Topic 5

5. A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.

I SUPPORT THE FACTORY PLAN

Building a large factory will bring about both benefits and harmful impacts on my community. In my opinion, advantages of a new factory outweigh disadvantages. Therefore, I definitely support the new factory plan in my community.

As a threshold matter, there will be numerous benefits of constructing a new factory in my community. For instance, the new factory will surely offers considerable opportunities of jobs -- such as cleaners, workers, managers, and so forth, which may ease the pressure of job market. A lot of folks may find their ideal positions in this factory. Besides, tax revenue from the factory will also supplement local government's income. As a result, statesmen would have more money to budget their financial plans. For instance, education system of our community will be the right beneficiary of the factory, because tax revenue from the factory can be spent in ameliorating facilities of community colleges and providing positions with high salary which may enslave quantity of outstanding professors to work in local colleges. Furthermore, the factory will certainly arouse other businesses appear in my community -- for example, hospitals, restaurants, plazas, and so forth, which will boom economy of my community.

Nevertheless, certain disadvantages of constructing a new factory do exist. Especially, some of them may be extremely devastating. Take potential pollution. As a common sense, a factory releases large quantities of wastes, such as polluted water, poisonous gases, and etc, as by-products while it produces merchandises. These wastes may induce towards severe disasters in my community. Polluted water may cause intestinal diseases and stomach cancer; poisonous gases will lead to respiratory diseases which makes quality of life decrease. Moreover, the factory generates loud noises as well, which is especially intolerable during night. Residents' sleep may be disturbed and they do not have enough energy to face daylight work.

When it comes to make a decision about whether to support or oppose the factory, I would like to support the factory plan. There are several reasons to name. Firstly, the factory will bring a excellent opportunity to economy of our community. Local folks will benefit from the plan from the long run time. Secondly, since technology today has developed to a quite high level, I deeply believe that political leaders and managers of the factory will find right ways to solve potential problems caused by the factory. For instance, they may adopt new waste disposing methods to reduce harmful effects of wasted water to the lowest point. Gases will also be carefully cleaned before releasing into the air. Thus, advantages far outweigh disadvantages of the factory.

In summary, there are both benefits and harmful effects that the factory will bring about. In my view, the factory will contribute a lot to our community in future time. Then, it the final analysis, I support the factory plan.

Smoking, Integrated Writing, Test 2, Kaplan

In the article, the author tries to demonstrate that smoking isn't as harmful as supposed to be in three aspects. However, the speaker of the lecture opposes this opinion and contrasts each point stated in the passages.

In the first place, the author of the article writes that smoking ban doesn't work and limit the freedom of people who smoke, which is debated by the speaker. According to the speaker, smoker could still smoke as they want. Those persons who smoke can still smoke at home or other personal places. Moreover, in the speaker's opinion, smoking bans help smokers quit smoking, because they reduce places where smoking takes place. Furthermore, the speaker says smoking ban can help those addicted out of smoking.

In the second place, the author of the article holds that several stores and businesses have to close due to decreasing number of patronage of people who smoke. Nevertheless, the speaker definitely opposes this point. In effect, the speaker points out that though a few bars close down, new ones open and survive. Moreover, business can be prosperous by attracting nonsmokers.

Finally, the speaker of the lecture doubts the mortality rate of smoking as well. In the article, it is said that secondhand smoke doesn't cause severe problems because it takes longer than a lifetime to develop cancer. However, the speaker disagrees with this point of view and says that lung cancer isn't the only disease caused by smoking. Further more, the speaker also expresses uncertainty on tax contributed by smokers. The speaker believes that smokers do not pay significant tax, which is directly contrary to what is stated in the article.

Topic 35

35. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Attending a live performance (for example, a play, concert, or sporting event) is more enjoyable than watching the same event on television. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

ATTENDING A LIVE PERFORMANCE GIVES MORE THAN TELEVISION

In my opinion, I strongly agree with the statement that attending live performances is quite more enjoyable and exciting than watching the same events on television or listening through radio. There are numerous advantages of going to a live performance, while watching television cannot offer us things equal to those special benefits.

