Should Governments Subsidise Renewable Energy Sources - TOEFL Writing Practice Test (Integrated)

The TOEFL exam places significant emphasis on your ability to produce academic-level writing. The Integrated Writing task, a core part of the Writing section, requires you to craft a well-organised essay based on combined information from a passage and a lecture. This test will guide you in developing key skills to excel in this section. Ready to start?

Writing Instructions

• You'll read a passage and listen to a lecture on an academic topic.
• You may take notes while listening to aid comprehension.
• Then you will write a response to a question that asks you about the lecture you heard.
• Answer the question comprehensively using information from the lecture. Avoid expressing personal opinions in the response.
• There is no strict word limit. However, an effective response is considered to be within 150 to 225 words.
• Your response will be assessed based on writing quality, content accuracy, and completeness.

Governments should support renewable energy sources to address climate change and encourage sustainable growth. Funding can speed up the use of renewable energy methods, like solar and wind power, by making them more affordable for consumers and businesses. This monetary help can overcome the first high costs of setting up renewable energy systems, encouraging more people to use them and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

Also, supporting renewable energy can boost financial growth and create jobs. The renewable energy industry has the potential to create many job chances in production, setup, and upkeep. For example, the solar industry alone has created thousands of jobs worldwide. By putting money into this industry, governments can build a green economy and lower unemployment rates.

Renewable energy funding also helps with energy security by varying the energy supply. Unlike fossil fuels, which are limited and can cause political conflicts, renewable energy sources are abundant and locally available. This variety can lessen a country's dependence on imported energy, improving national security and stability.

Also, funding for renewable energy can lead to important environmental benefits. Renewable energy sources produce little to no pollution, helping to fight climate change. By supporting the switch to cleaner energy, governments can improve air quality, protect the environment, and encourage public health.

Now play the audio.

Question

Summarise the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.

Curious about what a good TOEFL score looks like? Check it out first, then explore the Integrated Writing sample answers!

Sample Responses for the Integrated Writing Task on - Should Governments Subsidise Renewable Energy Sources

Examine the provided pair of sample answers - one representing a mid-level and the other a high level. By studying these responses closely, you'll discover valuable lessons to enhance and polish your written responses.

High-Level Response

The reading passage argues that governments should support renewable energy sources to address climate change and promote sustainable growth. It highlights benefits such as making renewable energy more affordable, creating jobs, enhancing energy security, and providing environmental benefits. However, the lecture presents several counterarguments.

Firstly, while the reading emphasises the affordability of renewable energy through government funding, the lecture points out the financial burden on governments. Redirecting public funds to renewable energy could mean less money for other critical areas like healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

Secondly, the reading claims that renewable energy can create jobs and boost economic growth. However, the lecture argues that these jobs may not be sustainable in the long term. The renewable energy industry heavily relies on government support, and any reduction in funding could lead to job losses and financial instability.

Thirdly, the reading suggests that renewable energy enhances energy security by diversifying the energy supply. In contrast, the lecture notes that renewable energy sources like solar and wind are not always reliable due to their dependence on weather conditions. This inconsistency can lead to an unstable energy supply, requiring backup systems that often rely on fossil fuels.

Lastly, the reading highlights the environmental benefits of renewable energy, such as reduced pollution and improved public health. However, the lecture points out that the production and disposal of renewable energy technologies also have environmental impacts.

Rater's Comment

This response effectively summarizes the main points from both the reading and the lecture, demonstrating a clear understanding of the material. The essay is well-organized, with each paragraph addressing a specific point from the reading and its corresponding counterargument from the lecture. The writer uses appropriate transitions, such as "Firstly," "Secondly," and "Lastly," to guide the reader through the essay, ensuring coherence and logical flow.

The essay maintains objectivity, focusing on summarizing the relationship between the reading and the lecture without expressing personal opinions. This adherence to the task requirements is crucial for a high-scoring response.

Additionally, the writer demonstrates strong control over grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary, with only minor errors that do not affect meaning. The response is concise, staying within the word limit, and effectively communicates the key points from both the reading and the lecture.

Overall, this response meets all the criteria for a high score, including presenting all key information, maintaining coherence and organization, and demonstrating good language control.

Mid-Level Response

The reading passage talks about the benefits of government support for renewable energy, like making it more affordable, creating jobs, improving energy security, and providing environmental benefits. But the lecture gives some counterarguments to these points.

First, the reading says that government funding can make renewable energy more affordable. But the lecture says that this funding puts a finansial burden on governments. Money used for renewable energy could be used for other important areas like healthcare and education.

Second, the reading mentions that renewable energy can create jobs and boost economic growth. However, the lecture argue that these jobs may not last long. The renewable energy industry relies on government support, and if funding is reduced, many jobs could be lost, leading to financial instability.

Third, the reading suggest that renewable energy improves energy security by diversifying the energy supply. But the lecture points out that renewable energy sources like solar and wind is not always reliable because they depend on weather conditions. This can lead to an unstable energy supply and the need for backup systems that often use fossil fuels.

Lastly, the reading claims that renewable energy provides environmental benefits. However, the lecture says that the production and disposal of renewable energy technologies also have environmental impacts.

Rater's Comment

This response provides a summary of the main points from both the reading and the lecture, but it has some limitations that affect its overall quality. The essay is generally well-organized, with each paragraph addressing a specific point from the reading and its corresponding counterargument from the lecture. However, there are some coherence and organization issues that make the response less effective.

The writer uses simple transitions like "First," "Second," and "Lastly," which help guide the reader but could be more varied to enhance the flow of the essay. The essay maintains objectivity, focusing on summarizing the relationship between the reading and the lecture without expressing personal opinions. This adherence to the task requirements is crucial for a mid-level score.

The writer demonstrates some control over grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary, but there are noticeable errors that affect the overall quality.

Overall, this response meets some of the criteria for a mid-level score, including relating key points from both the reading and the lecture and maintaining coherence and organization. However, the grammatical errors and occasional lapses in clarity prevent it from achieving a higher score.

With these strategies and examples in mind, you're ready to practice and refine your writing abilities!

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