toefl independant writing 2 (for pocket listening)

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
It should be required that all university students take history courses regardless of their majors.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
History is the analysis and interpretation of the human past that enables us to study continuity and change over time. We are able to understand the past and present thanks to countless historic documents and the different interpretations of the past incidents allow us to see the present differently and therefore imagine and work towards a more promising future.
.
First, college students should take history courses because they provide a terrain for intellectual contemplation. These courses will enable these young adults to develop critical thinking skills to look beyond the headlines, ask proper questions, and to express their own opinions with conviction. Everyone agrees that a course in history teaches us how to think and process information better. This is because by studying history, we get to understand the immense complexity of our world and these insights would help us cope with the problems and possibilities of the present and future. It helps us understand the origins of many current political and social problems; , a lack of historical knowledge prevents us from truly understanding the world we live in.
Next, college students should take history courses because they provide a sense of national identity and how the world we live in came to be. Many major aspects of a society's operation, such as mass elections, religious activities and military alliances serve as our most vital evidence in the unavoidable quest to figure out why our complex species behaves as it does in societal settings. History is also the only subject that offers extensive evidential base for the contemplation and analysis of how societies function.
Finally, college students need to take history courses because they are a bridge to other academic disciplines. In order to understand the other humanities and the sciences one needs an historical overview. Writers, artists, scientists, politicians and everyday people all are conditioned by the historical milieu in which they lived. Historical knowledge is a prerequisite for understanding the world in which we live. History is, in fact, is the "teacher of life." as it prepares us to live more humanely in

the following essay

This is why I think all university students should

take history courses regardless of their majors and I will elaborate on this view in

also

thus

the present and to meet the challenges of the future because it provides us with understanding of the human condition.
As has been clearly argued, it is vital for college students to take history courses because they fulfill our desire to know and understand ourselves and our ancestors. These courses will also stimulate students’ imagination and creativity and train them to read intelligently, think critically, and write effectively.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
People should only watch movies that can teach them something about real life. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
There are plenty of movies that teach viewers about life and other lessons, but at the same time, there are even more movies with no message at all. This is not a negative thing, however, because movies serve many different purposes and were made for many different reasons. That said, I will outline below how I disagree that one should only watch movies that teach you something about real life.
First, movies in general are made for entertainment purposes and so their primary goal is to entertain – whether or not there is a lesson contained within the entertainment is secondary. For example, comedy movies make us laugh, horror flicks make us scared and action movies make us excited – and that’s all we ask of a movie when we watch it. Many of us watch movies because we want to relax and have a good time; this is why some people shun serious movies altogether. If we wanted to learn something about real life, we would read a book or watch a documentary – a type of movie whose primary goal is to reveal the facts and educate.
Second, even if a movie was not made to teach the viewer something directly, there are still sometimes lessons to be found. For example, I am a big fan of science fiction movies, and these movies never fail to inspire me to think big, to think about the future and to think about what could be possible in our world. Who knows? Maybe a science fiction movie will inspire some of the greatest technological breakthroughs in our world today. Many of us see movies as a form of entertainment, not necessary a form of edutainment, so a good laugh is all we need.

Finally

, many people today still believe that movies should educate and inform,

while I have to agree that some films do the job by showing us what the real world

is like, but there are many more films that deal with other subject matters. Some

movies are meant to convey a sense of artistic aesthetics, so the directors tend to

focus on visual sensations.

For example

, I once watched a Japanese movie and it was

all about colors, patterns and visual stimulation. There are also movies that are all

about personal expressions and the directors don't even bother with story lines and

meaningful dialogues. There are endless possibilities out there for movie makers to

explore and I think it's fair to say that movies can be a form of artistic expression;

they don't have to teach us anything in real life and would still resonate with their

audiences.

As I hopefully have demonstrated, it is not necessary to only watch movies that teach us something about real life. Movies can be fun and entertaining, which doesn’t necessarily include learning. But most of all, even a movie that is not ostensibly trying to pass on a lesson can still be worth watching because most of the time, viewers just want to be entertained, not enlightened.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
A government should focus its budget more on environmental protection than on economic development.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
In the past, countries have developed their economies rapidly while at the same time neglecting the environment; and for the sake of money, governments turned a blind eye to the destruction and pollution. This essay, then, will argue why a modern government should focus its budget more on environmental protection than on economic development.
First, in this day and age, a focus on environmental protection is, in fact, good economic policy as this will attract modern and cutting-edge companies to your country. Companies that produce green or renewable energy such as solar, winds and hydrogen are popping up all over the globe and are looking for friendly countries where they can invest their money, build their infrastructure and train their workforces. Obviously, a country whose government spends money on environmental protection would attract such a company; such a government might offer incentives or tax breaks to companies that are able to help the environment. This win-win situation would continue a virtuous cycle of greater environmental responsibility and of greater economic growth.

The second reason why governments should support environmental protection over economic development is that without specific government support for environmental protection, the private sector would not pick up the slack. Basically, businesses exist to make money and to make money as fast as possible. Because of this, they are not focused on the long-term and would do anything today to make a quick buck, including harming the environment.
Without the government regulating and focusing on environmental protection, there is no other
entity that would be able to stop rich, big businesses from trampling all over the rights of the Earth and its creatures.
when economic growth and environmental protection are in conflict, the government should always protection the environment and its sustainable development, this is because my country Taiwan had once treaded a hard road
Kaohsiung, the largest city in southern Taiwan, could not offer running water to its residents a few
decades ago because the upstream area was polluted by hog farms. The farmers made just NT$1,000 in profit when selling a hog, but the government ended up spending NT$1,700 per hog to clean up the waste. Simple math tells us that in order to pursuit economic development, our country had lost NT$700 by exporting one single hog to Japan, in addition to polluting our own environment.
As has been clearly argued, it is vital for a government to concern itself with the well-being of the environment, rather than concerning itself too much with economic development. After all, business will always find a way to make economic gains, but the environment doesn’t stand a chance on its own.
2016 年 1 月 23 日托福寫作獨立題真題
Some people believe that video games could inspire young students' interest and make them study more efficiently rather than distracting them, so young students should be allowed to play video games.
Many parents with young children fret about the addictiveness of computer games these days. While the negative effects ranging from addiction, increased aggression

Fossil fuels draw on finite resources

that will eventually dwindle, becoming too expensive or too environmentally

damaging to retrieve. In contrast, the many types of renewable energy resources

mentioned above are constantly replenished and will never run out.

Finally,

that is not worth repeating

一段不堪回首且不值得再犯的坎坷路.

and various health consequences such as strain injuries get far more media coverage than the positives, there is now a wealth of research which shows that video games can actually be put into educational use and affect the brain's development; therefore, I believe that young students should be allowed to play video games.
Firstly, games that are designed to help teach and "brain training" have long and enormous popular appeal and they can help students learn better. According to an experiment conducted by the University of California, game players show improved performance in perception, attention and cognition. In fact, while playing game, our brain is in the learning mode constantly, in order to move to the next level, we are vigorously improving our hand-eye coordination, enhancing split-second decision making and boosting auditory perception. Moreover, other carefully-designed studies have shown that video games improve several aspects of brain activity, including multitasking. Young students will benefit greatly from video games if adult allow them to have access to these useful practices on a daily basis.
Secondly, games that convey positive social messages never fail to boost the children's confidence, and this will encourage cooperation and teamwork. Games help children feel a sense of achievement, through those puzzles, explorations and discoveries, players learn to succeed in ways that our brains actually prefer. Most games are designed to introduce a new concept and then provide players with an opportunity to master it. Children are then free to explore and utilize and achieve success with this new skill, growing in confidence all the while. Besides, many games today emphasize the cooperative aspects of game play, in which two or more players need to work together to reach a common goal. Taking a game called "World of Warcraft" as an example, children as young as 10 years old are learning to delegate responsibility, promote teamwork and steer groups of people toward a common goal. As video games themselves are not created by just one person, it is essential for the game players to pool everyone's talents together in order to require the desired product.
Finally, digital media such as computer games could inspire young children's interest, grow their intelligence and offer them a chance to escape from the mounting academic stress, as long as coupled with strong parental and teacher involvement. This is why instead of banning video games, parents and teachers should provide guidance and even play with children. As long as kids don’t get addicted to playing video games or are left playing them without any supervision, I believe video games can do children more good than harm.