As a threshold matter, attending a live performance gives me a peculiar feeling which I cannot get when I watch television. For instance, I attended the opening ceremony of the 29th Olympic Games which was held last month. When I was sitting in the national stadium -- Bird's Nest, where the ceremony was celebrated, the whole vehement atmosphere created by numerous people screaming together completely shocked me. At that time, I sang together with other people and kept swaying national flag in my hand. I even didn't feel a little tired at all. Furthermore, when the torch was lit at the last moment, I felt that hearts of all athletes from every country are linked together. However, when I reviewed the opening ceremony next day at home by watching television, that feelings didn't come into my mind.

Secondly, when going to a live performance, spectators will not be restricted by perspectives of cameras, which is a main shortcoming of watching television at home. For instance, take the most recent show in theater. The singer was chanting at the center of the circle and person around me were singing together with the star. This scenario was made up of a whole cubic surrounding, which could only be experienced by attending it. I could see and hear anything I want to. For instance, I know how excited and ardent of persons in my neighbor seats. Nevertheless, if watching live concert at home or other personal places, these feelings would surely be over us.

Thirdly, attending to live performance could offer good opportunities to contact with our stars within a short distance. For instance, if I could go to Michael Jackson's live performance, I might be extremely fortunate to be chosen as a lucky person and have the chance to communicate with Jackson face to face, which is impossible if I watch the same live rendering at home. As a result, I would be better able to understand what kind of person my idol really is. Moreover, only taking a photo with Jackson would make me sleepless over several days. Nevertheless, watching television far from the venue where concerts are held merely makes me jealous towards the person who would be me.

In summary, there are a myriad of benefits of going to a live performance, such as vehement feeling, opportunities of getting a signature of popular stars, and so forth. To the contrary, watching television or hearing on radio could not offer such beautiful things.

Core Curricula, Integrated Writing, Test 1, Kaplan

In the article, the author explains what core curricula are and then demonstrates that both universities and students gain a lot from this system. However, the speaker of the lecture casts doubt on the author's opinion and cites several reasons to support his standpoint.

In the first place, according to the speaker, some courses of core curricula are too easy for students to learn. Moreover, some other courses are totally irrelevant to students' majors. The speaker also mentions that some obligatory courses of core curricula are just outside students' primary interests. As a result, students couldn't learn much from these courses. All these three points are contrary to what are expressed in the article which writes that core curricula give students a broader perspective on life.

In the second place, the speaker of the lecture says that a few curricula in core ones are too big for students to study as well. In the speaker's opinion, those courses' size is too large and students couldn't do well in these classes. This is in conflict with what is said in the article. The speaker also mentions that guidance should give students some advices on how to get well in core curricula. Furthermore, the speaker holds that core curricula ought to offer creative ways to satisfy students' need. According to the speaker, guidance should also provide opportunities of internship to help students with their careers.

However, if we could solve all the problems mentioned above, students surely are the very beneficiaries. First, universities would increase enrollment of high-quality students and thus ameliorate public profile. Secondly, students would learn the most paramount courses in core curricula and don't have to learn too easy, or rigid curricula they don't like. As a result, students would have careers of promising prospect.

Topic 45

45. Some people prefer to get up early in the morning and start the day's work. Others prefer to get up later in the day and work until late at night. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

GETTING UP EARLY HELPS A LOT

Personally, I am prone to get up early in the morning and begin my work. In my opinion, going to bed early in the night and getting up early in the morning will certainly benefit me in numerous ways. Generally speaking, I will be in good health and filled with energy under this pattern of life.

