PTE Academic, UKVI & Core Sample Questions: Summarize Written Text Practice

Rosalind Franklin's contributions to the discovery of DNA structure remain one of the most compelling narratives in the annals of scientific research. Born in 1920 in London, Franklin was a gifted scientist whose work in X-ray crystallography was instrumental in understanding the molecular structure of DNA.

Franklin's journey in science began at Cambridge University, where her passion for chemistry and physics blossomed. Her most significant work unfolded at King's College London, where she used X-ray diffraction methods to study DNA. Franklin's photographs, particularly Photo 51, revealed critical clues about DNA's structure. Her images showed DNA to be a double helix, a discovery that was pivotal to the work of James Watson and Francis Crick, who later won the Nobel Prize for this groundbreaking finding.

Despite her crucial role, Franklin's contributions were overshadowed in a male-dominated field, and her work was only fully recognized posthumously. She faced gender-based discrimination, yet remained undeterred in her pursuit of scientific excellence. Franklin's dedication to her research was unwavering, even as she battled ovarian cancer, which tragically cut her life short at the age of 37.

Today, Rosalind Franklin is celebrated as a pioneering figure in molecular biology. Her legacy lives on, not only in the realm of DNA research but also as an inspiration for women in science. She broke barriers and paved the way for future generations of female scientists, showing the world the invaluable contributions women can make in the field of science and research.

In conclusion, Rosalind Franklin's story is a poignant reminder of the unrecognized heroes of scientific discovery. Her determination, expertise, and significant findings in DNA structure have left an indelible mark on the world of science and medicine.

Elephants, the largest land animals on Earth, captivate us with their sheer size, intelligence, and gentle demeanor. These magnificent creatures have long held a special place in our hearts and the animal kingdom, representing a harmonious blend of power and grace. Elephants are renowned for their exceptional memory, social bonds, and complex communication skills. These qualities are prominently displayed within their tight-knit family groups, which are led by a matriarch — the oldest and wisest female. The family structure and intricate relationships within elephant herds are awe-inspiring and provide valuable insights into animal behavior and cognition. These gentle giants are also known for their emotional depth. Elephants can display a wide range of emotions, from joy and playfulness to grief and empathy. They mourn their dead, even returning to the remains of deceased herd members years after their passing, showcasing their profound emotional connections.

Despite their remarkable intelligence and emotional capacity, elephants face significant challenges in the wild. Habitat loss, poaching for ivory, and human-wildlife conflicts threaten their survival. Conservation efforts are critical to ensuring the continued existence of these magnificent creatures. Efforts to protect and conserve elephants include anti-poaching initiatives, the establishment of protected areas, and public awareness campaigns to reduce demand for ivory products. Additionally, responsible tourism practices promote ethical interactions with elephants in captivity, ensuring their well-being. Elephants are not just charismatic megafauna; they are vital to the ecosystems they inhabit. They disperse seeds, create water holes, and shape their environment, making them keystone species with an essential role in maintaining biodiversity.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in ancient herbal medicine, an age-old practice that dates back centuries in various cultures and regions. This revival not only sheds light on historical remedies but also offers new insights into modern healthcare.

Historically, different nations and tribes have cultivated a wealth of herbal knowledge passed down through generations. These herbal remedies were often rooted in the local environment and shaped by cultural traditions. However, with the advent of modern medicine, many of these traditional practices were overshadowed and forgotten.

Recent research has rekindled interest in these age-old herbal remedies. Scientists and herbalists are delving into historical texts, collaborating with indigenous communities, and conducting studies to rediscover the medicinal properties of these plants. What they have found is a treasure trove of potential treatments for various ailments.

One remarkable example is the use of Artemisia annua, or sweet wormwood, in treating malaria. This plant has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. In the modern era, scientists have identified the active compound artemisinin, which is now a cornerstone in the fight against malaria.

This renaissance of ancient herbal medicine is not limited to a single culture or region. It extends to indigenous tribes in various parts of the world, revealing the potential for sustainable and culturally relevant healthcare solutions.

In conclusion, the revival of ancient herbal medicine offers a bridge between history and modern science, showcasing the valuable insights and remedies that traditional cultures have passed down for generations. This reconnection with the past holds promise to enrich our understanding of healthcare and explore new avenues for treatment in the 21st century.

Psychotherapy, sometimes called talk therapy, is a treatment that involves a talking relationship between a therapist and patient. It can be used to treat a broad variety of mental disorders and emotional difficulties. The goal of psychotherapy is to eliminate or control disabling or troubling symptoms so the patient can function better. Depending on the extent of the problem, treatment may take just a few sessions over a week or two or may take many sessions over a period of years. Psychotherapy can be done individually, as a couple, with a family, or in a group.

There are many forms of psychotherapy. There are psychotherapies that help patients change behaviours or thought patterns, psychotherapies that help patients explore the effect of past relationships and experiences on present behaviours, and psychotherapies that are tailored to help solve other problems in specific ways. Cognitive behaviour therapy is a goal-oriented therapy focusing on problem solving. Psychoanalysis is an intensive form of individual psychotherapy which requires frequent sessions over several years.

Most medications are used by psychiatrists in much the same way that medications are used to treat high blood pressure or diabetes. After completing thorough evaluations, psychiatrists can prescribe medications to help treat mental disorders. While the precise mechanism of action of psychiatric medications is not fully understood, they may beneficially modulate chemical signalling and communication within the brain, which may reduce some symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Patients on long-term medication treatment will need to meet with their psychiatrist periodically to monitor the effectiveness of the medication and any potential side effects.