From all the discussions mentioned above, we may safely draw the conclusion that today's young students should be allowed to play computer games for the tremendous benefits they bring.
2016 年 1 月 9 日托福寫作獨立題真題
Some people think it is the best approach for students to learn if schools start the day at an early time in the morning. But someone think the school should start the day at late time. Which one do you prefer? Use specific reasons and detailed examples to support your answer.
Many schools are planning to postpone the first class in the morning for less lateness and better educating quality. However, the schedule of late classes will cultivate students’ indolence, and pose many other negative effects. As a result, starting class late would not effectively reduce the rate of lateness and cannot secure the educating efficacy.
Firstly, early morning classes will force the students to keep a disciplined life style. In order to attend their first class, students have to get up early in the morning. This habit brings many benefits. For example, young people will live a much healthier life. Keeping the schedule in mind, they would no longer dally at night before sleep, and save their time in the morning. Then, they can have a good rest in the evening and stay energetic during the day. In addition, they could also shape many of their excellent characteristics, like self-discipline or persistence. Leaving the cozy bed requires a powerful willpower when we start a new day, and doing this every day asks for a strong self-control. Both of these virtues are keys to success. And one of the well-known, Kobe Bryant, is a beneficiary of starting his day early in the morning. He once gave his secret to become the MVP in the basketball playground. It was his getting up early in the 4 AM that contributes him. In conclusion, both physical and psychological benefits can be gained by the disciplined life style led by the early classes.
Moreover, an early start in the morning also leaves more extracurricular time for students after school. More spare time after class enables students to conduct other activities, such as learning a music instrument, painting or playing sports after class. Those extracurricular activities help students to hone their interpersonal skills and stay healthy at the same time. Obviously, an early start means that there will be more time to work on projects and even rest a little during the day.

Finally, some might argue that kids need more sleep and starting classes late, to a degree, may lower the absence rate and enhance learning efficiency. This might sound like a convincing proposal, but in reality, starting classes late will only result in procrastination and less time for sleep. This is because most students tend to stay up late if they know that they do not need to get up early. Staying up late at night would in turn make students get up later; thus, a vicious circle starts and once this becomes a habit, it would be very difficult for kids to switch back to an early morning schedule again.
In summary, starting the day early would bring many more benefits to students because they will get more things done, feel more energized and will have time for other activities after school.
Some people think governments should spend as much money as possible exploring outer space. Other people disagree and think governments should spend this money for our basic needs on Earth. Which of these two opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Like most people on this planet, I have a great desire to learn about the wonders of the world in which we live, but I also have a deep respect for human life. This is why I believe that the well-being of Earth and humans is far more important than space exploration. Many of us are aware of the money that has been spent on space research and these billions of dollars have achieved extraordinarily little except for a bit of improved technology which would probably have come about anyway by other means. I think governments should pull the plug on space travel and spend this money on more urgent needs on Earth.
To begin with,
We are certainly facing serious problems here on Earth, and they are getting worse as we simply watch them. These problems include global
warming, the disappearance of the rainforest, the pollution of the oceans, and increased desertification of an area about the size of England every year. These are the general crises that well deserve any governments’ attention and without ample funds, it would be hard to tackle these problems. I have for some time considered space exploration a huge waste of money that could be much better applied to the management of our own planet, and the way to do that is not to go charging off into Space.

the needs of humanity should always come first, and since space

exploration offers no direct benefit, governments should finish their priorities

before starting new ones.

Next,
The way I sees it, the money wasted on failed missions could well be spent on working out how to manage Earth’s climatic problems and
other useful scientific research right on our own planet. Those who support space exploration believe that this kind of investment if necessary for scientific progress and that the information we gain have value beyond the measurement of cost, but I beg to differ. Like many scientists who are against space exploration, I also think we ought to question whether space exploration is really about the accumulation of knowledge. The strongest opposition to the Apollo missions came from Nobel scientists because their research budgets were cut to fund these missions.
Last but not least,
. Simply funding the space program costs a lot of money and continuing the program has not shown to be
cost effective to many. This is especially true given the dire situation that the world economy is currently in. Spending so much money on space exploration is not seen as the best use of public funds. When NASA celebrated its 30th anniversary it announced that the total cost of running the space program has reached over $195 billion dollars. This is an astronomical amount of money, money that could be used to research our own planet. With budget cuts and governments around the world in deep debt, it is hard to imagine how much more exploration we can actually accomplish without the financial means to do so.
It is clear to see that the money spent on space exploration and its subsequent research is ridiculously immense. If this money was used to help an underdeveloped country, it could have made a big difference as it will bring a better way of life to millions of people.
? The cold war is over. The political one-upmanship that NASA was founded upon is a
thing of the past. It is time to recognize that mankind has higher priorities than planting flags on other planets.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Students should take at least a year off to work or travel after high school before they go to study at a university.

I am against space exploration because we often lose the money and

resources that we send into space. Just look at all the failed missions to Mars dates

back 40 years and this includes the Mars Polar Lander and the Mars Climate Orbiter

which cost millions of dollars.

it should also be noted that one of the biggest issues associated

with space exploration is the enormous cost of space programs

Rather than gambling on the stars, why not inspire our children

by investing in ourselves, by committing to the belief that human life on Earth is

sustainable, by devoting new resources to overcome the problems that we face

Use reasons and specific details to explain your choice.
Most of us ride a non-stop conveyor belt of education starting from age 5 to age 22. Until we graduate from college or graduate school, we are expected to faithfully show up each semester with our books in hand. Very few of us have ever thought of challenging this system and I think we need to step back and really think about the purpose of our education and our goals in life as a whole. With this thought in mind, I agree with the above statement and propose that high school graduates should allow themselves at least a gap year to explore the world and test themselves. I will explain why this is important in the following essay.
At first glance, a gap year might seem like a bad idea because it creates a “disconnect” with our academic pursuits, but for those who have done it, most agree that a gap year will help us gain greater focus. It true that gap years used to be the privilege of the rich; a high school graduate could wander around a foreign country while living off his trust fund. But times have changed and with enough self-discipline and careful planning, a gap year will better prepare us for college. It’s easy to waste a lot of time in college, getting caught up in the partying or forever trying to figure out what we want to do with our future. The way I see it, it’s foolish to spend our college years figuring it out on a $ 20,000 tuition bill. A gap year will give us the experience where we get to know ourselves better. We will learn to be more self-reliant during the process and we will come back to college a year later with a clearer focus. A gap year not only gives us some much needed direction, it will also save us money and time in the long run.
Second, I believe that a gap year will help us mature and make us mentally stronger. The options for our gap year experience are endless, and in my opinion, this is a great opportunity for us to explore life’s many facets and learn to man up. It’s true that even when we go off to college, our parents are just a short drive or a phone call away, so whenever we have a dilemma, we can call them up and ask mom and dad to come to the rescue. But a gap year will push us far from our comfort zones and by forcing ourselves to make decisions entirely on our own, we get to truly face all the challenges and be independent of our parents.
a gap year allows us to explore our potential strengths and the experience will help build our resumes. , if a person has always wanted to be an educator, then he or she might become a volunteer in a school or educational institution might be a great choice. Or if a person has always been fascinated by art

Finally,

For example

and wanted to study art in Paris, he or she could travel to that country and stay there for a while. Living in a foreign country for a year also gives us the time to beef up or learn a new language and the work experiences can be included on our resumes. During the recession, it’s always wise to duck out for a year, gain some marketable skills and return to school with an already expanded resume to an improved economy.
Clearly, a gap year can very well be one of the most rewarding breaks in a person’s lifetime. Everyone deserves a meaningful break from life and a gap year provides us the chance to recharge our batteries and explore our interests. Traveling and working for a while will help high school graduates to put things into perspective and this will allow them to perform better in college and be more involved in school activities.

Some people believe that educating children altogether will benefit them. Others

think intelligent children should be taught separately and given special courses.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Ability grouping is one of the most hotly debated issues in educational circles, and

countless researches and surveys have been done to evaluate the effects. Some

claim that all children do not learn in the same way and at the same pace; therefore,

instruction must be modified for students who are capable of learning the material

more quickly. Others, however, think that it’s wrong to teach smart children

separately, because this method does more harm than good. In the following essay, I

will discuss both views and explain why I think it’s a bad idea to group young

students according to their abilities.

We should first examine the implications in the classroom

and research shows that over the span of a school year students in ability groups

. Traditionally, elementary

teachers in the U.S have placed students in groups for reading and math instruction,

achieve more than students who have not been grouped thanks to modified

instruction. At the same time, there is little research evidence to support negative

effects to students' self-esteem. Ability grouping seems like a sound plan.

But

a

closer examination reveals that this is hardly the case. More recent studies have

shown that ability grouping does not take students’ socio economic backgrounds into

consideration. Ability grouping is unfair because most of the time, schools don’t take

into account young people’s prior experiences, family backgrounds and opportunities

to learn. Research indicates that schools often do very little to compensate such

differences, this clearly suggests that ability grouping itself creates disparities and

forms an unhealthy sense of hierarchy or “pecking order” among students in the

classroom and this will have a lasting negative effect.

Next, ability grouping is wrong because it creates limitations, rather than

opportunities for those who are considered “less bright.”

It is probably true that

most teachers do not set out to do their students harm when they teach different

groups of students, but the truth is, they do treat students differently according to

their different aptitudes. A recent focus on literacy and numeracy standards in the

U.S has revealed that the greater emphasis on ability grouping, the more narrowing

the curriculum is, and these restrictions do limit the opportunities for students to

shine in other areas. If the purpose of education is about creating the conditions for

all students to learn and grow, ability grouping itself is defeating this purpose.

