The Integrated Writing Task TOEFL Writing section contains an integrated writing task and independent Writing task which have a time limit of 20 to 30 minutes respectively.  For the independent writing task, the test taker will read a passage and listen to a lecture, then answer a question based on what he has read and heard. For the next task, you will answer a question based on his own knowledge and experience. The test taker should peruse a passage about a topic for 3 minutes, and after that will hear a short address identified with the subject and then asked to summarize the points in the lecture and explain how they relate to specific points in the reading passage. The following section will show up on the screen and the test taker have 3 minutes to peruse the passage.
Example 1 In numerous associations, maybe the most ideal way to approach certain new tasks is to gather some of the individuals into a group. Having a group of people strike an errand offers a couple of central focuses. Above all, a group of people has a more broad extent of learning expertise, and abilities than any single individual is subject to have. Also, because of the amounts of people included and the more essential resources they have, a group can work more quickly as a result the endeavor delegated to it and can consider exceedingly imaginative responses for issues and issues. Now and again these innovative courses of action happen because a group will most likely settle on hazardous decisions that an individual won't endeavor. This is in light of the fact that the group spreads commitment with respect to a decision to each one of the people and accordingly no single individual can be viewed as capable if the choice turns out to be wrong.
Taking part in a group procedure can be to a great degree making up for people from the group. Colleagues who have a voice in settling on a decision will in all likelihood find out about better about passing on the work that is included by the decision than they may do work that is constrained on them by others. Furthermore, the individual colleague has an inconceivably enhanced chance to "sparkle", to get his or her responsibilities and considerations saw and also saw as exceedingly vital, in light of the fact that a group's general results can be broader and have more noticeable impact than what may have for the most part been practical for the person to perform or contribute working alone.
Now you will hear part of a lecture on the topic (Audio file)
Professor
Presently I need to let you know about what one association found when it picked that it would turn over some of its new dares to groups of individuals, and make the group accountable for orchestrating the ventures and finishing the work. After around six months, the organization researched how well the groups performed.
On for all intents and purposes for each group, a couple of people got right around a "free ride". They didn't contribute much by any stretch of the creative energy, however if their group profited an occupation, they in light of current circumstances benefited from the affirmation the group got. Additionally, shouldn't something be said in regards to social event people who worked especially well and who gave a huge amount of information on issues and issues? Well, the affirmation for an occupation well done went to the social affair with everything taken into account, no names were named. So it won't shock you to find that when the honest to goodness providers were gotten some data about the social occasion prepare, their demeanor was the total inverse of what the examining predicts.
Another finding was that some envision essentially didn't move quickly. Why? Since it took so long to achieve accord it took various, various social affairs to make the comprehension among group individuals about how they would move the endeavor along. Of course, there were diverse illustrations where possibly a few people made sense of how to wind up especially enticing over what their group did.
Generally when those influencers said "That will never work" around an idea the group was working up, the musing was promptly dropped instead of being further discussed. What's more, a while later there was another occasion when a couple of influencers induced the group that a course of action of theirs was "highly creative." And regardless of the way that a couple of people endeavored to alert whatever is left of the group that the endeavor was moving in a direction that won't work, they were basically neglected by other group people. Would you have the capacity to figure the conclusion of this story? Exactly when the endeavor failed, the deficiency was determined to each one of the people of the group.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Answers may vary, here is the response for the above-narrated essay.
Response
The lecture discusses research led by a firm the lecturer talks about examination drove by a firm that used the group system to handle their work. He says that the hypothesis expressed in the entry was inside and out various and genuinely misguided when stood out from what happened without a doubt.
To begin with, a couple of people got free rides. That is, some didn't buckle down however got acknowledgment for the accomplishment in any case. This also exhibits people who buckled down were not given affirmation they should have. Figuratively speaking, they weren't given the chance to "shine".  This directly repudiates what the passage indicates.
Second, groups were moderate in advancement. The entry says that groups are more responsive than individuals by virtue of the number of people included and their aggregated resources. In any case, the speaker talks about how the firm found that groups were slower than individuals in basic leadership. Bunches required more opportunities for groups, which are fundamental methods in essential administration. This was another part where experience negated theory.
Third, powerful people may rise, and lead the group towards eminence or disappointment. If the influent people are going in the right heading there would be no issue. However, in circumstances where they go in the wrong course, there is nobody that has enough effect to counter the decision made. By the day's end, the group may change into oppression, with the convincing party as the pioneer, and might be less versatile in considering. They may get the opportunity to be uneven, and along these lines neglect to succeed.
Example 2 Altruism is a sort of behavior in which an animal surrenders its own specific eagerness for that of another animal or gathering of animals. Altruism is the converse of selfishness; individuals performing benevolent acts get nothing for themselves. Examples of altruism abound, both among people and among different warm-blooded animals. Unselfish acts among individuals range from the giving of sustenance to outsiders to the endowment of body organs to relatives, and even to outsiders. Such acts are unselfish in that they advantage another, yet give little compensate to the one playing out the demonstration.
Frankly, various sorts of animals appear to surrender sustenance, or even their lives, to help distinctive people from their social occasion. The meerkat, which is a well-evolved animal that stays in tunnels in field regions of Africa, is frequently referred to for instance. In groups of meerkats, an individual goes about as a sentinel, standing to ensure and paying uncommon personality to predators while the others pursue sustenance or eat food they have obtained. If the sentinel meerkat sees a predator, for instance, a bird of prey moving nearer the groups, it gives an alert cry disturbing substitute meerkats to run and search for a safe house. By standing to ensure, the sentinel meerkat grabs nothing - it relinquishes food while the others eat, and it places itself in grave danger. After it issues an alert, it needs to escape alone, which may make it more at peril to a predator, since animals in groups are routinely prepared to coordinate to fight off a predator. So the unselfish sentinel conduct ensures the survival of various people from the meerkat's groups.
Now you will hear part of a lecture on the topic (Audio file)
Professor
You know, oftentimes in science, new disclosures drive us to reevaluate earlier feelings and suppositions. Moreover, a late examination of meerkats is having definitely this effect. The study investigated the meerkat's behavior immovably, extensively more almost than had ever been done some time as of late. Additionally, some intriguing things were found like about dietary examples it exhibited that customarily meerkats eat before they stand screen so the ones standing guard had a full stomach! Besides, think furthermore found that resulting to the sentinel is the first to see a predator coming, it's the well while in transit to escape in light of the way that it every now and again stands observe right around a passage, so it can run instantly into the passage in the wake of giving the caution. Alternate meerkats, the ones scattered about hunting down sustenance, are truly in more genuine risk. What's more, truth be told, different studies have proposed that when a animals makes a caution, the alert call may bring about the other group individuals either to assemble or else to move about rapidly, practices that may really draw the predator's consideration far from the guest, expanding that animals own particular odds of survival.
Furthermore, shouldn't something be said about individuals shouldn't something be said about some human demonstrations that may be viewed as selfless? How about we take an amazing case, uh, assume a man gives a kidney to a relative, or even to a complete outsider. An egotistical demonstration, isn't that so? However, doesn't the giver get gratefulness and endorsement from the outsider and from society? Doesn't the contributor pick up an expanded feeling of self-esteem? Couldn't such non-material prizes be viewed as exceptionally profitable to a few people?
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Answers may vary, here is the response for the above-narrated essay.
Response
You know, much of the time in science, new revelations urge us to reevaluate earlier feelings and suspicions. Likewise, a late examination of meerkats is having accurately this effect. The study assessed the meerkat's behavior immovably, fundamentally more about than had ever been done some time as of late. Besides, interesting things were found. Like about dietary examples it showed that the location absolutely ruins the segment. It is said in the location that, the obvious exhibitions of benevolence are simply elusive methods for getting the purpose of inclination for one's self. Rather than the trust in the section that sentinels peril their lives for the purpose behind the whole assembling, the educator says that the meerkat sentinels are entirely disposed to outside risks. The alert sentinels transmit causes to the social occasion to move negligently which draws the predator's thought towards them, in this manner drawing unendingly the thought from the sentinels.
The lecture discredits the way that these meerkats are unselfish as in they don't get anything consequently of their organizations. Honestly, researches have shown that they have a full stomach as they play out this "unselfish" commitment and have a prevalent shot of making tracks in an opposite direction from risk since they witness it first Proffer moreover offers another basic motivation that causes people to trust that exhibitions, for instance, giving an organ or bestowing sustenance to some person in need are charitable. She says that people get thankfulness as an eventual outcome of such acts, which may be regarded by some significantly more basic than materialistic additions.
Example 3 Professors are ordinarily found in college classrooms, workplaces and libraries doing examination and addressing to their students. To an ever-increasing extent, in any case, they likewise show up as visitors on TV news programs, giving a master discourse on the most recent occasions in the world. These TV appearances are of incredible advantage to the professors themselves and also to their colleges and the overall population.
Professors advantage from showing up on TV in light of the fact that by doing as such secure reputations as authorities in their scholastic fields among a much more extensive gathering of people than they have on campus. If a professor circulates finds in an educational journal, simply distinctive specialists will find out about and welcome those points of view. Regardless, when a professor appears on TV, a large number of people outside the restricted academic gathering get the chance to be aware of the professor's thoughts. So right when teachers confer their thoughts to a TV gathering of spectators, the professors' significance as specialists is redesigned.
Colleges moreover benefit by such appearances. The colleges get positive consideration right when their professors appear on TV. At the point when people see an educated employee of a college on TV, they think more significantly from that college. That then prompts an upgraded reputation for the college. Besides, improved reputation in this manner prompts more presents for the college and more applications from potential students. At last, all the inclusive community gets from professors' appearing on TV. Most TV viewers routinely have no contact with college professors. Right when professors appear on TV, viewers have a chance to pick up from authorities and to be introduced to viewpoints they may some way or another never get some answers concerning. Television is generally a medium for an investigation that tends to be shallow, not significant or sharp. From professors on TV, by separation, viewers experience authentic mastery and comprehension.
Now you will hear part of a lecture on the topic (Audio file)
Professor
Generally, we've been seeing a couple of professors on TV. Regardless of the way that it's at times ensured to be something worth being grateful for, we should address whether anybody genuinely benefits by it. Most importantly else, it's terrible for the professors themselves not from a specialist perspective. Suitably or wrongly, a professor who appears on TV tends to get the reputation among related professors of being some person who is not an honest to goodness analyst someone who delights rather than to train. Besides, TV professors may not be welcome to crucial gatherings essential meetings to talk about their scholarly work. They may even experience issues moving money to do ask about. So for professors, being a TV enormous name has vital disadvantages.
A second point is that being on TV can take a huge amount of a professor's chance the time on TV and also time understanding what to present and time spent rehearsing, travel time, even time getting made up to hunt helpful down the cameras. What's more, this time leaves the time the instructor can spend doing research, meeting with students, and dealing with college business. So you can decidedly see there are issues for the college and its students when professors are in the TV studio and not on campus.
