Pre-TOEFL writing, What is the most important animal in your country?

Writing Topic  Lesson 29  Writing Topic

What is the most important animal in your country? Why is the animal important? Use reasons and specific details to explain your answer.

☆Let’s Think

If something is important, it is treated carefully, it becomes a symbol of something important, or its name often appears in the language of the culture it belongs to.

☆Hints for Points

1.    Dogs protect our houses and their statues protect our shrines. They appear in our folk tales. In a popular tale, a dog is the first company of the hero who gets rid of demons. Dogs are used in many expressions such as cat-and-dog relationship, which actually we put dog-and monkey relationship. There are also many proverbs using dogs in them. For example there is a saying that goes, “Dogs will never forget the kindness they received if you feed them for three days”, showing our appreciation of the faithfulness of dogs. In this way, dogs have had good relationships with people in my country. As in other countries, dogs are our best friends in Japan and they are the most important in this country.

2.    Crows seem to be hated by everyone but actually they are vital in Japan. First, the flag symbol of the Japan national football team is Yatagarasu, a legendary holy crow with three legs. A crow appears as a scout of gods in our oldest history book, Kojiki, A History of Ancient Matters, which was edited in 710 A.D. There are many other crow legends and some shrines worship crows as messengers of gods. There is even a color with crow in its name, the color of shiny black, which goes the color of crow feathers soaked in water. This expression is used to describe beautiful hair. Crows are everywhere, not only in our daily lives but also in significant areas in our culture. Therefore, the crow is the most important animal in my country.

☆Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction = Outline】I think the fish is the most important animal in my country, Japan. There are two reasons.

【Point 1】Fish is our staple food and we have lived on it.  e.g. sushi, fish broth

【Point 2】Building a fish pond is part of our landscape gardening and breeding carp is one of the most luxurious hobbies in Japan.

【Point 3 / Follow-up】It is true that many other animals are important in many ways in our culture. However, since eating is the most basic behavior in life and the fish has been more familiar food to us than any other animals, it can be said that it is the most important in our society.

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】Japanese people have lived in harmony with many kinds of animals, and the fish represents the history and culture. Therefore, I find fish the most important animal in my culture.

☆Your Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction = Outline】

.

【Point 1】           

【Point 2】

【Point 3 / Follow-up】

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】