Finally, I am strongly against the idea of ability grouping because this method leads

to a destruction of dignity so massive and persuasive that few subsequently

recover from it.

Ability labeling inevitably strips young people of their sense of

worthiness and competency. And the immoral thing about this is that many students

go through school accepting what happens to them without complaint. And in just a

few years’ time, very subtly and gradually, a polarizing effect will indeed occur. Those

who belong to the smarter group will excel while the ones deemed to be less bright

at a very young age will never regain their confidence. The acceptance of ability

grouping also makes teachers believe they cannot effectively teach students of

different abilities together and this leads to differentiation of programs for different

levels of ability instead of assisting all students dig as deeply as they can into

common experiences.

Ability grouping is clearly inappropriate even though it has been supported by

many education specialists for decades.

Grouping students as a class by ability

doesn't improve their academic achievement and the criteria used to group kids are

based on subjective perceptions and fairly narrow views of intelligence. So before

schools and educators can come up with a far more equitable, objective and creative

education system where all students can have their gifts and talents recognized and

amplified, we should stop ability grouping.

It is said that the best way to solve the world’s environmental problems is to increase the price of fuel. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
The world as we know it is at an energy crossroad.

supply. Meanwhile, fossil fuel use continues to impose massive environmental and

Over the past decades, we have

been overly dependent on fossil fuels at a time of growing demand and dwindling

economic threats. Some suggest that the best way to solve the world’s

environmental problems is to increase the price of fuel,

but I beg to differ.

Whoever

thinks this will work is oversimplifying the problem. A mere increase in fuel price

won’t solve the problem and in the following essay, I’ll elaborate on three

arguments to support my view.

To begin with,

an increase in the price of fuel is a passive way to handle this

environmental problem and this alone will create more social chaos; therefore, the

best way to tackle this is to develop clean and renewable energy.

I

n fact,

policymakers around the world have been taking small steps toward a clean energy

future, adopting policies to encourage energy efficiency, ramp up the use of solar and

wind power, and curb global warming pollution. In the United States, for example, a

national cap on global warming pollution is underway and more ambitious plans for

renewable energy have also been implanted.

Next,
. We are all aware that most of the world's oil reserves are concentrated in the Middle East, and
about 73% are controlled by Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members. Oil price shocks and price manipulation by OPEC have cost our economy dearly, for trillions of dollars have gone into importing oil. This is why technical progress will yield better results than simply raising fuel prices. A good
develop advanced vehicle technologies that use energy more efficiently. governments and private sectors around the world should
work together to create newer and better energy sources that can replace petroleum cleanly and more cost effectively.
Finally,
; things like offering competitive public transportation rates so as to discourage people from driving, building or expanding bike routes so that

I think the most effective way to reduce our dependence on oil and its

damage to the environment is to invest more in new technologies

example would be to

Moreover,

since most people respond better to incentives rather than punitive

measures, governments and schools should implement plans that will encourage

people to use less fuel

people will be more willing to bike around the city. Other incentives include special community programs and workshops to promote environmental awareness, the media bear a moral obligation to cover more environmentally -related stories to boost people’s awareness. The Internet and social websites work magic and I believe with a little more creativity and collective effort, we will see concrete results.

In sum, we cannot afford to wait to break our dependence on fossil fuels as the cost

of this to our economy and our environment will continue to mount in the years to

come unless nations around the world take bold steps now to embrace innovative

approaches to tackle the environmental issue before it’s too late.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

People should dress certain types of clothes to work and school

Some people might argue that the dress code is not really necessary, and that people should have the freedom to wear what they want to wear, but I can hardly agree with this statement. In my opinion, the way we dress carries certain messages to those who meet us, and there should to be rules with the dress code. I will elaborate on the following three examples to illustrate my point.

, I would like to stress the importance of professional basics. Without a doubt, professional behavior for a lawyer or a medical personnel, , is likely different from that of a retail store manager or factory plant worker; , the standard of professionalism remains constant in that each of these workers is generally expected to exhibit traits and behaviors up to a certain standard of excellence for someone in his position. Even though a dress code for professionalism varies somewhat by industry, the correlation between the two is generally strong. Some companies with more creative work environments allow employees to dress freely or casually for comfort; however, companies in which employees routinely

To begin with

for instance

therefore

interact with prospects, clients and business partners typically need a dress code to

Next

therefore

creates a positive impression.

The same rule can be applied to

Even though some might argue that

maintain a professional image.
, we form our first impressions and overall judgments about people by the way they dress; , it is important to maintain a standard of dress that
students who wear uniforms to school. uniforms lack individuality
and creativity, they are, after all, an essential part of a functional learning

environment. uniforms cut down on violence and help students focus on their school work more. Uniforms will even reduce peer pressure and bullying about economic social standing because students all have to wear the same thing.

The way I see it,

Finally

people should dress certain types of clothes to work and school

because inappropriate outfits can be a source of distraction and they affect our

learning and work efficiency. It’s also true that not many people are fashion savvy;

therefore

, these people will be better off if they could just wear something

mandatory to work or to school. The

, I think
U.S. law strongly supports the rights of an employer to establish a dress code that aligns with their business activities and this
clearly indicates that while individuals have a right to express themselves, so do businesses, and the way their employees dress definitely sends intended or unintended messages to their markets.

In sum

, with a clear dress code, most of us avoid making inappropriate choices in

dress that could cause a safety problem, a human resources issue, or even a PR

disaster. Making sure everyone in the workplace is dressed to the standards of a

dress code not only creates a general atmosphere of professionalism, it can also

create the kind of visual uniformity that helps subtly promotes the impression of

teamwork and professionalism that both workers and students will greatly benefit

from.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

Modern agriculture methods damage the environment, but providing food for

growing population around the world is more important than protecting the

environment.

Since modern technological methods have been pervasively adopted in agriculture,

the productivity of growing and producing food has increased dramatically. While

such technological advancement has created great value to humanity, it has resulted

in new challenges to the environment. Regarding this issue, some people argue that

environmental protection is of less importance compared with agricultural

development because we need to meet the growing demand for food, however, I beg

to differ. I think environmental protection should always come first because if we

preserve our land, we will also be securing our farming prospects in the future.

To begin with

, it is neither reasonable nor realistic to consider agriculture and the

environment as two separated and isolated issues. While traditional agricultural

practices have effects on the environment, the environment also imposes great

impact on agricultural outcome in return.

That is to say

that uncontrolled damage to

the environment will lead to catastrophic results and the consequences will in turn

affect agriculture. Research has shown how water, soil pollution and bad weather

have destroyed regional agriculture. In fact, planting and breeding crops can be

sensitive to the environment that their productivity will show an immediate drop

when the environment is being seriously damaged.

Next

, agricultural development and environmental protection are not necessarily in

conflict with each other.

Admittedly

, some traditional agricultural methods that are

being used in practice now fail to protect the environment, as some farmers only

focus on their short-term gains.

However

, with the ever-increasing consciousness

and attention to environmental protection, harmful farming methods will eventually

be replaced with environmentally friendly techniques.

For example

, more and more

farmers in my country are now making their own organic pesticides to tackle pest

problems, and some don’t even use pesticides at all. Most have realized that in order

to have lasting positive effects, they need to be patient and have long-term plans.

This means that it might take several years for these farmers to see results but it will

be worth it.

Finally

, as I have mentioned earlier, many changes observed in the environment are

long term, occurring slowly over time, that’s why organic agriculture has been widely

practiced now because it offers many benefits to the environment.

For example

organic agriculture considers the medium- and long-term effect of agricultural

interventions on the agro-ecosystem and aims to produce food while establishing an

ecological balance to prevent soil fertility or pest problems. This kind of method

takes a proactive approach as opposed to traditional faming technique, which is

treating the problems after they emerge.

,

It is clear that

with modern technologies, effective agriculture does not need to take

place at the expense of the environment. Governments around the world should

promote organic farming because by opting for this methods, we will be able grow

and produce crops while reduce natural resource degradation. It is not an easy route,

because we will need to invest in time and money, but I believe this is the only way

to ensure our environment’s sustainability over the long term.

