The Effects of Automation on the Global Workforce - TOEFL Writing Integrated Practice Test

TOEFL's Integrated Writing task tests your ability to process and connect academic information effectively. Today's practice session will help you develop essential skills for understanding texts, processing lectures, and producing clear comparisons. Get ready to transform your approach to this challenging component of the test.

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.

Automation is quickly changing industries around the world, and its impact on workers is huge. Supporters say that automation can boost work output and economic growth. By automating repetitive and boring tasks, companies can work better and save money. This can lead to lower prices for consumers and higher profits for businesses, which can then be reinvested into more new ideas and job creation.

Also, automation can make workplaces safer by taking over dangerous tasks that put human workers at risk. In fields like manufacturing and mining, robots and automated systems can handle risky jobs, reducing the number of workplace injuries and deaths. This not only protects workers but also cuts the costs linked to workplace accidents.

Also, automation can open up new job opportunities in growing fields. As technology moves forward, there's a rising need for skilled workers who can develop, maintain, and run automated systems. This demand can create high-paying jobs in areas like robotics, artificial intelligence, and data analysis. By investing in education and training, workers can move into these new roles and benefit from the changing job market.

Finally, automation can improve the quality of work by letting employees focus on more creative and strategic tasks. By passing routine tasks to machines, workers can engage in activities that need critical thinking, problem-solving, and new ideas. This change can lead to greater job satisfaction and personal happiness, as employees can contribute more meaningfully to their organizations.

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.

Learn what a good TOEFL score is before you check out the sample answers to the Writing Integrated task!

Sample Responses for the Integrated Writing Task on the Effects of Automation on the Global Workforce

Evaluate the two sample responses given—one at a mid-level and the other at a high-level. By analyzing these examples, you’ll gain important insights that can help you improve and refine your writing response.

High-Level Response

The reading passage highlights the benefits of automation. However, the lecture presents several counterarguments that challenge these points.

The professor argues that automation leads to job loss, particularly for low-skilled workers. As machines take over tasks previously done by humans, many jobs are at risk of disappearing, leading to widespread unemployment. This contradicts the reading's claim that automation creates new job opportunities.

Additionally, the lecture points out that automation can widen the gap between rich and poor. High-skilled workers who can adapt to new technologies may see wage increases, while low-skilled workers may face stagnant or declining wages. This challenges the reading's assertion that automation benefits all workers.

The professor also notes that transitioning to an automated workforce requires significant investment in education and training. Not all countries or regions have the resources to provide this, leaving many workers unable to compete in the new job market. This opposes the reading's view that workers can easily move into new roles with proper training.

Lastly, the lecture emphasizes the loss of human touch in various industries due to automation. In fields like healthcare and customer service, personal interaction is crucial for quality care and support. Automation may streamline processes but can lead to impersonal experiences that do not meet individual needs. This contradicts the reading's claim that automation improves job quality by allowing workers to focus on more meaningful tasks.

Rater's Comment

This response effectively captures 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 counterargument from the lecture that challenges a point made in the reading. The response also highlights the widening gap between rich and poor, the challenges of investing in education and training, and the loss of human touch, all of which are key points from the lecture that challenge the reading's assertions.

The language used is clear and concise, with appropriate transitions that help to maintain coherence and flow. The response avoids personal opinions and focuses on summarizing the relationship between the reading and the lecture, which is a crucial aspect of the task. Additionally, the response demonstrates strong control over grammar and vocabulary, with only minor errors that do not affect the overall meaning. Overall, this response meets the criteria for a high score, effectively presenting the key information from both the reading and the lecture in a well-organized and coherent manner.

Mid-Level Response

The reading passage talks about the benefits of automation. It also mentions new job opportunities and improved job quality. However, the lecture presents some challenges to these points.

The professor says that automation leads to job loss, especially for low-skilled workers. As machines take over tasks that humans used to do, many jobs are at risk of disappearing. This goes against the readings claim that automation creates new job opportunities.

The professor also mentions that automation can widen the gap between rich and poor. High-skilled workers who can adapt to new technologis might see their wages go up, while low-skilled workers may face flat or falling wages. This challenges the readings idea that automasion benefits all workers.

Another point the professor makes is that moving to an automated workforce needs a lot of investment in education and training. Not all countries or regions have the resources to help workers learn new skills. This lack of access to education and training can leave many workers behind, unable to compette in the new job market.

Lastly, the professor says that relying on automated systems can lead to a loss of human touch in various industries.

Rater's Comment

This response provides a summary of the main points from both the reading and the lecture, but it lacks some depth and detail. The essay is generally well-organized, with each paragraph addressing a specific counterargument from the lecture. However, some key points from the lecture are not fully developed. Similarly, the discussion on the widening gap between rich and poor could be more detailed.

There are also some grammatical and punctuation errors that affect the clarity of the response. Additionally, the phrase "This challenges the reading's idea that automation benefits all workers" is somewhat vague and could be more specific about how the wage gap impacts workers.

Despite these issues, the response does capture the main points from both the reading and the lecture and demonstrates a basic understanding of the material. The language used is generally clear, but there are noticeable errors that affect the overall coherence. Overall, this response meets the criteria for a mid-level score, providing a summary of the key information but lacking in depth and detail, with some grammatical and punctuation errors.

Now that you've explored sample responses, it's time to put them into practice and continue improving your skills!

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