The Impact of Factory Farming on Animal Welfare - TOEFL Writing Integrated Practice Test

Understanding the relationship between academic texts and lectures forms the cornerstone of TOEFL Integrated Writing success. Our practice today focuses on developing your ability to identify key points, recognize connections, and present information coherently. Let's build the foundation for your writing excellence with proven strategies and focused practice.

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.

The impact of factory farming on animal welfare has been a subject of intense examination and debate. Critics argue that factory farming practices have numerous harmful effects on the well-being of animals.

One of the main concerns is the overcrowded and confined living conditions in factory farms. Animals are often kept in small, cramped spaces with little room to move or engage in natural behaviors. For example, chickens are frequently housed in battery cages, and pigs are confined to pregnancy crates. These restrictive environments can lead to physical injuries, stress, and behavioral problems. The lack of space and stimulation prevents animals from expressing their natural instincts, resulting in poor welfare.

Another significant issue is the use of growth hormones and antibiotics. To maximize production, factory farms often give growth hormones to animals to speed up their growth rates. This practice can lead to health problems, such as limping and organ failure. Also, the widespread use of antibiotics to prevent disease in crowded conditions contributes to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This not only poses a risk to animal health but also has serious consequences for human health.

Factory farming practices also involve painful procedures without adequate pain relief. For instance, animals may undergo beak trimming, tail docking, and castration to prevent injuries and improve management. These procedures are often performed without numbing, causing significant pain and distress to the animals. The lack of proper veterinary care and pain management further increases the suffering experienced by animals in factory farms.

Also, the high mortality rates in factory farms are suggestive of poor animal welfare. The stressful and unsanitary conditions in these facilities can lead to the spread of diseases and infections. Many animals do not survive the harsh conditions and those that do often suffer from chronic health issues. The focus on maximizing production and profit often comes at the expense of animal welfare, leading to a system where the well-being of animals is compromised.

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 Impact of Factory Farming on Animal Welfare

Review the two provided sample responses, one at a mid-level and the other at a high-level. Comparing these examples will offer you helpful insights that can assist you in enhancing and polishing your writing response.

High-Level Response

The reading passage highlights the negative impact of factory farming on animal welfare. However, the lecture presents several counterarguments to these points.

The passage suggests that factory farming involves overcrowded and confined living conditions, leading to physical injuries and stress for animals. The lecture counters this by arguing that factory farming is highly efficient and can produce large quantities of food at lower costs, which is crucial for meeting the growing global demand for meat and animal products. This efficiency helps ensure food security and makes animal products more affordable, especially in developing countries.

Regarding the use of growth hormones and antibiotics, the passage claims that these practices lead to health problems and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The lecture, however, argues that the use of antibiotics and growth hormones is regulated and monitored to ensure safety. Regulatory agencies set guidelines and limits on the use of these substances to minimize risks to animal and human health.

The passage also emphasizes that factory farming involves painful procedures without adequate pain relief, causing significant distress to animals. The lecture challenges this by suggesting that advancements in technology and management practices are improving animal welfare in factory farms.

Finally, the passage highlights the high mortality rates in factory farms as indicative of poor animal welfare. The lecture, however, argues that factory farming can contribute to environmental sustainability by optimizing resource use and reducing waste.

Rater's Comment

This response deserves a high score because it effectively summarizes the main points from both the reading and the lecture, demonstrating a clear understanding of the material. The response is well-organized, with each paragraph addressing a specific point of contention between the reading and the lecture. The response accurately paraphrases the information from both sources, avoiding direct copying and demonstrating the ability to convey complex ideas in a clear and concise manner.

Additionally, the response maintains an objective tone, focusing on summarizing the relationship between the reading and the lecture without expressing personal opinions. The language used is appropriate for a college-level response, with strong control over grammar and vocabulary, and only minor errors that do not affect the overall meaning. Overall, this response meets all 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 argues that factory farming negatively impacts animal welfare but the lecture has some points against this idea.

The reading says factory farming involves overcrowded and confined living conditions, leading to physical injuries and stress for animals. But the lecture argues that factory farming is highly efficient and can produce large quantities of food at lower costs, which is crucial for meeting the growing global demand for meat and animal products.

Regarding the use of growth hormones and antibiotics, the reading claims that these practices lead to health problems and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The lecture, however, argues that the use of antibiotics and growth hormones is regulated and monitored to ensure safety.

The reading also emphasizes that factory farming involves painful procedures without adequate pain relief, causing significant distress to animals. The lecture challenges this by suggesting that advancements in technology and management practices are improving animal welfare in factory farms.

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 prevent it from achieving a higher score. While the response accurately identifies the key arguments from both sources, it lacks depth in its analysis and explanation. For example, the response mentions that the lecture argues against the use of growth hormones and antibiotics, but it does not elaborate on how regulatory agencies set guidelines and limits to ensure safety. Additionally, the response has some grammatical errors, such as "The reading says factory farming involves overcrowded and confined living conditions, leading to physical injuries and stress for animals," which could be more clearly stated as "The reading suggests that factory farming involves overcrowded and confined living conditions, leading to physical injuries and stress for animals." The response also lacks a conclusion, which would help to summarize the overall relationship between the reading and the lecture. Furthermore, the response could benefit from more effective use of transitions to improve coherence and flow. Despite these issues, the response demonstrates a basic understanding of the material and provides a clear comparison of the opposing viewpoints. Overall, this response meets the criteria for a mid-level score, but it could be improved with more detailed analysis, better organization, and fewer grammatical errors.

Strategies for Taking the Integrated Writing Task on the Impact of Factory Farming on Animal Welfare

Here are strategies for answering the questions in the Writing Integrated task.

• Note specific examples or case studies mentioned in both sources.
• Begin your response by clearly stating the relationship between the reading and the lecture.
• Organize your essay to address the main points from both sources systematically.
• Use clear attributions when referencing information from each source.
• Integrate and compare information from both the reading and lecture.

Now that you’ve reviewed strategies and sample responses, it’s time to practice and refine your skills further!

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