Which way do you think is the best for a student to make new friends a. joining a sports team
b. participate in community activities
c. traveling
It is probably true that we have hundreds or even thousands of acquaintances, but not all of them can be considered to be our friends. With or without our full awareness, friends must share a great portion of our character, our beliefs and our interests. An activity that can help you make new friends surely enables you to

form a better understanding of other people and vice versa. Thus, joining a sports team would be my first choice.
To begin with, certain type of sport attracts people with certain character. Therefore your chance of meeting a potential friend while doing it is high.
, people who love snooker are normally calm and steady; people who find themselves passionate for fishing must enjoy the long waiting before the thrilling bite; and rock-climbers are usually strong both physically and psychologically. If you like this type of sport, you might like the person who shares the same interest as well.
In addition, sports provide us a goal to fight for; hence they provide a precious experience for the participants, which is essential for long-lasting friendship. I used to be on the basketball team of our high school and I played as the guard. Although it was almost five years ago, I can still remember all the thrills and the tears after each game. And although our team members went to different universities, we still keep in touch with each other and hang out together from time to time. Every time we get reunited, these important memories always give us the feeling that we have
never been apart.
Furthermore, sports can help reveal one’s true self. Friendship innately embodies a profound understanding that each friend has for the other. Undeniably, we more

instance

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or less put on some make-up on our personality, for we all want other people to like us. But those moments under high pressure or choices involving loss and gain will inevitably reveal who we really are and what we truly believe in. And such moments or choices are never rare in sports. Would you cheat to win a game or rather lose with dignity? These crucial moments always reveal a person’s true nature.
, joining a sports team may never fail our expectation to make some new friends. It brings people together and helps us get to know a person better. This is

why I believe that the best way for a student to make new friends is to join a sports team.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: The most important investment for a big company is to improve the efficiency and proficiency of its employees.
There are a lot of things that companies can do to make their businesses more successful. One of the easiest ways for a company to generate a lot more business and profit is to invest in the training of their employees in matters of efficiency and proficiency.
First, an employee that is better trained produces better results. Of course, a boss will hire a person with skills, but additional company training creates more competent and more reliable employees. For example, I know that when computers were first introduced into my father’s company, many employees did not know how to use them. The documents produced using the new computers were error-filled and unusable. So my father’s company paid for their IT people to come and train the employees. The IT training was expensive, but by the end of the year, the employees had become masters of these computers and were working twice as fast.
Another policy my father’s company introduced when they brought in new computers was to create a system that demanded more efficiency. With the new computers, workers got more done in less time. They were also given an additional incentive for finishing work ahead of the deadline. They even turned it into a competition. Each month, the employee with the most accomplished performance would receive a free dinner. By encouraging its employees to work faster, the company saved money and resources.
Finally, the way I see it, the more competent and better trained a company’s employees are, the less likely they will make errors in their work. A company that does not have well trained employees has to rely on the department managers for quality control. If a company trains employees better, then the department manager does not have to spend as much time correcting the mistakes of his employees. This gives the manager more time to focus on other projects. Google gives its managers, and even its employees, time to focus on their own projects. This freedom has led to

technological innovations that generate millions of dollars in profit for Google each year.
Clearly, by spending a little money on training and organizing its employees, a company can benefit greatly from the end results. The more successful a company, the more benefits a company can give its employees. As a result, employees work harder for the company and help the company become even more successful.
A/D?
Camping is the ideal way of spending a holiday.
There was a time when camping was considered to be a poor way of spending a holiday; it was okay for boy scouts and hard-up students, but hardly the thing for sophisticated, comfort-loving adults. But thanks to modern technology, people nowadays have at last discovered that if you go camping, it no longer means that you will be bitten to death by mosquitoes; have to drink brackish coffee; live on corned beef; suffocate or freeze in a sleeping-bag. This is why I think camping is now an ideal way of spending a holiday because it has become the great pursuit of motorists the world over.
First of all, if you have been to a camping equipment shop these days, you’ll know that all the discomforts associated with the outdoor have been miraculously whisked away. For a modest outlay, you can have an elaborate affair which resembles a portable bungalow, complete with three bedrooms, a living-room, a kitchen and a porch. The portable furniture is light and comfortable; the gas stove brews excellent coffee or grills a tender steak; the refrigerator keeps the beer and ice-cream cold; and as for a good night’s rest, well, you literally sleep on air. What more could you want? No wonder the great rush is on because this activity has so much to offer.
Secondly, I am all for this great activity because you get to enjoy absolute freedom. You have none of the headaches of advance hotel booking or driving round and round a city at midnight looking for a room. There are no cold hotel breakfasts, no surely staff to tip. For a ludicrously small sum, you can enjoy comforts which few hotels could provide. Modern camping sites are well equipped with hot and cold running water and even shops and dance floors! Low-cost holidays make camping an attractive proposition. But above all, you enjoy tremendous mobility. If you don’t

like a place, or if it is too crowded, you can simply get up and go. Conversely, you can stay as long as you like. You’re the boss.
And finally, there’s the sheer fun of it—especially if you have a family. Moping around a stuffy hotel room wondering what they are going to give you for dinner is a tedious business. By comparison, it’s so exciting to arrive at a camp site, put up your tent and start getting a meal ready. You are active all the time and you are always close to nature. Imagine yourself beside some clear stream with mountains in the background. Night is falling, everything is peaceful - except for the delightful sound of chops sizzling in the pan!
Clearly, camping provides you with a real change for everyday living. You get up earlier, go to bed earlier, develop a hearty appetite. You have enormous opportunity to meet people of various nationalities and to share your pleasures with them. People are so friendly when they are relaxed. How remote the strained world of hotels seems when you are camping! For a few precious weeks in the year, one can really adopt a completely different way of life. And that’s the essence of true recreation and real enjoyment.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Teachers had a greater influence on young people in the past than they do today.
Teachers play an important role in a student’s life. They serve as role models and mentors to students. The role of a teacher in students’ lives has not changed much. Monday through Friday, students still go to school and spend a large amount of time interacting with their teachers. Teachers today, as in the past, continue to make a significant impact on students’ lives, this is why I disagree with the statement above.
First, the role of a teacher has gone largely unchanged for at least the past 60 years. Maybe a few classroom procedures have been altered and textbooks have of course been updated, but in general school schedules and the basic classes offered have not drastically changed. If schooling systems had adopted a radically different approach to education, I would say that I teachers’ roles might be different. This has not happened, and therefore I think the amount of influence a teacher has on a student has not altered much.

Next, some might argue that technology has created a disconnection between teachers and students, but I think technology has only made the connection stronger. Technology has helped improve teachers’ lessons and enables teachers to reach out to students even more. Using technological tools like SmartBoards help make teachers’ lessons more effective, possibly making more students interested in school. Email is also something that helps teachers develop a stronger relationship with their students. If a student has a problem, they can easily communicate with their teachers. Technology has probably increased the influence of teachers.
Finally, the role of a teacher is to help guide his or her students. Teaching comes with many responsibilities, not just the responsibility of teaching lessons. Next to their parents, teachers probably play the largest role in influencing students’ future. I still remember my seventh grade history teacher. She is the one who inspired me to study history in college. Her lessons literally brought history to life. There may be some teachers who just stuff their students’ heads with boring facts, but there will always be those teachers who are able to inspire a deep thirst for knowledge in their students. These special teachers will always be around. They are a constant.
Clearly, to say that teachers had greater influence on their students in the past is false. The general system of education has not changed drastically enough to change the role of the teacher significantly. In addition technology has probably helped teachers make a larger impact on their students. The call for a teacher to be a role model and mentor has also not changed. Teachers will always play an influential role in their students’ lives.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students are more interested in politics today than before.
Students have always been an active demographic in the arena of politics. Students have a tendency to be more idealistic and therefore have always participated in the most current political issues. While this has always been the case, the turn of the century has marked a significant change in the role that students play in politics. Based on my observation, I have to say that I agree with the above statement and think that more students are concerned with politics today than previous generations.

To begin with, I think our generation of students is more interested in politics because as children we saw how world politics could affect our lives. We all remember the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and we all witnessed how it changed America and world politics. We grew up understanding that what happens in our country and in other countries’ politics has consequences. The growth of the Internet has also made our generation of students keenly aware that the world is interconnected. More so than any generation before use, we are aware that local politics have a global audience.
Next, a sign of how much more invested our generation is in politics is the various student lead movements that have swept the nation. The first was the Obama campaign of the 2008 presidential elections. This was one of the first elections in which the college-age vote had a huge impact on the outcome of the elections. The Occupy Wall St. Movement is another example. A student was seen leading the political protest against the corruption of Wall St. and the corporations that were responsible for the economic crisis. The Occupy Movement has also taken on other causes and students around the world have started to occupy in cities. These mass political movements are student lead and are a sign of just how politically conscious students are today. In my country, the students occupied the parliament to protest cross-strait government policies.
Admittedly, there have been other times in world history when students played a huge role in politics. In my country, Taiwan, college students occupied the parliament in a bid to prevent the passage of an agreement allowing for freer trade in services with China. They argued that the pact was negotiated in secret and the act would allow China to gain greater political control over the island. Nowadays, students across the globe not only address the issues of politics, but also try to get involved in more complex issues such as health care and the financial crisis. We are not just concerned about one facet of politics, but all facets of politics.
To sum up, not only have students been more actively involved in politics, students today are also more well-informed and concerned about politics than any previous generation of students. We understand the global impact of certain policies and we understand that what we do in light of the policies do make a difference. 

TOEFL Independent Writing Samples (for pocket listening)

TOEFL Independent Writing Samples
1.
People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation and increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
People attend college or university for many different reasons. I think the most important motivation for going to college is to gain more knowledge. No one can deny the fact that a high school diploma is not enough if one wishes to learn more about a particular field. College students with specific majors learn useful and marketable skills while they are attending school.
In addition to acquiring more knowledge, going to college is also a great way to find people of similar interests. The process of finding those who have a lot in common with us validates our self-worth and helps us understand our own strengths and weaknesses more. People get to find their paths in life through years of constant personal and academic exploration and the experience itself will be more than beneficial.