So who does the advantage? People in general? That is not all that reasonable either. It's obvious, educators do have an extensive measure of data to offer, however, TV frameworks don't require really honest to goodness all around insightful locations for after-dinner seeing. What the frameworks need is the insightful title, not the academic substance. The material that professors typically show on TV, for instance, establishment on current events, or some short recorded preface to another film version of a phenomenal dynamic work this material is almost no remarkable in connection to what viewers would get from a TV reporter who had done a little homework.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Answers may vary, here is the response for the above-narrated essay.
Response
The section presented three reasons why professors should show up on TV: picking up a reputation for the professor, for the college, and to instruct the overall population in any case, the lecture opposes this idea.
Professors who show up much of the time on TV are not generally seen as a genuine researcher. Subsequently, those professors will get less welcome to go to scholarly gatherings or less likely to get a research stipend. This genuinely hinders the professor's chance to advance develop as an analyst.
Professors who frequently show up on TV likewise have a negative impact on students and the college. Showing up on TV takes a great deal of time to plan, including readiness for the material, transportation time, and even time to dress up. This valuable time can likewise be utilized to show class, help understudies, or even do encourage research. Subsequently, professors who show up on TV waste a great deal of time that they can add to instructing and research.
Professors showing up on TV don't as a rule help instructing the overall population. The TV system is not inspired by having the professor clarifying the scholarly substances of their researchers. Or maybe, they are occupied with having them clarify some essential foundation data or history. This kind of data can be effortlessly introduced by a genuine reporter who has done his work properly.
In view of the above reasons, it is exceptionally questionable whether professors showing up on TV have any favorable position. Indeed, it could convey negative results both to the professors themselves and the colleges they instruct.
Example 4
Rembrandt is the most famous of the seventeenth-century Dutch painters. Be that as it may, there are questions whether a few artistic creations ascribed to Rembrandt were really painted by him. One such painting is known as attributed to Rembrandt because of its style, and in reality, the representation of the lady's face is particularly similar to that of portraits known not by Rembrandt. Be that as it may, there are issues with the artistic creation that recommend it couldn't be a work by Rembrandt.
To start with, there is something conflicting about the way the woman in the portrait is dressed. She is wearing a white linen cap of a kind that only servants would wear-yet the coat she is wearing has a luxurious fur collar that no servant could afford. Rembrandt, who was known for his attention to the details of his subjects' apparel, would not have been guilty of such inconsistency.
Second, Rembrandt was an expert of painting light and shadow, however, in this painting these components don't fit together. The face appears to be illuminated by light reflected onto it from below. Be that as it may, beneath the face is the dim hide neckline, which would retain light as opposed to reflecting it. So the face ought to show up mostly in shadow-which is not how it shows up. Rembrandt could never have made such an error.
At last, the examination of the back of the painting reveals that it was painted on a panel made of a few bits of wood stuck together. Despite the fact that Rembrandt frequently painted on wood panels, no painting known not by Rembrandt utilizes a panel glued together as a part of along these lines from a few bits of wood.
Now you will hear part of a lecture on the topic (Audio file)
Professor
All that you simply read about "Portrait of an Elderly Woman in a White Bonnet" is valid, but then after thorough re-examination of the painting, a panel of specialists has as of late inferred that it's, in reality, a work by Rembrandt. Here is the reason.
First, the fur collar. X-rays and analysis of the pigments in the paint have shown that the fur collar wasn’t part of the original painting. The fur collar was painted over the top of the original painting about a hundred years after the painting was made. Why? Someone probably wanted to increase the value of the painting by making it look like a formal portrait of an aristocratic lady.
Second, the assumed blunder with light and shadow. Once the paint of the added fur color was removed, the original painting could be seen. In the original painting, the woman is wearing a simple collar of light-colored cloth. The light-colored cloth of this collar reflects light that illuminated part of the woman’s face. That is the reason the face is not in halfway shadow. So in the first painting, light and shadow are exceptionally sensible and exactly what we could anticipate from Rembrandt.
Finally, the wood panel. Things being what they are the point at which the hide neckline was included, the wood panel was likewise amplified with additional wood pieces stuck to the sides and the top to make the sketch more fantastic and more significant. So the original painting is really painted on a solitary bit of wood, as would be normal from a Rembrandt painting. What's more, truth be told, specialists have found that the bit of wood in the first type of "Portrait of an Elderly Woman in a White Bonnet" is from the exceptionally same tree as the wood board utilized for another work of art by Rembrandt, his "Self-portrait with a Hat".
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Answers may vary, here is the response for the above-narrated essay.
Response
Both texts deal with the questions whether or not the painting “Portrait of an Elderly Women in a White Bonnet” was painted by the most famous Dutch painter Rembrandt. The text clearly states, that many facts prove that it wasn’t painted by Rembrandt himself, but just attributed to him because of its style. In the lecture, however, the professor gives proof of why it is, in fact, a work of the famous Dutch painter.
The first contradicting fact is the clothes of the woman in the portrait. She is wearing a white linen cap which gives her the appearance of a simple servant, whereas the luxurious fur color she also wears doesn’t fit. In the lecture is said, that after a thorough research people found out that the fur color was added to the painting about 100 years later in order to increase the value of the workpiece because now it illustrated an aristocratic lady instead of a servant.
Another problem with the painting was the display of light and shadow. Rembrandt was known as a master of painting light and shadow, yet contradiction ally the elements in the work don’t fit together. But this problem could also see that the lady is wearing a simple light-colored cloth, which reflects light into her face.
The third aspect which let people wonder about the origins of the painting was the fact that the panel was made of several pieces of wood glued together instead of just one panel which was made of several pieces of wood glued together instead of just one panel which was usually for works of Rembrandt. But the additional panels were also added later to enlarge the painting. By doing this the painting seemed to be more valuable.
Another interesting fact is, that the main panel is made from the same tree-like another painting of Rembrandt, “self-portrait with a hat”.
In the end, it is clear that this painting is indeed a work of the Dutch painter and it should be reintegrated in the catalog of Rembrandt’s paintings.
Example 5 In a vote that happened at the International Astronomical Union Conference on August 24th, 2006, Pluto lost its status as a planet in our adjacent planetary gathering. Pluto was at first found in 1930 when researchers were looking for something that was interfering with Uranus' circle. In spite of the way that Pluto was assessed to be practically identical in size to Earth, it was later found that it was essentially tinier than our own specific moon, furthermore various diverse moons. It is presently understood that there is an immense number of planetary articles like Pluto, including Eris which is insignificantly greater than Pluto. Renaming Pluto to a littler individual planet regards the way that science is about making new revelations. While it was an appalling day for Pluto dears, people, when all is said in done, have recognized the idea, and the best in class time of adolescents will grow up knowing only eight planets and considering nothing it. As Mike Brown, the space master who discovered Eris, noted after the IUC's decision, "science is self-correcting."
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Answers may vary, here is the response for the above-narrated essay.
Response
Pluto lost its status as a planet in our nearby planetary group at the International Astronomical Union Conference in 2006. The decision has been wrapped in talk starting there forward.
The perusing proposes that the decision was generally recognized and relied on upon the new exploratory information that has been instructed since Pluto's one of a kind disclosure. Regardless, the location discredits this idea, prescribing that the space science gathering was not truly addressed in the vote to downsize Pluto to diminutive person status and that various people can't resist negating the decision.
As indicated by the perusing, Pluto was downsized in view of its size. Regardless, the teacher raises that Pluto on the grounds that downsized was because of it doesn't fit the new importance of a planet. As demonstrated by the new definition, a planet ought to clear the zone around its circle. While Pluto does not, neither do distinctive planets including Earth. Truth be told talking, various planets have space rocks as neighbors, therefore, they don't clear their circle.
Finally, examining induces that individuals will soon overlook that Pluto was ever a planet. Strikingly, the educator examines petitions and one of a kind ways that nationals are regarding the adored planet Pluto. While the examining observes that children won't know any contrastingly when they grow up without Pluto in their nearby solar system, the teacher declares that the lost planet will reliably have a spot in youngsters' souls as it did from the most punctual starting point.
Example 6
Huge, insular, and conservative, Russia was difficult to oversee midway. In any case, a background marked by the Russian government is a past filled with the dictatorial government. Viewed by their worker populace as agents of God's will on Earth, couple of tsars (the Russian word for emperor) were willing to endure any bonds on their energy, and they put forth an admirable attempt to wipe out adversaries and grow the "divine right" they delighted in. Two begins specifically are a case of the activity and development of imperial power Ivan IV, "the Terrible" (1533-1584), and Peter II, "the Great" (1682-1725).
In spite of the fact that Ivan IV held the worship of his people, the people likewise lived in perpetual fear of their paranoid and unpredictable tsar. Having gone to the throne as a young boy, Ivan questioned the privileged in light of the quarreling and deadly interest he saw amid his childhood. He made a political police power six thousand in number that especially suspected, and appropriated their property. In the way, Ivan virtually eliminated the Russian nobility as a challenge to imperial power.
In spite of the fact that less remorseless and suspicious than Ivan, peter II was no less powerful over Russian society and civic life. An enormously energetic and visionary man, peter introduced a new merit-based system of the administration responsible only to himself, marginalizing the aristocrats previously controlling this aspect of government. In an effective push to modernize his country, peter thoroughly revolutionized and Europeanized conservative Russian society. At long last, to dispose of the last obstruction to his arrangement for Russia's future, Peter rendered the already self-ruling Russian Church subordinate to imperial authority.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Answers may vary, here is the response for the above-narrated essay.
Response
In spite of its long history of as far as anyone knows absolutist administrations, the historical backdrop of Russia likewise incorporates a custom of majority rule investment in government. Shockingly, it was the toe of the most grounded, most celebrated tsars who contributed specifically to this convention.
Ivan IV was a powerful ruler, and the Russian people lived in apprehension of his gigantic political police power, which he used to evacuate dangers to his power. Not all aspects of his administration were dictatorial. Ivan additionally made the Zemsky sober", which was a gathering of men who were not from the worker class. He utilized the gathering as counselors when settling on a choice about foreign and domestic affairs.
Peter the Great additionally added to Russian democracy when he took control of the Russian administrative system far from nobility and made it altogether justify based. He was not about the dictator that Ivan was, but rather amid his rule he forced Russian culture to Europeanize and brought the Russian church under his immediate control.
Later, in 1859, two more elected bodies were made. One was a rural council, and the other was urban. Both gatherings were in charge of settling on choices decisions about commerce, education, and infrastructure. These boards still worked under the initiative of the tsar, however, they were key elements in the modernization of the Russian field. In spite of the fact that the parity of force in medieval Russia constantly learned towards the tsars and their heads, the general population was not so much unrepresented in the governments.
Example 7
There is a little however growing movement in the United States and around the world against immunizing that is, offering shots to newborn infants and kids. The people who pick not to inoculate their kids contend that the medicinal calling gives uneven and risky purposeful reputation in pediatric offices and at social insurance offices. They assume that customary immunity is better and that youngsters at two months of age are too youthful, making it difficult to get a strike on their immune system.