In the first place, going to bed early in the night and getting up early in the morning guarantees that I have a good sleep and don't feel tired after getting up. This pattern of sleep can provide me with enough rest of high quality, which is crucial for daylight work. In my experiences, I would feel difficult to get asleep and extremely dreary when I get up next morning, if I go to bed late at night on the first day. For instance, once a friend of mine invited me to take part in his birthday party. Many people played happily and didn't go home until two o'clock in the morning. However, when I got back to my bed, I couldn't stop thinking what took place just now and was vehement. At that day, I was asleep at about five o'clock in the morning and woke up late in the afternoon, which was a terrible feeling.

In the second place, going to bed too late at night over a long period definitely harm my health. According to medical lectures held in my community, in the span from 10 to 12 p.m. everyday, our bodies begin to tone and secret certain hormones to keep bodies clean. After that, our bodies are tired and need deep sleep, which aims to recover after a day's hard work. However, if we are still awake and tacking thorny problems, our bodies will receive harmful effects -- for example, imbalanced secretion, insomnia and high blood pressure. Of course, each of these phenomena deserves our careful attention.

Thirdly, if I get up early in the morning, I can do a lot of meaningful things which would help me with health, and mental status. For instance, I could do morning exercises, such as running, pushups, and so forth, on condition that I get up at 7 o'clock everyday. These activities help me improve status of my body and mentality. After morning exercises, I always feel quite relaxed and free of anything constricted, therefore I can face the rest time of the day. Needless to say, my working efficiency surely is much higher than it of getting up late in the morning without any physical exercise.

In summary, going to bed early at night can maintain balance of my body's circulation, which is beneficial and positive for my physical health; getting up early in the morning offers me enough time to do exercises, which tones my body and makes me relaxed and energetic. Then, in the final analysis, I would definitely choose to this healthy routine of life.

Origin of Life, Integrated Writing, Test 6, Barron

In the article, the author primarily talks about the experiment which aimed to discover the origin of life on Earth. However, the speaker casts doubt on the correctness of the experiment and cites several scientists' critiques towards that experiment done several years ago.

In the first place, the speaker of the lecture confirms that the experiment was grand at that time. Nevertheless, the speaker also points out that the electrical problem with the experiment. The author of the article writes that, in laboratory environment, flasks are charged with electricity continuously. But, according to the speaker, though there were frequent electrical storms in early atmosphere of Earth, there was no continuous electricity, which is certainly a flaw of that experiment.

In the second place, in the article, the author mentions that oxygen is reduced in experiment. According to the speaker, this is another flaw as well. The speaker of the lecture says that the premise that there was not considerable oxygen in atmosphere of early Earth cannot be proved anyway. Perhaps that hypothesis is totally wrong, which would undermine the correctness of the experiment.

Finally, the speaker also mentions meteorites as evidence to disprove the conclusion of the experiment in the article. The speaker says that scientists have found that there is amino acid in meteorites, which would demonstrate that this kind of acid could survive under severe conditions. This conclusion means, according to what the speaker says, that the acid was on early Earth which contained asteroids. Moreover, the speaker also points out that we just don't know or unsure about the truth that how life in Earth originated from simple organs into large buildings. There are more work before we make clear.

Messed Up

iBT
Personally, I would have to say that ETS deserves thousands of people's aversion and antipathy.
I got up early to take test of iBT held in BFSU last Saturday, which turned out to be a farce.

There were about three or four students when Maggie and I arrived at library where certifications were supposed to check. We finished privacy provision and then deposited our sacks. Before we were about to stand in a line, Maggie received a call from a friend in America, which aimed to tell her jj of that day in North America. Of course, we were excited, in respect that we "had" known the independent part of speaking section, integrated part and independent part of writing section, which made us more despondent later.

We started to line up in the entrance of library at about 9:20.

We were still lined up, agitatedly, and didn't inch a little towards the door of library at 10:00.

We came to realize that something was definitely wrong. Indeed it was. Invigilators told us technicians couldn't access servers in America. We had to wait.

Then time lapsed second by second. It was over 12:00.

