Class Supplement (TOEFL Essay, a land to use however you wish)

Topic: Imagine that you have been given a large area of land to use however you wish, how would you choose to use this land?


Essay for ideas and expressions:

There would be many wise or innovative uses of a large area of land, but I would make it a town as a test case for peaceful coexistence of crows and people. No other birds are so stigmatized as crows, probably in my country Japan in particular. They are regarded as filthy scavengers, spiteful punks, and the sign of death, yet, if observed carefully and without prejudice, they will turn out to be as smart and likable as dolphins. In fact, some people call them flying dogs.

Crows, especially the jungle crows―those that we see every morning scattering garbage on the sidewalk, used to live in trees in forests and feed on dead animals on the ground. Development replaced trees with buildings and dead animals with garbage bags. They have been doing the same to survive, nesting on the power poles and eating food on the ground, but now humans are offended by their routine. Crows attack people only to protect their offspring, and the worst thing they can do is to swoop from behind and kick, which they rarely actually do because they are afraid of humans. They remember the face of the person who attacked or threatened them and repeatedly retaliate, but think of their trauma and it is understandable that they do it for self-defense. The biggest stigma that crows bear is the image of death, which probably derives from their color―surely they eat dead bodies but so do many other creatures, including dogs and bacteria. The fear of the color black is our problem, not theirs. In the eyes of humans on the ground crows on power lines are eerie dark spots in the sky, but seen from high above, they are precious pieces of life shining in purple-green. Incidentally, crows are much cleaner than pigeons and chickens. They bathe a few times a day if possible.

Although they are loathed, it is rather well known that crows are very smart, affectionate, and remarkable birds. The intelligence level of crows is said to be that of 5-year-olds. They use their calls as vocabularies for their communication, use and sometimes make tools, and play, all of which are seen in only a few species. They cherish their family and some of them communicate with humans. Also, there are many reports that they grieve the death of other crows. One of the most striking things about crows is their eyes. As they can see ultraviolet, they have great eyesight. They can spot a piece of white bread on the snow field from 200 meters above. It is a shame that we do not have good relationships with these interesting birds that happen to live closest to us.

And here comes my model town for crows and humankind. In this town, part of the garbage it produces would be sent to the areas designated for crows, thus the streets made clean and the cost of waste incineration and CO2 emissions reduced. As they eat mice, insects, and many other things in nature other than garbage, the amount of food given to crows would be controlled in order not to disturb the ecosystem. Those white droppings crows leave everywhere could be diverted off of the streets if we successfully communicated with them, which might be rather easy considering their learning ability. My wildest dream is to let them participate in rescue operations taking advantage of their excellent eyesight. Since they can fly a long distance and their cognitive level is high, they could make good rescue crows. Of course to protect their rights, only those willing and having the aptitude would be allowed to be given the missions.

I once saw a crow perched on a power line entertaining a dog down in a garage. The dog, wagging its tail and jumping around in the small space, looked quite happy to see its friend with wings. The scene reflected their positions in this world. Both born with the same intelligence level, one is confined and the other free. Crows could have been domesticated long ago since their cleverness must have been noticed by our ancestors, but they have not. It seems to me, with no offence to dogs, that they know what dignity is and keep a distance from humans. They are hated but live proudly. They are sensitive enough to feel the pain of life, yet won't give up on life and can do without such things as hope or dream or religion. Perhaps we could learn something important from them by living much closer to them than now.