TOEFL, iBT, Independent Writing, Which means of transportaion would you choose to travel from you home ot a place 100 miles from you home?. - rewrite -

Writing Topic

Suppose that you wish to travel from your home to a place 100 miles (160 kilometers) from your home. Discuss the different types of transportation you might use, and compare the merits of the various forms of transport. Which manner of travel would you choose, and why?

☆Let’s Think

A question that requires you to discuss possible choices under some conditions and choose one:

This writing topic sets a specific condition and directs you to compare the merits of the choices under the condition before writing about your choice. You could use your thought process of narrowing down the choices to answer this type of question.

♦A Sample Thought Process

1.    Discuss the conditions and narrow down the choices according to the conditions.

2.    Discuss the choices left.

3.    Make a conclusion giving reasons.

Sample Writing Topic for the Sample Though Process above: A foreign visitor has only one day to spend in your country. Discuss the different possible destinations. Where do you think this visitor should go? Why?

♦Sample answer following the sample thought process

1.    Discussing the conditions, and narrowing down the choices according to the conditions.

A foreign visitor might want to experience something that represents the country. Also, the person might want to see as many aspects of the country as possible. However, there is only one day to spend, so the person might not want to waste time for transit unless the transit itself serves as an experience like riding the Japanese high-speed railway line. For example, seeing contemporary Japan in Tokyo and then traditional Japan in a mountain village in Shikoku in a day is, while attractive, impossible because it takes half a day to move from one to the other.

2.    Discussing the choices that have been left.

There are many attractive sightseeing spots in Japan. Hokkaido would be a good place to visit for those who want to enjoy nature and good food. It is also famous for its annual snow festival with huge snow sculptures. Okinawa, the area of southern islands, has distinct cultures and great hospitality. Kyoto, the old capital, would be the place to visit to experience the essence of Japanese traditional culture. All are most popular tourist destinations in Japan but each individually cannot represent today’s Japan as a whole.

3.    Making a conclusion giving reasons.

I think the visitor should visit Tsukishima, Tokyo. Although not famous, it has both the high-technology and the traditional life of Japan existing side by side with a great contrast. Juxtaposed to state-of-the-art buildings are good old residences, small factories, and eateries serving the local specialty, monja. Businessmen quickly pass an old lady pushing a cart slowly on the sidewalk. This is an old business district near Tokyo Bay that has been experiencing a rapid development over the past ten years. After strolling here for a few hours and feeling a fragment of real Japan, the visitor could take a short train-ride to the Sky Tree Tower and Sensoji Temple nearby, the latest and the oldest sightseeing spots respectively for postcards and souvenirs.

Now let us go back to today’s topic and follow the sample thought process.

1.    Let’s discuss the condition and narrow down the choices according to the condition.

e.g. I live in the center of Tokyo, so a place 100 miles from my place is farther than my school and closer than my grandparents’ place where I usually visit by car.

I live in                                , so the place 100 miles from my place is farther than

                                     and closer than                                              .

e.g. For a 100-mile trip, taking an airplane would not be a good idea because it is too expensive and rather bothersome. Bicycle would also not be an ideal choice because it consumes your energy.

Choices:

【Transportations: an airplane, a bullet train, a train, a bus, a car, a motorbike, a bicycle, etc.】

【Reasons: expensive, time-consuming, troublesome, tiresome, slow, etc.】

For a 100-mile trip/using/taking/riding               would not be a good idea because

                 would also not be an ideal choice because

2.    Let’s discuss the merits of the choices left.

e.g  I could take a train because it allows me to do my work or sleep. It is also punctual and safer. Riding a bus would also be good because it has a good view.

Choices:

【Transportations: a bullet train, a train, a bus, a car, a motorbike, etc.】

【Reasons: fast, safe, inexpensive, punctual, spacious, relaxing, flexible, free, environmentally-friendly, no traffic jam, allows you to do many sings in it, lets you enjoy the view, you don’t have to carry your baggage around, you don’t have to worry about missing your stop, etc.】

♦I could ride/take                 because

                                    

♦Taking/Riding                 would also be good because

3.    Let’s make a conclusion giving reasons.

Note: The question does not require that you reach an objective conclusion. It is about your choice, in other words, about your preference. Therefore you could choose a car because, for example, you like driving!

e.g  I would ride my car to get to the destination because I can start and stop whenever I like.

I would                 because

NOTE: 「交通」transportation （不可算）、「交通手段」means of transportation