TOEFL iBT Independent Writing, People are living longer. What impact do you think this change will have on society? The 21th century has begun. What changes do you think this new century will bring? What do you think is one change in the twentieth century that is most important to remember? - revised -

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 20^th 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 …