All of students there appeared to be worn out. In effect, we were out of status and would definitely render a bad performance if servers were available right then. We just didn't know how long we had to wait. Several persons kept making and receiving calls.

At 13:00, teachers told us that we were not allowed to check in after one o'clock and we had to choose one option from reexamination or refund. Thanks god. The farce eventually ended.

Flu
The positive thing of the farce is the fact that I have been in flu for two weeks. However, I have more time to recover from disease and may have a good score in speaking section. Recently, it is obvious that I am in sub healthy status. I decide to exercise after test. After all, health should be put in the first place.

American Teleplay
Now I am in season 03 of Friends. No subtitle. Flamboyant? Huh... No, I can only interpret approximate 60 percent of the content, which doesn't prevent me from understanding what is ongoing between Rachel and Ross, Chandler and Joey, Monica and Phoebe. Lesbian wife, Italian guys, Julie, Janice ... and you surely know what I'm talking about.

The Book Thief
Well, I'm regretful that I fail to keep trace of Leisel and Rudy -- the idiot. I have finished 70 percent of that book and will finish the rest parts in the coming vacation of National Day. Whether to go home or not to go depends on which day I take iBT.

Topic 55

55. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A person should never make an important decision alone. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

WHETHER MAKING A DECISION ALONE DEPENDS ON DIFFERENT CASES

In my opinion, whether a person should make a paramount decision alone depends on different circumstances. In some cases, such as a statesman, it is required discussion before making a decision. In some other cases, for example, under emergencies when there is no abundant time to discuss, a person may make a decision on his or her own.

As a threshold matter, under cases when decision will influence large quantities of folks, discussion ought to be carried out before a person makes it, instead of deciding everything without asking for others' advices. For instance, a national policy usually directly affects several millions of people. Some people will benefit from a new policy while some other multitudes suffer from it. Therefore, a policy may even have to with stable status of a country. In such a case, the person, usually the president, should discuss each possible impact of policies, and carefully work out a decision at the last moment. If president tries to carry out a new act on his or her own will, which is possible in some countries, the whole country may be messed up as result of the act.

Secondly, when decision has to do with a single person, it is also recommended that the person should talk to his or her parents and friends before he or she decides what to do or which choice to choose. For instance, take a teenage young man who wants to determine which university he attends to. If he depends completely on his own interests without taking others' opinions into account, he may encounter tough situations when he attends that university. For instance, there may be dorm problems, surrounding problems, health care problems and so forth. Thus, the young man ought to talk to his parents first. From talking, he will learn experiences and lessons his parents have already had. Then, by synthesizing information from other persons, the young man will be more likely to make a correct decision.

However, in special cases when time is limited and discussion is not possible to be held, a person has to decide by his or her own within a short period of time. Sometimes it does take place. Perhaps the paradigmatic example is a general who leads a troop in battlefield. Situations in a war are keeping changing. A whole company may be completely killed within an hour, which is a serious circumstance. Therefore, leader of a troop should decide what to do alone, instead of talking too much with his or her soldiers. Any hesitation under such emergent situation will certainly cost severe outcomes -- for example, thousands of people's lives. Similar cases occur in hospitals. Consider a patient who is injured, bleeding and in coma. Doctors have to decide what to do first -- to stop bleeding, or inject something. Without a quick decision, the patient may have to die.

In summary, whether a person should make a paramount decision alone or with other people varies from case to case. Nevertheless, it is highly recommended, from my standpoint, that a person ought to discuss with his or her parents, friends and colleagues before making a decision, unless the right situation is too emergent and special to talk with others.

Discipline, Integrated Writing, Test 5, Barron

In the passage, the author mainly talks about three strategies for effectively disciplining children: power, withholding of affection and management techniques. In the last of the article, the author points out that consistency is the most essential element in all of these tactics. In the lecture, the speaker is prone to select management techniques as the main effective discipline.