In any case, those in the development refer to related evidence that those children who are immunized against once normal childhood diseases, for instance, measles, mumps, polio, and whooping hack, will most likely experience the ill effects of ceaseless ear pollutions and furthermore from predictable, poor quality diseases. They fight that getting youth ailments typically truly points of interest in the immune system, while they have known about children and adults who have reached different diseases and disabilities as an aftereffect of being immunized.
Likewise, they battle that children can regardless of get the disease for which they were vaccinated. They report that among reported measles cases, the brain larger part was among the people who were totally vaccinated. They propose forestalling sickness through regular mending. Instead of imbuing youthful bodies with poisonous substances and outside proteins and diseases the substances contained in vaccines they affirm I that purifying bodies discontinuously of poisons can keep bodies free of microscopic organisms and contaminations. Changing poor lifestyle penchants, those in the improvement fight is a superior method for killing adolescence sicknesses than is immunization.
Besides, they attest they the vaccines themselves are inherently dangerous, paying little mind to whether they counteract malady. In maneuvering of this dispute, they show savage included substances in numerous vaccines and the way that vaccines are tested on animals, not on people.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Answers may vary, here is the response for the above-narrated essay.
Response
The lecturer contends that the disputes made by the anti-immunization movement are invalid. In spite of the way that the advancement seems to offer solid contentions against vaccinating infants and children, these disputes, one by one, can be challenged.
First, they express that natural immunity is ideal; however, those not immunized on the world have passed on. Second, the group claims that diseases are shrunk by immunization, yet no such cases have found. It's less demanding to say that an ascent in specific sicknesses or conditions is because of immunizations as opposed to trying to research further. Third, the contention that characteristic recuperating is superior to anything inoculations is silly. Truth be told, no such recuperating has been demonstrated fruitful. At last, the statement that the immunization itself is destructive is false. Immunizations may bring about agony; nonetheless, on has ever kicked the bucket from a shot.
To summarize, the great number of deaths in ranges of the world without vaccinations is obviously verification enough that the development against immunizations is not to be considered important. As it were, the cases of this movement have no scientific basis.
Example 8 A standout amongst the most persevering puzzles of modern times, the Bermuda Triangle, has captivated the world for a significant long time. Is it really certifiable that the 440,000-square-mile triangle, whose three corners touch Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, genuinely swallows boats and airships? Does it genuinely have mysterious properties?
The principal reports of odd marvels here of the southwestern Atlantic date as far back as 1492 when Christopher Columbus traveled into the district. Columbus' diary section dated October 11, 1492, contains a record of a failing compass and the proximity of weird lights in the sky, including "a great flame of fire" which slammed into the sea.
Stories of more than just a solitary passing while cruising through the triangle have disciples. In its day, the 1872 vanishing of the team of the famous ship the Mary Celeste was notorious. The lost boat was definitely found, yet its whole group was absent. Since for such an expansive number of years no illumination could be found for the gathering's surrender, various have proposed that the sailors went on while cruising through the triangle. The most persuading story regarding peculiar happenings in the Bermuda Triangle spins around the vanishing of six U.S. military airships in 1945 as they were flying through the district. A squadron of five planes on a typical get ready mission was lost. The sixth plane, an inquiry plane was lost as well. Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Answers may vary, here is the response for the above-narrated essay.
Response
Regardless of the way that the world has been intrigued for quite a while with unusual vanishings and occasions in the zone known as the Bermuda Triangle, the professor logically wrangle about a couple of the most popular cases, asserting that none have any experimental premise.
Initially, he looks at the instance of Christopher Columbus' nonworking compass and the enormous lump of flame. The professor authenticates (W13) that the disarray with the compass was a direct result of perplexity amongst real and appealing north. In addition, he suggests that the colossal wad of fire was a meteor.
Second, the understood wreck of the Mary Celeste in 1872 did not happen anyplace close to the Triangle. Shockingly, the ship was found near Portugal.
Thirdly, the most recent case that of the six missing U.S. flying machine in 1945, has no exploratory reason. Five planes and the hunt plane were all reported missing in the range. There are a couple of clarifications for the vanishings. The planes may have had both awful climate and unpracticed pilots. The lead pilot could have driven the social occasion off-kilter. Actually, none of the planes was found in the region. Really, the pursuit plane blasted promptly after departure.
To finish up, the cases that seem to support the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, one by one, can be tested. The professor offers disputes denying assumed vanishings and occasions realized by vessels and airplanes being in the Triangle.
Example 9 Peptic ulcer disease is a condition in which open sores develop within the coating of the stomach and digestive system. The fundamental side effects of this basic burden are a pain in the abdominal region and occasionally weight reduction, nausea, and vomiting of blood. The general conviction has been that peptic ulcers are brought about by Lifestyle decisions including diet and stress. Natural acids, which help with digestion, what's more, pepsin, a chemical in the stomach that additionally assists with absorption, were thought to calm age the protective layer of the gastrointestinal tract as a result of psychological stresses and the overindulgence of certain foods, alcohol, and tobacco. Treatment with classifications that inhibit acid production was found to significantly relieve the symptoms of the disease.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Answers may vary, here is the response for the above-narrated essay.
Response
The conviction that stress and bad food choices allowed stomach acids and a catalyst to harm the digestive tract, in the long run, bringing about an ulcer, has gone under question in light of the fact that the treatment for the issue appeared to work just temporarily.
The way that ulcer treatment led to only short-term changes made researchers imagine that exclusive side effects were being dealt with as opposed to the hidden cause. An antibiotic that fights a particular bacteria has proved successful for long-term treatment of ulcers. It is presently trusted that microorganisms do the underlying harm to the tissue lining and that stomach acid and the pepsin enzyme worsen the damage rather than being the primary cause.
The finding that this bacterium might be the reason for ulcers could be the leap forward for a cure rather than only treatment of side effects. In any case, even though antibacterial medicine has proved effective, some researchers of peptic ulcer disease believe that stressful lifestyles are still a factor in the problem.
Example 10
There are numerous shared traits between the two. The main noticeable comparability is that they both give an assortment of decisions. There are various choices accessible in fast-food restaurants and also at home since we can't eat the same things once a day. Moreover, both sorts of sustenance are regularly exceptionally heavenly. Fast nourishment has turned out to be more promoted everywhere throughout the world as more individuals are taking their favors of it. Home-cooked meals can positively be yummy since they are arranged and served with respect to people's taste. Finally, every sorts of nourishment can be generally inexpensive. Fast food is normally extremely modest as it is deliberately made to be accessible for all levels of salary. The home cooking expense will likewise be reasonable the length of the fixing costs is painstakingly considered.
Sure fast food is cheap but, is it good for you? Fast food restaurants don't give you as many nutrients. This is very low. Fast food does have Greens but most of these greens are not fresh. Most of the Greens are frozen, which means there are not as many nutrients as if you would make it fresh.
In spite of the similitudes, they additionally make them strike qualifications. One noteworthy contrast concerns the pace of generation. Fast food is obviously much speedier than home-cooked sustenance as it is set up by a considerable measure of staff in the meantime. Secondly, home-cooked food is extraordinarily more advantageous than fast food because of the continuous utilization of oil in the last mentioned. It has been demonstrated that uncontrolled utilization of oil in day by day suppers is the significant reason for heftiness, diabetes and numerous different sorts of infections, it is likewise undoubted that home dinners, for the most part, contain greater sustenances than fast food. Another distinction is accommodation. Fast food is dependably officially made and ready to be conveyed all over the place while home-cooked nourishment can't be compact.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Answers may vary, here is the response for the above-narrated essay.
Response
Firstly, various restaurants don't buy crisp foods since they might need to diminish the expense of suppers. They don't deal with the cleanliness and cleanliness of foods. Subsequently, a few people get hurt from eating in diners. It is particularly unsafe for youngsters since they are more powerless and can be effortlessly sick from the low quality of foods. As it is known, numerous individuals eat using the same dishes and drink from the same glasses and compartments which are not even fittingly cleaned. In case these things are not cleaned appropriately, they can be amazingly risky for human health.
Secondly, to arrange and eat food at home can be more budgetary especially for a family. Since to eat at a restaurant a great part of the time would cost a gigantic whole and that would be completely amazing for low wage laborers. The great eateries that keep up the quality and cleanliness of foods cost a ton that normal people won’t be able to accommodate.
On the other hand, restaurants can offer a few points of interest. For example, in case you eat at a restaurant, you can save your time. Since to get prepared and eat at home one needs to contribute a great deal of vitality and effort which could have been used as a piece of other beneficial works. Also, a few restaurants offer tasty and an assortment of suppers including remote menus that we couldn't make at home all alone. You can eat there amazing dinners and savor wines captivating air. In addition, to plan and eat at home is an extreme assignment for single and occupied individuals who have less extra time. So restaurants can be a superior option for those individuals.
In conclusion, it is considered by various that health is more indispensable than money and delectable suppers. I trust that if we get prepared suppers at home, plan foods and dishes honestly and we can use sound fixings. Regardless, if you eat at the eatery, you can not to ensure that the dinners and dishes are perfect and healthy.
The Integrated Writing Practice Topics
Topic 1- INTELLIGENT TESTING
Toward the start of the twentieth century, French psychologist Alfred Binet concocted the primary test of human intelligence. The test comprised of issues of expanding trouble that was intended to quantify youngsters' judgment, reasoning, and comprehension. Not long after Binet's unique work, psychologist Lewis Terman of standard University refined and standardized the test for American children. This test became known as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, which was first published in 1916 and revised several times after that.
Terman and his associates built up the possibility of the IQ, or Intelligence quotient. IQ is a measurement of general intelligence, a number representing to the proportion of mental age (execution on the test) to actual chronological age in years. IQ has turned out to be an accurate measurement of a child’s potential to achieve in school and later in professional life. The latest adaptation of the Stanford-Binet test is as yet being utilized today and stays one of the world's most widely used and accurate tests of general intelligence. It has produced reliable results for individuals from age two through adulthood.
Intelligence testing has caused great excitement within the scientific community and the larger society. Numerous analysts concur that insight testing is brain research's most noteworthy accomplishment. Intelligence testing and IQ are scientific developments advancements with awesome social utility past the forecast of school accomplishment. Intelligence tests are now available to evaluate people for scientific purposes, such as military service, placement in industrial organizations and even social companionship.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Response Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Topic 2- PRODUCTIVITY
An important management principle is that when the conduct is rewarded, it tends to be repeated. It takes after that in numerous business endeavors, the approach to getting employees to work hard or improve productivity is to reward them with money or company stock. In addition, some endeavors use different types of compensation such as special privileges or perhaps a promotion or job reassignments or even company-paid luxury vacations and other bonuses in kind. All such remunerates are normally attached into some file execution, which unequivocally computes the relative measure of increased productivity.
Advocates of enhancing efficiency through prizes implicitly acknowledge that individuals are somewhat similar to physical bodies that require the usage of some outside inspiring power to be gotten underway. In addition, they contend that any such motivations must have a high saw worth to the worker and should likewise be seen as inside the range of that individual. If the benefit target appears past the compass of the individual trying the prize, then the motivational effect will be lower and profitability may decay. Be that as it may, if the prize framework is accurately organized, productivity experts contend, it is conceivable to induce individuals to accomplish surprising results.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Response Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic 3- FLOURIDE IN DENTISTRY
The utilization of fluoride in preventative dentistry has been a great breakthrough in improving the dental health of large populations. Little measures of soluble fluoride ions are available in all water sources, including seas, furthermore to some degree in sustenance and refreshments, although quantities vary considerably from region to region.