Another major reason why people choose to attend college is that a college degree is a great tool for finding decent jobs. As technology advances, we need to obtain more education and special training in order to be qualified for a lot of jobs, and such skills can only be obtained in an academic surrounding. Also, big enterprises tend to hire people with a college degree and it has become a must, not a plus, in the job market.
Yet another reason why people attend college is that they want to enhance their interpersonal skills. College life mirrors that of real society and students get a feel for what it’s like to be in the real world by socializing with faculty members and fellow classmates on a daily basis.
In sum, it’s been agreed that those who graduate from prestigious schools are more respected and accepted by society. We all want to be valued by the people around us, and attending college offers us the possibility of success while preparing us for what lies ahead.
2.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers in children's lives. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
When children are young, they rely on their parents to nourish and care for them. Parents teach children basic skills that are needed in the real world and these skills can be important to children’s development. I am of the opinion, however, that not all parents are suitable for rearing children, let alone being their best teachers. The following are my reasons to support this argument.
There are parents who are overly subjective and domineering. While either intentionally or unintentionally, they treat their children like their property, not individuals; as a result, they often try to force their own morals and expectations on their offspring. While a certain set of morals and attitudes may have been appropriate for the parents, children face societal changes that parents may be unable to adapt to, due to generational differences. For example, a parent may find a certain type of music inappropriate for their children to listen to, such as Jay-Z’s work. While the lyrics of his songs may include a lot of profanity, parents forget that when they were young, Elvis was considered inappropriate due to his gyrating hips.

When it comes to careers, some parents try to steer their children in a specific direction instead of letting them choose what they want to pursue.
Other parents are too protective of their children, and this often spoils them and may mislead or distort their values. For example, a parent may immediately blame other children if his or her child gets into a fight. The complete lack of objectivity makes it increasingly difficult for children to learn from their mistakes. If children never learn to face the consequences of their own actions, they will not be able to handle issues that occur in the real world. The idea that either mom or dad will come to the rescue will turn them into lazy and irresponsible adults.
Finally, we all agree that it is not
In conclusion, while parents play a significant role in the development of their children, some are not qualified as teachers. A parent's lack of objectivity will detrimentally affect a child's development if he or she is not held accountable for his or her actions. Parents may also push their morals and values on their children against their wishes or have personal issues that need to be dealt with. These problems can seriously hold back a child's overall development. A child needs to make choices in his or her own life and not merely follow the goals and dreams of his or her parents. Unfortunately, very few parents have the courage and wisdom to realize this.
3.
Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Through the ages, humans have undergone many changes, from a period when we hunted for our food to the present era when most people have steered away from fresh produce. Our eating habits have changed greatly in the past decades and especially since the modern person is often caught in a race against the clock;

in a child's best interests to remain in the custody of

a parent whose behavior puts the child in danger. We need to consider the nature

and frequency of any past instances of physical violence and drug or alcohol abuse as

these problems will negatively affect’s a child’s development. Adults with their

behavioral problems are often unfit parents and they are certainly not going to lead

their children by setting a good example.

easy-to-prepare meals have become the answer and have reshaped our lifestyles. In the following essay, I will elaborate more on how convenience and technology have changed the way we live for the worse.
First, the pressure to do more in less time has affected our eating habits; as a result, most of us no longer have time to cook. Early man's only objective was to seek food to sustain life. Nowadays, finding food has taken a back seat to other priorities, such as career and education. As food becomes easier to prepare, most people are becoming lazier and we tend to eat worse, not better. Frozen meals and fast foods have greatly replaced freshly prepared meals and no wonder many of us are overweight and malnourished.
Also, preparing meals is no longer of great importance for many people and this is not an encouraging trend. People are too dependent on processed or prepared food, which lacks the freshness and nutrition our bodies need. People have shifted from time-consuming but wholesome home cooking to high-calorie food like fries, pizza, and ice cream. Such foods are high in sodium and fat, but low in nutritional content. The frequent and over-consumption of said foods may cause obesity, fatigue and many other chronic illnesses. Convenience does not equal health or guarantee a better lifestyle. Frozen or fast foods indeed save us a lot of time, but at the expense of our health.
Finally, cooking is an art which is dying out. People once enjoyed cooking as a means of eliminating stress and tension. People were once able to relax during this time and reflect on their lives. Dinner used to be quality time when family got together and exchanged warm conversations – very different from today’s digging into a microwave dinner in front of the TV, alone.
Clearly, easy to prepare food can be fast and convenient, and it allows most people to allocate their time more efficiently, but is it really worth it? The notion of quick and convenient has made people lazier. In addition to our laziness, we have also lost many pleasures in our lives; like the simple act of selecting our evening meal, preparing a dish with love and care, and enjoying it with our loved ones. Many do not realize the importance of cooking until they’ve lost their health and the quality time they might have had with the people they love.
4.

It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
Books and experiences are the two main channels of knowledge. Books make our academic pursuits a reality as they provide valuable information and knowledge that we need, whereas pragmatic experiences serve as many people’s best teachers in life. In order to survive and succeed in this world, we need to draw inspiration from both channels and it’s fair to say that one can’t stand without the other. However, if I were to choose between knowledge from books and knowledge gained from experience, I have to say books are far more important than experience. Oftentimes, we do indeed find that books contain valuable life experiences.
We often hear thunder and see lightning in the sky, and we soon realize that lightning is seen sooner than thunder is heard. Based on our experience alone, we cannot figure out how nature works. We rely on studies, numbers and theories to help us understand things better, because life is filled with complexities and most can’t be resolved with just experience. Besides, books do an excellent job of providing us with succinct, organized ideas and information that help us to understand how the world works. Without books, such knowledge might otherwise be too confusing or difficult to grasp.
Some might argue that life’s most valuable lessons can’t be learned from books - things like swimming or cooking – and one needs to get his or her hands dirty in order to really do things well, but this is mostly limited to physical skill. One can survive by experience in the field of love or car mechanics. The same goes for driving a car or fixing a bike. On the other hand, sufficient math skills and an understanding of language are absolutely necessary if one is to thrive rather than just survive; one can’t do without books. Even though it’s easier and probably more natural to learn from experience, experience alone does not give us the edge we need to compete in today’s world.
Last but not least, modern technology can’t advance without the recording of all our knowledge. Books contain the much-needed information that nourishes our collective brains. The human civilization depends on books. Without them, we would still be cavemen who roamed the plains and the human race would stop evolving.

5.
A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.
I have been living in a peaceful and quiet town for about ten years. I have the most wonderful and friendly neighbors and our community is blessed with a scenic lake that many of us frequent on a daily basis. I love this place very much. A piece of bad news has shattered our quiet lives, however; we heard that a company will set up a new factory near our community. I was shocked and will never support this project.
I’m angry for obvious reasons. To begin, factories are the culprit of all kinds of pollution and very few factories are good at damage control once things get out of hand. Factories are noisy and their existence can be an eyesore. Most buildings are ugly and institutional. These uninspiring structures will ruin our beautiful landscape and scare off visitors. Most negative environmental impacts are irreversible and a factory will do more harm than good to our community; and once we let it in, there will be no turning back.
Secondly, factories will inevitably consume a lot of our natural resources, such as water and land, and this uneven distribution of precious natural resources can cause severe problems in the years to come. For example, machines need fuels to power them and it’s easy to imagine what our town is going to be like after this huge monster gets settled in.
Thirdly, factories bringing workers and people from the outside will disrupt the serenity of our quiet town. Some might argue that new factories can create more jobs and it’s good for the economy, but none of us in this town wants to work in a factory. We are also worried that outsiders might start clustering around the factory and use our resources or even threaten our town’s survival.
We are all aware that it takes time and effort to build and maintain a beautiful community, but it only take days to ruin it all. This is why I do not want this factory in my hometown and I want to resolve this matter by launching a protest!

6.
If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what would you change? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
If I could change one important thing about my hometown, it would be the problem of pollution; I will give several reasons to explain why I want to solve this particular problem.
The first and most important reason is that I want to restore my hometown to its former glory and make it a beautiful place like it once was. As an industrial city for more than 20 years, my hometown has made a great deal of contribution to the country's economic development and as a result, the once beautiful cityscape and its natural environment have been badly damaged. The forests have disappeared and the mountains have been flattened; the most awful thing is that the pollution problem has gotten a lot worse. Most people in my neighborhood now stay indoors and no one ventures out anymore.
Another reason why I want to change my hometown's air pollution situation is that a city needs a clean environment to sustain itself and attract future investors. At least nowadays, people have come to realize that eco-friendliness plays an important role in a city's future. For the past two decades, factories and workers have clustered and settled in our town, making this an ugly and noisy place. Many locals have been forced to move out of this city in pursuit of a better life.
Finally, by tackling the pollution problem, the whole community gets to work together and it will be good for the people who live in our town. Recently, some local residents have launched a city rejuvenation project and we’ve signed a manifesto. I hope we can raise enough money to restore this town. We will promote eco-tourism and turn the deserted factories into inns and shops. I know we still have a long way to go, but I’m confident that with the collaborative effort this goal will be achieved.
Clearly, an anti-pollution campaign will be a good chance to raise environmental awareness and the situation will be appropriate to educate our youth about the importance of sustainability. The effect can be more than positive and long-lasting. Communities will grow stronger with a common goal to strive for and turn a crisis into a great opportunity.

