Sunday, 31 January 2016

Summarize Written Text- PTE Academic

Concussions are brain injuries that occur when a person receives a blow to the head, face, or neck. Although most people who suffer a concussion experience initial bouts of dizziness, nausea, and drowsiness, these symptoms often disappear after a few days. The long-term effects of concussions, however, are less understood and far more severe. Recent studies suggest that people who suffer multiple concussions are at significant risk for developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disorder that causes a variety of dangerous mental and emotional problems to arise weeks, months, or even years after the initial injury. These psychological problems can include depress ion, anxiety, memory loss, inability to concentrate, and aggression. In extreme cases, people suffering from CTE have even committed suicide or homicide. The majority of people who develop these issues are athletes who participate in popular high-impact sports, especially football. Although new sports regulations and improvements in helmet technology can help protect players, amateur leagues, the sports media, and fans all bear some of the responsibility for reducing the incidence of these devastating injuries.  

How to explain Graphs in PTE Academic? Check below the connectors which will help you get better score.

1.    The Pie Chart illustrates changes in the  .........
2.    The graph/ table shows/ indicates/ illustrates/ reveals/ represents/ elucidates/ depicts that ………
3.    It can be seen from the graph/ table that ………………
4.    As is illustrated by the graph/ table…………..
5.    Some Terms that are used for GRAPHS :-
FOR DECREASE/ FALL :- Dramatic fall, Gradual fall, Marked fall, Rapid fall, Moderate fall, Significant fall, Slight fall, Sharp fall, Sudden fall, Decreased at an astounding rate, Plummeted, decline/ dropped with slight fluctuations, Downward trend.  
FOR INCREASE :- Gradual Increase, Marked Increase, Moderate Increase, Sharp increase, Significant increase, Steady Increase,  Steep Increase, Reached at highest level, Improvement, Recovery, Recovered slightly or strongly, Upward trend.  
6.    Overall this represents a huge increase in the number of ...........
7.    The Bar Chart illustrates the number of .........
8.    The year 2011 saw the most dramatic developments ...
9.    There was also a significant growth in the number of ........
10.There was a dramatic increase in ........
11.Prices rose steadily…………
12.The 2 pie charts give information about ........
13.It is immediately obvious that there some things are significantly different between the two charts.
14.There has been a notable increase in .......
15.There are some similarities, however,..........
16.It is interesting to note that ........
17.The rate of decline of X appears to be slowed
18.There was also a fall in the number of ........
19.The X increased slightly in 2000 but it dropped again in 2002
20.The overall trend has been a positive one.
21.The overall sales trend is an upward trend.
22.Experienced a dramatic fall in numbers
23.Although the trend was downwards overall.
24.This figure is double that of X and three times that of Y
25.However this trend changes considerably in 2008
26.Sales figure rose significantly throughout this time
27.The figure began to rise more significantly in 2000
28.The vertical axis represents the X and the horizontal axis represents the Y
29.Overall the chart indicates that there were greater fluctuations .
30.In brief there were marked differences in ..............
31.From the graph it is generally obvious that ..............
32.The curve gradually increases to reach ........
33.This is followed by gradual decline in ...................
34.Then there is sharp rise in .................
35.In summer time the curve gradually decrease to reach its lower limit
36.There is a slight fall in ..................
37.There was dramatic rise in............
38.Market fluctuated considerably
39.After that however there was a gradual decline in ..........
40.This table clearly presents and compares ...........
41.In this analysis we will examine 3 pie charts ..........
42.The diagram provides an overview of ...............
43.The table show 2 sets of related information
44.The overall trend shows fluctuation with slight increased towards the end of the period.
45.The table gives the breakdown of ................
46.It is noticeable that ..........
47.A similar pattern can be seen in X
48.The given line graph illustrates information on the number of.........
49.In fact there is considerable fluctuation in the .............
50.Although there have been fluctuation in this trend .........
51.The most obvious trend in this graph is that .............
52.The most outstanding feature of the graph is that ...........
53.However for the next few years the sales declined steadily
54.Some areas remained relatively unchanged.
55.The most striking feature of the graph is …………
56.There was not a noticeable difference between ……….
57.Another outstanding fact is that ……………………..
58.There had been a considerable growth in the …………….
59.In 1998, however, the sales of company X marginally overtook the sales of company Y.
60.Aged 7 to 14 years registered the second highest figure of around ……………
61.To put in a nutshell, it is apparent that ……………
62.An astounding 98% of the population lived in X city.
63. It was closely followed by …………….
64.There was a steep decline in the sales till 2004 with slight fluctuations.
65.The sales of company X and Y were more or less at a parallel level.
66.Pizza was the most favorite food in the age bracket of 18-25 years.
67.Based on the statistics, it is estimated that ……………..
68.In conclusion, considerable variations can be seen in all age groups.
69.The most striking/ outstanding feature of the graph is that ………………….
70.The pie chart elucidates that ……………………….
71.A cursory glance at the graph is adequate enough to see that the Rap music is the most favorite genre of music among the youngsters and has a lion’s share of music lovers.
72.The sales of the company X were almost 3 times as compared to company Y sales in the year 2002.
73.The bar graph gives a clear picture of the ……………………………..
74.Overall there had been an increasing trend in …………………….
75.The sales plummeted from 30% to a marginal 5%.
76.A glance at the graph reveals that ……………………
77.After 2009, the rate started climbing at an even pace.
78.Both the ratios kept closer to each other during the most part.
79.Both the rates kept fluctuating throughout the period.
80.The line graph portrays an interesting study of the ………………………
81.Overall, it is apparent from the graph that ……………………………………
82.The multiple bar graph elucidates that …………………
83.It is evident from a quick glance at the graph that …………………..

