TOEFL iBT Independent Writing, What might a foreigner learn about your country from the TV programs that are made in your country? & Reading is only beneficial when you read books that concern real people, actual events, and factual information.-rewrite -

Writing Topic A

TV programs can tell us a lot about the culture in which they were produced. What might a foreigner learn about your country from the TV programs that are made in your country?

☆Let’s Think

1.      Think of nouns or adjectives that represent your home country.

2.      Are there any television programs that suit the nous or adjectives that you have come up with in response to the first question?

3.      TV programs exist in another country but that do not exist in your country may also tell something about your country. Are there any programs that you saw in a foreign country but you never see in your country? What aspect of your country do you think the absence of the program indicates?

Reference

List of Television Programs

News programs, Animated series, Dramas, Sitcoms, Soap operas, Comedies, Western shows or Samurai dramas, Talk shows/Chat shows, Satirical news programs, Children's television shows, Cooking shows, Game shows, Reality programs (Historical re-creation, Science, Dating, Law Enforcement/Military, Makeover, Lifestyle change, Fantasies fulfilled, Docusoaps starring celebrities, Hidden camera, Reality game shows, Talent Searches, Spoofs/Parodies)

☆Hints for Points

1.      Nouns and adjectives describing Japanese people and culture are as follows:

Nnouns: ,anime, sush ninja, Hiroshima, Fukushima, tusnamii

adjectives: diligent, workaholic, enigmatic, polite, clean, cute-loving, tolerant in religion, curious, group-oriented

2.      There is a joke that one thing that overseas students coming to Japan look forward to is seeing abundant original anime shows put on TV all day every day. This shows that Japan is the birthplace of anime and its culture is related to the anime-type expression. It is well-know that the origin of anime is Ukiyoe wood print, a pop-culture in Edo era.

3.      Female anchors who do almost nothing but sit and smile while male anchors talk in Japanese news shows show that Japan is still a male-oriented society.

4.      Family dramas and anime depict typical family structure and life style in Japan.

5.      In most popular dramas, main characters wear nice clothing, live in cool condominiums or good houses, and enjoy exciting city lives. This is a sign of materialistic entertainment-pursuing culture.

6.      The popularity of long-running home makeover programs means that most Japanese are interested in housing, that many of them are wealthy enough to be able to renovate their houses while most of them are not, and that they are family-oriented and like to be moved by dramatic events that happen in a family.

4.      There are many kinds of quiz shows from trivia to entrance examination questions for famous junior high schools in Japan. This shows that Japanese like being diligent and the society is academic background-oriented.

5.      There are shopping channels. An obvious proof of consumerism.

6.      Insensitivity about racial or minority issues is often seen and criticisms that follow are not taken very seriously.

7.      Focus on sports, gossip and psychotic homicide and less focus on politics and social issues suggests that people are not very keen on politics and social reform.

☆Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction】A lot of samurai dramas and anime shows on Japanese TV might show people in other countries that Japanese culture is a really a high-tech, kawaii (cute)-loving, samurai culture.

【Point 1】Many samurai dramas show the living tradition of our culture.

【Point 2】Abundant original anime shows show our high-tech based, fanciful subculture.

【Counterargument-treatment】There are programs, mainly news shows, that show that Japanese are not just day-dreaming, conservative tech-lovers but are alert to current issues. However, the absence of political satire or comics radically dealing with controversial issues such as Daily Show in the US indicates that there is some obstruction for such shows in this culture.

【Conclusion】Not only what are on but also what are not on Japanese TV hint that we Japanese can be a group of neat and traditional boys and girls who will never take responsibility.

Your Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction = Outline】

【Point 1】

【Point 2】

【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

☆Speech Time

Make a 50-second speech on this topic.

Don’t worry. Everybody speaks at the same time.

☆Sample Paragraph development

【Main Idea】Many samurai dramas show the living tradition of our culture.

【Explanation】By seeing them broadcast almost every day, visitors to Japan can easily see that Japanese still live by the spirit of samurai.

【Example in General】There are long-running samurai sequences and shows dedicated to famous warlords and soldiers.

【More Specific Example】The national public broadcasting organization, NHK, has a more than half-a century old one-year Sunday prime time sequence that features historical Japanese figures, most of whom are samurais. Commercial TV stations also make historical plays and there is a channel dedicated to period films. Quiz shows often take up legendary deeds or characters in the feudal era.

【Follow-up】Termination of some famous samurai sequences might show the erosion of the culture, but we see Samurai Japan, the Japanese national succor team, in sports news shows every night.