7.
How do movies or television influence people's behavior? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
Movies and television influence our behavior in many ways and the impacts may be more profound than we think. In the following essay, I will elaborate more on the detrimental effect of movies and television programs and provide solid evidence to show how our lives have been affected by this form of entertainment.
To begin with, I’m sure everyone will agree that movies and television programs have become a major source of recreation nowadays and it’s hard to deny its effect on us. Most people watch hours of television each day and some are even addicted to it. Big enterprises spend millions on television advertising and this proves that television and movie audiences are on the increase. Situational comedies, sensational news programs and music television have redefined our pop culture, making people celebrities and billionaires and at the same time. It’s true however, that television and movies have broadened our horizons and kept us in touch with the world. For those who are confined to their homes, television programs and movies can be a way to get in touch with the outside world, but sadly, in my opinion, television shows and movies have created more harm than good.
Aside from the ubiquitous violence and uncensored mature content that often stir up controversy, other problems have stemmed from television shows. Isolation and obesity have been two major concerns. Television programs and movies have turned many into couch potatoes, and this is happening all over the world. As a result of this television indulgence, people are exercising and socializing less. Hours in front of the television set takes away from quality family time and affects children’s academic performance.
Too much violence and crime on television also desensitizes people and makes us immune to cruelty. Young audiences start watching uncensored programs at a very early stage of their lives due to lack of supervision, and this usually has a malevolent effect on the way they behave. Our youngsters have often been criticized as selfish and less empathetic and it’s not hard to see what the culprit is. It’s also been agreed that most popular programs kill our patience and imagination. The more television and movies we watch, they less brain activity there is. We are likely to become less

imaginative and more into instant gratification. Instead of taking the time and effort to accomplish things, most people are now looking for quick fixes - a typical mentality that the television generation has. Society as a whole suffers because of this collective mental degeneration.
To sum up, I’m not suggesting that we should ban television programs and movies altogether. A healthy dose of entertainment can be good for us. Some television programs are indeed educational and inspirational. Unfortunately, quality shows are a rare commodity nowadays and most people are too lazy to exercise self-discipline or common sense. These reasons plus lax censorship laws can have disastrous effects on the way we think and behave. Before our government does anything to regulate our programs, we can only exercise our good judgment and try to limit the time and the types of programs we watch.
8.
Do you agree with the following statement? Television has destroyed communication among friends and family. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
When television was first introduced it was an appealing novelty that has since gained unprecedented popularity. While some argue that television encourages spirited conversation among friends and family members, others believe that television has done just the opposite. In my opinion, I think television has destroyed communication among friends and families by fostering isolation. In the following essay, I will use specific reasons and examples to support this view.
To begin with, television programs distract and disrupt conversations rather than bringing people together. This is because rather than spending quality time with families and friends, most people now prefer sitting in front of their television sets and silently watching their favorite shows. We all know how hard it is to carry on a conversation while watching television. People are discarding and ignoring potentially important conversations simply by focusing on the show rather than listening or talking to others.
Next, I believe television has not only destroyed communication among friends and family, it has also crushed relationships. Let’s picture a saleswoman, who has been yelled at by her boss for something entirely not her fault; she comes home and

wishes to talk about her feelings with her husband. The husband, however, is entirely engrossed in a football match, totally clueless about the situation as he ignores her. The two then start fighting because the wife thinks that her man cares more about whether the Denver Broncos have scored a touchdown than her own emotions. This lack of sensitivity and respect will lead to misunderstanding and may foster negative emotions and television is to be blamed for this.
Finally, as we get used to the number of hours we spend in front of our television sets, we are neglecting time that could have been spent talking with friends and networking. For example, an office worker may come home every night and watch television as a way to relax and unwind. Being a recent university graduate, he may be required to work long hours, always trying to please his boss in order to advance his career. However, as he spends more time watching television instead of developing social relationships with his friends and colleagues, he may lose the opportunity to network. Television nowadays is all about instant gratification. The more we watch television, the less patient we become. Lack of patience does not encourage good communication and it turns us into bad listeners, too.
In conclusion, while television's primary goal is to provide entertainment or perhaps to educate and enlighten, watching too much television causes problems. Viewers will be unable to focus on conversations that are taking place, and once we become addicted to watching television, we might not have the patience to develop actual relationships. People should remember that a real relationship involves two or more people who are willing to invest both time and effort. Television should not be in the picture.
9.
Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Different kinds of people have different tastes as to where to live. There are two basic choices for a place in which to live: in a small town or in a big city. While both have their own advantages, I would prefer to live in a big city. I base my preference on the fact that big cities are more convenient than small towns, and in big cities there are more chances to experience cultural events and go out for entertainment.
To begin with, living in a big city is much more convenient than living in a small town. People living in small towns often have difficulty getting from place to place because

of a lack of transportation. If travelers miss a scheduled bus or train, they may have to wait for a long time before they can catch the next one. However, big cities offer a variety of transportation choices; including buses, subways and taxis. A great variety of shopping choices are also available in big cities; such as department stores and outdoor markets. People living in urban areas can buy anything they need at any time of the day, but in rural areas the shopping choices are very limited and people usually have to go to other towns or cities in order to purchase particular items.
Another advantage of living in a big city is that people have more opportunity for cultural experiences than in a small town. In terms of cultural events and entertainment, they are often of better quality in big cities than in small towns. This is because there are more patrons, which means the performances have higher budgets to put on better shows. Big cities also provide a greater variety of events, from newly released movies to cultural festivals. Because of the abundance of entertainment venues, big cities have more events compared to small towns, which moreover have fewer places to hold events. Furthermore, it is easy to attend the cultural events in big cities due to the better modes of transportation.
Last but not least, big cities provide more intellectual stimulants and job opportunities for those who want more out of their lives. Big cities offer better resources and this includes better education and career prospects. My parents moved from the country side to the capital of the country just because they wanted me to go to a better high school. My own example is not a rare incident because many parents in my country move to big cities so that their kids can stay competitive in the future.
In conclusion, though there are certainly advantages to living in a small town, a big city does have its appeal. A big city is often very convenient in terms of transportation and shopping and it provides one with a greater variety of cultural and academic exposure. While it is nice to visit rural areas for fresh air and to get away from the crowds, I still favor life in a big city for all the reasons mentioned above.

10.
“When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.” Do you agree or disagree with the quotation? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.
I fully agree with the claim that there is no correlation between success and luck. Moreover, in my opinion, success often refers to one's ability to reach goals, which in turn leads to better incomes, great social status and a life well-lead. The reasons and examples listed below will strengthen this point of view.
First, what is the simplest and most lawful way to earn enough to consider ourselves successful people? I believe that everyone will agree that success has a lot to do with a good education and a superb job later on. Both receiving an education and pursuing a career presuppose one's readiness to discipline oneself and also to work hard, and success without hard work is simply not possible for the vast majority of people and luck often plays no part in this. Just watch all the super earners, famous athletes and eminent scholars in this world and it’s not difficult to see why success and fame belong to those who work hard.
Second, considering an education and a career as key factors of success, one will choose to pursue a degree from college or university. One wishing to be admitted to university will have to take several tests. It is doubtful that someone would be so lucky that knowing nothing, could pass all the tests with high scores all the time. A low score means failure and such a test-taker would not be admitted. This is why in order to be successful, one must work hard while preparing for all the tests in life. In my lifetime, I have never met a person who graduated from a good college without working hard, even super smart people need to push himself in order to succeed.
Third, it is near-impossible to have a decent career if one is indolent and lacking in knowledge. Luck plays no role in achieving this kind of success. Even if someone was unbelievably lucky enough to become a manager though not qualified, he would be forced to resign in no time because of his inability. For instance, I used to work for a very small company owned by a friend, which later went bankrupt. The causes of bankruptcy were the wrong strategies and decisions made by the owner. After this failure, he went to college and at the same time, worked for another company so that he could obtain both academic experience and professional expertise.

In sum, I want to stress again that luck itself does not lead to success. One might win the lottery and become rich, but being rich has nothing to do with success. People won’t respect those who strike it rich overnight, but they will look up to those who work hard and achieve their goals fair and square. Luck has no place in such a scheme of events and hard work is the only thing we can count in life. 

toefl template for writing (for pocket listening) 1

TOEFL Independent Writing Samples
1.
People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation and increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
People attend college or university for many different reasons. I think the most important motivation for going to college is to gain more knowledge. No one can deny the fact that a high school diploma is not enough if one wishes to learn more about a particular field. College students with specific majors learn useful and marketable skills while they are attending school.
In addition to acquiring more knowledge, going to college is also a great way to find people of similar interests. The process of finding those who have a lot in common with us validates our self-worth and helps us understand our own strengths and weaknesses more. People get to find their paths in life through years of constant personal and academic exploration and the experience itself will be more than beneficial.