84.Overall it had a “ lion’s share “ as compared to its counterparts. 

ESSAY:- Connectors that can help you get a better score in Essay Writing

1.   To illustrate
2.   In another hypothetical case
3.   There is also a possibility that
4.   On the positive side
5.   I would probably oppose the fact that
6.   Most important from my point of view
7.   This quotation describes as undeniable fact
8.   To sum up
9.   Of-course, some people may argue that
10.                   To a point, that is true
11.                   Here I would like to put emphasis on
12.                   In short
13.                   Though it may be unpopular to say so
14.                   In extreme cases
15.                   Other consequence may include
16.                   There is a good reason to oppose
17.                   On the whole
18.                   This situation is troublesome and may lead to
19.                   In addition to the other factors listed above
20.                   We live in an ever changing society
21.                   To a large extent
22.                   Many other cases also illustrates
23.                   In recent years
24.                   Here is even a more extreme scenario
25.                   Now imagine
26.                   Let us first concentrate
27.                   For several reasons I would prefer
28.                   However I also believe that
29.                   One must also remember that
30.                   The matter of the fact is that
31.                   While this may be true to some extent
32.                   This brings me to my second point
33.                   However I would argue that
34.                   Although it is undoubtedly true
35.                   All in all, I believe that
36.                   Others myself included are of the opinion that
37.                   Another effective measure would be
38.                   One solution to the problem is
39.                   I suppose most of us would argue that
40.                   It’s a very common sight these days
41.                   To begin with
42.                   While I believe it is true
43.                   In a nut shell
44.                   In conclusion, I believe that
45.                   On the other hand, however, there are those who claim that
46.                   Nowadays modern technology has totally changed our approach to study.
47.                   Personally I believe
48.                   . Experts have put forward many suggestions to address this problem.
49.                   However there is growing evidence that
50.                   Perhaps a solution to this problem is
51.                   This is surprising as most people think that
52.                   Let us take a more detailed look at the causes of this
53.                   One of the most obvious reasons
54.                   I tend to agree that
55.                   In the long run
56.                   “Experience is the best teacher” is an old cliché, but I agree with it.
57.                   The twentieth century has brought with it many advances. With those advances, human lives have changed dramatically.
58.                   The most important thing to realize is that
59.                   I entirely agree with this view, and believe that
60.                   There is plenty of evidence to suggest that
61.                   There is a third factor, however, which contributes to the situation
62.                   The reasons for this trend may involve
63.                   There are advantages and disadvantages for both of the arguments.
64.                   Providing an excellent education in the public school system is vital to the strength of our community and our country.
65.                   I totally disagree with the idea
66.                   there is indeed a correlation between a healthy body and healthy mind.
67.                   sports can serve to create healthier bodies, which in turn would serve as a form of “preventive medicine” thereby cutting down on medical costs.
68.                   When we are healthy, we feel better and so are more likely to be productive academically
69.                   With the advent of globalization
70.                   It’s widely believed in today’s materialistic world that
71.                   However, this statement does not fully hold water
72.                   In conclusion, I would say that I largely agree with the argument that
73.                   Overall, it can be said that
74.                   On the other hand, there is no doubt that
75.                   In conclusion, while both approaches have benefits and drawbacks
76.                   A much debated issue these days is
77.                   To sum up, I think that
78.                   Below I will give my reasons to support my answer
79.                   From my everyday experience and observation I can claim that
80.                   In our modern stressful world we often forget about our customs and traditions
81.                   I am a person who likes to travel. I think traveling is a great opportunity to meet new people, gain more knowledge and experience, and learn new customs and traditions.
82.                   Some people say that the invention of computers is one of the greatest humankind's inventions. However, other people think that computers make their life more stressful.
83.                   The invention of television is undoubtedly one of humankind's greatest inventions

