Should Space Tourism Be Commercialised - TOEFL Writing Practice Test (Integrated)

In the TOEFL Writing section, the Integrated Writing task evaluates your ability to create a cohesive essay based on both a reading passage and a lecture. This practice test focuses on helping you interpret task instructions, organize your response, and deliver an accurate summary of key points. Get ready to master the skills essential for acing this critical section!

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.

Making space tourism a business could change the travel industry and offer many benefits. Supporters say it will push advances in technology, create jobs, and inspire future scientists and engineers. Developing reusable rockets and other space travel technologies can lead to new ideas or methods that help other fields, like aviation and telecommunications.

The economic benefits are also big. The space tourism industry can create thousands of jobs, from engineers and technicians to hospitality staff and tour guides. Additionally, it can attract large investments, boost local economies, and help related sectors grow. For example, building space stations and training centers will need building infrastructure, increasing demand for construction and maintenance services.

Also, space tourism can inspire young people to go into science and technology. The thrill of space travel can spark a love for learning and new ideas, leading to a more skilled and motivated workforce. This can have long-term benefits for society, as a well-educated population is better prepared to face future challenges.

However, the commercialization of space tourism has its downsides. Critics say it poses serious environmental risks. Rocket launches release large amounts of greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. Additionally, making and getting rid of spacecraft materials can harm the environment.

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 Space Tourism Be Commercialised

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

While the reading talks about the potential benefits of making space tourism a business, there are important concerns to think about. The claim that space tourism will drive advances in technology overlooks the fact that these advancements might not be as useful as expected. Focusing on space travel technologies could take resources and attention away from more urgent issues on Earth, like clean energy and new healthcare methods.

Economic benefits are often overstated. The jobs created by the space tourism industry may be limited to very specialized fields, leaving out many workers. Also, the large investments needed for space tourism could be better spent on improving public facilities and services that help more people. The economic boost from space tourism may not be as widespread as supporters suggest.

The environmental impact of space tourism is a big worry. Rocket launches release a lot of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, making climate change worse. These factors could cancel out any potential benefits of space tourism, making it an unsustainable industry in the long run.

To sum up, while space tourism could bring some benefits, the risks and drawbacks must be carefully considered.

Rater's Comment

This response deserves a high score due to its clear and concise summary of both the reading and the lecture. The writer effectively captures the main points from the reading, such as the potential for technological advancements, economic benefits, and inspirational value of space tourism. The response then systematically addresses how the lecture challenges each of these points, providing specific examples like the diversion of resources from urgent Earthly issues and the limited scope of job creation.

The essay is well-organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific point of contention between the reading and the lecture. The use of transitions like "however" and "in summary" helps to maintain a logical flow, making the essay easy to follow. The language is clear and straightforward, avoiding overly complex words and sentences, which aligns well with the writing style of a college graduate.

Moreover, the response demonstrates strong control over grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary, with only minor errors that do not affect the overall meaning. This level of clarity and coherence, combined with the accurate representation of both the reading and the lecture, justifies the high score.

Mid-Level Response

The lecture talks about some problems with making space tourism a business, which are not mentioned in the reading.

The reading says space tourism will drive technological advancements. But the lecture says these advancements might not be as useful as expected. It says focusing on space travel could take resources away from more urgent issue on Earth, like clean energy and healthcare.

The reading claim that space tourism will create many jobs and attract investments. The lecture disagries, saying the jobs created will be very specialized, leaving out many workers. Also, the large investments needed for space tourism could be better spent on public facillities and services that help more people.

The reading also say space tourism can inspire young people to go into science and technology. The lecture doesn't talk about this but focuses on the environmental impact. It says rocket launches release a lot of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, making climate change worse. The environmental cost of making and getting rid of spacecraft materials is also high.

Rater's Comment

This response earns a mid-level score due to its partial but not comprehensive summary of the reading and the lecture. The writer captures some key points from both sources, such as the potential for technological advancements and economic benefits of space tourism. However, the response lacks depth in explaining how the lecture challenges these points.

The essay is somewhat organized, with each paragraph addressing a specific point, but the transitions between ideas are not as smooth as they could be. The use of phrases like "but" and "also" helps to some extent, but the overall flow could be improved.

There are noticeable grammatical and punctuation errors. These errors do not severely hinder understanding but do affect the overall clarity and coherence of the essay.

Overall, the response provides a limited summary of the reading and the lecture, with some lapses in organization and coherence, justifying the mid-level score.

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

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