Writing Topic
There were many changes in the twentieth century. What do you think
is the one change in the twentieth century that is most important to remember?
Include specific reasons to justify your choice.
☆Let’s Think
1. How do the following two sentences differ? (Hint: Note 2)
A What change is the most important in the twentieth century?
B What change is most important in the twentieth century?
2. Fill in the blanks and make two questions similar to this writing
topic. (Hint: Note 1)
a. What ……………………..
in the last 100 years has been the most beneficial for people in your country?
b. What ……………………...
in the last 100 years has been most beneficial for people in your country?
3. How would you come up with the answer to this question? (Hint: Go to
the next question)
4. Name important changes in the following categories: technology,
economy, politics, medicine and culture.
5. How would you explain that a certain change is most important to
remember? Read the following paragraph and discuss how you can improve it.
(Hint: Note 3)
In my
opinion, the invention of the mobile phone is a most important change to remember
that happened in the 20th century. Mobile phones are great. You can
make a phone call anywhere. Also, they allow you to do many things such as
listing to music and taking a picture.
6. Come up with expressions to prove that something is a most important
change. (Hint: Note 4)
7. Do research on the important changes in the twentieth century.
8. Which one do you think is most important? Why?
Notes
1. Sentence A, “What change is the most
important in the twentieth century?” is about the change that is more important
than any other change in the last century, while Sentence B, “What change is
most important in the twentieth century?” is about one of the most important
changes in the last century. The article “the” does not precede the superlative
in the question of this writing topic. Therefore, you do not have to decide the
most important change in the 20th century. There were some most important
changes in the last 100 years. You pick up one of them and explain why it has
the highest level of importance.
2. The following are real TOEFL iBT Independent
Writing questions of the same type as today’s topic:
-What invention in the last 100 years has been most
beneficial for people in your country?
-What discovery in the last 100 years has been most
beneficial for people in your country?
3. Probably the difficulty in answering this
type of question is to explain why you think your choice is a most important
change. The hints to the answer are often in the questions. In this case, the
hints are the words “change” and “most important.” They are related to great
moments in history: the story of before and after the change. What is expected
in your essay is comparison and contrast of the situations before and after the
change. Also, you are supposed to describe how great the impact of something
was, in other words, in what way and how much it has changed society and/or the
environment.
4. Words and expressions to prove that something
is a most important change to remember would be as follows: has had a dramatic
influence on, has provided a significant change of, has made everything more
efficient than before, profoundly changed our perceptions or perspectives, has
caused an irreversible change, has become the infrastructure of our life, or
has made the world dependent on it, we can no longer live without it.
☆Let’s make a point
Before writing your essay, let’s 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 past, the information
was something that was provided in limited amounts by the authorities. However,
lately, most information has become available to anyone because of the
Internet. Also, it has become possible for anyone to provide information for
the public with ease.
Your response
I think ………………………………………………. is
most important to remember in the last 100 years.
In the past, ………………..………………………………………………………………………………………
However, lately, because of ………………….…………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Question 2 What makes the change distinctly important?
Sample short response:
1) The change brought by the Internet is most important to
remember in that it has become the infrastructure of the world.
2) Its impact on our society was so great that no one in our
society can live absolutely independent from the Internet any more.
Your short response
1)
The change brought by …………………….
is most important to remember in that…………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2)
Its impact on our society was
so great that…………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
☆Hints for points
●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. Nowadays, thanks to
electronic appliances, people spend much less time on daily chores than they
did one hundred years ago and use the extra time to do things other things. The
changes were good for the most part, but since they happened in a short time,
people did not have time to adapt to it or consider the influence. As a result,
the people in the 20th century left some negative legacy to coming generations,
such as pollution, global warming, threat of uncontrolled nuclear power, new
types of crimes and so on. The first three are especially unprecedented in that
they could wipe out mankind.
●The spread of the entertainment
The notion of entertainment has given
people a new lifestyle. Before the 20th century people did have some
fun activities but did not have much leisure time and what we now call the
entertainment. However, in the last one hundred years, the entertainment
industry has developed. Most people started watching entertainment programs and
fun videos instead of reading books or interacting with their families and
friends. Following the trend in the entertainment industry has become the most
important for many. A positive effect of this change is that people around the
world started sharing the same entertainment experience. A negative impact is
that the entertainment industry has promoted consumerism and made it easier for
governments and corporations to control people’s attitudes.
●The shift of hegemony
The two world wars ended imperialism of the
19th century. People learned it the hard way that peaceful
coexistence is basic to the prosperity of humankind. Although international
relationships do not always follow this idea, efforts are made to compromise
and cooperate and no nation can invade and occupy another country without
criticism anymore. At the same time, America has become the most powerful
country in the world. Replacing England after WWI, it has played the leading
role in politics, business, and culture. Its military bases, trading posts, and
pop culture affect all places around the world now. China gained power at the
end of the century, but still its GDP is second to the US’s and its military spending
rate to GDP is less than the US’s.
●Globalization
The development of transportation and
communication allowed corporations do business worldwide. They now have their
branches and factories in other countries, import cheap materials from other
countries, and sell their products in other countries. As a result, people all
over the world use the same kind of things, and share more information than
before. The drawback of this change widening gap between countries and between
the rich and the poor. Also, the loss of indigenous languages, traditions and
cultures have happened.
☆Essay
for ideas and expressions
Barron’s
Writing for the TOEFL iBT, p. 338
There
were many important changes, both technological and cultural, during the
twentieth century. In my opinion, the most important of these is the advances that
were made in medical science. The development of vaccines and antibiotics, increased
access to health care, and improvements in surgical techniques are all things
that improved, and saved, the lives of people all around the world.
Vaccines and antibiotics have saved the
lives of many people. Fifty years ago, many people became crippled or died from
polio. Now the polio vaccine is available everywhere. In the past, people could
die from even simple infections. Now penicillin and other antibiotics make it
easy to cure infections.
Increased access to health care has also
improved the lives of millions of people. In the past, many people lived far
from hospitals or clinics. Now hospitals, clinical and health centers have been
built in many parts of the world. More people have the opportunity to visit a
doctor or nurse before they become very sick. They can be treated more easily.
They are sick less and this leads to a better quality of life.
Improved surgical techniques make it easier
to treat many medical problems. Microscopic and laser surgery techniques are
more efficient than older methods, It is easier for the doctor to perform them,
and easier for the patient to recover. After surgery patients can return to
their normal life more quickly now than they could in the past.
Everybody needs good health in order to have
a good quality of life. Advances in medical science have improved the lives of
people all around the world. They are improvements that are important to
everyone.