The significance of fluoride for tooth development has been all around archived in the scientific literate. Studies of information from as far back as the 1930s demonstrated that children living in regions where the water waste quantities.
When this done, the advantages in enhanced dental health in the population exposed to fluoride-supplemented water are similar to those obtained by exposure to fluoride occurring naturally. In either case, analysts have watched the preventative effects working through various mechanisms, chief among which are that fluoride diminishes the solvency of tooth lacquer furthermore lessens the capacity of plaque life forms to deliver veneer assaulting acids. Amid the arrangement of teeth in the youthful, fluoride joins with the enamel surface and makes it harder and hence more resistant to decay.
As per an examination, fluoride can even repair cavities by reconstructing the enamel layer of teeth. Topical application by method for fluoride toothpaste or drops is additionally useful all together grown-ups since it can avoid rot and sensitivity in the bases of teeth.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Response Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic 4- Animals and Earthquakes
The belief that animals can sense an earthquake before it occurs has been held since at least the ancient Greeks. Countries such as China and Japan, which suffer frequently from the devastation brought about by seismic disturbances, have a long history of attempting to use animals to predict earthquakes.
Apparently animals of all kinds act in peculiar ways just prior to an earthquake. Many animals have more sensitive auditory capacities than humans, and perhaps because of this, they react to ultrasound originating from fracturing rock. Some researchers have also pointed out that some animals can pick up the variation in the earth’s magnetic field occurring near the epicenters of seismic events. Examples of unusual animal behavior include dogs barking for hours and wild animals appearing confused or losing their natural fear of people. Some people claim that even fish, reptiles, and insects engage in abnormal behavior at this time. Catfish, for example, are reputed to jump out of the water onto the land, and snakes have been leaving the nests where they were hibernating. Such strange behavior occurs from just moments before to a couple of weeks in advance of the Quake.
A famous example of the successful use of animal behavior to predict a quake occurred in china in 1975 when the authorities ordered the evacuation of the city of Haicheng, just a few days before a 7.3 magnitude quake, thus saving the lives of thousands of people.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Response Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic 5- KOKO
Investigations made at laboratories in the different parts of the world show the apes are fit of understanding language and utilizing linguistic response at the level of young children. Because these animals don't have the physical apparatus for producing the speech. As indicated by analysts who have worked intimately with chimps, when these animals are given different intends to convey, they do for sure appear with primates, when these animals are given different intends to impart, they do to be sure show complex open capacities, these scientists give proof of gorillas utilizing signs to show funniness, to affront, to debilitate, to deliver metaphorical language, and to take part in fantasy play.
Koko, a lowland gorilla, appears to have understood a poem written about her. Tests o Koko's auditory comprehension demonstrated that she could recognize words, for example, 'funny', 'money’, and 'bunny'. Comparative cases have been made for Michael, a male companion of Koko's, who likewise figured out how to segregate between numerous sounds.
Washoe, a grown-up chimpanzee raised as though she were hard of hearing youngster, could decipher words she heard into American Sign Language. Another study comprised of educating a chimpanzee named Kanzi how to impart utilizing a console of images. This study looked at the arrangement of stages that a human kid proceeds with those of Kanzi. Kanzi traveled through these phases similarly as kids, up to a specific phase of improvement, and indeed, showed improvement over a youthful kid on a test that deliberate just the capacity to grasp given solicitations.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Response Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic 6- Salmon
Salmon, a fish prized for both food and sport, has an unpredictable life cycle. In the wake of putting in quite a while in the ocean, adult salmon go back to the freshwater streams where they were initially produced, to lay their eggs. The females cover the eggs under the sand at the bottom of the streams. When the fish are large enough, two years subsequent to bring forth, the young salmon, called Smoltz, drift into rivers from smaller streams. The Smoltz uses the strong flow from the melting snows to get to the Pacific Ocean, where they travel until they return to start the cycle again.
The damming of river systems in the northwestern region of the United States has had divesting effects on salmon. Not just are dams a deterrent for salmon exploring upstream, however they are additionally a hindrance for the Smoltz setting out to the ocean. The present itself has turned out to be moderate, not in light of the development of various dams additionally on the grounds that organizations purposefully work the dams to moderate the current. They store the water from the dissolving snow until the winter, when more electric force is required. As less Smoltz achieve the seas and less grown-ups return, salmon neglect to create an adequately various new era. This could, in the long run, lead to the extinction of the fish.
Attempts are being made to get the young salmon downriver all the more quickly. One such attempt has comprised of transporting the Smoltz by barge. Another suggestion, proposed by environmentalists, is to build the rate of water flow. Likewise under thought is the decrease of the water level in the stores for a period in the spring when the Smoltz are relocating downstream. This would likewise build the stream rate incidentally, without requiring huge measures of water, and thus enable the young salmon to move downstream faster.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Response Notes: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic 7- DDT
The insecticidal properties of DDT, a white crystalline compound, were found in 1942. Amid World War II this pesticide was utilized to control the spread of typhus and malaria. At that point in the after wartime, it started to be utilized widely as an agricultural insecticide. Its accomplishment in eradicating malaria and controlling other insect-borne diseases dangerous both to humans and crops led it to be labeled a “miracle” pesticide.
Its use expanded and crested in the mid-1960s. In that decade, in any case, studies began to show that this method of pest control has serious environmental consequences. Maybe most harming for the notoriety of DDT was the wide prominence of Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring, which uncovered the risks of proceeded with utilization of this pesticide on fledgling and creature species and eventually on individuals. Carson's compelling uncover of the hurtful impacts of DDT demonstrated that few types of flying creatures were encountering populace decays as a consequence of ingesting this concoction in their standard eating regimen. The research demonstrated that winged creatures of prey, for example, the bald eagle and peregrine bird of prey, which is high on the evolved way of life, gathered exorbitant measures of the pesticide in their bodies, and this made them lay eggs with dainty shells, which would break before incubating. Scrutinize likewise demonstrated that the human populace was at danger from expanded levels of liver and bosom malignancy brought on by presentation to DDT. Besides, earthy people called attention to that the danger of this substance is not effortlessly debased and can stay in nature and evolved way of life for delayed periods. Because of these reasons, furthermore to the way that DDT appeared to lose its adequacy on the creepy-crawly populaces it was intended to control, numerous nations banned the utilization of this item amid the mid-1970s.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Response Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic 8- TIDAL POWER
Technology is available to exploit the potential vitality framed by tides for the era of electrical energy. The fundamental structure is a barrage or dam built across a river estuary or at the mouth of a bay. This dam is like that utilized as a part of hydroelectric power plants built across flowing rivers. At normal interims along the dam, entryways and turbines are introduced. At the point when the tide is dam, gates, and turbines are installed. This permits water to stream into the region behind the flood, raising the water level there. At the point when the water has achieved its most elevated amount, the doors are shut. At that point, the tide drops toward the ocean side, and this caught water is a few meters over the ocean level. The gates are then opened, permitting the water to release out. The power of the stream turns the turbines and creates power. It is likewise conceivable to utilize tidal vitality when the water streams in the other course - through the doors into the estuary from the ocean.
In this way, four periods of energy production are possible every day, since coastal regions experience two high and two low tides in a little more than 24 hours. In order for practical amounts of electricity to be generated, the difference between high and low tides must be at least five meters. Tidal power is renewable, non-polluting, and contributes no greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. This kind of system can provide a useful energy supplement to other sources in an era of diminishing fossil fuel reserves.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide a reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Response Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic 9- ASTHMA
Asthma is by and large seen as a condition whose symptoms can be adequately controlled with the right medicines. Masters raise that it is a spasmodic issue, portrayed by transitory episodes of irritation of the aviation routes, which lead of the airways, which lead to normal reactions, for instance, wheezing, hacking, and shortness of breath; after every scene (often known as an attack), symptoms fade away and the airways return to standard.
Asthma is by and large seen as a condition whose symptoms can be adequately controlled with the right medicines. Masters raise that it is a spasmodic issue, portrayed by transitory episodes of irritation of the aviation routes, which lead of the airways, which lead to normal reactions, for instance, wheezing, hacking, and shortness of breath; after every scene (often known as an attack), symptoms fade away and the airways return to standard.
Amid a scene of asthma, the bronchial tubes and the humbler tubes confining off from these, known as bronchioles, turn out to be thin or blocked and in this way air can't get in or out of the lungs successfully. There are two crucial causes behind bronchial narrowing: either the bronchi or bronchioles are pulverized by muscles wrapped around them rather like adaptable groups, or they get the chance to be thwarted by organic liquid and swelling inside the tubes themselves. At the point when the bronchi are choked, the condition is called bronchoconstriction.
Incidental pressing of the bronchi is typical, yet in asthma sufferers, these muscles may react too gently to natural triggers. It is in like manner an average limit of the bronchial tubes to convey bodily fluid and, in the show with small hairs called cilia, to trap breathed in aggravations and expel them from the body, thus securing the lungs. In any case, a couple of asthmatics make an abundance of bodily fluid, and this results in blocked aviation routes courses and consequent asthmatic symptoms.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Response Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic 10- DOWSING
Dowsing is the millennia-old practice of discovering hidden things. The most surely understood action of dowsing includes the utilization of a gadget, for example, a forked stick to find underground water. To this end, the dowser strolls gradually forward and backward over a range of ground holding the dowsing apparatus out in front with both hands. It is said that the dowser, by concentrating carefully, is by one means or another ready to feel the vitality of the accompanying underground streams vibrating through the pole at specific frequencies, and thus is able to tell precisely point downward. Some dowser hold two L-shaped rods, one in every hand. For this situation, when he or she strolls over a zone of hidden water, the rods traverse demonstrating the place where digging should commence.
In recent years dowsing has gained in prevalence not just as a method for discovering underground water additionally to try to reveal different items including covered fortune, oil, or even dead bodies. A late application has been the quest for what some consider destructive vitality fields trying to maintain a strategic distance from them. Indeed, even expansive organizations and authority associations pay dowsers for their location abilities. Although no one is completely sure how dowsing works, the testimonials of satisfied customers bear witness to the success of this ancient art.
Now summarize condense the points made in the lecture, compose your response and clarify how they provide reason to feel ambiguous about the points made in the perusing passage.
Response Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TOEFL Sample Essay 1:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
Life is challenging. In order to be happy and successful, we need to prepare ourselves on many fronts. Although participating in enjoyable activities is always desirable, in my view it is also necessary at times to do things we do not enjoy. The bases for my view are personal, social and financial.
