only one sentence and is less than or equal to 75 words.
• Grammar focuses on the accuracy and variety of your sentence structures.
• Vocabulary looks at the sophistication and appropriateness of the words you’ve chosen.
• Spelling checks for any misspelled words.

Vocabulary and Grammar Guide

Here are 10 critical vocabulary words and phrases used in the passage with their definitions, phonetics, and example sentences:

1. Urbanization /ˌɜː.bə.naɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/ – The process of making an area more urban or city-like.
   Example: The rapid urbanization of the area has caused a decline in local wildlife populations.

2. Biodiversity /ˌbaɪ.oʊ.dɪˈvɜː.sɪ.ti/ – The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
   Example: Biodiversity in tropical rainforests is being threatened by deforestation.

3. Habitat destruction /ˈhæb.ɪ.tæt dɪˈstrʌk.ʃən/ – The process by which natural habitats are rendered unable to support species.
   Example: Urban expansion results in large-scale habitat destruction.

4. Fragmentation /ˌfræɡ.menˈteɪ.ʃən/ – Breaking up ecosystems into smaller parts, typically caused by human activity.
   Example: The fragmentation of forests has isolated many animal species.

5. Mitigate /ˈmɪt.ɪ.ɡeɪt/ – To reduce the severity or seriousness of an issue.
   Example: Governments must take action to mitigate the harmful effects of pollution.

6. Invasive species /ɪnˈveɪ.sɪv ˈspiː.ʃiːz/ – Non-native species introduced to an ecosystem that cause harm.
   Example: The introduction of invasive species has drastically altered local biodiversity.

7. Sustainable /səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl/ – The ability to maintain or continue processes without depleting resources or causing long-term damage.
   Example: Sustainable urban development is vital to protect the environment.

8. Environmental experts /ɪnˈvaɪ.rən.men.tl ˈɛk.spɜːts/ – Professionals who study the environment and provide knowledge-based solutions to ecological problems.
   Example: Environmental experts are increasingly concerned about the acceleration of species loss.

9. Infrastructure /ˈɪn.frəˌstrʌk.tʃər/ – The basic facilities and systems serving a city, such as transportation and communication.
   Example: Expanding infrastructure has often come at the expense of natural landscapes.

10. Pollution /pəˈluː.ʃən/ – The introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment.
    Example: Urban pollution is one of the major contributors to biodiversity loss in city areas.

Conclusion

The topic of Urbanization and loss of biodiversity is crucial in both real-world contexts and PTE test preparation. Practicing Summarize Written Text tasks using similar subject matter will not only help you improve your ability to condense complex information but also prepare you to handle other critical subjects covered in the Urban sprawl and environmental sustainability section. Keep honing your skills by practicing similar tasks and diversifying your vocabulary usage to excel in the PTE.

We encourage you to practice summarizing passages like this one and leave a comment below with any questions or challenges you encounter during your PTE study journey!