PTE Practice Paper
PTE Writing Practice Paper 3
Read the passage below and summarize it using one sentence. Type your response in the box at the bottom of the screen. You have 10 minutes to finish this task. Your response will be judged on the quality of your writing and on how well your response presents the key points in the passage.
1 What makes teaching online unique is that it uses the Internet, especially the World Wide Web, as the primary means of communication. Thus, when you teach online,you don’t have to be someplace to teach. You don’t have to lug your briefcase full of papers or your laptop to a classroom, stand at a lectern, scribble on a chalkboard, or grade papers in a stuffy room while your students take a test. You don’t even have to sit in your office waiting for students to show up for conferences. You can hold “office hours” on weekends or at night after dinner. You can do all this while living in a small town in Wyoming or a big city like Bangkok, even if you’re working for a college whose administrative offices are located in Florida or Dubai. You can attend an important conference in Hawaii on the same day that you teach your class in New Jersey, longing on from your laptop via the local cafe’s wireless hot sport or your hotel room’s high-speed network. Online learning offers more freedom for students as well. They can search for courses using the Web, scouring their institution or even the world for programs, classes and instructors that fit their needs. Having found an appropriate course, they can enrol and register, shop for their books, read articles, listen to
lectures, submit their homework assignments, confer with their instructors, and receive their final grades – all online. They can assemble in virtual classrooms, joining other students from diverse geographical locales, forging bond and friendships not possible in conventional classrooms, which are usually limited to students from a specific geographical area.
2. You used to think that being green was a luxury for your company, but climate change has made you realize that you can no longer ignore it. The buzz is about becoming carbon-neutral, but where do you start? Consider your drivers. Do you want to become carbon-neutral for marketing reasons, for financial reasons or to help save the planet? Simon Armitage of the Carbon Neutral Company believes: “Your drivers will help you tailor your carbon-reduction program and determine key performance indicators.” This will help build a case for going carbon-neutral. First, measure your carbon footprint, or get a specialist to do it for you. That primarily means taking account of your energy usage and emissions caused by travel. Before you begin, think about whether you’re collecting the right data and whether it’s readily accessible. When implementing any energy reduction measures, ensure you engage with your staff. “It’s much better if your people decide for themselves when it’s sensible for them to travel,” says Armitage. You’ll also need them to participate in switching off the lights and other energy-saving measures. Set targets and show it’s not a one-off exercise.
3. American English is, without a doubt, the most influential and powerful variety of English in the world today. There are many reasons for this. First, the United States is, at present, the most powerful nation on earth and such power always bring with it influence. Indeed, the distinction between a dialect and a language has frequently been made by reference to power. As has been said, a language is a dialect with an army. Second, America’s political influence is extended through American popular culture, in particular through the international reach of American films (movies, of course) and music. As Kahane has pointed out, the internationally dominant position of culture results in a forceful expansion of its language…. the expansion of language contributes… to the prestige of the culture behind it. Third, the international prominence of American English is closely associated with the extraordinarily quick development of communications technology. Microsoft is owned by an American, Bill Gates. This means a computer’s default setting for language is American English, although of course this can be changed to suit one’s circumstances. In short, the increased influence of American English is caused by political power and the resultant diffusion of American culture and media, technological advance and the rapid development of communications technology.
4. A tiny tree frog preserved in amber is believed to have lived about 25 million years ago, a Mexican researcher says. The chunk of amber containing the centimetre-long frog was uncovered by a miner in southern Chiapas state in 2005 and bought by a private collector, who lent it to scientists for study. Only a few preserved frogs have been found in chunks of amber — a stone formed by ancient tree sap — mostly in the Dominican Republic. Like those, the frog found in Chiapas was of the genus Craugastor, whose relatives still inhabit the region. Gerardo Carbot, the biologist with the Chiapas Natural History and Ecology Institute who announced the discovery on Wednesday, said it was the first such frog found in amber in Mexico. Carbot said he would like to extract a sample from the frog’s remains to see whether they contain well-preserved DNA, to identify the frog’s species. However, he expressed doubt that the stone’s owner would allow researchers to drill a small hole into the chunk of amber.
5. Water is at the core of sustainable development. Water resources, and the range of services they provide underpin poverty reduction, economic growth and environmental sustainability. From food and energy security to human and environmental health, water contributes to improvements in social well-being and inclusive growth, affecting the live lihoods of billions. In a sustainable world that is achievable shortly, water and related resources are managed in support of human well-being and ecosystem integrity in a robust economy. Sufficient and safe water is made available to meet every person’s basic needs,with healthy lifestyles and behaviors easily upheld through reliable and affordable water supply and sanitation services, in turn supported by equitably extended and efficiently managed infrastructure. Water resources management, infrastructure and service delivery are sustainably financed. Water is duly valued in all its forms, with wastewater treated as a resource that avails energy, nutrients and freshwater for reuse. Human settlements develop in harmony with the natural water cycle and the ecosystems that support it, with measures in place that reduce vulnerability and improve resilience to water-related disasters. Integrated approaches to water resources development, management and use – and human rights – are the norm. Water is governed in a participatory way that draws on the full potential of women and men as professionals and citizens, guided by many able and knowledgeable organizations, within a just and transparent institutional framework.
You will have 20 minutes to plan, write and revise an essay about the topic below. Your response will be judged on how well you develop a position, organize your ideas, present supporting details, and control the elements of standard written English. You
should write 200-300 words.
1. Does a certain type of music affect young children’s learning? Agree / Disagree
2. Some universities deduct marks from students’ works if given in late, what are the
problems and what is your opinion?
3. The time people devote to job leaves very little time for personal life. How widespread
is the problem? What problem will this shortage of time causes?
4. In a cashless society, people use more credit cards. Cashless society seems to be a
reality, and how realistic do you think it is? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of this phenomenon?
5. Medical technology can increase life expectancy. Is it a blessing or a curse?