Pre-TOEFL Writing It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. - revised -

Writing Topic

It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to develop your essay.　子供は大都市よりも田舎で育つ方が良い。賛成ですか？

 

☆Let’s Think

Many people prefer to live in the suburbs when they have children because they have both the good points of the countryside and a big city, mainly access to both nature and good education. This writing topic, however, does not allow you to choose it. 郊外（都市と田舎の中間）は選択肢にない。

 

☆Hints for Points

Brainstorming characteristics of each choice point by point

	life in the countryside	life in a big city
Environment 環境	full of nature, good for the health 自然が多い  健康に良い	constantly changing, noisy, polluted 常に変化している  騒々しい  汚染されている
Lifestyle 生活	relaxing, slow-paced, monotonous リラックス  ゆっくり 単調	exciting, fast-paced 刺激的  ベースが速い
Convenience 利便性	low prices, automobile society, safer 物価が低い  車社会  安全	many means of transportation many hospitals, schools, and cultural facilities 交通機関多  病院・学校・文化施設多
Relationship 人間関係	intimate, warm, strong ties 親密  暖かい  強い絆	dry, individualistic, freer 乾いている  個人主義的  より自由
People 人	carefree, friendly, conservative のんびり  人懐っこい  保守的	many strangers, ambitious, progressive 知らない人が多い  野心的  進歩的

 

 

☆Sample Body Structures

Sample Body Structure 1  Point by point comparison of choices  論点ごとの比較

   (1) Point 1: Comparison of the environment  環境の比較

   (2) Point 2: Comparison of the educational activities 教育の比較

   (3) Your decision  私の決定

 

I agree with the opinion that it is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Two things should be mainly considered: the environment and education.

子供は都会より田舎で育つ方が良いという考えに賛成  主に二つ（環境と教育）について考慮すべき

Good environment is vital to the mental and physical growth of children. The countryside provides plenty of nature and carefree people. This will nurture healthy and relaxed children. Many children growing up in a big city often suffer from diseases related to pollution or nervous breakdown due to noise and complicated human relationships. My sister had asthma and was absent from school for a long time when my family lived in Tokyo. Then we moved to the country to cure her, and she got well in a month.

心と体の発達に良い環境は重要  田舎‐自然・のんびりした人  都会‐汚染・複雑な人間関係  妹の喘息

It is necessary for children to receive a good education. Many good schools concentrate in big cities. Also, educational facilities and good transportation system are abundant in a big city. The countryside has only a few schools, and you are lucky if there is a library within a walking distance.

よい教育は必要  都市‐良い学校・施設が多い  田舎‐学校が少なく図書館が近ければ良い方

In my opinion, the countryside is better than a big city for the growth of children. Good educational environment can be provided through other means such as the Internet or schooling during vacation, while good natural environment is hard to provide if you live in a city. Moreover, physical strength is the most important to perform well in almost anything.

IT技術により良い教育は田舎でも可能  良い環境は田舎のみ  体が資本

Although a big city has many appealing points, I believe that the countryside is better than a big city for rearing a child. 都市には魅力的な点が多いが子育てには田舎の方が良い

 

Sample Essay Structure 2  Developing images of each choice  選択肢ごとにイメージを膨らませる

    (1) About growing up in the countryside  田舎で育つことについて

    (2) About growing up in a big city  都会で育つことについて

    (3) My decision  私の決定

 

Although I have grown up in a suburban city and have had no problem with it, I disagree with the statement that it is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city.

自分は郊外で成長して問題ないが、子供が都会より田舎で育つ方が良いという考えには反対

Growing up in the countryside would be good for the child’s physical and mental health. The air is clean. Children can play in the mountains and rivers every day. Relatives often live close to each other and provide intimate relationships. The child would grow up to be a healthy person with a positive mindset.

身体・精神の健康に良い  （空気がきれいで毎日山や川で遊べる  親戚が近く関係が親密）健康で前向きになる

On the other hand, city life also offers a lot of opportunities. First, the opportunity of education is great in a big city. From kindergarten to university, varieties of good institutions are accessible within a 30-minute train ride. In addition, other educational facilities such as museums and libraries are abundant. The active lifestyle of the city and inspiring communication among city dwellers also stimulate mental growth of the city children. 教育の機会が多い （電車で30分以内に良い学校 博物館・図書館　活動的な生き方と住民の刺激的な意思疎通が子供の精神的成長を刺激する）

Comparing the life in the countryside and that of a big city, I find it difficult to say that the countryside is definitely better for child growth than a big city, which has many advantages that are too good to be missed just because of lack of nature. 【自然の不足〈 都市の利点 】

If the child is not sickly, taking advantage of the life of a big city is no less a good idea for the growth of the child than benefiting from the good natural environment in the countryside.

子供が病気がちでなければ、都市生活の利点は田舎の良い自然環境の利点に優るとも劣らない

 

Your Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction = Outline】

 

 

【Point 1】

 

 

【Point 2】

 

 

【Point 3/ Follow-up】

 

 

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

 

 

Note:

都市  a city 

a は他にも同じものがある時に使うので多数ある中の一つの都市としてaがつく

田舎  the countryside, the country 

theはそれしかない時に使う。田舎は一つの統一された存在なのでtheがつく

郊外  the suburbs 

郊外は複数あり、都市の周辺を囲んでいるのでひとつのまとまった複数の存在。従ってtheで始まり複数形のsがつく