84.                   People learn through their entire lives. Curiosity was always the basic characteristic of a human being. We always want to break limits and learn more.
85.                   Ironically, the government has taken only little/ miniscule steps to combat this problem.
86.                   The problem if aggravated to its highest possible limit then it would be catastrophic.
87.                   Jumping onto the conclusion straightaway would be little pre mature.
88.                   This problem has penetrated the very fabric of our society.
89.                   To come out of the shackles of the poverty we must .........................................

FILL IN THE BLANKS - READING TEST

1)  The word euthanasia is of Greek  BLANK 1 and literally means “a good death.” The American Heritage Dictionary BLANK 2  it as “the act of killing a person painlessly for reasons of mercy.” Such BLANK 3 can be done through active means, such as administering a BLANK 4 injection, or by passive means, such as  BLANK 5 medical care or food and water.


Options:- mythology, birth, killings, explain, poison, increasing, mild, withholding, origination, illustration, murder, copy, lethal, origin, slaughter, painful, stopping, deadly, closing.   


2) In recent years in the United States, there have been BLANK 1 cases of active euthanasia in the news. They usually involve the deliberate killing of  BLANK 2  or incapacitated persons by relatives or BLANK 3 who plead that they can no BLANK 4 bear to see their loved ones BLANK 5. Although such killings are a crime, the perpetrators are often dealt with BLANK 6 by our legal system, and the media usually BLANK 7 them as compassionate heroes who take personal risks to save another from unbearable suffering.

Options:- ill, doctors, suffer, strongly, reflects, lower, numerous, more, leniently, show, easily, little, friends, enjoy, strangers, plead, displays, mercilessly, portrays, safely, often, strong, longer, healthy.


Comment below with your response and I will provide you the answers. 

PTE ACADEMIC LISTENING & SPEAKING TIPS

LISTENING TIPS :

Some of the listening tips which I feel can do wonders for you are as follows :-

1) Get accustomed to the accent of the English speakers. You can do this by listening to any lectures in English Language with captions. This particular tip is for those candidates who are finding it difficult to pick the right accent. Believe me keep watching and listening to such lectures and I am sure you'll benefit.

2) Listen carefully to each and every word spoken in the lecture. This will help you in repeat sentence as well as in Re-Tell lecture.

3) Alternatively you can watch English movies to improve your listening skills.

4) When attempting Re-Tell/ Summarize Spoken Text - Focus on key points mentioned by the lecturer and make notes accordingly. Understand the overall theme of the lecture. 

5) For “ Write from Dictation “- It is a good practice to remember the sentence. Alternatively you may also write keywords so that it may help you to write a complete sentence.

6) For multiple choice single answer and multiple answers, read the question thoroughly and skim through the options given. Keep a high focus on every point mentioned by the speaker and find your right answer in the options given. You may also use elimination method wherein you eliminate the options which are totally different and for the rest of the options you may still make a calculative guess.