In the first place, in the article, the author writes that parents tend to use physical punishment as their method to educate children. However, this point is doubted by the professor. The speaker expresses his concern about this method. Also, the speaker points out that power and withholding of affection induce to low self-esteem of children, and management techniques arouses high self-esteem among in children. Therefore, according to the professor, parents should be quite cautious when they turn to power and withholding of affection. In effect, the speaker says, several scientists oppose the method of power and withholding of affection in educating children.

In the second place, the professor says that the best way to teach children is to award good behaviors children do and punish bad behaviors children do. The result, according to the professor, will be highly positive. Children will gain approval of good things they finish and punishment of bad behaviors. Then the speaker says that if parents keep consistency in this method, children will catch the right apprehension of virtual thing and basic ethics.

Topic 65

65. Should a city try to preserve its old, historic buildings or destroy them and replace them with modern buildings? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

DIFFERENT DECEISION IN DISTINCTIVE CIRCUMSTANCES

Whether should a city preserve its ancient, valuable, historic architectures or topple down them and replace them with modern buildings depends upon special cases. With respect to architectures that have invaluable meaning and stand for a certain image of a station, it is recommended that people should preserve them. However, with respect to buildings that are only residential places and do not have historic meanings, people may replace them with modern plaza.

As a threshold matter, if ancient architectures represent special values in the history of a city, or a country as whole, people should make full lengths to protect them from being destroyed. It is especially true of ancient nations. For example, in the city of Beijing, the capital of China, the Imperial Palace is one of the eldest building masses in that district. There are numerous national treasures in Imperial Palace. The wall of the palace is made up of peculiar chemical material which cannot be reproduced today because techniques of producing have been lost forever. Thus, the walls have a good value of researches. Furthermore, the patterns of the palace are typical designs of that period, form which people in contemporary will learn much about customs in that time.

Secondly, some historic buildings should be preserved, though they may seem to be ragged and shabby. Take the ancient arena in Roma. That arena stands for special spirits of the time in the history of Italy. From painstaking researches of archeologists who are studying the arena, we get to know duel is one of the popular activities of that period. People who lived in that period took the person who could win any one in battlefield was the hero of their nation. From these discoveries, we can have a full image of how culture develops from the past to the present. Thus, in such cases, people should preserve ancient architectures as well.

Nevertheless, in other cases, such as useless, residential places, it is better for a city to cast down old buildings and construct modern architectures that can satisfy humans’ needs today. For instance, in Beijing, there was once a large area filled with hutong -- an ancient building masses that date to the 19th century. These buildings are quite the same in patterns. Thus, it isn't necessary to leave all of them untouched; instead, protecting a small portion of them would be enough to preserve historic relics. In effect, the government does tore most of them to construct modern architectures, such as malls, slap-up apartments, and so forth, on original locations, and preserve only a few examples of these hutongs.

In summary, whether a city should preserve its ancient, historic buildings or overthrow them and replace them with modern architectures varies from case to case. In some cases, such as grand houses that have valuable meanings, it is better to leave them intact; however, in some other cases, such as repetitive, residential households, people may replace them with modern architectures.

Jet Stream, Integrated Writing, Test 4, Barron

In the passage, the author mainly talks about the definition and classifications of jet stream. In the lecture, the speaker primarily says the effects that jet stream could have on air travel by providing an example.

In the first place, according to what is stated in the article, the jet stream could be described as an irregular band of wind that takes place high above the ground of Earth, about 20,000 feet. Generally speaking, the jet stream always blows from west to east over middle latitudes. Moreover, the speed of jet stream is over 57 miles per hour. The core speeds of jet stream may be as high as 190 miles an hour. Furthermore, the jet stream between the equator and the North Pole can be separated into two categories: subtropical jet stream and polar jet stream. The main distinction between them is that temperatures between the tropic and the arctic regions of the Earth are different.