Personally, doing things we don’t care for builds character and helps us mature. For instance, when parents have their first baby they are forced to give up their freedom in order to look after the child. There are times when parents barely get enough sleep and still have to get up and go to work in the morning. Similarly, when students are in school and university, they need to spend a lot of time studying. In spite of being tempted to go out with friends and attend parties, those who have self-control and keep their priorities straight are the ones who get high grades. Through such life experiences people become stronger, wiser and more responsible.
From a social perspective, we live in an interdependent world which imposes its obligations on us. Each person belongs to diverse social groups and plays various social roles. Each of us has to attend birthday parties, weddings and funerals to show we care about our fellow human beings. Participating in events for the sake of others teaches us to go beyond our own selfish needs and to share in the joys and sorrows of others.
Financially-speaking, people need to work - and spend - to keep the local, national and international economy growing. We need to support our own family in particular and our community in general. In fact, most of us work many more hours than we would like to work. What propels us to continue working is our financial needs, commitments and obligations. Only in this way are we able to live comfortable lifestyles and save for our retirement days.
In conclusion, life places huge demands on us. By participating in a wide variety of activities, both pleasant and unpleasant, we can discover more about our unique selves and live fuller lives.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 2:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Only people who earn a lot of money are successful. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
 Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
It is said that money makes the world go round. We spend the majority of our waking hours at work - earning a living, providing for our families and saving for our retirement. Although money no doubt plays a critical role in determining the quality and nature of our lifestyles, in my opinion, the size of one’s paycheque is not a measure of one’s success in life. The bases of my views are philosophical, social and personal.
Philosophically, success can be defined in myriad ways. For some, success is an external concept to be measured in terms of high income, huge bank balances, fancy cars, expensive mansions, and luxurious holidays and so on. However, in my view, success is a reflection of internal human qualities, such as compassion, kindness, honesty, understanding and more. By this definition, the mere fact of earning a high income does not determine or define success.
Socially, success depends on how we treat other human beings. Do we regard others with respect or do we impose our will on them? Are we mindful of their needs and desires or do we behave selfishly? Do we encourage and support our friends, family, and communities or do we insist they only follow the path we think best? It is clear that a critical aspect of success lies in the answers to such questions for they reveal the quality of relationships we share with our fellow human beings.
Personally, success can only be self-defined. My idea of success may not be the same as another person’s vision. This is as it should be. Each of us is a product of diverse social, cultural, economic, political, religious and ideological influences. When we add to that mix the free will that each of us exercises, we can understand clearly how each of us fashions his / her own aspirations for what we consider to be success in our own lives.
In conclusion, success is a concept that can be interpreted in a million different ways. Each individual’s version adds to the richness of our world and makes our planet a more delightful, amazing and colorful place to live.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 3: Many students choose to attend schools or universities outside their home countries. Why do some students study abroad? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer:  Pursuing higher studies abroad has become a popular choice for students from around the globe. Each year, young people spend thousands of dollars to travel, live and study in universities, colleges and schools overseas. In my view, this life-changing decision is based on the premise that education is an investment in one’s future. My opinion is based on academic, professional and personal reasons.
In my opinion, the primary reason for studying abroad is academic. Students wish to reap the benefits associated with attending a reputable educational institute. In addition, gaining admission to a prestigious college or university is often regarded as an achievement in itself. The quality of the academic programs, the level of specialized instruction and the availability of professional resources are all high. It is no wonder that students long to graduate from a well-known institute from a professional viewpoint, graduating from foreign universities is often a gateway to a successful career. The connection is direct and provides strong motivation for young people to study abroad. The hope is that such graduates have an added advantage over their peers in a highly competitive job market. In some cases, top students from prestigious universities land job offer even before completing their studies. Furthermore, well-known corporations vie to attract fresh new talent, who will help achieve corporate profitability in the future.
From a personal angle, studying abroad enables young people to mature quickly and develop independence. For instance, joining a foreign academic institution is often the first experience students have of living away from parents, siblings, and friends. In one’s home country, this strong nexus provides support, assistance, and guidance. However, while abroad, students must overcome the initial homesickness and culture shock, conform to a different teaching style, adapt to unfamiliar social and cultural expectations and develop proficiency in a new language. These challenging tasks enable youngsters to emerge with greater maturity and self-confidence.
In conclusion, the desire to study abroad is based on several concrete benefits for students in terms of the present and the future. This is why most students would gladly accept an opportunity to go abroad and would work quite diligently to turn this opportunity into a resounding success.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 4:
Some people think that family is the most important influence on young adults. Other people think that friends are the most important influence on young adults. Which view do you agree with? Use examples to support your position.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
As social beings, we are naturally influenced by those we meet in the course of our lives. This is particularly true for young people, whose character and personality are still malleable. Although friends play a central role in the lives of teenagers, in my opinion, it is the family which has a greater impact on young people. My view is based on psychological, intellectual and financial reasons.
Psychologically, the family is the central grounding factor for a young person, because the parents, brothers, and sisters are the ones who actually love him or her. It is through thousands of life situations and family discussions that norms, values, customs, traditions, and expectations are passed on to the youngster. The depth of relationship developed over the years through shared joys and sorrows, place family members in an incomparably close bond which cannot easily be replicated by friends or anyone else.
Intellectually, the family impacts the young person’s ability to think. Parents create the intellectual climate in the home. Whether children develop the habit of reading, studying hard or striving to achieve their goals depends largely on the parents' example. Whether youngsters agree or disagree with their parents’ political or religious views, the family remains a reference point against which young people develop their individuality. In Asian cultures, where respect for elders is an important value, the family plays an even more central role in shaping the young person's world view.
Financially, the family influences the youngster by providing a certain type of lifestyle. Home, school, friends, hobbies, clothes, holidays and material possessions - all of these are impacted by the family's prosperity. The same holds true for the youngster growing up in a poor family- a totally different reality will surround that young person. No friend could have this powerful or tangible influence on the teenager.
In conclusion, though friends can have a strong influence on a young person, it is finally the family that provides a more powerful backdrop in a young person’s life. The family's influence is permanent, unforgettable and inescapable.  
Sample Essay 5:
Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going p classes should be optional. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: Going to university is a coveted goal for most students around the world. Many parents dream of their children having the opportunity to receive a university education, as a gateway to a successful future. Although it is possible to receive a degree without attending classes, in my view, attendance plays a critical part in the university experience. The bases for my views are educational, social and intellectual.
Academic standpoint, attending classes simply enables students to learn more. After all, professors do not simply parrot what is written in university textbooks; they add to this knowledge from their own professional experience, reading, and research. This provides an opportunity for students to receive key perspectives, as well as relevant and up to date information in their specialized fields. Since acquiring knowledge and developing critical thinking skills are important goals of higher education, attendance at classes should be considered a mandatory requirement for graduation.
Socially, university life offers young people the opportunity to form meaningful friendships, relationships and connections, some of which last for life. One can make good friends or even meet a future life partner while in college or university. In addition, one’s classmates may become the “movers and shakers” of tomorrow’s corporations and industries. These important contacts are also made while attending university classes, studying and partying together.
Lastly, from an intellectual perspective, a student can gain tremendously by matching wits with other bright students from around the world. In the context of classes, students can discuss issues, exchange views, explore ideas, solve problems and develop cross-cultural skills through interaction with international students. This can be a critical experience that helps students define themselves and their political and ideological place in the world.
In summary, attending university classes benefits students in myriad ways. Broadly speaking, it enables students to make the best of their years in university. Therefore, it should be regarded as a desirable and meaningful means to achieving various important life goals.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 6:
Some people think that children should begin their formal education at an early age and should most of their time on school studies. Others believe that young children should spend most of their time playing. Compare these two views. Which view do you agree with? Why?
Sample TOEFL essay answer:  Childhood is one of the most important and memorable periods of our lives. We come into the world innocent and unaware and in just a few short years make great physical and mental progress. Although play is an important component of our young lives, in my view, there are significant benefits to be gained from beginning formal education at an early age. My view is based on intellectual and social reasons.
Intellectually, the period from birth to six years is the most significant for brain growth. A child who is surrounded by a rich multi-sensory environment develops infinitely more connection between brain cells, which are the basis of what we call “intelligence”. In this connection, the process of learning to read is of particular significance because it has such a strong positive influence on neural development. Although parents can provide this early intellectual stimulation, in most cases working parents find it difficult to do so. This strengthens the case for enrolling children in a formal education system, which can provide the necessary resources and trained personnel to bring out the best in the child.
Socially, being in a school environment teaches children both how to behave themselves and also how to get along with other children and adults. These lessons in human behaviour are as important as the formal subjects a child must study. By learning how to follow rules, take turns and be respectful a child becomes a part of the social nexus to which we all belong. The formal academic experience, in an objective context, away from the family structure, also satisfies the child’s growing sense of independence. Most children often “play school” in any case, particularly if they have older siblings.
In conclusion, early education offers children a host of benefits at different levels. A child can always play after coming home; in the meantime, the school experience sets the child on a path to success and self-confidence in a competitive, demanding world.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 7:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
We are born into a complex, demanding world. From infancy to adulthood lies a period in which we must prepare for the responsibilities and obligations of communal living. Although childhood should be a period of relative freedom, in my view it also needs to provide a strong preparation for the future. From this perspective, assigning household tasks to children is beneficial from a personal, social and economic point of view.
Personally, children need to learn the value of responsibility. Parents should involve children in household chores such as dusting furniture, raking leaves, washing dishes and so on. By including youngsters in this way, parents acknowledge the children’s ability to contribute meaningfully to the smooth running of the home. What’s more, such tasks teach them about being reliable, working efficiently and developing integrity. This early training strengthens their self-images and self-confidence.
Socially, young people need to be absorbed into the social nexus. While developing independence is a desirable trait, it is equally important to realize that we live in an interdependent world. Our decisions, choices, and actions affect others around us. When a child sets the table he/she not only learns how to create an aesthetically pleasing dining environment, but also that guests are to be honored and appreciated. Such experiences are a part of the socialization process whereby social and cultural norms are passed on to future generations.
Economically, children need to understand the connection between effort and reward. Initially, when children are young the “compensation” for their efforts may be in the form of a warm hug, a word of praise or a public compliment. Later, parents may link pocket money to the performance of household duties. This arrangement allows youngsters to realize that by exchanging their free time for work, they can earn money to buy the things they like. In this way, young people develop a strong sense of the financial realities that await them.
In conclusion, participating in household duties and chores is beneficial at myriad levels. Most important, it enables children and youngsters to understand the philosophical equation that to receive, we must also give.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 8:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
Life is challenging. In order to be happy and successful, we need to prepare ourselves on many fronts. Although participating in enjoyable activities is always desirable, in my view it is also necessary at times to do things we do not enjoy. The bases for my view are personal, social and financial.
Personally, doing things we don’t care for builds character and helps us mature. For instance, when parents have their first baby they are forced to give up their freedom in order to look after the child. There are times when parents barely get enough sleep and still have to get up and go to work in the morning. Similarly, when students are in school and university, they need to spend a lot of time studying. In spite of being tempted to go out with friends and attend parties, those who have self-control and keep their priorities straight are the ones who get high grades. Through such life experiences people become stronger, wiser and more responsible.
