TOEFL iBT Independent Writing, What sort of setting would you like for your home, a traditional house in the county or an urban apartment building built in a modern style? - rewrite-

Writing Topic

What sort of setting would you like for your home, a traditional house in the county or an urban apartment building built in a modern style? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

☆Let’s Think

1.      How do the following sentences differ?

a.    What city would you like to visit?

b.    Which city would you like to visit, Honolulu or New York?

2.      How would you answer the following question?

What sort of place would like to visit for a few days, a beach in a resort city or the downtown in an urban city?

3.      Complete the table below.

	the country	a city
the environment
people
others

	a traditional house	a modern apartment
good points
bad points

Notes:

1.    The question starts with “what”, not “which, allowing infinite span of choice, but it is followed by two opposite choices. It seems that this question is roughly asking about your preference between life in the countryside and that of a city,

2.    A traditional house in the county and an urban apartment building in a modern style are two opposite images of housing. Would you like to have a relaxed life close to nature or would you like to spend every day in an atmosphere that stimulates all of your senses?  Which do you prioritize in your life, nature or civilization? Which would you prefer, an idyllic setting or urban setting?

3.    I have seen quite a few students write, in answering this question, “I would like to live in a high-tech mansion in a resort.” The honest conclusion for most of us would be something like this image, but is it the appropriate response to the question? If you still cannot resist the urge to be honest, you could start the Introduction with “Honestly,” followed by the above sentence, and continue with the following, “but if I have to choose between a traditional house in the county or an urban apartment building built in a modern style, I would prefer the former/latter.”

☆Hints for Points

	the country	a city
the environment	full of nature, a lot of plants and animals relaxing, monotonous, many kinds of traditional events low prices, automobile society far from schools, stores, and hospitals	noise, air pollution, constantly changing exciting, fast-paced, stressful many cultural events many means of transportation many businesses and cultural facilities
people	same kind of people, many relatives intimate, warm, strong ties carefree, relaxed, conservative	disparate, many strangers alert, ambitious, open-minded dry, individualistic, free
others	good for the health	many jobs

	traditional house	modern apartment
good points	large	sophisticated design,
bad points	poor air-conditioning	proximity to the neighbor

☆An Essay for Ideas and Expressions

Both living in a traditional house in the countryside and living in a modern apartment in a city have advantages. A city is exciting and the country is relaxing. Born and raised in the mountainous areas but now living near Tokyo, I would like to live in a traditional house in the countryside because it is healthy and inspiring.

Life in a traditional house in the countryside is good for the health. It is suitable for someone like me who wishes for a holistic lifestyle. The countryside is full of plants and animals, the air is clean, and you hardly hear a noise, except for those of creatures. This naturally relaxes you. A traditional house is made to fit the environment, and thus it makes you aware of the outside. The large front and big windows allow you to see the sunshine, hear the winds, and smell the rain. This makes you feel at home like an animal in its natural habitat.

Living in the country is inspiring. Not to speak of the natural environment, which prompts philosophical thoughts even in one spending time in it for just on hour, the cultural environment is rich in the countryside. Here, I mean the anthropological sense of culture, not the arts or music that come and go but signs of real life. The countryside maintains historical buildings and objects which show the history of the community. The temple keeps old maps and pictures, which connect you to the life and values of your ancestors. Streets and bridges with old names are still in use. In a city, where changes occur rapidly and the old is replaced by the new daily, it is difficult to relate to the history of the community, while it is important for a real sense of living.

Drawbacks in living in the country would be lack of convenience and stimulation that an urban life offers. You cannot run for ice cream because there is no convenience store nearby. You seldom see edgy ads when you take a walk because there is no huge advertisement space along the way. However, these bits of fun and excitement are not essential in my life. Of course, there are pragmatic problems such as bad access to facilities for emergency. However, people live in those areas and I would accept the same fate as theirs. If I have a stroke and die on the bathroom floor, there is no difference between living within ten-minute walk from the hospital and a 40-minute drive from it. I would rather enjoy the quality life for the rest of my life.

Call it a nostalgia of a country girl’ who is tired of and from city-life, but life in a traditional house in the countryside is ideal to me. It would rejuvenate my body and soul and help me orient myself to nature and culture.

☆Sample Body Structures

Sample 1: You write about both choices comparing and contrasting them point by point

   (1) Point 1: Comparison of the environment, convenience, and security

   (2) Point 2: Comparison of the leisure activities              

   (3) Your preference (choice) with reasons

Sample 2: You write about each choice separately and make your choice by giving reasons.

    (1) About living in a traditional house in the country

    (2) About living in an urban apartment building built in a modern style

    (3) Your preference (choice) with reasons

                                                                                                                                                     

Sample 3: You deal with the other choice as the counterargument.

    (1) Point 1: a/the first reason why you prefer one to the other

    (2) Point 2: a/the second reason why you prefer one to the other

    (3) Counterargument-treatment: why the advantages of the other choice or the disadvantages of your choice do not matter to you

Your Sample Body Structure

(1)

(2)                                        

(3)