Another major reason why people choose to attend college is that a college degree is a great tool for finding decent jobs. As technology advances, we need to obtain more education and special training in order to be qualified for a lot of jobs, and such skills can only be obtained in an academic surrounding. Also, big enterprises tend to hire people with a college degree and it has become a must, not a plus, in the job market.
Yet another reason why people attend college is that they want to enhance their interpersonal skills. College life mirrors that of real society and students get a feel for what it’s like to be in the real world by socializing with faculty members and fellow classmates on a daily basis.
In sum, it’s been agreed that those who graduate from prestigious schools are more respected and accepted by society. We all want to be valued by the people around us, and attending college offers us the possibility of success while preparing us for what lies ahead.
2.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers in children's lives. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
When children are young, they rely on their parents to nourish and care for them. Parents teach children basic skills that are needed in the real world and these skills can be important to children’s development. I am of the opinion, however, that not all parents are suitable for rearing children, let alone being their best teachers. The following are my reasons to support this argument.
There are parents who are overly subjective and domineering. While either intentionally or unintentionally, they treat their children like their property, not individuals; as a result, they often try to force their own morals and expectations on their offspring. While a certain set of morals and attitudes may have been appropriate for the parents, children face societal changes that parents may be unable to adapt to, due to generational differences. For example, a parent may find a certain type of music inappropriate for their children to listen to, such as Jay-Z’s work. While the lyrics of his songs may include a lot of profanity, parents forget that when they were young, Elvis was considered inappropriate due to his gyrating hips.

When it comes to careers, some parents try to steer their children in a specific direction instead of letting them choose what they want to pursue.
Other parents are too protective of their children, and this often spoils them and may mislead or distort their values. For example, a parent may immediately blame other children if his or her child gets into a fight. The complete lack of objectivity makes it increasingly difficult for children to learn from their mistakes. If children never learn to face the consequences of their own actions, they will not be able to handle issues that occur in the real world. The idea that either mom or dad will come to the rescue will turn them into lazy and irresponsible adults.
Finally, we all agree that it is not
In conclusion, while parents play a significant role in the development of their children, some are not qualified as teachers. A parent's lack of objectivity will detrimentally affect a child's development if he or she is not held accountable for his or her actions. Parents may also push their morals and values on their children against their wishes or have personal issues that need to be dealt with. These problems can seriously hold back a child's overall development. A child needs to make choices in his or her own life and not merely follow the goals and dreams of his or her parents. Unfortunately, very few parents have the courage and wisdom to realize this.
3.
Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Through the ages, humans have undergone many changes, from a period when we hunted for our food to the present era when most people have steered away from fresh produce. Our eating habits have changed greatly in the past decades and especially since the modern person is often caught in a race against the clock;

in a child's best interests to remain in the custody of

a parent whose behavior puts the child in danger. We need to consider the nature

and frequency of any past instances of physical violence and drug or alcohol abuse as

these problems will negatively affect’s a child’s development. Adults with their

behavioral problems are often unfit parents and they are certainly not going to lead

their children by setting a good example.

easy-to-prepare meals have become the answer and have reshaped our lifestyles. In the following essay, I will elaborate more on how convenience and technology have changed the way we live for the worse.
First, the pressure to do more in less time has affected our eating habits; as a result, most of us no longer have time to cook. Early man's only objective was to seek food to sustain life. Nowadays, finding food has taken a back seat to other priorities, such as career and education. As food becomes easier to prepare, most people are becoming lazier and we tend to eat worse, not better. Frozen meals and fast foods have greatly replaced freshly prepared meals and no wonder many of us are overweight and malnourished.
Also, preparing meals is no longer of great importance for many people and this is not an encouraging trend. People are too dependent on processed or prepared food, which lacks the freshness and nutrition our bodies need. People have shifted from time-consuming but wholesome home cooking to high-calorie food like fries, pizza, and ice cream. Such foods are high in sodium and fat, but low in nutritional content. The frequent and over-consumption of said foods may cause obesity, fatigue and many other chronic illnesses. Convenience does not equal health or guarantee a better lifestyle. Frozen or fast foods indeed save us a lot of time, but at the expense of our health.
Finally, cooking is an art which is dying out. People once enjoyed cooking as a means of eliminating stress and tension. People were once able to relax during this time and reflect on their lives. Dinner used to be quality time when family got together and exchanged warm conversations – very different from today’s digging into a microwave dinner in front of the TV, alone.
Clearly, easy to prepare food can be fast and convenient, and it allows most people to allocate their time more efficiently, but is it really worth it? The notion of quick and convenient has made people lazier. In addition to our laziness, we have also lost many pleasures in our lives; like the simple act of selecting our evening meal, preparing a dish with love and care, and enjoying it with our loved ones. Many do not realize the importance of cooking until they’ve lost their health and the quality time they might have had with the people they love.
4.

It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
Books and experiences are the two main channels of knowledge. Books make our academic pursuits a reality as they provide valuable information and knowledge that we need, whereas pragmatic experiences serve as many people’s best teachers in life. In order to survive and succeed in this world, we need to draw inspiration from both channels and it’s fair to say that one can’t stand without the other. However, if I were to choose between knowledge from books and knowledge gained from experience, I have to say books are far more important than experience. Oftentimes, we do indeed find that books contain valuable life experiences.
We often hear thunder and see lightning in the sky, and we soon realize that lightning is seen sooner than thunder is heard. Based on our experience alone, we cannot figure out how nature works. We rely on studies, numbers and theories to help us understand things better, because life is filled with complexities and most can’t be resolved with just experience. Besides, books do an excellent job of providing us with succinct, organized ideas and information that help us to understand how the world works. Without books, such knowledge might otherwise be too confusing or difficult to grasp.
Some might argue that life’s most valuable lessons can’t be learned from books - things like swimming or cooking – and one needs to get his or her hands dirty in order to really do things well, but this is mostly limited to physical skill. One can survive by experience in the field of love or car mechanics. The same goes for driving a car or fixing a bike. On the other hand, sufficient math skills and an understanding of language are absolutely necessary if one is to thrive rather than just survive; one can’t do without books. Even though it’s easier and probably more natural to learn from experience, experience alone does not give us the edge we need to compete in today’s world.
Last but not least, modern technology can’t advance without the recording of all our knowledge. Books contain the much-needed information that nourishes our collective brains. The human civilization depends on books. Without them, we would still be cavemen who roamed the plains and the human race would stop evolving.

5.
A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.
I have been living in a peaceful and quiet town for about ten years. I have the most wonderful and friendly neighbors and our community is blessed with a scenic lake that many of us frequent on a daily basis. I love this place very much. A piece of bad news has shattered our quiet lives, however; we heard that a company will set up a new factory near our community. I was shocked and will never support this project.
I’m angry for obvious reasons. To begin, factories are the culprit of all kinds of pollution and very few factories are good at damage control once things get out of hand. Factories are noisy and their existence can be an eyesore. Most buildings are ugly and institutional. These uninspiring structures will ruin our beautiful landscape and scare off visitors. Most negative environmental impacts are irreversible and a factory will do more harm than good to our community; and once we let it in, there will be no turning back.
Secondly, factories will inevitably consume a lot of our natural resources, such as water and land, and this uneven distribution of precious natural resources can cause severe problems in the years to come. For example, machines need fuels to power them and it’s easy to imagine what our town is going to be like after this huge monster gets settled in.
Thirdly, factories bringing workers and people from the outside will disrupt the serenity of our quiet town. Some might argue that new factories can create more jobs and it’s good for the economy, but none of us in this town wants to work in a factory. We are also worried that outsiders might start clustering around the factory and use our resources or even threaten our town’s survival.
We are all aware that it takes time and effort to build and maintain a beautiful community, but it only take days to ruin it all. This is why I do not want this factory in my hometown and I want to resolve this matter by launching a protest!