Humans are animals but essentially they are the only rational animals. When a human sees an object they can create the idea of what makes that object unique (a tree). This is called abstraction. Animals merely see the object as a single thing (the tree). Because we can separate the idea of a thing (its concept) from the thing itself, we can combine it in our mind with other things to make new things that don’t exist in the physical world (a tree that talks, combining ‘tree’ and ‘human’). This concept of abstraction is unique to man and is the reason that humans have been able to create such incredible structures and objects that we surround ourselves with in life. A bird can make a nest but unless it is in his nature to build homes with heating, he will never be able to conceive of the idea of combing his home with a heating source. The foundation of this idea is from the philosophical concept that certain things in their essence (their being or existence) is what determines their differentness. Using the same concept we can say that the difference between animals and inanimate objects is sentience (the ability to sense). Only animals have senses (a tree can’t feel the cold, a stone can’t smell the earth). Animals have senses, and humans have senses, therefore humans are animals. But only humans have rationality.

In normal times, the different parts of the supply chain each maintain several months' worth of safety stock, so that they can cope with fluctuations in supply and demand. When the corona-virus crisis hit, though, those backup supplies throughout the system were used up in just 10 days, according to Baker.

Replenishing those supplies of food has been tougher, because of the corona-virus. So far, only a few facilities actually have had to suspend operations due to COVID-19 cases among the workforce, according to Martin Bucknavage, a senior food safety extension associate in the food science department at Penn State University. But staying open has necessitated changes in practices that can slow down and limit output.

"These precautions are necessary to help protect workers who may work in close proximity to each other on production/processing lines," Gregory P. Martin, a poultry extension educator for Penn State Extension, explains via email. "Hand sanitizing and donning outerwear are normal practices in food processing plants, so additional personal protection equipment would be another layer of protection for the worker."

"It has been an adjustment for facilities to adjust, for example, to enact spacing, where possible and other precautions," Bucknavage says. "We may be able to tell more after a few more weeks regarding supply chain issues."

"In order to keep production rolling with those added measures, many operations have simplified their product offerings, and this is one thing that is noticeable at the grocery store — less selection, for example, and sizes," Bucknavage explains.

Education for Global Leadership: The Importance of International Studies and Foreign Language Education for the U.S. Economic and National Security Committee for Economic Development. To confront the twenty-first century challenges to our economy and national security, our education system must be strengthened to increase the foreign language skills and cultural awareness of our students. America's continued global leadership will depend on our students' abilities to interact with the world community both inside and outside our borders.

The top of our world is changing - warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. And it is destroying communities. The island of Shishmaref (a town in Alaskan ) is on the frontline of climate change. As temperatures rise, less sea ice forms, exposing the coast.

As the climate changes, the animals and fish that people here used to live on are getting harder to find. Parts of the main road have been washed away, and now the air strip that is the community’s lifeline to the outside world is threatened. The plan is to move the entire town onto the mainland. It will cost an estimated a hundred and eighty million dollars, but, says Dennis, they’ve got no choice. The climate’s changing so fast. And the storms are getting more violent, and the ice isn’t forming, and the water’s warming. Within the next five, ten years, this will all be covered easily. Just that one or two degrees makes a big difference.

It isn’t easy to let go of the place where you’ve spent your entire life. But if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t cut rapidly, it is something many millions more people are likely to have to face.

As a family therapist, I often have the impulse to tell families to go home and have dinner together rather than spending an hour with me. And 20 years of research in North America, Europe, and Australia back up my enthusiasm for family dinners. It turns out that sitting down for a nightly meal is great for the brain, the body, and the spirit. And that nightly dinner doesn’t have to be a gourmet meal that took three hours to cook, nor does it need to be made with organic arugula and heirloom parsnips.

For starters, researchers found that for young children, dinnertime conversation boosts vocabulary even more than being read aloud to. The researchers counted the number of rare words those not found on a list of 3,000 most common words that the families used during dinner conversation. Young kids learned 1,000 rare words at the dinner table, compared to only 143 from parents reading storybooks aloud. Kids who have a large vocabulary read earlier and more easily.

Older children also reap intellectual benefits from family dinners. For school-age youngsters, regular mealtime is an even more powerful predictor of high achievement scores than time spent in school, doing homework, playing sports, or doing art.
Other researchers reported a consistent association between family dinner frequency and teen academic performance. Adolescents who ate family meals 5 to 7 times a week were twice as likely to get A’s in school as those who ate dinner with their families fewer than two times a week.

In 2005 Japan had the highest median age of all countries in the world, while Australia's population was only moderately aged. Some 50 years ago the demographic situation was quite different, with the median age of Australia's population being seven years older than Japan's.

The aging of the population is a major issue for Australian policymakers, particularly in regard to the long-term implications for reduced economic growth and the increasing demand for Age Pensions, and health and aged care services. As the population ages, growth in the number of people of working age will slow, while the proportion of people of retirement age will increase.

Sustained population aging also leads to slowing or negative population growth. While declining population growth in developed countries is welcomed by some environmentalists and social scientists, economists tend to agree that population decline brings gloomy economic prospects. In addition to the decrease in the labor supply, the demand side of the economy may be affected through shrinking markets for goods and services.

How quickly this occurs depends on the dynamics of fertility, mortality, and overseas migration. While a moderate pace of demographic change allows for gradual adjustment of the economy and policies to the changing population demographics, rapid changes are more difficult to manage. As a result, governments and society as a whole may need to take actions to address these issues. But how severe is the ageing of Australia's population, relative to other countries?

One way of applying a degree of perspective to the ageing debate is to compare ageing in Australia with that of other countries. This article examines the population structures in Australia and Japan and the demographic forces that shape the respective populations, both historically and projections for the future.