From a social perspective, we live in an interdependent world which imposes its obligations on us. Each person belongs to diverse social groups and plays various social roles. Each of us has to attend birthday parties, weddings and funerals to show we care about our fellow human beings. Participating in events for the sake of others teaches us to go beyond our own selfish needs and to share in the joys and sorrows of others.
Financially-speaking, people need to work - and spend - to keep the local, national and international economy growing. We need to support our own family in particular and our community in general. In fact, most of us work many more hours than we would like to work. What propels us to continue working is our financial needs, commitments and obligations. Only in this way are we able to live comfortable lifestyles and save for our retirement days.
In conclusion, life places huge demands on us. By participating in a wide variety of activities, both pleasant and unpleasant, we can discover more about our unique selves and live fuller lives.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 9:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement. Only people who earn a lot of money are successful. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
It is said that money makes the world go round. We spend the majority of our waking hours at work - earning a living, providing for our families and saving for our retirement. Although money no doubt plays a critical role in determining the quality and nature of our lifestyles, in my opinion, the size of one’s paycheque is not a measure of one’s success in life. The bases of my views are philosophical, social and personal.
Philosophically, success can be defined in myriad ways. For some, success is an external concept to be measured in terms of high income, huge bank balances, fancy cars, expensive mansions, and luxurious holidays and so on. However, in my view, success is a reflection of internal human qualities, such as compassion, kindness, honesty, understanding and more. By this definition, the mere fact of earning a high income does not determine or define success.
Socially, success depends on how we treat other human beings. Do we regard others with respect or do we impose our will on them? Are we mindful of their needs and desires or do we behave selfishly? Do we encourage and support our friends, family, and communities or do we insist they only follow the path we think best? It is clear that a critical aspect of success lies in the answers to such questions for they reveal the quality of relationships we share with our fellow human beings.
Personally, success can only be self-defined. My idea of success may not be the same as another person’s vision. This is as it should be. Each of us is a product of diverse social, cultural, economic, political, religious and ideological influences. When we add to that mix the free will that each of us exercises, we can understand clearly how each of us fashions his / her own aspirations for what we consider to be a success in our own lives.
In conclusion, success is a concept that can be interpreted in a million different ways. Each individual’s version adds to the richness of our world and makes our planet a more delightful, amazing and colorful place to live.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 10:
Many students choose to attend schools or universities outside their home countries. Why do some students study abroad? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
Pursuing higher studies abroad has become a popular choice for students from around the globe. Each year, young people spend thousands of dollars to travel, live and study in universities, colleges and schools overseas. In my view, this life-changing decision is based on the premise that education is an investment in one’s future. My opinion is based on academic, professional and personal reasons.
In my opinion, the primary reason for studying abroad is academic. Students wish to reap the benefits associated with attending a reputable educational institute. In addition, gaining admission to a prestigious college or university is often regarded as an achievement in itself. The quality of the academic programs, the level of specialized instruction and the availability of professional resources are all high. It is no wonder that students long to graduate from well-known institutes.
From a professional viewpoint, graduating from foreign universities is often a gateway to a successful career. The connection is direct and provides strong motivation for young people to study abroad. The hope is that such graduates have an added advantage over their peers in a highly competitive job market. In some cases, top students from prestigious universities land job offer even before completing their studies. Furthermore, well-known corporations vie to attract fresh new talent, who will help achieve corporate profitability in the future.
From a personal angle, studying abroad enables young people to mature quickly and develop independence. For instance, joining a foreign academic institution is often the first experience students have of living away from parents, siblings, and friends. In one’s home country, this strong nexus provides support, assistance, and guidance. However, while abroad, students must overcome the initial homesickness and culture shock, conform to a different teaching style, adapt to unfamiliar social and cultural expectations and develop proficiency in a new language. These challenging tasks enable youngsters to emerge with greater maturity and self-confidence.
In conclusion, the desire to study abroad is based on several concrete benefits for students in terms of the present and the future. This is why most students would gladly accept an opportunity to go abroad and would work quite diligently to turn this opportunity into a resounding success.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 11:
Some people think that family is the most important influence on young adults. Other people think that friends are the most important influence on young adults. Which view do you agree with? Use examples to support your position.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
As social beings, we are naturally influenced by those we meet in the course of our lives. This is particularly true for young people, whose character and personality are still malleable. Although friends play a central role in the lives of teenagers, in my opinion, it is the family which has a greater impact on young people. My view is based on psychological, intellectual and financial reasons.
Psychologically, the family is the central grounding factor for a young person, because the parents, brothers and sisters are the ones who actually love him or her. It is through thousands of life situations and family discussions that norms, values, customs, traditions and expectations are passed on to the youngster. The depth of relationship developed over the years through shared joys and sorrows, place family members in an incomparably close bond which cannot easily be replicated by friends or anyone else.
Intellectually, the family impacts the young person’s ability to think. Parents create the intellectual climate in the home. Whether children develop the habit of reading, studying hard or striving to achieve their goals depends largely on the parents' example. Whether youngsters agree or disagree with their parent's political or religious views, the family remains a reference point against which young people develop their individuality. In Asian cultures, where respect for elders is an important value, the family plays an even more central role in shaping the young person's world view.
Financially, the family influences the youngster by providing a certain type of lifestyle. Home, school, friends, hobbies, clothes, holidays and material possessions - all of these are impacted by the family's prosperity. The same holds true for the youngster growing up in a poor family- a totally different reality will surround that young person. No friend could have this powerful or tangible influence on the teenager.
In conclusion, though friends can have a strong influence on a young person, it is finally the family that provides a more powerful backdrop in a young person’s life. The family's influence is permanent, unforgettable and inescapable.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 12:
Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going p classes should be optional. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
Going to university is a coveted goal for most students around the world. Many parents dream of their children having the opportunity to receive a university education, as a gateway to a successful future. Although it is possible to receive a degree without attending classes, in my view, attendance plays a critical part in the university experience. The bases for my views are educational, social and intellectual.
From an academic standpoint, attending classes simply enables students to learn more. After all, professors do not simply parrot what is written in university textbooks; they add to this knowledge from their own professional experience, reading, and research. This provides an opportunity for students to receive key perspectives, as well as relevant and up to date information in their specialized fields. Since acquiring knowledge and developing critical thinking skills are important goals of higher education, attendance at classes should be considered a mandatory requirement for graduation.
Socially, university life offers young people the opportunity to form meaningful friendships, relationships and connections, some of which last for life. One can make good friends or even meet a future life partner while in college or university. In addition, one's classmates may become the movers and shakers of tomorrow’s corporations and industries. These important contacts are also made while attending university classes, studying and partying together. Lastly, from an intellectual perspective, a student can gain tremendously by matching wits with other bright students from around the world. In the context of classes, students can discuss issues, exchange views, explore ideas, solve problems and develop cross-cultural skills through interaction with international students. This can be a critical experience that helps students define themselves and their political and ideological place in the world. In summary, attending university classes benefits students in myriad ways. Broadly speaking, it enables students to make the best of their years in university. Therefore, it should be regarded as a desirable and meaningful means to achieving various important life goals.   TOEFL Sample Essay 13: Some people think that children should begin their formal education at an early age and should most of their time on school studies. Others believe that young children should spend most of their time playing. Compare these two views. Which view do you agree with? Why? Sample TOEFL essay answer: Childhood is one of the most important and memorable periods of our lives. We come into the world innocent and unaware and in just a few short years make great physical and mental progress. Although the play is an important component of our young lives, in my view, there are significant benefits to be gained from beginning formal education at an early age. My view is based on intellectual and social reasons. Intellectually, the period from birth to six years is the most significant for brain growth. A child who is surrounded by a rich multi-sensory environment develops infinitely more connections between brain cells, which are the basis of what we call intelligence. In this connection, the process of learning to read is of particular significance because it has such a strong positive influence on neural development. Although parents can provide this early intellectual stimulation, in most cases working parents find it difficult to do so. This strengthens the case for enrolling children in a formal education system, which can provide the necessary resources and trained personnel to bring out the best in the child. Socially, being in a school environment teaches children both how to behave themselves and also how to get along with other children and adults. These lessons in human behavior are as important as the formal subjects a child must study. By learning how to follow rules, take turns and be respectful a child becomes a part of the social nexus to which we all belong. The formal academic experience, in an objective context, away from the family structure, also satisfies the child’s growing sense of independence. Most children often play school in any case, particularly if they have older siblings. In conclusion, early education offers children a host of benefits at different levels. A child can always play after coming home; in the meantime, the school experience sets the child on a path to success and self-confidence in a competitive, demanding world.   TOEFL Sample Essay 14: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able.Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.  Sample TOEFL essay answer:  We are born into a complex, demanding world. From infancy to adulthood lies a period in which we must prepare for the responsibilities and obligations of communal living. Although childhood should be a period of relative freedom, in my view it also needs to provide a strong preparation for the future. From this perspective, assigning household tasks to children is beneficial from a personal, social and economic point of view. Personally, children need to learn the value of responsibility. Parents should involve children in household chores such as dusting furniture, raking leaves, washing dishes and so on. By including youngsters in this way, parents acknowledge the children’s ability to contribute meaningfully to the smooth running of the home. What’s more, such tasks teach them about being reliable, working efficiently and developing integrity. This early training strengthens their self-images and self-confidence. Socially, young people need to be absorbed into the social nexus. While developing independence is a desirable trait, it is equally important to realize that we live in an interdependent world. Our decisions, choices, and actions affect others around us. When a child sets the table he/she not only learns how to create an aesthetically pleasing dining environment, but also that guests are to be honored and appreciated. Such experiences are a part of the socialization process whereby social and cultural norms are passed on to future generations. Economically, children need to understand the connection between effort and reward. Initially, when children are young the compensation for their efforts may be in the form of a warm hug, a word of praise or a public compliment. Later, parents may link pocket money to the performance of household duties. This arrangement allows youngsters to realize that by exchanging their free time for work, they can earn money to buy the things they like. In this way, young people develop a strong sense of the financial realities that await them. In conclusion, participating in household duties and chores is beneficial at myriad levels. Most important, it enables children and youngsters to understand the philosophical equation that to receive, we must also give.   TOEFL Sample Essay 15: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Modern life is easier than life in the past. Use specific details and examples to support your answer. Sample TOEFL essay answer:  I definitely agree that modern life is easier than life in the past. The increased use of technology, rising standards of living, and improved healthcare have combined to make our lifestyles, at least in the first world, luxurious compared to lifestyles of the past. By examining three specific examples—personal computers, The Lion in winter, and vaccines—this essay will demonstrate that this improvement has, indeed, taken place. In the first place, technological advances have created new ways to take care of mundane tasks quickly and easily. For example, the majority of Americans now have their own personal computers. This is an amazing advance: with computers, we can complete tasks, from banking to ordering groceries that would have taken hours even a few decades ago. Word processing is common, making the spread of information much easier to achieve, and education is available to all for free through online courses and information that would have been all but unattainable for many up until the end of the twentieth century. The sheer amount of access that we have to services and knowledge through these machines has made life extraordinarily easier. Secondly, our standard of life has changed through advances in engineering, architecture, travel, and even textiles. Looking at a film like The Lion in Winter, while by no means historically perfect, does show how even everyday things were more difficult almost a thousand years ago. Set in the 1100s, the film shows King Henry II having to break ice from his water bowl to get water to wash his face—something that hot and cold running taps have long since saved us from. The queen has to travel to see her husband by a long boat journey, which would be almost unthinkable today. Finally, the entire royal family, even though they are royal, is wrapped in encumbering furs. Looking at what was once the highest standard of living, compared to the average first world standard of living today, we can see how much easier progress has made our lives. Finally, we no longer live in fear of many common diseases that once crippled or maimed large populations, making their lives much harder. For example, polio used to strike many people, in some cases making it difficult for them to walk, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used a wheelchair. The invention of that vaccine in the 1950s, as well as numerous other vaccines, has created a situation in which we no longer have to suffer unnecessarily. This is most certainly an improvement over the past. In conclusion, life today is definitely easier than life in the past. Though it is easy to read stories of nobles and kings of history and romanticize them, their lives were almost certainly more uncomfortable than our lives are. Nevertheless, there are many places in the world where laptops, modern conveniences, and vaccines are rarely found; I hope that current generations will work together to make life easier for everyone, now that it is possible to do so.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 16:
The widespread use of the internet has given people access to information on a level never experienced before. How does this increase in the availability of information influence life in today's world?"