6.
If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what would you change? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
If I could change one important thing about my hometown, it would be the problem of pollution; I will give several reasons to explain why I want to solve this particular problem.
The first and most important reason is that I want to restore my hometown to its former glory and make it a beautiful place like it once was. As an industrial city for more than 20 years, my hometown has made a great deal of contribution to the country's economic development and as a result, the once beautiful cityscape and its natural environment have been badly damaged. The forests have disappeared and the mountains have been flattened; the most awful thing is that the pollution problem has gotten a lot worse. Most people in my neighborhood now stay indoors and no one ventures out anymore.
Another reason why I want to change my hometown's air pollution situation is that a city needs a clean environment to sustain itself and attract future investors. At least nowadays, people have come to realize that eco-friendliness plays an important role in a city's future. For the past two decades, factories and workers have clustered and settled in our town, making this an ugly and noisy place. Many locals have been forced to move out of this city in pursuit of a better life.
Finally, by tackling the pollution problem, the whole community gets to work together and it will be good for the people who live in our town. Recently, some local residents have launched a city rejuvenation project and we’ve signed a manifesto. I hope we can raise enough money to restore this town. We will promote eco-tourism and turn the deserted factories into inns and shops. I know we still have a long way to go, but I’m confident that with the collaborative effort this goal will be achieved.
Clearly, an anti-pollution campaign will be a good chance to raise environmental awareness and the situation will be appropriate to educate our youth about the importance of sustainability. The effect can be more than positive and long-lasting. Communities will grow stronger with a common goal to strive for and turn a crisis into a great opportunity.

7.
How do movies or television influence people's behavior? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
Movies and television influence our behavior in many ways and the impacts may be more profound than we think. In the following essay, I will elaborate more on the detrimental effect of movies and television programs and provide solid evidence to show how our lives have been affected by this form of entertainment.
To begin with, I’m sure everyone will agree that movies and television programs have become a major source of recreation nowadays and it’s hard to deny its effect on us. Most people watch hours of television each day and some are even addicted to it. Big enterprises spend millions on television advertising and this proves that television and movie audiences are on the increase. Situational comedies, sensational news programs and music television have redefined our pop culture, making people celebrities and billionaires and at the same time. It’s true however, that television and movies have broadened our horizons and kept us in touch with the world. For those who are confined to their homes, television programs and movies can be a way to get in touch with the outside world, but sadly, in my opinion, television shows and movies have created more harm than good.
Aside from the ubiquitous violence and uncensored mature content that often stir up controversy, other problems have stemmed from television shows. Isolation and obesity have been two major concerns. Television programs and movies have turned many into couch potatoes, and this is happening all over the world. As a result of this television indulgence, people are exercising and socializing less. Hours in front of the television set takes away from quality family time and affects children’s academic performance.
Too much violence and crime on television also desensitizes people and makes us immune to cruelty. Young audiences start watching uncensored programs at a very early stage of their lives due to lack of supervision, and this usually has a malevolent effect on the way they behave. Our youngsters have often been criticized as selfish and less empathetic and it’s not hard to see what the culprit is. It’s also been agreed that most popular programs kill our patience and imagination. The more television and movies we watch, they less brain activity there is. We are likely to become less

imaginative and more into instant gratification. Instead of taking the time and effort to accomplish things, most people are now looking for quick fixes - a typical mentality that the television generation has. Society as a whole suffers because of this collective mental degeneration.
To sum up, I’m not suggesting that we should ban television programs and movies altogether. A healthy dose of entertainment can be good for us. Some television programs are indeed educational and inspirational. Unfortunately, quality shows are a rare commodity nowadays and most people are too lazy to exercise self-discipline or common sense. These reasons plus lax censorship laws can have disastrous effects on the way we think and behave. Before our government does anything to regulate our programs, we can only exercise our good judgment and try to limit the time and the types of programs we watch.
8.
Do you agree with the following statement? Television has destroyed communication among friends and family. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
When television was first introduced it was an appealing novelty that has since gained unprecedented popularity. While some argue that television encourages spirited conversation among friends and family members, others believe that television has done just the opposite. In my opinion, I think television has destroyed communication among friends and families by fostering isolation. In the following essay, I will use specific reasons and examples to support this view.
To begin with, television programs distract and disrupt conversations rather than bringing people together. This is because rather than spending quality time with families and friends, most people now prefer sitting in front of their television sets and silently watching their favorite shows. We all know how hard it is to carry on a conversation while watching television. People are discarding and ignoring potentially important conversations simply by focusing on the show rather than listening or talking to others.
Next, I believe television has not only destroyed communication among friends and family, it has also crushed relationships. Let’s picture a saleswoman, who has been yelled at by her boss for something entirely not her fault; she comes home and

wishes to talk about her feelings with her husband. The husband, however, is entirely engrossed in a football match, totally clueless about the situation as he ignores her. The two then start fighting because the wife thinks that her man cares more about whether the Denver Broncos have scored a touchdown than her own emotions. This lack of sensitivity and respect will lead to misunderstanding and may foster negative emotions and television is to be blamed for this.
Finally, as we get used to the number of hours we spend in front of our television sets, we are neglecting time that could have been spent talking with friends and networking. For example, an office worker may come home every night and watch television as a way to relax and unwind. Being a recent university graduate, he may be required to work long hours, always trying to please his boss in order to advance his career. However, as he spends more time watching television instead of developing social relationships with his friends and colleagues, he may lose the opportunity to network. Television nowadays is all about instant gratification. The more we watch television, the less patient we become. Lack of patience does not encourage good communication and it turns us into bad listeners, too.
In conclusion, while television's primary goal is to provide entertainment or perhaps to educate and enlighten, watching too much television causes problems. Viewers will be unable to focus on conversations that are taking place, and once we become addicted to watching television, we might not have the patience to develop actual relationships. People should remember that a real relationship involves two or more people who are willing to invest both time and effort. Television should not be in the picture.
9.
Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Different kinds of people have different tastes as to where to live. There are two basic choices for a place in which to live: in a small town or in a big city. While both have their own advantages, I would prefer to live in a big city. I base my preference on the fact that big cities are more convenient than small towns, and in big cities there are more chances to experience cultural events and go out for entertainment.
To begin with, living in a big city is much more convenient than living in a small town. People living in small towns often have difficulty getting from place to place because

of a lack of transportation. If travelers miss a scheduled bus or train, they may have to wait for a long time before they can catch the next one. However, big cities offer a variety of transportation choices; including buses, subways and taxis. A great variety of shopping choices are also available in big cities; such as department stores and outdoor markets. People living in urban areas can buy anything they need at any time of the day, but in rural areas the shopping choices are very limited and people usually have to go to other towns or cities in order to purchase particular items.
Another advantage of living in a big city is that people have more opportunity for cultural experiences than in a small town. In terms of cultural events and entertainment, they are often of better quality in big cities than in small towns. This is because there are more patrons, which means the performances have higher budgets to put on better shows. Big cities also provide a greater variety of events, from newly released movies to cultural festivals. Because of the abundance of entertainment venues, big cities have more events compared to small towns, which moreover have fewer places to hold events. Furthermore, it is easy to attend the cultural events in big cities due to the better modes of transportation.
Last but not least, big cities provide more intellectual stimulants and job opportunities for those who want more out of their lives. Big cities offer better resources and this includes better education and career prospects. My parents moved from the country side to the capital of the country just because they wanted me to go to a better high school. My own example is not a rare incident because many parents in my country move to big cities so that their kids can stay competitive in the future.
In conclusion, though there are certainly advantages to living in a small town, a big city does have its appeal. A big city is often very convenient in terms of transportation and shopping and it provides one with a greater variety of cultural and academic exposure. While it is nice to visit rural areas for fresh air and to get away from the crowds, I still favor life in a big city for all the reasons mentioned above.

10.
“When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.” Do you agree or disagree with the quotation? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.
I fully agree with the claim that there is no correlation between success and luck. Moreover, in my opinion, success often refers to one's ability to reach goals, which in turn leads to better incomes, great social status and a life well-lead. The reasons and examples listed below will strengthen this point of view.
First, what is the simplest and most lawful way to earn enough to consider ourselves successful people? I believe that everyone will agree that success has a lot to do with a good education and a superb job later on. Both receiving an education and pursuing a career presuppose one's readiness to discipline oneself and also to work hard, and success without hard work is simply not possible for the vast majority of people and luck often plays no part in this. Just watch all the super earners, famous athletes and eminent scholars in this world and it’s not difficult to see why success and fame belong to those who work hard.
Second, considering an education and a career as key factors of success, one will choose to pursue a degree from college or university. One wishing to be admitted to university will have to take several tests. It is doubtful that someone would be so lucky that knowing nothing, could pass all the tests with high scores all the time. A low score means failure and such a test-taker would not be admitted. This is why in order to be successful, one must work hard while preparing for all the tests in life. In my lifetime, I have never met a person who graduated from a good college without working hard, even super smart people need to push himself in order to succeed.
Third, it is near-impossible to have a decent career if one is indolent and lacking in knowledge. Luck plays no role in achieving this kind of success. Even if someone was unbelievably lucky enough to become a manager though not qualified, he would be forced to resign in no time because of his inability. For instance, I used to work for a very small company owned by a friend, which later went bankrupt. The causes of bankruptcy were the wrong strategies and decisions made by the owner. After this failure, he went to college and at the same time, worked for another company so that he could obtain both academic experience and professional expertise.

In sum, I want to stress again that luck itself does not lead to success. One might win the lottery and become rich, but being rich has nothing to do with success. People won’t respect those who strike it rich overnight, but they will look up to those who work hard and achieve their goals fair and square. Luck has no place in such a scheme of events and hard work is the only thing we can count in life.