7) For Highlight correct summary, you are given 4 options normally. Skim through the options and then listen to the lecture carefully. I would not suggest to make points, just listen it carefully and then look for the option to find the correct summary out of the options available. Believe me it really works.


SPEAKING :-

TIPS FOR GRAPHS/ PIE CHARTS/ TABLES :

1) Identify the inputs given in the graph. Check the inputs/ variables given in the X axis and Y axis. For example - You are sometimes given population, sales etc in the Y axis and years range in the X axis.

2) Check what the overall graph is about. It may be related to population density of different countries, sales in different companies etc. So you may start by saying - This line or bar graph illustrates/ gives information about ..................................

3) Sometimes there are too many lines in a single graph. Firstly check the highest point then the lowest point, check the similar patterns, trends ( increasing or decreasing or fluctuating etc ). For instance you can start by saying that the highest population amongst all the countries was recorded by USA which was around 50 millions in the year 2002 and the country with lowest population was France with a population of approximately .......................... . The two countries namely India and China has witnessed an almost similar trends in their population over the past 10 years. However, the population of India showed a dramatic increase after 2010 ..................................

4) You can use some connectors also to improve your speaking. You can use - However, It is interesting to see .............. , Although, Similarly, Overall, On the contrary.

5) Some terminologies that can be used for expressing the trends - Dramatic increase, Significant increase, Exponential increase, decreasing/ increasing trend, fluctuating trend, declined considerably, huge increase, rapid fall, etc.

6) You can also use - population of X was almost 3 times then Y country. The sales of company X was almost 1/3rd then the sales of company Y.



SPEAKING: READ ALOUD – TIPS :

1) Speak at your natural pace.
2) Give stress/ emphasis on particular key word.
3) Take pauses if you get commas or colon etc.
4) Speak as if you are delivering a lecture and not simply reading just for the sake of completing the task. Take it as an opportunity.
5) Oral fluency and pronunciation should be kept in mind. If you don't know how to pronounce a particular word then take help from Google or your friends/ family.
6) Keep a good rhythm   - try not to speak too fast or too slow.

You can practice Read Alouds by reading articles online and you may also record your voice and check how you spoke. Improvement comes by practice and practice makes you perfect :)



SPEAKING: REPEAT SENTENCE – TIPS :

1) Listen carefully to each and every word as you do not get a second chance to listen to the recording again.
2) You may write keywords to remember the sentence.
3) It is good to memorize what you have heard but it may take practice. Understand the overall meaning of the sentence to remember the sentence.
4) Listen to lot of listening stuff on the regular basis so that you get habituated to accent and speed of an English speaker.
5) While listening you may also turn on the " captions " so that when you listen, you can simultaneously read the words. This is a quite beneficial for beginners.
6) You may listen to the lectures on You tube or any similar website.

SPEAKING: RE-TELL LECTURES :

1) Get accustomed to the accent of the English speakers. You can do this by listening to any lectures in English Language with captions. This particular tip is for those candidates who are finding it difficult to pick the right accent. Believe me keep watching and listening to such lectures and I am sure you'll benefit.

2) Make points quickly while listening to the lectures. 

3) Understand what the lecture is about. For instance : it may be related to pollution, mathematics, museum, education etc. 

4) You are also sometimes given the picture/ graph on the screen. This is quite helpful as you can at-least get a hint about what the lecture is about. If you are not able to write many points from the lecture then at-least you can speak about the information given in the picture or graph. 

5) Listen regularly to short or long lecture on You tube or similar websites. This is helpful to understand the accent.

6) If you do not have much content to speak about then slow down your pace for speaking and try to remember some of the key points and try to explain it. 

7) You can start by saying - The lecture is about ..............................................................

8) You may also use - The lecturer gives an example of ....................., The lecturer gives emphasis on .............., In addition to this he/ she also talks about ..................... It is worth noting from this lecture ………………….. First and foremost point mentioned by the lecturer is that …………………Secondly he says…….and so on……………….. Finally he concludes by saying that ……….