Class Supplement (TOEFL Essay, A book or a movie?)

Suppose you have enough money to buy a book or watch a movie. Which would you rather spend the money on, the book or the movie?

☆Read the question carefully.
1) ＂buy a book＂ or ＂watch a movie＂ → To watch a movie is not to rent or buy a DVD. This question is about a choice between buying a copy of a particular book and watching a particular movie once. （本を一冊買うor 映画を一回観る）
2) Which would you rather spend the money on? → This question is asking about your choice/preference. The answer can be subjective. You do not necessarily have to make an objective judgment.

☆Comparison (A or B? / Agree or disagree?)
1) Brainstorm good/bad points of each choice
2) Juxtapose good and bad points of the two choices

1) Brainstorm good/bad points of each choice
e.g. buying a book / watching a movie
a. your imagination / imagination of the director and the actor
b. can read a book many times / you can watch a movie only once
c. like your best friend (You choose itcarefully and repeatedly return to it.) / like friends or fashion (You enjoy their novelty but most of them just come and go.)

2) Juxtapose good and bad points of the two choices
e.g. a. your imagination imagination of the director and the actor
The experience you have through reading feels more real than that you have through watching a movie. When you read, you draw on your own experience to understand what is written, which makes the story more real to you. For example, when the leading character is scolded by a strict teacher, you think of a particular teacher in your elementary school and remember the shock and embarrassment you felt when you were scolded by her. In a movie, the character of a strict teacher is presented through the interpretation of the actor and the director, which is different from your own image. Although it is always exciting and inspiring and therefore enjoyable to see the images created by great actors and directors, when it comes to reality, no other interpretation can beat your own. The world you build through reading is more real and intimate to you, and hence reading often gives you more satisfaction than watching a move.