70 Bài luận luyện thi TOEFL

Nội dung text: 70 Bài luận luyện thi TOEFL

1. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays EX Giving an Explanation 1 People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. People attend college for a lot of different reasons. I believe that the three most common reasons are to prepare for a career, to have new experiences, and to increase their knowledge of themselves and of the world around them. Career preparation is probably the primary reason that people attend college. These days, the job market is very competitive. Careers such as information technology will need many new workers in the near future. At college, students can learn new skills for these careers and increase their opportunities for the future. Students also go to college to have new experiences. For many, it is their first time away from home. At college, they can meet new people from many different places. They can see what life is like in a different city. They can learn to live on their own and take care of themselves without having their family always nearby. At college, students have opportunity to increase their knowledge. As they decide what they want to study, pursue their studies, and interact with their classmates, they learn a lot of about themselves. They also, of course, have the opportunity to learn about many subjects in their classes. In addition to the skills and knowledge related to their career, college students also have the chance to take classes in other areas. For many, this will be their last chance to study different subjects. Colleges offer much more than career preparation. They offer the opportunity to have new experiences and to learn many kinds of things. I think all of these are reasons why people attend college. (265 words) AD Agreeing or Disagreeing 2 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Parents shape their children from the beginning of their children’s lives. They teach their children values. They share their interests with them. They develop close emotional ties with them. Parents can be very important teachers in their children’s lives; however, they are not always the best teachers. Parents may be too close to their children emotionally. For example, they may limit a child’s freedom in the name of safety. A teacher may organize an educational trip to a big city, but a parent may be afraid of the child getting hurt. Another problem is that parents sometimes expect their children’s interests to be similar to their own. If the parents love science, they may try to force their child to love 1
2. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays science too. But what if the child prefers art? If the parents enjoy sports, they may expect their child to participate on different teams. But what if the child prefers to read? Parents want to pass on their values to their children. However, things change. The children of today are growing up in a world different from their parents’ world. Sometimes parents, especially older ones, can’t keep up with rapid social or technological changes. A student who has friends of different races at school may find that his parents have narrower views. A student who loves computers may find that her parents don’t understand or value the digital revolution. Parents are important teachers in our lives, but they aren’t always the best teachers. Fortunately, we have many teachers in our lives. Our parents teach us, our teachers teach us, and we learn from our peers. Books and newspapers also teach us. All of them are valuable. (277 words) EX Giving an Explanation 3 Nowadays food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Food is a basic part of life, so it follows that improved methods of food preparation have made our lives better. Nowadays we can prepare meals much faster than we could in the past. We can also enjoy a greater variety of food and eat more healthfully, all because of modern methods of food preparation. Microwave ovens have made it possible to prepare delicious food quickly. People these days rarely have time to shop and prepare meals the old-fashioned way. We live very fast lives. We are busy working, caring for our families, traveling, playing sports, and many other things. Because of microwave ovens, we have time to enjoy a good meal with our family and then play soccer, go to a movie, study, or do anything else we want to afterwards. Modern methods of preserving food have made it possible to enjoy a wide variety of food. Because of refrigerators, freezers, canning, and freeze-drying, we can eat fruits and vegetables that come from far away places. We can prepare a meal one day and save the leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer to eat at another time. We can keep different kinds of food in the refrigerator or on the shelf. It’s easy to always have food available and to be able to eat completely different meals every day. Healthful eating is easier now than it ever was. Because of modern transportation methods, fresh fruits and vegetables are available all year round. Modern kitchen appliances make it easy to prepare fruits and vegetables for cooking. Bread machines make it possible to enjoy healthful, home-baked bread whenever we like. We can eat fresh and healthful food everyday because modern methods have made preparation easy. Our lifestyle is fast, but people still like good food. New food preparation methods have given us is more choices. Today we can prepare food that is more convenient, healthier, and of greater variety than ever before in history. (323 words) 2
3. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays PR Stating a Preference 4 It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why? “Experience is the best teacher” is an old cliché, but I agree with it. We can learn a lot of important things from books, but the most important lessons in life come from our own experiences. Throughout the different stages of life, from primary school to university to adulthood, experience teaches us many skills we need for life. As children in primary school, we learn facts and information from books, but that is not all we learn in school. On the playground we learn how to make friends. In our class work, we learn how it feels to succeed and what we do when we fail. We start to learn about the things we like to do and the things we don’t. We don’t learn these things from books, but from our experiences with our friends and classmates. In our university classes, we learn a lot of information and skills we will need for our future careers, but we also learn a lot that is not in our textbooks. In our daily lives both in class and out of class, we learn to make decisions for ourselves. We learn to take on responsibilities. We learn to get along with our classmates, our roommates, and our workmates. Our successes and failures help us develop skills we will need in our adult lives. They are skills that no book can teach us. Throughout our adulthood, experience remains a constant teacher. We may continue to read or take classes for professional development. However, our experiences at work, at home, and with our friends teach us more. The triumphs and disasters of our lives teach us how to improve our careers and also how to improve our relationships and how to be the person each one of us wants to be. Books teach us a lot, but there is a limit to what they teach. They can give us information or show us another person’s experiences. These are valuable things, but the lessons we learn from our own experiences, from childhood through adulthood, are the most important ones we learn. (346 words) PR Stating a Preference 5 A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position. People like factories because they bring new jobs to a community. In my opinion, however, the benefits of a factory are outweighed by the risks. Factories cause pollution and they bring too much growth. In addition, they destroy the quiet lifestyle of a small town. That is why I oppose a plan to build a factory near my community. 3
4. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Factories cause smog. If we build a new factory, the air we breathe will become dirty. Everything will be covered with dust. Factories also pollute rivers and streams. Our water will be too dirty to drink. The environment will be hurt and people’s health will be affected by a factory. Some people will say that more jobs will be created by a factory. However, this can have a negative result. Our population will grow quickly. Many new homes and stores will be built. There will be a lot of traffic on the roads. Fast growth can cause more harm than good. Our city will change a lot. It is a pleasant place now. It is safe and quiet. Everybody knows everybody else. If a factory brings growth to the city, all of this will change. The small-town feel will be lost. A factory would be helpful in some ways, but the dangers outweigh the benefits. Our city would be changed too much by a factory. I cannot support a plan to build a new factory here. (235 words) MA Making an Argument 6 If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what would you change? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer. If I could change one thing about my hometown, I think it would be the fact that there is no sense of community here. People don’t feel connected, they don’t look out for each other, and they don’t get to know their neighbors. People here don’t feel connected to the community. They come and go a lot. They change jobs frequently and move on. This means that they don’t put down roots in the community. They don’t join community organizations and they don’t get involved in community issues. They don’t participate in the schools or try to beautify the neighborhoods. They don’t feel like community members. People don’t try to support others around them. They don't watch out for each others’ children or check in on elderly neighbors. They may not know if a neighbor loses a loved one. There’s not a lot of community support for individuals. Neighbors don’t get to know each other. When neighbors go on vacation, no one watches their house for them. When neighbors’ children ride their bikes through someone’s garden, there’s no casual, friendly way of mentioning the problem. A simple problem becomes a major disagreement. My hometown is a nice place to live in many ways, but it would be much nicer if we had that sense of community. (216 words) 4
5. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays EX Giving an Explanation 7 How do movies or television influence people’s behavior? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer. Television is a big influence in the lives of most of us. We spend hours every week watching television programs, so of course this will affect our behavior. Unfortunately, the effect of television is usually negative. Television makes people more violent, more inactive, and less imaginative. Many programs and movies on television are violent. The more we see violence on television, the less sensitive we become to it. Eventually violence doesn’t seem wrong. This is specially true because violence on television doesn’t seem to have consequences. Actors can be killed and come back for another movie. Sometimes we confuse that with reality and we forget that killing someone is permanent. Watching television makes us less active. The act of watching television requires almost no activity on the part of the watcher. We just turn it on and change the channels. In addition, all the time that we spend in front of the television is time that we are not spending moving around, playing a sport, or taking a walk. When we watch television, we don’t exercise our imagination. All the stories are told for us. We don’t even have to imagine that a character or a place looks like because everything is shown to us. When we have television, we don’t have to invent a way to spend a few free moments. We just turn on the television and watch. Television is a big influence in modern life and it can be a valuable educational tool. The other side of television, however, is that it has a strong negative effect on our behavior, encouraging us to accept violence and to be inactive and unimaginative. (274 words) AD Agreeing or Disagreeing 8 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has destroyed communication among friends and family. Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinions. 5
6. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Some people believe that television has destroyed communication among friends and family. In my opinion, however, the opposite is true. Television can increase communication. News and other information we see on TV gives us things to discuss with our friends and family. TV also helps us understand each other better because we all have access to the same TV programs. Finally, TV can help us share our interests with other people. Television programs give us things to think and talk about. These days it is always possible to hear up-to-the minute news every time we turn on the television. We hear about things happening all around the world that directly affect our lives. Everybody has opinions about these things and everybody wants to discuss their opinions with other people. So, TV news and information programs encourage us to discuss our ideas with our friends and family. No matter what city you live in, you have access to the same TV programs as people in other parts of the country. When you go to a new city to work, study, or take a vacation, you will already have something in common with the people there. When you meet new people, you will probably be familiar with at least some of the same TV programs. This gives you something to talk about and a way to begin new friendships. Most people use TV as a way to pursue their interests. People who play sports usually like to watch sports on TV. People who like to cook watch cooking shows. If your friends and family watch some of the same programs as you do, they can learn more about the things that interest you. This is an excellent form of communication that helps people understand each other better. TV is a tool that gives us access to information, entertainment, and education. When we watch programs that interest us, we want to share this interest with other people. That is why I believe TV encourages communication among people. (334 words) PR Stating a Preference 9 Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. I grew up in a small town and then moved to a big city. I didn’t think I would like living here, but I was wrong. I think life is much better in a big city. Transportation is much more convenient, everything is more exciting, and there is a greater variety of people. I can’t imagine ever living in a small town again. Transportation is easier in a city. In a small town, you have to have a car to get around because there isn’t any kind of public transportation. In a city, on the other hand, there are usually buses and taxis, and some cities have subways. Cities often have heavy traffic, and expensive parking, but it doesn’t matter because you can always take the bus. Using public transportation is usually cheaper and more convenient than driving a car, but you don’t have this choice in a small town. 6
7. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays City life is more exciting than small town life. In small towns usually nothing changes. You see the same people every day, you go to the same two or three restaurants, everything is the same. In a city things change all the time. You see new people every day. There are many restaurants, with new ones to choose from all the time. New plays come to the theaters and new musicians come to the concert halls. Cities have a diversity of people that you don’t find in a small town. There are much fewer people in a small town and usually they are all alike. In a city you can find people from different countries, of different religions, of different races – you can find all kinds of people. This variety of people is what makes city life interesting. Life in a city is convenient, exciting, and interesting. After experiencing city life, I could never live in a small town again. (310 words) AD Agreeing or Disagreeing 10 “When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.” Do you agree or disagree with the quotation above? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position. When people succeed, it is because of hard work, but luck has a lot to do with it, too. Luck is often the final factor that turns years of working hard into success. Luck has helped people invent and discover things, it has helped people become famous, and it has helped people get jobs. Many people have discovered or invented things with the help of luck. Columbus worked hard for years to prepare for his trip around the world. Many thought he was crazy, but still he was able to get support for his endeavor. He worked hard to be able to make his trip to India, but it was because of luck that he actually found the Americas. Luck can help people become famous. Consider movie stars. Many work hard to learn how to act. They take acting classes. They work at small, low-paying jobs in order to gain experience. Then one day a lucky actor may be given a certain part in a movie, and he gets noticed for it. Or he meets a movie director at the right time and place. Years of hard work bring him close to success, but that one lucky chance finally helps him succeed. Because of luck, many people find jobs. A person may spend weeks writing and sending off reùsumeùs, looking at help wanted ads, and going on job interviews. But often it is because of luck that a job hunter meets the person who will give him or her a job, or hears of an opportunity that isn’t advertised in the newspaper. Being in the right place at the right time is often what gets a person a job, and that is all about luck. It is certainly difficult to be successful without hard work, but hard work also needs to be helped by a little luck. Luck has helped many people, both famous and ordinary, become successful. I think that luck and hard work go hand in hand. (329 words) AD Agreeing or Disagreeing 11 7
8. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Universities should give the same amount of money to their students’ sports activities as they give to their university libraries. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. I disagree strongly with the idea that the same amount of money should go to university sports activities as to university libraries. Although playing sports is an important part of education, libraries are fundamental. Students cannot study without them and they require a lot of financial support to maintain up-to-date technology, to keep new books and magazines on the shelves, and to keep them operating. Students need up-to-date library facilities to get a good education. They need computerized programs and access to Internet research databases. It costs money to have these things available, but they are fundamental to education. If a university offers its students only resources of a decade ago, it deprives those students of a tremendous amount of information. Although we get a lot of information from computers and the Internet, university libraries still need to maintain a complete book and magazine collection. Every day new information is published on every subject, and every university wants to have this information available to its students. Again, this requires money. It also costs money for universities to operate their libraries. University libraries are usually open for long hours and during this time they use heat and electricity. Most important, a university library needs a well-educated, knowledgeable staff. In order to be able to hire the best people, they have to be able to pay good salaries. University students are only going to benefit from their education if they can get all the tools they need to learn. Sports are secondary to the resources that students need from university libraries. For this reason, libraries should always be better funded than sports activities. (271 words) EX Giving an Explanation 12 Many people visit museums when they travel to new places. Why do you think people visit museums? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. People visit museums for a number of reasons. They visit museums when traveling to new places because a museum tells them a lot about the culture of those places. They also go to museums to have fun. People also are usually interested in museums that feature unusual subjects. It’s impossible to get bored in a museum. When visiting someplace new, you can find out about the culture of that place in many ways. The easiest way to learn about a culture, though, is by visiting its museums. Museums will show you the history of the place you’re visiting. They’ll show you what art the locals think is important. If there aren’t any museums, that tells you something, too. Museums are fun. Even if you’re not interested in art or history, there is always something to get your attention. Many museums now have what they call “hands-on” 8
9. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays exhibits. These exhibits have activities such as pushing a button to hear more about what you’re looking at, or creating your own work of art. Everyone, from child to adult, enjoys these hands-on activities in museums. People also enjoy visiting museums about unusual subjects. For instance, in my hometown there’s a museum devoted to the potato. This museum has art made out of potatoes. It also tells the history of the potato, and sells unusual items such as potato dolls. People enjoy visiting this museum because it is so unusual. There is no other place like it. People everywhere like museums. They like learning about interesting and unusual things. No matter who you are or what you like, there is a museum that will amaze and interest you. (274 words) PR Stating a Preference 13 Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Although many people prefer to eat at restaurants because it is easier than cooking at home, I prefer to prepare food at home. I believe it is much cheaper and healthier to eat at home, and it can be more convenient, too. While eating in restaurants is fast, the money you spend can add up. When I have dinner at a restaurant, the bill is usually $25 or more. I can buy a lot of groceries with that much money. Even lunch at a food stand can easily cost seven or eight dollars. That’s enough to feed the whole family at home. Eating at home is better for you, too. Meals at restaurants are often high in fat and calories. When you cook at home, however, you can control what you eat. You can cook with low-fat and low-calorie ingredients. Restaurants also often serve big plates of food. You may eat a full plate of food at a restaurant “because you paid for it,” while at home you can control your portion size. You can serve yourself as little as you want. It may seem more convenient to eat at a restaurant because you don’t have to shop, cook, or clean up. All you do is eat. Cooking at home, however, can actually be more convenient. There are lots of simple meals that don’t take long to prepare. In addition, when you eat at home, you don’t have to drive to the restaurant, look for a parking space, wait for a table, and wait for service. People often choose to eat at restaurants because it seems more convenient. I find, however, that cooking at home is actually easier, and it is cheaper and healthier as well. (286 words) MA Making an Argument 14 Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. 9
10. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Some people believe that going to classes should be optional for university students, but I disagree. Students learn a lot more in classes than they can learn from books. In class they have the advantage of learning from the teacher, of interacting with their classmates, and of developing the responsibility it takes to be a good student. When students attend class, they receive the benefit of the teacher’s knowledge. The best teachers do more than just go over the material in the class textbook. They draw their students into discussion of the material. They present opposing points of view. They provide additional information by inviting guest speakers or showing documentary films. Going to class also teaches students how to work with other people. In class, students have to present their ideas to their classmates. They have to defend their ideas if their classmates disagree with them, but still remain friendly when the discussion is over. They have to learn to work in groups to complete class projects. Attending classes teaches students responsibility. Having to be at a particular place at a particular time prepares them for getting a job. Having to complete assignments on time also helps develop responsibility. Anyone can get information from books, but students get a great many more advantages when they attend class. They get the benefit of the teacher’s knowledge and experience, and even more than that, they learn how to work with others and to develop a sense of responsibility. These are not optional skills in life, so attending classes should not be optional at a university. (263 words) MA Making an Argument 15 Neighbors are the people who live near us. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbor? Use specific details and examples in your answer. There are several qualities that a good neighbor has. If you have a good neighbor, you are a lucky person. You have someone who is respectful of your property, who is helpful with the little day-to-day problems that arise, and who is supportive in times of crisis. A good neighbor respects your property. This means she asks for your permission before doing something that may affect you. She doesn’t plant a huge tree between your houses without asking you how you feel about it. If she wants to put up a fence, she tells you about her plans first. A good neighbor is willing to lend a hand when you need a little help. He lends you some milk if you run out, or gives you a ride if your car breaks down. He lets your children stay at his house if you get stuck working overtime. You do the same for him. Both of you help make each other’s lives easier. When you go through a crisis, like a death in the family, a good neighbor volunteers to help in any way she can. She might do something small, like prepare a few meals for you. Or, she might do something big, like help you get through the sadness of a funeral. 10
11. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays A neighbor can be as close as a good friend, or more like a distant acquaintance. Either way, a good neighbor is someone who respects you and supports you as he can. We should all be lucky enough to have good neighbors. ( 255words) Stating a Preference 16 It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. I can see both advantages and disadvantages to having a new restaurant built in our neighborhood. I believe, however, that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. A new restaurant would bring more traffic problems to the area. In addition, it could attract undesirable people. Most of all, I think there are other types of business that would be more beneficial to the neighborhood. Traffic congestion is already a problem in our neighborhood. Our streets are too narrow for the traffic we have now. A new restaurant would just bring more traffic. In addition, it is difficult to find parking on our streets, especially on weekend evenings. Unless it has its own parking lot, a new restaurant would make it even harder for residents to find places to park their cars. I’m also concerned about the type of patrons the new restaurant would bring into our neighborhood. If the restaurant serves drinks and has dancing, there could be problems. The restaurant would stay open late and people leaving the restaurant might be drunk. They could be noisy too. This is not the kind of thing I want to see in my neighborhood. Finally, there are other types of businesses that we need in our neighborhood more. We already have a restaurant and a couple of coffee shops. But we don’t have a bookstore or a pharmacy, and we have only one small grocery store. I would prefer to see one of these businesses established here rather than another restaurant. Any one of them would be more useful to the residents and would maintain the quiet atmosphere of our streets. A new restaurant disrupt the quiet lifestyle of our neighborhood. It might bring jobs, but it also bring traffic and noise, and it would use space that might be better used for another type of business. This is why I would oppose a plan for a new restaurant. (315 words) PR Stating a Preference 17 11
12. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a teacher. Others think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to develop your essay. Most people can learn to do something simple on their own with just a set of instructions. However, to learn about something more complex, it’s always best to have a teacher. Teachers help you find the way you lean best. They help you stay focused on what you’re learning. They provide you with a wider range of information than you might find on your own. In short, teachers provide you with a lot more support and knowledge than you can usually get by yourself. Teachers can help students learn in the way that is best for each student because teachers understand that different people have different learning styles. For example, some students learn better by discussing a topic. Others learn more by writing about it. A teacher can help you follow your learning style, while a book can give you only one way of learning something. Teachers help you focus on what you are learning. They can help keep you from becoming distracted. They can show you the most important points in a lesson that you have to understand. If you study on your own, it might be difficult to keep your attention on the material, or to know which parts are most important. Teachers bring their own knowledge and understanding of the topic to the lesson. A book presents you with certain information, and the teacher can add more. The teacher might also have a different point of view from the book, and can provide other sources of information and ideas, as well. There is nothing wrong with studying on your own. For the best possible learning though, a teacher is the biggest help you can have. (278 words) Making an Argument 18 What are some important qualities of a good supervisor (boss)? Use specific details and examples to explain why these qualities are important. Even though job situations can be very different, there are several qualities that all good supervisors have in common. A good supervisor treat her employees fairly. She gives clear directions. Most important of all, she acts as a good example for her employees. A good supervisor is fair. She treats all her employees with equal respect and doesn’t have favorites. She uses the same set of criteria to evaluate each employee’s performance. She doesn’t let her personal feelings about an individual influence her treatment of him. A good supervisor gives clear and understandable directions. She doesn’t constantly change her mind about what she wants employees to do. She also doesn’t get angry when an employee is confused and needs more explanation. 12
13. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Finally, a good supervisor sets the standards for her employees by her own behavior. She works hard and acts responsibly and gets her work done on time. She can only expect her employees to act professionally if she acts professionally, too. Employees are more likely to do the best job they can when they are treated fairly, given good directions, and have a good example in front of them. This is why good supervisors are so important to the success of any type of business. (206 words) Making an Argument 19 Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments spend more money on improving public transportation (buses, trains, subways)? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay. Governments should definitely spend more money on improving all forms of transportation. The widespread use of private cars has contributed to some serious problems in society, including depletion of natural resources, increased pollution, and the loss of a sense of community. By encouraging the use of public transportation, governments can do a lot to counteract these problems. Cars depend on oil and gasoline, which are nonrenewable resources. Once we have used them up, they are gone forever. Every time a person gets into a private car to go to work, to the store, or anywhere, gasoline is used up just to take one person to one place. The more people drive their cars, the more resources are used up. When people use public transportation, on the other hand, less oil and gasoline are used up per person. Cars cause pollution. Every time a person drives his car somewhere, more pollution is put into the air. In many big cities, the high amount of air pollution causes health problems for the residents. Public transportation means fewer cars on the road, and that means less pollution. Cars tend to isolate people from each other. When a person uses a private car, he is alone or only with people that he already knows. He doesn’t have the opportunity to see other people or talk to them or feel that he is part of a larger community. When he uses public transportation, however, he is surrounded by neighbors and other fellow city residents. He has a chance to be with people he might not otherwise see, and maybe even to get to know them a little. Environmental problems and increased isolation are some of the most serious problems of modern society. Encouraging the use of public transportation is one way governments can work against these problems and start creating a better world. (308 words) 13
14. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Agreeing or Disagreeing 20 It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to develop your essay. I have to disagree that it is better for children to grow up in the countryside. In the countryside, children have limited opportunities to see and learn about things. In the city, on the other hand, they are exposed to many different things. They see all kinds of different people every day. They have opportunities to attend many cultural events. They see people working in different kinds of jobs and therefore can make better choices for their own future. Growing up in the city is definitely better. All different kinds of people live in the city, while in a small town in the countryside people are often all the same. City people come from other parts of the country or even from other countries. They are of different races and religions. When children grow up in this situation, they have the opportunity to learn about and understand different kinds of people. This is an important part of their education. In the city, there are many opportunities to attend cultural events, whereas such opportunities are usually limited in the countryside. In the city there are movies and theaters, museums, zoos, and concerts. In the city children can attend cultural events every weekend, or even more often. This is also an important part of their education. People in the city work in different kinds of jobs, while in the countryside there often isn’t a variety of job opportunities. People in the city work at all different types and levels of professions, as well as in factories, in service jobs, and more. Children growing up in the city learn that there is a wide variety of jobs they can choose from when they grow up. They have a greater possibility of choosing a career that they will enjoy and do well in. This is perhaps the most important part of their education. People usually move to the city because there are more opportunities there. Children who grow up in the city have these opportunities from the time they are small. The city is definitely a better place for children to grow up. (349 words) Stating a Preference 21 Some people spend their entire lives in one place. Others move a number of times throughout their lives, looking for a better job, house, community, or even 14
15. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays climate. Which do you prefer: staying in one place or moving in search of another place? Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion. Even though I have lived in the same house, in the same neighborhood, in the same city my entire life, I know I would be happy living in a variety of places. Moving would expose me to new people, new weather, and new housing. Even if I moved to another part of my own city, I would encounter new people. Each neighborhood has a distinct personality. If I moved to a new neighborhood, I would meet the shopkeepers and residents that shape that neighborhood’s personality. It would be a new experience for me and I could become part of a new community. If I want to experience a different kind of climate, I would have to move far from my city. Where I live now, it is the same temperature all year. I would like to go to a place where there are four seasons so I can experience really cold weather. I would like to walk in the snow and learn winter sports such as skiing. Now I live with my parents in their house. It is a one-story house built around a courtyard where we spend a lot of time. If I could move to a different kind of house, I would like to live in an apartment on a very high floor so I could see all around me. I could also meet my neighbors on the elevator and we could get together for coffee in my apartment. I like to have a variety in my life. I like to have the opportunity to get to know different kinds of people and see new places. I can go far away to do this, or I can do it close to where I live now. Either way, I think it is important to experience a variety of places and people, and I want to do this while I am still young. (313 words) Making an Argument 22 Is it better to enjoy your money when you earn it, or is it better to save your money for some time in the future? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. When I have a choice between spending money or putting it in my savings account at the bank, I always put it in the bank. I will have a lot of expenses in the future, like my education, travel, and unforeseen emergencies. I need to set money aside for these expenses. Education is expensive. I can’t depend on my parents to pay all my bills. I have tuition, room and board, books, and incidental expenses to pay for. My parents help me, but I have to pay part of it. If I spend my money now, I won’t be able to pay for my education. Travel is also very expensive. I don’t mean vacation travel. I mean travel to and from school, because my school is far from home. First I have to get to school, then, of course, I want to return to my family for important festivals and family occasions. I need to save money for these trips. 15
16. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Emergencies could arrive at any moment. I might have an unexpected illness while I am at school. One of my family members may need help and I will have to send them money. You can’t predict emergencies like these, but you can be prepared. I need to save money for these emergencies. When you are not rich, you cannot spend your money carelessly. You must plan ahead. I know I will have expenses for my schooling and for traveling to and from home. I know that I will also have unexpected expenses from time to time. I must be prepared. I need to save money for these events. (268 words) Stating a Preference 23 You have received a gift of money. The money is enough to buy either a piece of jewelry you like or tickets to a concert you want to attend. Which would you buy? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. The choice between spending money on tickets to a concert or spending money on jewelry is an easy one. Given this choice, I would buy jewelry. The reasons are obvious. Jewelry is an investment, it is permanent, and it is fashionable. Jewelry is a very good investment. It is a good idea for everyone to own some gold jewelry because its value increases every year. In addition, if you have a financial problem, you can always sell your jewelry to get the money you need. You could not sell your used concert tickets. Jewelry, unless you sell it, is permanent. You always have it to wear. Each time you put it on, you will remember the day you bought it. It will give you pleasure for years and years. You could not wear the ticket stub from the concert. Jewelry is very fashionable. I would feel very smart wearing a beautiful gold bracelet or diamond pin. People would comment and tell me how much they love my jewelry. They would compliment me on my good taste. I would feel very rich with my jewelry. I would have a good investment that is permanent and fashionable. Then, when someone invites me to a concert (and pays for my ticket), I will have something beautiful to wear. (215 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 24 16
17. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Businesses should hire employees for their entire lives. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. In some business cultures, it is the practice to hire workers when they are young and employ them until they retire. In other business cultures, companies hire people to do a job and then fire them when they are not needed. I agree with the latter position. In today’s economy it is not important to hire employees for their entire lives. The important considerations for companies are an employee’s performance, speed, and ability to change. Loyalty is not a consideration. Today there is a lot of competition so we need to hire workers who can perform their jobs well. We need to find skilled workers who can do a job without a lot of extra training. We need to match the job to the worker, and if the job changes, we change the worker. Because of competition, we also need to be able to produce our goods and services quickly. We need young people who are aggressive and will push themselves to do their job faster. We need young people who are willing to work long hours. In order to compete, we have to be able to change to meet the changing demands of the market. By changing our workforce frequently, we can bring in new ideas. By hiring young workers, we get fresh points of view. Although a feeling of loyalty between a company and its workers is a noble idea, it is not practical today. A company needs to keep up with the changing forces of the economy. In order to be able to do this, it needs to be able to change its workforce as necessary. (269 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 25 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Attending a live performance (for example, a play, concert, or sporting event) is more enjoyable than watching the same event on television. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Some people think that attending a live performance is preferable to watching it on television. I say, however, that if you have a good TV, it is much better to watch a performance that way. It is much more convenient and comfortable, and it is cheaper, too. I almost never attend a live performance of anything. It is much more convenient to stay home and watch a performance on TV. I don’t have to go anywhere. I don’t have to worry about leaving the house on time. I don’t have to worry about traffic or parking. I don’t have to stand on line for a ticket. I just turn on the television at the time the event begins, sit back, and enjoy myself. 17
18. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays It is much more comfortable to watch a performance at home. I can wear any clothes that I want to. I know I will have a good seat with a good view. I can get up and get a snack at any time. I can relax and enjoy myself in the comfort of my own home. It is much cheaper to watch a performance on TV. I don’t have to buy a ticket. I don’t have to pay for parking or for dinner at a restaurant before the performance. I already own a TV, so watching a performance on it doesn’t cost me anything. If it turns out I don’t like the performance, I can just turn off the TV and go do something else. I haven’t lost any money, or much time either. Watching a performance on TV is so comfortable and convenient, I don’t know why people attend live performances. It’s much better to enjoy them at home. (283 words) EX Giving an Explanation 26 Choose one of the following transportation vehicles and explain why you think it has changed people’s lives: automobiles, bicycles, airplanes. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. An airplane is a form of transportation that has changed people’s lives. Thanks to the plane, our lives are now faster, more exciting, and more convenient than before. You cannot deny that a plane is fast. The Concorde flew at supersonic speed. A businessperson could have left Paris at 11:00 a.m. and arrived in New York at 8:00 the same morning in time for the day’s work. Many businesspeople in Europe fly to London for a noon meeting and then return home to Rome or Madrid for dinner. It is always exciting to take a plane trip. When you travel by plane, you might cross time zones, oceans, and many countries. When you get off the plane, you could be in a place where the people speak a different language. You are in a completely different place from where you started. Nothing can beat the convenience of a plane. You can go anywhere at any time you want. Other forms of transportation are not so convenient. Boats, for example, leave only on certain days of the week and they can’t go everywhere. Planes give you the option to leave several times a day and they take you very close to your final destination. Although other forms of transportation may be more comfortable, none has changed the way we do business and live our lives more than the plane. Thanks to the speed, excitement, and convenience of the plane, our lives are richer. ( 242 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 27 18
19. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Do you agree or disagree that progress is always good? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Who would disagree with the statement “progress is good?” Without progress, there would be no change. Without progress there would be no improvements in our economy, our standard of living, or our health. Progress is required to keep the economy moving forward. Without progress, new products wouldn’t be developed and new services wouldn’t be created. We would be living in the same way our grandparents and great grandparents lived and working at the same kind of jobs. Progress id required to raise our standard of living. Our homes today are more efficient and use fewer resources thanks to improvement in home construction techniques. Our clothes are warmer and safer thanks to developments in textile manufacturing. Our educational system is better thanks to the use of modern computer technology. Progress id required to improve the health of the world’s population. Without progress, there would be no vaccines against terrible diseases like smallpox. Without progress, we would have high infant mortality rates. Without progress, we wouldn’t have treatments for heart disease and cancer. Thanks to progress, our lives are longer and healthier. Progress is a natural state. Without it, we would not evolve. Without it, our economy, our standard of living, and our health would deteriorate. Who could deny the necessity of progress? (211 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 28 Learning about the past has no value for those of us living in the present. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. People often say, “Those who don’t understand history will repeat the mistakes of the past.” I totally disagree. I don’t see any evidence that people have made smart decisions based on their knowledge of the past. To me, the present is what is important. I think that people, weather, and politics determine what happens, not the past. people can change. People may have hated each other for years, but that doesn’t mean they will continue to hate each other. Look at Turkey and Greece. When Turkey had an earthquake, Greece sent aid. When Greece had an earthquake, Turkey sent aid. These two countries are cooperating now. No doubt, if we had looked at the past, we would have believed this to be impossible. But people change. The weather can change. Farmers plant certain crops because these crops have always grown well in their fields. But there can be a long drought. The crops that grew 19
20. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays well in the past will die. The farmers need to try a drought-resistant crop. If we had looked at the past, we wouldn’t have changed our crop. Weather changes. Politics can change. If politicians looked only at the past, they would always do the same thing. If we looked at the past in the United States, we would see a lot of discrimination against races, women, and sexual orientation. On the whole, people now are interested in human rights, and the government protects these rights. Politics change. As a rule, it is important to follow the mood of today. It doesn’t help us to think about the past. People, the weather, and politics can change in any direction. The direction of this change, in my opinion, cannot be predicted by studying the past. (288 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 29 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? With the help of technology, students nowadays can learn more information and learn it more quickly. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Technology has greatly improved the way we get information. Students can now get more information, get it more quickly, and get it more conveniently. An amazing amount of information is available through the Internet. It has made every major library and database available to students around the world. You can get information about events in the past as well as about events that unfold as you watch tour computer monitor. Information comes through the Internet instantly. You can type a few words in your search engine, and in a matter of seconds the engine will search the entire World Wide Web to find information on that topic. You don’t have to spend hours going through card catalogues in the library and looking at the shelves. It is certainly convenient to sit at home and do research on the Internet with your computer. Your computer is open 24 hours a day, unlike a library of office. You can do research in your pajamas while you eat breakfast. What could be more convenient? Technology, especially the Internet, has changed the quantity and quality of the information we get. The speed and convenience of a computer helps students learn more and learn it more quickly. (202 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 30 20
21. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays The expression “Never, never give up” means keep trying and never stop working for your goals. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” These are wise words. One should never give up. There is always another opportunity, another goal, or another option. Once I ran for president of my class. Unfortunately, I lost because I didn’t promote myself enough. I looked at my mistakes and decided how to correct them. The following year, I ran for president again. This time I won. Never give up. There is always another opportunity. Once I wanted to study medicine. Unfortunately, I didn’t like science. I failed all my science courses at school. Then I realized that what I liked about medicine was helping people. I changed my goal from healing people to helping people. Now I’m studying psychology. There is always another goal. Once I wanted to talk with my friend. Unfortunately, his computer was down and I couldn’t e-mail him. His phone line was busy so I couldn’t call him. Since I really wanted to talk to him, I got on the bus and went across town to visit him. There is always another option. If you give up, you might as well die. My advice is always look for another opportunity, another goal, or another option. There is always something else. Don’t give up. (209 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 31 Some people think that human needs for farmland, housing, and industry are more important than saving land for endangered animals. Do you agree or disagree with this point of view? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Many animals are now extinct and many more are in danger of extinction. This is because their habitat is destroyed when people use land to build houses, factories, and farms. Does it matter? It certainly does. Our basic human needs, our quality of life, and the way we live are all affected when animals’ habitats are destroyed. Many animals affect our basic human needs even though we may not realize it. There is a delicate balance of nature. If one small part is removed, it will affect all the other parts. For example, if certain trees are cut down, bats will have no place to live. If there are no bats, there will be no animal to eat certain insects that destroy our crops. This will affect our basic need for food. The loss of certain animals affects the quality of our lives. Certain flowers are pollinated by butterflies that migrate from Canada to Mexico. Some of the breeding grounds of these butterflies was destroyed. Now, these flowers are disappearing. We will 21
22. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays no longer be able to enjoy their beauty, and we will no longer be able to enjoy the beauty of the butterflies. This is just one small example. When animals’ habitats are destroyed we may think that it only affects the animals, but it affects our way of life, too. Large parts of the Amazon rain forest have been cut down to make room for farms. This rain forest is an important part of the weather system all around the world. Weather patterns have been changing because of this. This will have a huge effect on how we live. When animals’ live are endangered, our way of live is endangered, too. I would encourage humans to look for other alternatives for our farmlands, housing, and industries. We have alternatives; the animals do not. (305 words) Making an Argument 32 What is a very important skill a person should learn in order to be successful in the world today? Choose one skill and use specific reasons and examples to support your choice. I do not define success economically. I define success socially. Therefore, the one skill I would choose for success is tolerance. To succeed in society, we need to be tolerant of one another’s background, opinions, and lifestyle. People come from all different backgrounds. The world is becoming increasingly mobile. We are no longer able to work only with people who grew up in the same place we did, or who went to the same schools we went to. Now, we work with people whose backgrounds are completely different from ours. We all must be tolerant of these differences so we can work together amiably. Different people have different opinions, but we cannot stop speaking to them just because of differences in opinion. We shouldn’t start a war just because someone has a different idea. We have to find common ground, an idea we can agree on. We have to learn to respect the people we live and work around. We need to be tolerant of differences of opinion. Different people live different lifestyles. Woman can live on their own, hold important jobs, and raise children alone. Men can stay home and take care of the family. Social roles can change and we must be tolerant of the different lifestyles that people choose. To succeed socially, you must be able to adapt to differences. You must be tolerant of all people regardless of their background, their opinion, or their lifestyle. (239 words) Making an Argument 33 22
23. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Why do you think some people are attracted to dangerous sports or other dangerous activities? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Dangerous sports are interesting for most people to watch or read about. Only certain kinds of people, however, are attracted to participating in these sports. Often they are people who love risks, who seek a feeling of power, or who need a way to deal with some personal problems. Dangerous sports attract risk takers. People often take risks in their lives. They take risks with their money, with their jobs, and in love. But these are ordinary risks. Nothing compares with the risk of putting your own life in danger. Risking one’s life in a dangerous sport has a special thrill that is very attractive to some people. Dangerous sports attract people who want a feeling of power. It is a great accomplishment to climb a difficult mountain or to learn how to skydive. When people do these things and still end up alive, they feel like they have conquered the forces of nature. What a feeling of power that must give them! Finally, I think dangerous sports attract some unhappy people. People who don’t like their jobs or who have problems with their family may turn to dangerous sports as a way of dealing with their problems. Learning how to do something difficult and dangerous can make them feel worthwhile. It can give them something interesting to focus their attention on. Dangerous sports can be attractive for several reasons. They can attract people who like thrill, power, or who need a way to forget their problems. In my opinion, however, dangerous sports are never worth the risk. (258 words) Stating a Preference 34 Some people like to travel with a companion. Other people prefer to travel alone. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice. Traveling alone is the only way to travel. If you take someone with you, you take your home with you. When you travel alone, you meet new people, have new experiences, and learn more about yourself. When I travel with a friend, I spend all my time with that friend. We do everything together. When I travel alone, I spend my time looking for new friends. I meet other tourists or local people. We have coffee together or share a meal and we become friends. It’s easier to meet new people when I travel alone. When I travel with a friend, my routine is predictable. We follow the same schedule that we do at home. When I travel alone, I adapt myself to the customs of the place. I might take a nap in the afternoon and eat dinner late at night. I might go to a club and dance all night. I am more often to new experiences when I travel alone. 23
24. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays When I travel with a friend, we take care of each other. When I am alone, I have to take care of myself. If I encounter a difficult situation, I have to find my own solution. Maybe I don’t speak the language and I have to figure out how to make myself understood. Maybe the food looks strange and I have to decide what to eat. When I travel alone, I learn about how I react in new or strange situations. I think it is always important to do things on your own. You can find new friends, have new experiences, and learn a lot about yourself, too. Isn’t that the point of travel? (277 words) Stating a Preference 35 Some people prefer to get up early in the morning and start the day’s work. Others prefer to get up later in the day and work until late at night. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice. I prefer getting up late in the day and staying up late at night. This routine fits my body’s rhythm, my work schedule, and my social life. I believe in following my body’s natural rhythm. My body tells me to sleep until I am ready to get up and to go to bed when I am sleepy. This means I never get up early in the morning. My body tells me it likes to sleep until 10:00 or 11:00 in the morning. Sleeping late also fits my work schedule. I prefer working in the afternoon. Since I don’t have that much work to do, I can easily get it done between lunch and dinner. That’s enough for me, because I need time to enjoy myself, too. My active social life is another reason I prefer to sleep late. Who gets up early in the morning to have fun? No one. Anything amusing, such as concerts, dances, parties, or dinners, all happen at night. If I got up early in the morning, I would be too tired to enjoy myself in the evening. I will maintain this pattern forever, I hope. I think it is always important to listen to your body. If your body tells you to stay in bed, that is what you should do. By listening to your body, you will never let work interfere with your social life. (231 words) Giving an Explanation 36 24
25. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays What are the important qualities of a good son or daughter? Have these qualities changed or remained the same over time in your culture? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. The qualities that parents wish their sons and daughters to have – obedience, loyalty, respect – have not changed. Any parent will tell you that, like their ancestors, they expect these qualities from their children. However, they do not always get what they expect. Parents expect their children to obey them. Even when their sons and daughters grow up and get married, parents still expect obedience from them. At least, that’s the way it was. Children these days still obey their parents when they are young. When they reach age 18 or 20, however, they want to make their own decisions. They want to follow their own ideas even if these ideas are against their parents’ wishes. Parents also expect loyalty from their children. If there is a dispute between families, parents expect their children to side with their own family. This is probably still very common. Most children today will support their family against others. Parents, of course, demand respect. As children become introduced to non- traditional ways of doing things, however, this quality may not endure. Children sometimes see their parents as old-fashioned. They think their parents are too old to understand them. They lose respect for their parents. Obedience, loyalty, and respect are virtues that are being challenged today. These days we tend to show these qualities to our parents less and less. I hope, though, that my children obey me, are loyalty to me, and respect me. (238 words) Stating a Preference 37 Some people prefer to work for a large company. Others prefer to work for a small company. Which would you prefer? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice. I would prefer to work in a large company rather than a small one. A large company has more to offer in terms of advancement, training, and prestige. In a large company, I can start at an entry-level position and work my way up to the top. I can start in the mailroom and, once I know the company, I can apply for a managerial position. In a small company, there would not be as much room to grow. In a large company there is the opportunity to learn a variety of jobs. I could work in sales, in shipping, or in any department I applied for. I could be trained in a variety of positions and would have valuable experience. In a small company, there would not be the same opportunity. In a large company, there would be more prestige. I could brag to my friends that I worked for one of the biggest companies in the world. I would always have something to 25
26. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays talk about when I met strangers. If I worked for a small company, I would always have to explain what the company did. Working for a small company would not give me the same opportunities for advancement or training as working for a larger company would. Nor would I be as proud to work for a small company – unless the small company was my own. (230 words) Giving an Explanation 38 People work because they need money to live. What are some other reasons that people work? Discuss one or more of these reasons. Use specific examples and details to support your answer. Although people work to earn money, money is not the main reason people stay in their jobs. They also work because they like to be with other people, they want to contribute something to society, and they feel a sense of accomplishment. Many people enjoy going to work because they like being with other people. They like to interact with their coworkers and clients. They like to help people solve problems or get a product, and they like to make friends. People also enjoy their jobs because it gives them a chance to contribute to society. Teachers educate our future generations. Doctors and nurses heal people. Manufacturers produce things that people need to use. Through work, each individual is able to do his or her part in this world. A lot of people like to work because it gives them a sense of accomplishment . For example, people who work in factories take pride in the car they produce or the television they assemble. When they see a car on the street, they can feel a sense of accomplishment. They helped make that car. Money is nice, but it is not the only reason people get up and go to work each day. I believe that people work because it gives them the opportunity to be with other people, to contribute to society, and to feel that they have accomplished something. (231 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 39 26
27. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Face-to-face communication is better than other types of communication, such as letters, e-mail, or telephone calls. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. I would have to agree that face-to-face communication is the best type of communication. It can eliminate misunderstanding immediately, cement relationships, and encourage continued interaction. When you talk to someone directly, you can see right away if they don’t understand you. A person’s body language will tell you if they disagree or if they don’t follow your line of thought. Then you can repeat yourself or paraphrase your argument. When you send an e-mail, the receiver may misinterpret what you want to say. He or she could even be insulted. Then you have to waste time explaining yourself in another e-mail. When you talk face-to-face, you communicate with more than words. You communicate with your eyes and your hands. You communicate with your whole body. People can sense that you really want to communicate with them. This energy bonds people together. Your relationship with a person can grow much stronger when you communicate in person. When you meet someone face-to-face, the interaction tends to last longer than other forms of communication. An e-mail lasts a second; a telephone call, a few minutes. When you meet someone face to face, however, you’ve both made an effort to be there. You will probably spend longer talking. The longer you talk, the more you say. The more you say, the stronger your relationship will be. In summary, if you want to establish a relationship with another human being, in the best way is talking face to face. When you communicate directly, you can avoid misunderstanding that may occur in writing. You can communicate on levels other than just words and you can spend more time doing it. (274 words) Stating a Preference 40 Some people like to do only what they already do well. Other people prefer to try new things and take risks. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice. I am not a risk taker. I like to do just those things that I am proficient at. I don’t want to waste my time doing things that I don’t do well. I always feel better when I do something well, and other people have a better impression of me. I don’t see a good reason to try something new that I don’t know how to do at all. I don’t have time to waste doing things that I don’t really know how to do. For example, I don’t know how to sew. I could spend a whole day trying to make a dress, and at the end of the day I still wouldn’t have a dress to wear. It would be better to spend an hour buying a dress at the store. Then I could spend the rest of the day doing other things that I know I can do. 27
28. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays I feel good when I do a good job, but I feel terrible when I do something poorly. Once, I decided to figure my income taxes myself. But I am not an accountant and I made many mistakes. I felt very bad about it. Finally, I realized I could pay a professional accountant to do it for me. Then I could spend my time feeling good about other things that I know how to do. When I do something well, I make a better impression on other people. If I tried to cook a meal for you, you would not have a good impression of me at all. I am a terrible cook. But I can change the oil in your car for you and I can tune up the engine. When you see me do a good job at that, you see me as a competent, accomplished mechanic instead of as a sorry cook. Some people like to take risks and try doing new things, but I am not one of those people. When I do something that I really don’t know how to do, I just end up feeling bad and I give other people a bad impression. I don’t see the point of wasting my time this way. (362 words) Making an Argument 41 Which would you choose – a high-paying job with long hours that would give you little time with family and friends or a lower-paying job with shorter hours that would give you more time with family and friends? Explain your choice, using specific reasons and details. At this time in my life I would definitely choose a higher-paying job even if I had to work long hours. If I want a good future, first I have to gain experience, move up in my company, and save a lot of money. I will have plenty of time for friends and family later, after I get a good start on my career. When I finish school, I will have a lot of knowledge. I won’t have experience, however. I can get experience only by working. I want a lot of experience so that I can be among the best in my career. The only way to get experience is to work a lot of hours. I want to have a high position in my company. I don’t want to be just an employee, I want to be a supervisor, and someday, director or president. I can’t do this if I work only forty hours a week. The only way to move up is to work long hours. Living a comfortable life is important to me. I want to have a nice house, fashionable clothes, and a couple of cars. When I get married, I want my family to have nice things too. This takes money. The best time to save money is now, before I have a family. The only way to save a lot of money is to work hard and earn a high salary. A high-paying job with long hours will give me the experience, opportunities, and money that I want. After I reach a high position in my company and have a big bank account, I can take all the free time I want to relax with friends and family. (285 words) 28
29. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Agreeing or Disagreeing 42 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Grades (marks) encourage students to learn. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Grades are very important for students. Without grades, students don’t know how well they are doing in class. They don’t have a goal to study for. They don’t have anything to show their parents. Students need grades to help them be motivated to learn. Grades show students their progress in class. A student might work very hard to write a report. Without a grade, how does the student know if the report is good or bad? Without a grade, how can a student know if she is improving? Grades give students a goal. A good grade is like a reward. If a student receives 100% on a test, he feels like all his hard work was worthwhile. If a student gets a bad grade, he will study harder next time so he can improve his grade. Grades give students something to show their parents. They want to work hard so they can show them good grades. When parents see good grades, they know their children are studying and learning. If the grades aren’t good, the parents know they have to give their children extra help and support. Grades are an important part of education. All students want to get good grades, so they will study hard to get them. Grades show students their progress, present them with a goal, and give them something to show their parents. Grades motivate students to learn. (232 words) Making an Argument 43 Some people say that computers have made life easier and more convenient. Other people say that computers have made life more complex and stressful. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. 29
30. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Almost everything these days is done with the help of a computer. Computers make communication much more convenient. They make many tasks of daily life easier. They help many people do their jobs better. Overall, computers have made life easier and more convenient for everybody. Through the Internet, computers make communication much more convenient. E- mail makes it possible to communicate with people instantly at any time of day. This is important for both our work and our personal lives. The Internet makes it possible to find out the latest news right away – even if it is news that happens someplace far away. The Internet makes it possible to get almost any kind of information from anyplace quickly, right in your own home or office. Although we may not realize it, computers make many daily tasks easier. Checkout lines at stores move faster because a computer scans the prices. The bank manages your account more easily because of computers. The weatherman reports the weather more accurately with the help of computers. A computer is involved in almost everything we do, or that is done for us. Most people these days do their jobs with the help of a computer. Architects use computer programs to help them design buildings. Teachers use computers to write their lessons and get information for their classes. Pilots use computers to help them fly planes. With the help of computers, people can do complicated jobs more easily. We are living in the computer age. We can now do more things and do them more easily than we could before. Our personal and professional lives have improved because of computers. (272 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 44 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way to travel is in a group led by a tour guide. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. When I travel, I always prefer to go with a group led by a tour guide. The tour guide makes all the necessary arrangements of the trip. The tour guide knows the best places to visit. The tour guide is familiar with the local language and customs. When I travel with a tour guide, the only thing I have to do is relax and enjoy myself. If I travel in a group with a tour guide, I don’t have to worry about arranging the trip. I just look for a group that is going to a place I like, and I let the tour guide take care of the rest. The tour guide makes the hotel reservations and chooses the restaurants and plans the activities for each day. I don’t have to worry about anything because the guide does everything for me. If I travel in a group with a tour guide, I don’t have to figure out which places to visit. The tour guide knows which are the best museums. The tour guide knows where the good beaches are and which stores have the best prices. If I had to figure this out myself, I 30
31. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays might make the wrong choices. With a tour guide, I am sure of having the best possible experience on my trip. If I travel in a group with a tour guide, I don’t have to know the local language and customs. The tour guide knows the language and can speak for the group when necessary. The tour guide knows when the local holidays are, or how to dress appropriately for each situation. I don’t have to worry about confusions with the language or customs because the tour guide can help me. When I go on vacation, I want to relax. I don’t want to worry about making hotel reservations, or learning the museum schedules, or speaking the local language. A tour guide can take care of all these things for me, and I can have a good time. (334 words) Making an Argument 45 Some universities require students to take classes in many subjects. Other universities require students to specialize in one subject. Which is better? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Universities offer opportunities to study many different subjects and university students should take advantage of this. Studying many subjects can help students better prepare for their careers. It can also help them become responsible members of society and can add to their personal enjoyment, as well. Studying many subjects can help students be better prepared for their careers. A doctor doesn’t need to know only about medicine, for example. She also needs to know how to respond to patients’ emotional needs. She might need to know about accounting and legal contracts so she can run her own office. Each profession requires certain specialized skills, but all professionals also need other, more general skills in order to do their jobs well. Studying many subjects can help students become more responsible members of society. They need to understand the economic and social issues of their communities so that they can vote responsibly. They might want to do volunteer work at a community organization. They will need to be able to educate their children, no matter what their children’s abilities and interests are. They will need to know about more than just their profession in order to do these things. Studying many subjects can add a great deal of enjoyment to a student’s life. If students understand art and music, they will get a lot of enjoyment from museums and concerts. If they study literature, they will continue to read good books. Life is about more than just career. If students know about a lot of subjects, they will get a lot out of life. Some university students think only about their careers. If the choice is left to them, they might only study courses for their future profession. They will have a much better future, however, if they study subjects in addition to their career. Therefore, universities should require students to take classes in many subjects. (314 words) 31
32. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Agreeing or Disagreeing 46 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should begin studying a foreign language as soon as they start school. Children should begin studying a foreign language as soon as they start school. Childhood is the best time to learn a foreign language. It is easier at that time, it contributes to a child’s development, and it helps children expand their knowledge. Everybody knows that it is much easier to learn foreign languages when you are young. Children’s minds are ready to learn many new things. When children learn foreign languages, they learn them as well as their native language. If they wait until they are older to study a language, it is much harder to become fluent. Many studies have shown that learning a language helps the child’s mind develop. Children who learn foreign languages also do better in their other subjects. It helps their intellect develop more. This isn’t so true for older students. Learning foreign languages can help children expand their knowledge of the world. If they learn a foreign language, they will be interested in the people who speak that language. They will want to know about their country and customs. They will want to understand them instead of becoming afraid of them because they are different. Learning a foreign language has many advantages for everybody. It contributes to our intellectual development and our understanding of the world. The younger a language student is, the more advantages he or she gets from learning the language. So, the best time for a child to start studying a foreign language is when he or she starts school. (249 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 47 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Boys and girls should attend separate schools. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer I don’t think it is a good idea for boys and girls to attend separate schools. They will not be separated when they finish school and start their careers, so why should they be separated in school? When boys and girls study together, they are assured of getting equal quality of education, they learn how to work together, and they learn how to become friends. It is a much better preparation for life than studying in separate schools. 32
33. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays When boys and girls attend the same school, they get equal education. They are in the same classrooms with the same teachers studying from the same books. If they attend separate schools, the schools might be different, One school might be better than the other. By studying together, girls get the same education as boys. This helps them work toward having equality in society. By attending the same schools, boys and girls learn how to work together. Some people say they should study separately because they have different learning styles. I think it’s better to study together, however. It gives them the chance to learn to work together despite their differences. This will help them in the future when they have to work together professionally. When boys and girls see each other in school every day, they have the chance to become friends. They see each other as normal people, not as strangers. If they attend separate schools, they don’t know each other. It’s easy to misunderstand, or even fear, each other. When boys and girls have the chance to become friends, their lives are much richer. They will have better relationships in the future. By studying together, boys and girls get equal education, they learn to work together, and they become friends. This prepares them for adult life where men and women live and work together everyday. (306 words) Making an Argument 48 Is it more important to be able to work with a group of people on a team or to work independently? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer. The ability to work on a team is one of the most important job skills to have. It is usually necessary because most jobs involve teamwork. It is usually the best way to work because a team can get more work done than an individual. In addition, a worker on a team has a lot of support from his coworkers. Most work is done in groups or teams. Professionals work with their professional colleagues, and they also usually have assistants and support staff. Construction workers work with other construction workers, auto mechanics work with other auto mechanics; they all have assistants, and almost nobody works alone. It is necessary for all coworkers to get along and work well together. More work can be done by a team than by individuals working alone. On a team, each member is responsible for one part of the job. Each member has to concentrate only on her part and do it as well as possible. Then all the parts are put together and the job is done. An individual working alone has to worry about every aspect of the job. He might not do such a good job because he has to think about everything at once. A worker on a team has the advantage of support from his coworkers. If a worker can’t finish a job on time or doesn’t understand a task or needs help planning, he has a 33
34. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays group of people to help him. The team supports him and he can get the job done. An individual working alone has to solve all her problems herself. She has to stop work while she finds a solution, or do a poor job. Most jobs involve teamwork. Teams can usually do a better job then an individual working alone. A person who cannot work well on a team will have a hard time in today’s workplace. (313 words) Giving an Explanation 49 Your city has decided to build a statue or monument to honor a famous person in your country. Who would you choose? Use reasons and specific examples to support your choice. The person I would choose to honor is not one specific famous person, but a famous type of person. I come from a small rural town. Most people here are farmers, so I would choose a farmer as the subject for a statue. The farmers of my town deserve the honor. They work hard so the rest of the country can eat, but they are not rich. They deserve to be appreciated. The farmers in my town make an important contribution to our country. They grow the food that the rest of the country eats. Our major products are corn and milk. These things are a basic part of everyone’s diet. Without our farmers, it would be harder and more expensive for people to have these things to eat. The farmers in my town are not rich even though they work hard. A farmer’s job begins at sunrise and doesn’t stop until dark. A farmer rarely has a chance to take a vacation because there are always things to do on a farm. Farming is not a profitable business. If the weather is bad one year, there might be no profits at all. Still, farmers do their work because people need to eat. The farmers in my town work hard, but they are not appreciated. People in other parts of the country don’t pay much attention to my town. Nobody comes to visit because there are no tourist attractions. Nobody wants to work here because there aren’t many professional jobs. Nobody thinks about the contributions our farmers make. They just buy our products in the stores without thinking about the work it takes to put them there. Nobody thinks about the farmers in my town, but they deserve to be honored. They work hard to grow food for everyone in the country. I think we should put a big, shiny statue of a farmer in the middle of our town park. It would make everyone in town feel proud. (329 words) Giving an Explanation 50 34
35. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Describe a custom from your country that you would like people in other countries to adopt. Explain your choice using specific reasons and examples. In my country, many people in the towns still follow an old custom that people in the cities no longer practice. This is the custom of taking a big break at noon. In the towns, all stores and businesses close from noon until 2:00 P.M. This not only gives people a needed rest in the middle of the day, it also allows them time with their families and contributes to a slower pace of life. In the towns, all workers get a good rest in the middle of the day. They go home, enjoy a nice meal, take a nap, and then they return to work for the rest of the afternoon. They have energy and enthusiasm for the rest of the day’s work. Their afternoons can be as productive as their mornings. Without this rest, they might be tired all afternoon and not get much work done. In the towns, most families eat their noon meal together. They have time to enjoy their food, talk about their morning activities with each other, and just be together. It is good for families to have this time together. Parents hear about their children’s activities. Husbands and wives learn about each other’s daily concerns. Without this opportunity, families might not be together until evening. They are usually tired then and just want to rest. In the towns, there is a slower pace of life. Nobody can do any business at lunchtime. They have to wait until the afternoon. Because of this, people don’t expect things to be done in a hurry. They have more patience. If something doesn’t get done today, it doesn’t matter. This is a much healthier way to live. A big rest at noon contributes to a better quality of life. In the towns, people don’t worry about getting a lot of work done fast. They are more interested in spending time with their families and enjoying their lives. I think that in the long run this actually improves work. In any case, it is a better way to live. I think everyone everywhere should follow the custom of taking a big break at noon. (356 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 51 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Technology has made the world a better place to live. Use specific reasons and examples to support your statement Technology has made our lives better in many ways, but it has also made them more complicated. Technology is often expensive to buy and run, it can be difficult to use, and it often isn’t easy to repair. Technology isn’t cheap. The more technology we depend on in our daily lives, the more money we have to spend. Everyone wants a modern TV, a digital camera, a DVD player, etc. Even though these things might be considered luxuries, people want them. In 35
36. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays addition, some technology is more than a luxury. For example, teachers nowadays expect their students to have computers at home for their schoolwork. Parents have to buy the latest computers so their children can keep up with their classmates. This can be a real hardship for some families. Technology isn’t always easy to use. In fact, it is getting more and more complicated. The computers of today do many more things than the computers of even just five or ten years ago. That means a lot more things that computer users have to learn how to do. Even a simple thing like using a VCR to record a movie takes some practice and learning. Technology isn’t easy to repair. If the average person has a problem with his computer or DVD player, he probably doesn’t know how to fix it himself. He’ll have to spend time and money taking it to a place to get fixed. In the past, a lot of people enjoyed doing routine maintenance work on their cars. Modern technology has made today’s cars more complicated. It is harder to learn how to repair and maintain them. People think modern technology has made our lives easier. In a way this is true, but in other ways it has made our lives much less convenient. Modern technology costs us money and time and can add complications to our lives. (313 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 52 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Advertising can tell you a lot about a country. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Advertising is like a window onto the life of a country. It tells a lot about the people there. Advertisements show what kinds of things the people in a country like to buy. It shows what kinds of situations are attractive to them. It even shows whether or not the people tend to be affluent. You can learn a lot by looking at advertisements. By looking at advertisements, you can see what kinds of things people like to buy. Are there more advertisements for soda or for juice? For movies or for music? For vacations or for furniture? You can see what kinds of food people prefer, how they like to spend their free time, or what they save their money for. You can learn just about anything about the average lifestyle in a country. By looking at advertisements, you can see what kinds of situations are attractive to people. If an ad shows someone driving a car freely down an open highway in beautiful scenery, you can see that people value feeling free. If an ad shows a professional-looking person in an expensive car in front of an elegant house or office building, you will know that people value success. By looking at advertisements, you can know whether or not a country is affluent. If ads are usually about food, clothes, and other necessities of life, the people in the country 36
37. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays may not have a lot of money. If more ads are for luxury items and expensive, high-quality products, then you know that more people in that country have money. Advertisements can tell you a lot about a country. They show how the people there live. They show what the people want to buy and can buy. Ads give a picture of a country’s daily life. (297 words) Agreeing or Disagreeing 53 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Modern technology is creating a single world culture. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Modern technology is creating a single world culture. This is because it is now much easier to communicate with people who are far away. Satellite TV, modern transportation, and the Internet have all brought people closer together. People the world over share the same sources of information and this leads to the creation of a simple world culture. Because TV is broadcast by satellite, TV programs can be received anywhere in the world. Now people in every part of the world can have access to all the same TV programs. Everybody knows that TV is one of the biggest cultural influences there is. When people everywhere see the same news, educational, and entertainment programs, they move toward the development of a single world culture. Because modern methods of transportation are fast, a trip to a faraway place becomes easy. People from all different places are together more now than they ever were before. They can see how people in other countries dress, eat, and spend their time. People have more exposure to customs from other countries and might start to adopt some of those customs. This also contributes to the development of a single world culture. Because of the Internet, people have access to information and news from all over the world. They can communicate easily with people far away and share sources of information. This can do a lot toward international understanding but it can also have another result. When people share sources of information on the Internet, they come more and more under the same cultural influence. They move toward the creation of a single world culture. Modern communications technology has brought people from all around the world closer together. People these days have more and more opportunities to share ideas and information. In this way they are coming more and more under the same cultural influence. A single world culture is being created. (316 words) 37
38. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Making an Arguing 54 Some people think the Internet provides people with a lot of valuable information. Others think access to so much information creates problems. Which view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. The Internet provides us with a lot of valuable information. This is important because it keeps us informed about the world today, contributes to children’s education, and even helps us shop better. It helps improve our lives in many ways. When we want to know the latest news, we can just go to the Internet and get it right away. We don’t have to wait for a news program on TV or the radio. We also don’t have to listen to just one source of news. On the Internet we can get news from different newspapers and different countries. We can get information from different points of view. This greatly contributes to our understanding of current events. When children need information for their schoolwork, they can find it on the Internet. Most schoolchildren these days do their research on-line. They have access to more information than they could probably find in their school libraries, and they can get the information more easily. In addition, any time a child wants to know something or needs the answer to a question, he can probably find it on-line. When we want to buy something, we can usually get the information we need for our purchase on-line. Of course you can order almost anything you want on the Internet, but this isn’t the most important part. On the Internet it is easy to find information about the quality of different products and to compare prices. This really matter if you plan to buy something expensive. The ability to get information from the Internet has improved our lives in many ways. We can learn more about the news, improve our children’s education, and become more informed shoppers. The Internet is one of the most important tools we have in modern society. (296 words) Making an Arguing 55 A foreign visitor has only one day to spend in your country. Where should this visitor go on that day? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice. A foreign visitor with only one day to spend in my country should definitely spend that day in the capital. Spending time in the capital is the easiest way to see many aspects of our country in one place. In this city, the visitor can learn about the history, see examples of our culture, and buy our best products. 38
39. TOEFL ESSAY – Model essays Our country’s history is represented in several ways throughout the city. In the Government Palace, a visitor can learn about the history of our independence. In our National Museum, a visitor can see exhibits that show all the different stages of our history, from ancient times to the present. In parks all around the city, a visitor can see monuments to famous historical people and events. It is also possible to see different representations of our culture throughout the city. Our art museums and galleries show paintings and sculptures by our artists. Plays written by national playwrights are performed in the theaters. Folk ballet performances show examples of our traditional dances. Many restaurants in the capital serve our native dishes. The best products of our country are sold in the capital city. The large department stores sell clothes, furniture, and household items manufactured in our country. The Central Market sells fruit and vegetables from the surrounding agricultural region. Tourist and craft shops sell native handicrafts made in the countryside. The capital city is the best place to learn a lot about our country in one place. Of course, it is difficult to see all of the city’s attractions in one day. With some planning, though, it is possible to see at least a few examples of our country’s history, culture, and products in one day. (284 words) Making an Argument 56 If you could go back to some time and place in the past, when and where would you go? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice. If you could go back to a time and place in the past, I would go back to ancient Egypt. I would like to find out how they build the pyramids. People today cannot understand how the ancient Egyptians cut the stones so precisely, how they moved them to the building site, and how they lifted such heavy stones to build the pyramid walls. I would like to solve this mystery. The stones that were used to build the pyramids were cut very precisely. All the stones fit together exactly without any space between them. How were the ancient Egyptians able to cut the stone blocks so well? Nobody knows. The stones that were used to build the pyramids are very heavy. They weigh several tons each. The ancient Egyptians didn’t have any kind of motorizes machinery to move them around. Yet, they got the stones from one place and moved them to another place to build the pyramids. How were they able to do this? Nobody today can figure it out. The pyramids are very tall. They were built by placing stone blocks on top of each other. The ancient Egyptians didn’t have any cranes or other type of modern lifting equipment. Yet they built huge pyramids out of heavy stone blocks. How did they do this? We still aren’t able to understand. One of the great mysteries of the ancient world is the Egyptian pyramids. Nobody knows how the Egyptians cut, transported, and lifted heavy stones to build the pyramids. If 39