PTE Writing: Practice Questions - 3 | Practice Tests for PTE PDF Download

Summarize Written Text

You need to summarize the passage given below. In the exam, you will have 10 minutes to complete this task. Your response will be assessed on how well you capture the essential points of the passage and the clarity of your writing.
You can draft your answer on paper, and then check your response by clicking the "View Answer" button.

Q1: The golden years of retirement, when decades of toil are traded for some downtime, are starting later. In the mid-1980s, 25% of American men aged 65-69 worked; today, nearly 40% do. The situation is the same for younger men. In 1994, 53% of 60- to 64-year-olds worked; now 63% do. American women are working longer too, and similar upticks have been witnessed in Japan and other parts of western Europe. Since unhealthy workers tend to retire earlier, many attribute the ageing workforce of today to improvements in health. Mortality rates for American men in their 60s have declined by 40% since 1980; for women, they have fallen by 30%. Education and occupation are also relevant. The fact that modern jobs in general are less physically taxing than those of yore allows all people to work for longer or look for jobs suitable to their advancing years.

But these are not the primary drivers of the greying workforce, suggests an eminent economist. Social-security reforms and other institutional changes play a central role. In recent decades, many countries and companies have altered the way they fund pensions. Reductions in the generosity of social security and disability insurance have also had an impact. Since the 1990s, Italy, Germany, Japan and others have raised the minimum age at which citizens can accept retirement benefits. A final factor is the increased number of women in the workforce: about 44% more hold a job now, across 12 developed countries, than in 1995. And, like men, they are working longer.

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Q2: The market in 'green' bonds, which tie the capital raised in bond issues to environmentally friendly investments, is growing. A decade ago total issuance from municipalities and multilateral development banks was worth just a few hundred million dollars annually. In 2016 issuance reached $97 billion. This year that number could hit $125 billion. What makes a bond green?

The incomplete answer is that green bonds are green because the proceeds are used to fund green projects such as clean energy or transport. But definitions of what counts as 'green' vary. In the market's early days, the judgement was left to the issuers themselves. So, the World Bank's environment department ruled on projects financed by the green bonds it issued. Now, bonds are accepted as green if, within certain broad rules, an external reviewer has signed off on the bond issue in question.

The current set-up still has flaws. One is that standards are proliferating: Countries are drawing up their own rules. The Principles are vague, external review methodologies vary greatly, and the external review process is blind to nuance, providing binary yes/no judgements. That is starting to change. Credit-rating agencies have recently launched green-evaluation services that grade bonds on a scale of greenness, like their conventional credit ratings. Such a system, if it wins market share, should help environmentally friendly investors better decide how to allocate their money.

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Write Essay

You will have 20 minutes to plan, write and revise an essay about the topic below. Carefully read the statement below and write an essay in response. A sample essay is available for you to review by clicking on the "View Answer" button.
Your essay will be evaluated based on how effectively you develop your position, organize your ideas, provide supporting details, and adhere to the conventions of standard written English. Aim for a word count between 200-300 words.

Q1: Government spending on sectors such as technology, space exploration, and innovation is often criticized by those who think this money is better spent on fundamental like alleviating poverty and eradicating hunger. What are your views on this? Support your views with relevant arguments.

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