TOEFL iBT, Independent Writing, Most important change to remember in the 20 century -partly rewritten-

Writing Topic

There were many changes in the twentieth century. What do you think is the one change in the twentieth century that is most important to remember? Include specific reasons to justify your choice.

☆Let’s think

The questions of the same type as today’s topic are as follows:

♦What invention in the last 100 years has been most beneficial for people in your country?

♦What discovery in the last 100 years has been most beneficial for people in your country? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice. (Note: The difference between discovery and invention is that you discover something that has existed all the time but you did not know it was there till then, while you invent something that did not exist before. For example, Newton discovered gravity while Bell invented a telephone.)

Neither of the superlatives in these questions, most important and most beneficial, has the article “the.” This means that you do not have to decide the most important change in the 20^th century. There are some most important changes that happened in the last century, and you are supposed to pick up one of them and explain why it has the highest level of importance.

It is rather easy to think of the answer for this type of question. For today’s question, you can easily come up with changes like the development of the information technology. Probably the difficult part is to explain why, but remember, the hints are in the questions. In this case, the hints are the words “change” and “most important.” They are related to great moments in history: the story of before and after the change/invention/discovery. What is expected in your essay is probably the description of how great the impact of something was, in other words, in what way and how much it has changed society and/or the environment.

Also, let’s not forget the superlative, “most important to remember.” It requires you to show why you think the change you have chosen is more important to remember compared to other changes. The changes should have been dramatic and unprecedented. They should have turned the world upside down or profoundly changed our perceptions or thoughts. Use these kinds of expressions and give specific examples to prove it. For example, the advent of the Internet has caused an irreversible change; it has become the infrastructure of our life, making the world dependent on it.

☆Hints for points

♦The rapid development of technology

Technological breakthroughs had happened before, but it was in the 20th century that the rapid development of technology happened and the lives of people changed dramatically. Nowadays, thanks to convenient electronic appliances, people can have more extra time than they did one hundred years ago and use it to do things other than daily chores. The development of technology enabled people to enjoy creative activities, the most sophisticated activities of humankind, which was possible only for the few privileged people before. The changes were good for the most part, but since they happened in a short time, people did not have time to adapt to it or consider the influence of it. As a result, the people in the 20th century left some negative assets to coming generations, such as pollution, global warming, threat of uncontrolled nuclear power, new types of crimes and so on. The first three are especially unprecedented in that they could wipe out mankind.

♦The invention and prevalence of the computer and the Internet

For the first time in history, people’s lives depend on machines now, and this happened in the 20th century as a result of the invention and spread of the computer. Also, no other technology has changed our lives in such a large scale than the Internet.

♦The influence of the airplane

The rapid development of commercial airplanes in the 20th century might be compared to the domestication of horses. It has made the world smaller and dramatically changed people’s lives. It has enabled people to visit other countries for study, on business, or on vacation easily and at low cost. Also, trade has become quicker because of faster distribution using planes.

♦The invention of TV

The invention of TV has given people a new source of information and a new tool of entertainment. TV has made it possible for people to learn through moving pictures with sound what is happening in remote areas or in places they cannot usually go into. People started watching news shows instead of reading newspapers or listening to the radio. TV-watching became a new entertainment. People started sharing more information than before. At the same time, TV made it easier for governments and corporations to control people’s thoughts.

♦The shift of hegemony

The two world wars ended imperialism of the old world. People learned it hard way that peaceful coexistence is basic to the prosperity of humankind. Although international relationships do not always follow this idea, efforts are made to compromise and cooperate and no nation can invade and occupy another country without criticism anymore. At the same time, America has become the most powerful country in the world. Replacing England after WWI, it has played the leading role in politics, business, and culture. Its military bases, trading posts, and pop culture cover all over the world now. China gained power at the end of the century, but still its GDP is second to that of the US and its military power is one-tenth of that of the US.

                                                                                                                           

♦Globalization

The development of transportation and communication allowed corporations do business worldwide. They can now build their branches and factories in other countries, import cheap materials from other countries, and sell their products anywhere on this planet. As a result, people all over the world use the same kind of things in their lives, and share more information than before. At the same time, it is inevitable that languages and cultures of minorities are lost in this change.

☆Let’s make a point

Before writing your essay, let’s write about the points you are going to make by answering the following two questions.

Question 1  What is different before and after the change?

Sample response:

I think the advent of the Internet is most important to remember in the last 100 years.

Before the Internet, the information was something that was provided by authorities in limited amounts.

However, now thanks to the Internet, most information on this planet has become available to anyone. Also, it has become possible for anyone to provide information to the public quite easily.

Your response:

I think … is most important to remember in the last 100 years.

Before …,

However, now thanks to …,

Question 2  What makes the change more important than other changes?

Sample response

The change brought by the Internet is most important to remember in that it has become the infrastructure of the world.

OR

Its impact on our society was so great that no one in our society now live absolutely independent from the Internet.

Your short response:

The change brought by … is most important to remember in that…

OR

Its impact on our society was so great that …

☆Essay for ideas and expressions

Barron’s Writing for the TOEFL iBT, p. 338

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