The Influence of Fast Fashion on the Environment - TOEFL Writing Integrated Practice Test

Understanding academic relationships between written and spoken content is crucial for TOEFL success. Today's practice focuses on the Integrated Writing task, where you'll learn to identify key points, recognize relationships, and present information clearly. Let's develop the skills you need to excel in this challenging component.

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.

Fast fashion, known for quickly producing cheap clothing to match the latest trends, has a big negative impact on the environment. One of the main problems is the huge waste created by the fast fashion industry. Clothes are often thrown away after only a few uses, leading to a massive build-up of fabric waste in landfills. These fabrics can take hundreds of years to break down, releasing harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases into the environment.

Another major concern is the excessive use of water in making fast fashion. The textile industry is one of the biggest users of water, with large amounts needed for dyeing and finishing processes. For example, making just one cotton shirt can use up to 2,700 liters of water. This high water use drains local water resources, especially in areas already facing water shortages, and can lead to severe environmental problems.

Fast fashion also adds to pollution through the use of toxic chemicals. The dyes and treatments used in making textiles often contain dangerous substances that can pollute water bodies when released as industrial waste. These pollutants can harm water life and disrupt ecosystems. Additionally, making artificial fibers like polyester releases microplastics into the environment, which can be eaten by marine organisms and enter the food chain.

Additionally, the carbon footprint of fast fashion is large. The industry relies heavily on fossil fuels for making and transporting clothes. The entire life span of fast fashion items, from production to disposal, generates significant carbon emissions. This contributes to global warming and worsens climate change, posing a threat to the planet's long-term health.

Now play the audio.

Question

Provide a concise overview of the lecture's arguments, detailing their opposition to specific claims presented in the reading passage.

Wait! Before you check out the sample answers to the Writing Integrated task, let’s learn what a good TOEFL score is!

Sample Responses for the Integrated Writing Task on the Influence of Fast Fashion on the Environment

Analyze the two sample responses provided, one at a mid-level and the other at a high-level. Comparing these examples will offer you useful insights to help strengthen your writing response.

High-Level Response

The reading passage highlights the environmental issues caused by fast fashion, such as waste accumulation, excessive water use, pollution from toxic chemicals, and a large carbon footprint. It argues that the fast fashion industry contributes significantly to environmental degradation through its production and disposal processes.

However, the lecture presents several counterarguments. The professor points out the economic benefits of fast fashion, noting that it creates millions of jobs worldwide, particularly in developing countries. This challenges the reading's focus on the negative environmental impact by highlighting the industry's role in improving living standards and reducing poverty. The lecture also emphasizes the role of consumer behavior in driving the demand for fast fashion, suggesting that educating consumers about eco-friendly choices can help mitigate environmental damage. This contradicts the reading's implication that the industry alone is responsible for the environmental issues.

Additionally, the professor discusses technological advancements that offer potential solutions, such as textile recycling and sustainable materials. These innovations can reduce the environmental footprint of the fashion industry, opposing the reading's assertion that fast fashion inevitably leads to environmental harm. Lastly, the lecture highlights the importance of government regulations in addressing the environmental issues associated with fast fashion. Stricter environmental standards and policies promoting sustainable practices can drive positive change, challenging the passage's claim that fast fashion is inherently detrimental to the environment.

Rater's Comment

The response effectively summarizes the main points from both the reading and the lecture, demonstrating a clear understanding of the material. It accurately presents the environmental issues caused by fast fashion as outlined in the reading, such as waste accumulation, excessive water use, pollution from toxic chemicals, and a large carbon footprint. The response then contrasts these points with the concerns raised in the lecture, such as the economic benefits, the role of consumer behavior, technological advancements, and the importance of government regulations.

The response is well-organized and coherent, with each paragraph focusing on a specific point of comparison between the reading and the lecture. The language is clear and concise, with strong control over grammar and vocabulary, making the response easy to read and understand.

Overall, the response successfully presents all key information from both the reading and the lecture, demonstrating a strong ability to synthesize and summarize complex material.

Mid-Level Response

The reading passage talk about the environmental issues caused by fast fashion, like waste acumullation and excessive water use. It says that fast fashion leads to pollution from toxic chemicals and has a large carbon footprint. The passage argues that the industry contributes significantly to environmental degradation.

The lecture, however, point out some other factors that make the issue more complex. The professor says that fast fashion creates millions of jobs worldwide, especially on developing countries. This helps improve living standards and reduce poverty. The lecture also mentions the role of consumer behavior in driving the demand for fast fashion. Educating consumers about eco friendly choices can help reduce the environmental impect.

Another point the lecture raise is the potential of technological advancements. Innovations in textile recycling and sustainable materials can reduce the environmental footprint of the fashion industry. The lecture also says that government regulations can play a big role in addressing the environmental issues linked to fast fashion. Stricter environmental standards and policies promoting sustainable practices can drive positive change.

In conclusion, while the reading highlights the environmental damage caused by fast fashion, the lecture brings up important factors that need to be considered.

Rater's Comment

The response provides a basic summary of the main points from both the reading and the lecture, but it lacks depth and detail. It correctly identifies the environmental issues caused by fast fashion mentioned in the reading, such as waste accumulation and excessive water use. However, the explanation of these points is somewhat superficial and lacks specific examples or details.

There are some grammatical errors in the response. Overall, the response demonstrates a basic understanding of the material but lacks the depth, detail, and coherence needed for a higher score. The grammatical errors and lack of specific examples also detract from the overall quality of the response.

Strategies for Taking the Integrated Writing Task on the Influence of Fast Fashion on the Environment

Here are some key strategies to help you approach this task with confidence.

• Carefully read the passage to identify key points about fast fashion's impact on the environment.
• Listen for contrasting or supporting ideas in the lecture, focusing on environmental consequences discussed.
• Note the relationship between the reading and the lecture, such as agreements, contradictions, or expansions.
• Create an outline with clear sections: introduction, body paragraphs addressing the reading and lecture, and a conclusion.
• Highlight differences or similarities between the perspectives in the reading and the lecture, explaining how they align or diverge.

Now that you've reviewed the sample responses and learned some useful writing strategies, it's time to put your skills into practice!

Also Read:

• The Role of Volunteerism in Community Development - TOEFL Writing Integrated Test
• The Role of Vaccination in Public Health - TOEFL Writing Integrated Test
• The Role of Urbanization in Environmental Degradation - TOEFL Writing Integrated Test
• The Role of Universal Healthcare in Reducing Health Inequality - TOEFL Writing Integrated Test