Writing Topic A
Generally
speaking, people are living longer now than they did in previous centuries.
What impact do you think this change will have on society?
☆Let’s Think
1.
Fill in the blanks. That the average -span has become longer means that child
mortality rates have dropped and a number of adults die young now than before.
2.
Research the impact of longevity and aging society
and share your findings with others.
☆Hints for points
1. There
is much older but healthier and more experienced work force. This will cause
(1) younger
generation staying school longer.
(2) later
retirement ages.
(3) retirees
volunteering in many areas (day-care centers, research facilities, etc.).
2. Older
consumers increase might lead to
(1) less/more
consumption (depending on the condition of the pension system, etc.).
(2) new
products and services (nursing robots, counselors, mobile stores and cleaners,
etc.)
(3) different
city planning (barrier-free designs, more accessible hospitals, etc.).
3. We will
face more problems related to aging society. For example, we will see
(1) more
expenditure on social security system (health care, pension, etc.).
(2) more
demand for social workers, care givers, medical personnel
(3) tax
burden on workers.
☆Sample Essay Structure
【Introduction】Since only those in developed countries are living longer and
getting old is an anathema in modern society, all kinds of changes related to
anti-aging will happen.
【Point 1】Anti-aging industry will thrive more.
【Point 2】The average life expectancy gap between the rich and the poor will
be wider.
【Counterargument-treatment】Traditional cultures value old age, but it is
quite possible that globalization can wipe the value out.
【Conclusion】Fear towards aging and death in developed countries might change
industries and demography on the whole planet.
Your Sample Essay Structure
【Introduction = Outline】
【Point 1】
【Point 2】
【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】
Speech Time
Make a one-minute speech on this topic. Don’t worry. Everybody
speaks at the same timeJ
Writing Topic B:
The 21th century
has begun. What changes do you think this new century will bring?
☆Let’s Think
1. The
future world is the result of the present world. What is happening in one of
the following aspects of the world or another and predict what the future is
likely to be for that matter.
●environment ●technology
●society ●others
☆Hints for points
1 Climate
change combined with population growth will cause food and water crisis.
2 Automation
will be in place in every aspect of our life. We will never tough any handles
or push buttons to use machines. The army and the police will be replaced by
automatic weapons.
3 Gene
editing will develop to make new types of plants and creatures. Some may adapt
so well that they will replace many existing species.
4 Proliferation
of nuclear weapons will lead to Armageddon in the worst case scenario.
5 The
Moon and Mars will be colonized.
6 The
wealth gap will be wide enough for the extremely rich to rule the world at
their discretion.
7 Immigration
will make most countries multi-ethnic.
8 Children
will be rare. Income gap, bad welfare system, and discrimination will lead to
extremely low birthrates. They will be taken care of by everyone in the
community.
9 Anger
among the public caused by inequality will be stronger and horrible crimes will
increase.
10 Global
warming and active plate tectonics will unite humans and end conflicts.
11 New
generations will build a society which is friendly to the weak and the
environment.
12 Another
financial meltdown will occur as a result of plutocracy, and this time, the
world economy will not recover.
☆Sample Essay from How to Prepare
for the TOEFL Essay, Barron’s
You’re 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.
Extra Writing
Topic
There were many
changes in the twentieth century. What do you think is one change in the
twentieth century that is most important to remember? Include specific reasons
to justify your choice.
☆Let’s think
1. The
questions of the same type as today’s topic are as follows.
a. What
invention in the last 100 years has been most beneficial for people in your
country?
b. 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.
2. To
which question do you give only one answer and to which do you give more than
one?
a. What is
the sweetest cake in Japan?
b. What is
a sweetest cake in Japan?
- The superlatives in the writing topic, most important does not
have the article “the.” This means that you do not have to decide the most
important change in the 20th century. There are some most important
changes that happened in the last century. You discuss one of them.
3. Do
research on changes that took place in the last century and share your
findings.
4. How can
you explain why your choice is most important to remember?
- Probably the difficult part is to explain why you think the change
you chose is most important. The hint is in the question. The words “change”
and “most important” are related to great moments in history, the story of
before and after the change. Thus, it would be useful to describe how great the
impact of the change was, in other words, in what way and how much it has
changed society and/or the environment.
☆Hints for points
1. 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. 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. On the other hand, the rapid change did not
allow people to adapt to it. As a result, the change left some negative assets
to coming generations, such as pollution, global warming, threat of nuclear
arms, and new types of crimes.
2. 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 computers. Also, no other technology has changed our lives in such a large
scale as the Internet.
3. 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.
4. The
invention of television
The invention of television has given people a new source of information
and entertainment. Television has made it possible to learn with sound and
moving pictures what is happening in remote areas or in places they usually
cannot go in. Television has also provided various kinds of shows that people
can enjoy with their family and friends. At the same time, television made it
easier for governments and corporations to control people’s thoughts.
5. Globalization
The development of transportation and communication allowed corporations
to do business worldwide. They can now build their branch offices 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 have
the same kind of products, and some cultures are shared around the world. At
the same time, languages and cultures of minorities are lost in this change.
☆Essay for ideas and expressions
Barron’s writing for the
TOEFL it, p. 338
☆Let’s
make a point
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.
In
the old days, before
the advent of the Internet, the information was something that was provided in limited
amounts by authorities. However, lately, most information on this planet has
become available to anyone. Also, it has become possible for anyone to provide
information to the public easily.
Your response:
I
think …………………. is most important to remember in the last 100 years.
In the
old days,
However,
these days,
Question
2 What makes the change more important than other changes?
Sample
responses: The change brought by the
Internet is most important to remember in that it has become the infrastructure of
the world. Its impact on our society was so great that no one in our society now lives completely
independent from the Internet.
Your short
response:
The change brought
by … is most important to remember in that…
Its impact on our
society was so great that …