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
Most people agree that the Internet affects society in many different ways.  In my opinion, the most prominent effect of the Internet is that it has strengthened democracy.  I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.
To begin with, online investigative reporting plays a major role in exposing political corruption and keeping politicians honest.  In the past, there were only a limited number of news outlets and they often had deep connections to powerful politicians and were hesitant to criticize them. These days, however, there are many independent publications on the Internet that are willing to expose political misbehavior.  For example, an online magazine recently published a story revealing that the mayor of my hometown had taken bribes from a property developer.  The report was so detailed and well-researched that the mayor had no choice but to resign.  Although the evidence was not hard to locate, only this independent website was willing to write about it.  This example demonstrates how the Internet helps to strengthen democracy in the modern world.
Secondly, the free exchange of ideas found online motivates people to become politically active.  In countries all over the world, people use social networking sites to share their ideas and opinions.  While in the past people might have thought that they were alone in their beliefs, they can now realize that others share their ideas. My own experience demonstrates this concept.  When I was a university student, I learned that a municipal park near my residence was going to be demolished to make room for a parking lot.  This bothered me a lot because I enjoyed spending time in the park.  At first, I thought that there was nothing that I, as an individual, could do to stop this from happening.  However, I later joined a Facebook group dedicated to opposing the plan.  When the members of the group learned how many people in the city loved the park we were happy to get together and enthusiastically protest in front of the city hall until our voices were heard.  I think that finding each other on that Facebook group gave us the courage to actively protect our park.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that the Internet has strengthened democracy in modern society.  This is because online investigative journalism plays a big part in keeping politicians honest and because social networking sites encourage people to be politically active.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 17:
Some students prefer classes with open discussions between the professor and students and almost no lectures. Other students prefer classes with lectures and almost no discussions. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
Classes, where students engage in discussions and classes where the professor does most of the talking each, have their own advantages and disadvantages.  In my opinion, classes with a lot of discussions are better than those without.  I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.
To begin with, I feel that classes where I have the opportunity to speak help to develop my intellectual abilities.  Classes where the teacher does all of the talking are very passive, in my opinion.  They mostly involve the memorization of facts and details which do not help students in the long run.  On the other hand, classes which involve a lot of debate and interaction create very intelligent students.  For example, I recently took a political science class that changed the way I think about the world.  The cut and thrust of debate in the class made me consider where my political beliefs came from and if they were actually correct.  I was required to listen to the opinions of others, so I was a more open-minded person after the class finished.  I believe that I would not have developed in such a way by just listening to lectures.  This example demonstrates how valuable discussion-based classes can be.
Secondly, classes that involve a lot of discussions can help students develop the skills necessary to work well in groups.  Many freshman students arrive at university very shy and unable to communicate well.  Discussions in class teach students how to communicate effectively, and they can use this skill to excel in their future careers.  My older brother’s experience demonstrates that this is true.  When he started university he was a very introverted person and did not enjoy either communicating or working with others.  However, after four years of participating in debates, discussions and presentations in his classes he became a very confident communicator.  As a result, when he began his career after graduation, he excelled in group work and was seen by his co-workers and supervisors as a natural leader.  He was promoted quickly and advanced through the ranks of his company.  Without participating in discussions with his professors and classmates he would not have developed the skills necessary to succeed in this way.
In conclusion, I feel strongly that classes that are centered on discussions between professors and students are preferable to those in which the professor does all of the talking.  This is because such classes help students develop academically and because they teach students the skills that they need to find success in the future.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 18:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better to use printed material such as books and articles to do research than it is to use the internet. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
When students do research for the class assignments they use both printed and online sources, and both types have distinct advantages and disadvantages.  However, I agree that it is better to use printed materials rather than Internet-based resources.  I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.
To begin with, printed materials such as books and articles are more reliable than online sources of information.  This is because websites can be edited by anyone in the world, regardless of whether or not they are qualified academics.  As a result of this, articles in online encyclopedias often contain incorrect and biased information.  I have even heard that some people insert incorrect facts into online databases as a mischievous joke.  My own experience demonstrates the danger of relying too heavily on online sources of information.  Two semesters ago, I was assigned a research paper in a freshman history class.  I cited data that I found on Wikipedia which turned out to be completely incorrect.  The information that I included in my essay was so hopelessly wrong that my professor spotted it immediately, causing me to fail the assignment and receive a fairly low grade in the class at the end of the semester.  If I had taken the time to compare what I had read online to a book or a scholarly article I would not have included it and not have received such a bad score in the class.
In addition, books are superior to online articles because they provide a greater depth of information.  Books are much longer than online articles, so they are much useful to students.  Students who use printed resources when doing research also benefit from the detailed indexes and biographies which they include.  I have personally experienced some of these benefits during my time as an undergraduate student.  For example, when I wrote a paper last semester in a history class, the very first book that I consulted contained a long description of both the underlying causes and long-term effects of the historical event I was writing about.  In contrast, most of the online articles that I consulted contained little more than facts and dates.  I based my research on the book rather than the articles, so I was able to write an insightful essay.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that printed information is more useful than online resources.  This is because printed sources of information are less likely to be biased or contain errors, and because books provide a superior level of detail.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 19:
"Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Grades encourage students to learn. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion."
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
As modern education continues to develop, the usefulness of grades as a form of assessment has been called into question.  Personally, though, I believe that grades do encourage students to learn.  I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.
To begin with, grades motivate students to approach their studies in a deep and meaningful fashion.  When a student feels that his grades are on the line, he will spend more time working on his assignments and will, therefore, absorb more information and comprehension.  On the other hand, students who do not have to worry about their grades will achieve merely a superficial understanding of the topics they are studying.  My own experience as a student demonstrates convincing evidence of this. During my sophomore year, I was assigned a major presentation in a classical studies seminar which I was a member of.  The assignment made up about half of my total grade in the class, so I approached my work with diligence and care.  I wrote a compelling speech and spent hours preparing for every possible question that my classmates might have.  If the presentation had not been graded, I would not have worked so hard in preparing it.  Just like me, students all over the world today are motivated to work hard by the chance to achieve high grades in their classes.
Secondly, grades motivate students because they serve as an objective measurement of our knowledge.  Grades are assigned in a systematic way and they clearly demonstrate which students in a class are the best and brightest.  As a result, in classes where grades are given, students will strive to succeed so that they can set themselves apart from their peers.  For example, in my freshman year, I took a “pass/fail” course in literature.  Since only a moderate amount of effort was required to pass the class, I completed my assignments and presentations with only a slight amount of care and effort.  In contrast, when I took a graded class on the same subject in my junior year I spent hours in the library researching my papers so that I could show my professors that I was intellectually superior to my classmates.  This may appear somewhat shallow, but in today’s competitive academic environment it is absolutely necessary for students to distinguish themselves.  This demonstrates another way in which grades motivate students to excel.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that grades encourage students to learn.  This is because they force students to approach their studies with enthusiasm and diligence and because they give young learners a way to distinguish themselves from their peers.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 20:
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.
 Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
Neighbors play an important role in our lives, and almost everyone in the world has at least one neighbor.  For this reason, it is important to consider what characteristics define a good neighbor.  In my opinion, a good neighbor is both supportive and respectful.  I will explore the reasons why I feel this way in the following essay.
To begin with, a good neighbor must be supportive because our lives are full of unplanned emergencies.  Oftentimes the people live close to us are the only ones who can provide assistance when things go wrong.  For example, my family experienced a major house fire several years ago.  It was a traumatic experience as it happened in the middle of the night and we lost most of our belongings.  No one was injured, but we suffered a lot of emotional trauma.  Our situation was aided, however, by a compassionate neighbor who immediately called the fire department when he saw the fire and who also provided us with clean clothes, food and a place to stay for the night.  This example demonstrates how important it is to have kind and supportive neighbors when an emergency happens.
Moreover, a good neighbor is someone who is respectful of those around him.  People view their homes as a place to escape from the stressful modern world, and if their neighbors do not respect this belief they will suffer a lot.  My own experience demonstrates this reality.   Five years ago, I lived alone in an apartment in a busy city.  My job at that time was extremely stressful and also physically draining.  After a day at work, I wanted nothing more than to go home and unwind.  However, the person living in the apartment above me played loud music all night which made it almost impossible for me to relax.  He had no respect for those around him and thought only of himself.  In contrast, the person who lives above my family today does not do this and though I have the same job, I am better able to deal with its difficulties.  This illustrates the value of having a neighbor who respects those who live nearby.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that good neighbors are both supportive and respectful.  This is because such people can help us handle life’s unexpected emergencies and allow us to feel comfortable in our own homes.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 21:
 "Have North Americans become too dependent on the automobile for travel?" (Question from the Official Guide to the TOEFL).
 Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
Over the last few decades, as environmental awareness has increased, cars have become a very controversial topic.  I am of the opinion that people have become too reliant on automobiles.  I feel this way for two main reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.
To begin with, I feel that many people have become disinterested in the amount of pollution that their personal vehicles create.  It is a well-known fact that automobiles are one of the biggest sources of deadly greenhouse gases, which are the main cause of global warming.  However, it seems that many people simply do not care about how much pollution they create by driving their cars.  For example, my uncle drives an extremely large sport utility vehicle to work every day, even though he commutes alone.   His vehicle is not energy efficient, and he ought to use public transportation or at least carpool to work.  When I asked him why he continues to drive such a harmful, vehicle he responded that even though he is aware of how much fuel it uses, he does not care because of how happy he feels driving an expensive car.  This example demonstrates how neglectful many members of modern society have become as a result of their dependence on automobiles.