【Wrap-up】 Samurai culture and spirit is one feature of our culture that manifests in our TV programs.

Your test paragraph development

【Main Idea】

【Explanation】

【Detail / Example in general】

【More Specific Detail / Example】

【Follow-up】

【Wrap-up】

Writing Topic B

Do you agree or disagree with the idea that reading is only beneficial when you read books that concern real people, actual events, and factual information?

☆Let’s Think

1.      Suppose your mother believes that you are nice only when you are in front of your father. How would you let her know that she is wrong?

Hint: To disagree with the statement that only A is …, you prove that something not A is also ….

2.      Have you ever benefitted from reading fiction? How did it benefit you?

☆Hints for points

Reading fiction is not beneficial because …

1.    Fiction exaggerates reality or it is a lie. If prevents us from understanding the real world. For example, there is no Neverland or a man who flies or goes through a wall.

2.    Fiction makes us escape from the real world by making us daydream.

Reading fiction is also beneficial because …

1.      it is a great pleasure. Read a novel, sad, serious, whatever kind, and your mind will be rich and soul will be fulfilled.

2.      it teaches reality in a refined way. Fiction is a form of truth in disguise.

3.      it tells us exactly what other people are feeling or thinking. Also, we can experience what we cannot experience such as different times, different lives, or unusual or fantastic events.

4.      it conveys great thinker’s minds to us. We can be more thoughtful, better people through good novels. It also develops our power of imagination and creativity.

5.      a piece of fiction is in itself a set of a raw data of a great author and his time.

6.      if reading fiction is useless, it would not be used in textbooks and Nobel Prize of fiction would not exist.

☆Similar Writing Topic and Sample Essay

Writing Topic

Do you agree or disagree with the statement that people should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and established facts?”

Sample Essay  taken from How to Prepare for the TOEFL Essay, Barron’s

...

☆Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction】I totally disagree with the idea that reading is only beneficial when you read books that concern real people, actual events, and factual information.

【Point 1】Through novel, we can learn about the world and people.

【Point 2】Science fiction contributes to building a new world.

【Counterargument-treatment】For some, fiction is not practical in daily life, but someday they will find themselves wanting something to fill the void in their souls and many of them will realize that fiction is of great use for the purpose.

【Conclusion】Fiction is as beneficial as or more beneficial than non-fiction.

Your Sample Essay Structure

A.

【Introduction = Outline】

【Point 1】

【Point 2】

【Counterargument-treatment】

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

B.

【Introduction = Outline】

【Comparison 1】

【Comparison 2】

【Comparison 3】

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

C.

【Introduction = Outline】

【             】

【             】

【             】

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

☆Speech Time

Make a 50-second speech on this topic.

Don’t worry. Everybody speaks at the same time.

☆Sample Paragraph development

【Main Idea】Science fiction contributes to building a new world.

【Explanation】Since the mid-19^th century, erudite and insightful people have written science fiction and affected the readers,

【Example in General】It is well known that many scientists and engineers attribute their passion for science to their childhood experience of reading science fiction novels or manga.

【More Specific Example】Sci-fi also tells us what problems we are going to have in the future. For example, Fillip K. Dick predicted humans indulging themselves in the virtual world: the world controlled by singularity, AI which has evolved to be smarter than humans; and humanoids which are so similar to humans that it is difficult for humans to tell if they are real humans or not.

【Follow-up】Of course not all sci-fi predictions have come true. It did not predict the Internet. However, it has always made us think about the right direction our society should take.

【Wrap-up】Good works of fiction give visions to realize and directions to follow.

Your Sample Paragraph development

【Main Idea】

【Explanation】

【Detail / Example in general】

【More Specific Detail / Example】

【Follow-up】

【Wrap-up】

☆Sample Counterargument-Treatment

【Counter-Argument】It is true that fiction distorts or exaggerates reality.

【Explanation】The world in fiction is limited by the author’s values and perception of the world or his or her background.

【Confirmation of Your Argument】However, readers’ understanding of the world is usually inferior to those of novelists and thus fiction is useful enough for most people in learning about the world. In fact, even when the reader and the writer share the same levels of intelligence, since no one is the same, the reader might still benefit from reading what is in another person’s mind.

【Wrap-up】Avoiding fiction just because it is not real will make you miss deep understanding of the world.

Your Sample Counterargument-Treatment

【Counter-Argument】

【Explanation】

【Confirmation of Your Argument】

【Wrap-up】