In the second place, the speaker of the lecture affirms the definition of jet stream at first. Then the speaker says that jet stream in North America is polar jet stream. In the following part of the lecture, the speaker cites an example that airlines travel between Los Angles and New York. When planes are going to New York from Los Angles, they are just in the same direction of jet stream which provides more buoyant force to tail wing. As a result, people spend less time in travelling to New York. However, according to the speaker, when planes go back to Los Angles, the situation becomes tough. Because the planes are flying against jet stream which is strong and fast, planes will use more fuel and fly longer. Passengers in planes will also feel relatively serious turbulence.

Topic 75

75. Some universities require students to take classes in many subjects. Other universities require students to specialize in one subject. Which is better? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

COMBINATION WOULD BE THE BEST CHOICE

From my experiences, neither a too broad education nor a too narrow teaching is beneficial for university students in mastering knowledge to be successful after they graduate from universities or colleges. The best way, in my opinion, is to designate several compulsory courses that students are required to take without exception, and offer a variety of selective courses from which students could broaden their knowledge.

As a threshold matter, too broad education in numerous courses will not give too much to students. As we know, the time that students can spend in classes and in reviewing is limited, approximately eight to ten hours. Thus, if students take four or five courses, they could not arrive at a good understanding of lectures represented in classes. Students may know what they are learning, but they will not appreciate what are essences in these courses. Moreover, when students are busy running from one classroom to another, they may gradually develop kind of tiredness of studying, which will be deteriorated by the burden of too many courses.

Secondly, if universities mandate that only one subject is available for their vigorous students to study, it will also induce to negative impacts in pedagogy/instruction. For instance, a long time study in one single subject may lead to extremely hard content in textbooks, which requires students have a clever brain. Unfortunately, not all the students are prodigies. Furthermore, it is completely unnecessary for professors to lecture so many and so deep in one subject. From the perspective of students, no one would like to read materials and write papers of the same topic, which is boring and will pose uncomfortable feeling to them.

Thirdly, in my opinion, combination of broad education and deep researches in peculiar subject would be the best choice for both universities and students. Universities should designate several compulsory courses, for example, three or four courses, students must study, and provide various selective courses in science, arts, literature, and so forth, for students to meet their personal interests. In this circumstance, not only will students get enough knowledge in their majors, but also will form a good atmosphere of learning. As a result, students will be developed in specialties and also always optimistic and confident when they encounter thorny problems.

In summary, a too broad education in every aspect of society is impractical in helping students become excellent timbers in special fields, and a too narrow teaching in one single subject will frustrate students in learning. Therefore, in my analysis, combination of several compulsory courses and various related, selective courses is the best choice to adopt.

Rest, Integrated writing Test 7, Barron

The passage mainly talks about three steps in solving problems: problem representation, considering alternatives solutions, and action. In the lecture, the speaker primarily discusses the importance of taking a break, or rest, in working out thorny situations, which is related to the second step of solving problems.

In the first place, the author of the article suggests that a usual way to evaluate alternatives is to write down pros and cons of each solution, then make a decision among them. However, the speaker of the lecture does not refer to this solution; instead, the speaker points out that rest may have paramount influences in solutions. According to the speaker, the function of rest is not clearly; perhaps it sleeps on problems; or it is incubation period of solving problems. Then, the speaker takes the discovery of the structure of certain chemical. In this example, the scientist dreamt a snake that the tail was contained in the mouth, which looked like a circle. When the scientist waked up, it was determined that a "ring" should be right pattern of that chemical.

In the second place, the speaker also refers to two possibilities that would interpret that sleep plays an crucial role in working out solutions. Firstly, according to the speaker, in a break, persons may encounter something special, or other information, appeal in their dreams. The example stated by the speaker is a person who dreamt of triangles. Secondly, more simply, the value of break is to interfere with peculiar parts of brain, which intrigue clues to problems.

TOEFL Sample Questions

从官网上下载那套模拟题。

因为Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V不管用了，在安装目录下也没有找到我写的回答，所以帖不出来了。