Furthermore, our current obsession with automobiles has resulted in neglected and ineffective public transportation systems in cities all over the world.  As a result of people who are obsessed with their personal vehicles, governments have felt justified in failing to develop bus and rail networks in their urban centers.  My city, Toronto, is a good example of this.  Despite being the largest city in Canada it has only two subway lines and just a handful of underdeveloped bus routes.  While this frustrates me quite a lot, most people simply do not care and the issue is never considered by our municipal government.  It seems evident that our current dependence on automobiles has resulted in a lower quality of living for many people in Toronto.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that people in modern society are too dependent on automobiles.  This is because our love of cars has contributed to global warming and because it has resulted in under-funded and poorly developed public transportation systems in major cities.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 22:
You have the opportunity to visit a foreign country for two weeks. Which country would you like to visit? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice .
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
Traveling the world is something I have dreamed about doing ever since I was a small child.  If I was given the choice of visiting a country of my choosing, I would definitely go to Peru.  There are two main reasons why I feel this way, which I will explore in the following essay.
To begin with, Peru is a land of varied landscapes and I believe that getting in touch with nature is the best way to enjoy a vacation.  Peru is unique in that it contains a tropical rainforest, some of the highest mountains in the world and even pristine beaches – all within close proximity to each other.  Few countries offer easier access to such a plethora of natural wonders.  One similar country is the United States; I remember that when I traveled across that country several years I was struck by how many different natural environments I was able to experience.  I felt that seeing such scenes helped me really get to know America.  I think that I could have a similar experience in Peru, and since that country is much smaller I would have an easier and more affordable vacation.
Secondly, Peru is attractive because it has an extremely varied national cuisine.  I have heard that Peruvian food has been influenced by quite a few sources, including Spanish settlers, local indigenous groups and recent immigrants from the rest of the continent.  Not only that, but visitors to Peru can choose from several different dining venues, ranging from trendy modern restaurants to charming street vendors.  I feel that eating the food of a place is another great way to really get in touch with society.  I recall that when I visited Japan during my last summer vacation I felt connected to the Japanese people when I visited a local sushi restaurant.  I am certain that I would enjoy a similar feeling dining in Peru which would make a visit to that country very worthwhile.
In conclusion, if I could visit any country in the world, I would choose to travel to Peru.  I feel this way because of Peru’s amazing natural environment, and its tantalizingly varied national cuisine.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 23:
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 yours.
Sample TOEFL essay answer: 
These days tourism is more popular than ever, and everyone has their own style of travel.  Some people like to take trips alone, while others like to travel with a companion.  Personally, I prefer to travel with a partner.  I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.
To begin with, traveling with a companion is more economical than vacationing alone.  As leisure travel has become more and more popular, hotel operators have started to charge increasingly high costs for accommodation.  Single occupancy rates are fairly uncommon nowadays, so sharing a room with a friend is a good way to cut costs.  Not only that, but people traveling in pairs have better access to package deals on tours, entrance fees and other activities.  My own experience demonstrates some of the financial benefits of vacationing with a friend.  When my girlfriend and I traveled together through Peru last year, we were able to rent an entire hotel room for less than the cost of both of us sleeping in a shared dorm.  Over the course of our one month trip, we saved several hundred dollars in this way.  As a result of saving so much money, we were able to change our plans and extend our trip for almost an entire week.  This example demonstrates some of the financial benefits of traveling with a companion.
Moreover, it is much easier to talk to local people when traveling in a pair, and this makes any trip much more rewarding.  While alone strangers can be seen as intimidating, a traveling couple is often considered more approachable.  For example, when my girlfriend and I took the aforementioned South American trip last year, we were often welcomed into people’s homes and businesses with open arms.  The individuals who invited us often pointed out that they were willing to do so because we looked so happy, friendly and cheerful spending time together. When I traveled by myself in Bolivia a year before I wanted to make similar connections, but I faced a lot of difficulty in doing so.  While a single traveler may actually be quite kind and outgoing, this can be somewhat difficult to determine from a distance.
In conclusion, I definitely prefer to travel with a companion rather than alone.  This is based on the financial benefits of doing so, and because traveling with a partner makes it easy to interact with local residents.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 24:
 The government is going to give some money either to support the arts or to protect the environment. Which do you think the government should choose? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer:
In today’s turbulent economic environment, it is difficult for governments to decide which areas they should spend money on.  Some people believe that it is important to fund the arts, while others feel that it is preferable to prioritize environmental issues.  In my opinion, protecting the environment is more important than funding the arts.  I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.
To begin with, environmental problems are a more urgent concern than issues surrounding the arts.  While we are certainly living in a society where the arts are  severely underfunded, the environment is a matter of life and death for many people.  The consequences of environmental degradation not only hit close to home, but also affect human beings all over the world.  For example, I recently read a report in a major newspaper that pointed out that within three decades certain countries in South Asia will suffer from catastrophic flooding as a result of global warming.  One country that was mentioned was Bangladesh, which just happens to be the poorest nation in the region.  Public officials are trying to deal with the issue, but because of the poverty in that country, they are wholly unable to do so.  This means that nations in the developed world need to fund programs that will help them deal with the looming crisis.
Moreover, while arts funding is a wonderful idea, it is entirely possible for artistic and cultural programs to be privately funded.  Many businesses and individuals are willing to make donations to artists in exchange for promotional considerations.  Not only that, but the Internet has made it possible for artists to fund their work through online “crowdfunding” promoted through social networking sites.  For instance, there is a community theater group in my hometown which recently lost a significant portion of its public funding following recent budget cuts by the municipal government.  While the situation looked dire at first, the group was able to attract financial support from companies who wished to have their logo displayed on theater programs and assorted paraphernalia.  In addition, the company took to the Internet and raised money from individual donors who were happy to help their favorite theater group.  These examples demonstrate some of the methods that artists can use to attract funding to replace government support in times of economic trouble.  The amounts of money needed to solve environmental programs, in contrast, cannot be raised using such methods.
In conclusion, I feel that if the government is forced to make a choice, it should choose to fund environmental programs rather than the arts. I feel this way because environmental problems are a more pressing concern and because the arts can often be privately funded.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 25:
What is your approach to problem-solving, and how does it work for you? Use specific details to support your response.
Sample TOEFL essay answer:
We all have problems in life, and everyone has their own approach to problem-solving.  When I am faced with a dilemma, my solution is to talk to someone about it, preferably a person who is older and more experienced than I am.  There are two reasons why I feel this way, which I will explore in the following essay.
First of all, my problems are not particularly special and there are many people in my social circle who have already dealt with identical issues.  My experience has taught me that when I have a crisis, there is always an older person in my life who has dealt with the exact same issue.  Not only that, but they have lived through the consequences of the actions they took in response.  For instance, when I was a university freshman I was terribly behind on one of my assignments.  I could not decide between asking my professor for an extension, which may have made me look lazy in her eyes, or submitting a poorly done assignment which would make me look like a terrible student.  Fortunately, a sophomore in the department explained that most professors are happy to provide extensions when needed.  He told me that none of them would view me as lazy, as they all understand the pressures that students are under these days.
Furthermore, I find that simply vocalizing my problems helps me to put them in perspective.  Merely having someone to listen to my problems assists my problem solving, even if that person does not have a lot of advice to give me.  For example, after talking about the above issue with my classmate, I realized that it was not the end of the world.  I know now that I was overthinking the problem, and that my professor would not see me as a bad person either way.  Moreover, when I explained to my upperclassman that the assignment was worth only one-fifth of my final grade, I realized that I could stop worrying about the problem.  This came to me even before he voiced his opinion on the matter.
In conclusion, my approach to problem-solving is to talk to someone about my problem.  I do this because there are many people in my life who have endured the same problems and because vocalizing my issues helps me overcome my worries.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 24:
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.
Sample TOEFL essay answer:
Funding for athletic programs at colleges and universities is a very controversial issue these days.  Some people believe that universities should fund libraries and educational facilities rather than sports teams, while others feel that the opposite is true.  I am of the belief that universities should provide more funding for athletics.  I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.
To begin with, most universities offer identical academic programs and are only able to set themselves apart from the crowd through the popularity of their sports teams.  These days there are hundreds of universities across the United States which are almost entirely interchangeable.  Only a very select few Ivy League schools are known to be better than average.  It may seem somewhat arbitrary, but a sports team can help such middling schools stand out from the crowd and attract new students.  For example, my cousin is a very average student.  When he graduated from high school a few years ago, he chose to attend California State College-based solely on the fact that he loves basketball and that school is known for its on-court success.  This may seem superficial, but it mattered a lot to him, and according to recent surveys he is not the only student who chose to attend for this reason.  The college earned his loyalty as a result of the care and attention it has paid to its athletic program.
Furthermore, sports are very profitable and are a good source of revenue in today’s precarious economic times.  Schools across the nation are facing a funding crisis, but they still need to build facilities and dormitories for new students.  University sports are a huge business in America and are even more popular than professional sports in a lot of areas.  These teams can generate money for their schools through corporate sponsorships, ticket sales, licensing and broadcast agreements.  These profits can then be used to pay for academic facilities, including libraries.  This type of operation does not always seem the most idealistic thing for a university to do, but it certainly is a pragmatic solution to some of the problems that schools face today.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that colleges should provide more funding to their sports teams than they do to their academic facilities.  This is because sports help universities stand out in a crowded market of schools.  
TOEFL Sample Essay 25:
 “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.
Sample TOEFL essay answer:
Many people claim that success comes only as a result of hard work, while others believe that it is mostly the product of good fortune.  I believe that success is only achieved by people who are diligent, hard-working and perseverant.  I will explore these ideas in the following essay.
To begin with, success is not the result of a single lucky strike but is instead the cumulative result of a lot of hard work.  Success happens over time and only after a series of correct decisions and small victories.  A stroke of luck, in contrast, is generally perceived to be a one-time event.  The experience of my uncle, a successful entrepreneur, is a compelling example of what I mean.  He runs a very profitable technology firm which manufactures and sells a wide range of products.  His business started very small when he invested his savings to market a single product and hired his first employee.  When his single product found success, my uncle compounded his success with a series of profitable mergers that increased the size of his company.  His company later grew from a single employee to include a staff of dozens.  While my uncle might have been lucky at one stage of his company’s growth, the long-term success of his firm cannot simply be the result of good fortune.
Secondly, people today tend to misattribute the results of hard work and diligence to simple blind luck.  Too many people ascribe to luck things which are actually the result of careful planning, research and “business smarts.”  For example, some people said that my uncle was lucky when his initial product offering was successful.  However, he was confident that his product would be a hit even before he started manufacturing it.  This is because he spent thousands of dollars on market research and focus groups.  It was this investment, not luck, which ensured the early success of his business.  Likewise, when his small firm completed its first merger just before the target company rose to prominence some called him lucky.  However, my uncle had spent weeks interviewing the research and development team at that company and predicted their success based on what they told him about their planning.  Had he not been confident of their success, he would not have completed the merger.   Again, this victory was the result of diligence rather than luck, despite what some observers say about it.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that success comes as a result of hard work, rather than good fortune.  This is because success is a gradual and cumulative process, and because the public’s conception of luck is very superficial and hollow.