The Role of Public Libraries in the Digital Age - TOEFL Writing Integrated Practice Test

The TOEFL examination is a comprehensive assessment of language proficiency, with communication at its core. Among its components, the Writing Section demands exceptional versatility from candidates. This practice session targets your Integrated Writing skills specifically, offering guidance on task comprehension, response structure, and overall performance enhancement. Let's start on your journey to TOEFL writing mastery!

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.

Public libraries still play a key role in the digital age, adapting to new technologies and meeting the changing needs of their communities. One big advantage is that libraries offer free access to digital resources. These include e-books, online databases, and educational software. This is especially helpful for people who can't afford personal subscriptions or devices. It helps everyone get online and closes the digital gap.

Libraries also act as community centers, providing various programs and services that encourage lifelong learning and social interaction. Many libraries host workshops on digital skills, coding, and other technology-related areas. These help people stay up-to-date in a digital world. These programs are essential for job training, giving individuals the skills they need to succeed in today's job markets.

Also, public libraries preserve local history by scanning old documents and making them available online. This not only protects important old papers but also makes them accessible to a wider audience. By doing this, libraries help preserve and share knowledge. This ensures that future generations can learn from the past.

However, the role of public libraries isn't just about digital services. They still offer traditional resources like printed books, quiet study spaces, and personalized help from librarians. These services are vital for many community members, including students, researchers, and those who prefer physical books over digital ones.

Now play the audio.

Question

Summarize the lecturer's arguments, highlighting how they challenge specific assertions 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 the Role of Public Libraries in the Digital Age

The following section presents a comprehensive analysis of a range of responses, incorporating both mid-level and high-level proficiency. By critically examining these responses, you will be able to understand areas that require improvement in order to achieve your desired score in TOEFL.

High-Level Response

The lecture raises several challenges to the optimistic view of public libraries presented in the reading.

The passage emphasizes that libraries provide free access to digital resources, helping to close the digital gap. However, the lecture points out that many libraries face funding issues, making it difficult to maintain and update their digital resources and technology. Without adequate funding, the quality and availability of these resources can decline.

The reading also highlights libraries as community centers offering tech-related programs. The lecture counters this by noting that such programs require trained staff and equipment, which many libraries, especially smaller ones, lack. This limitation restricts their ability to meet the community's needs effectively.

Regarding the preservation of local history, the reading praises libraries for scanning old documents and making them available online. The lecture, however, argues that this process is resource-intensive, requiring significant time, skill, and money. Not all libraries can afford this, leading to unequal access to comprehensive digital archives.

Finally, while the reading acknowledges the ongoing importance of traditional library services, the lecture stresses that the focus on digital services can sometimes overshadow the need for physical books and quiet study spaces. Balancing these diverse needs remains a constant challenge for public libraries.

Rater's Comment

This response merits 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 provision of free digital resources, tech-related programs, and the preservation of local history. The response then systematically addresses how the lecture challenges each of these points, providing specific examples like funding issues, the need for trained staff, and the resource-intensive nature of digitizing documents.

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 the role of public libraries in the digital age, which are not mentioned in the reading.

The reading say libraries provide free access to digital resources, but the lecture says many libraries have limited budgets. This makes it hard to maintain and update their online resources and tech equipment. Without enough funding, the quality and availability of these digital resources can suffer.

The reading claim that libraries serve as community hubs offering tech-related programs. The lecture disagrees, say these programs need trained workers and tools that many libraries don't have. Smaller libraries might not be able to offer such extensive programming, limiting their ability to meet their community's needs.

The reading also says libraries preserve local history by scanning old documents and making them available online. The lectare points out that this takes a lot of resources, including time, skill, and money. Not all libraries can afford this, leading to unequal access to complete online records.

In conclusion, while the reading is positive about the role of public libraries in the digital age, the lecture highlights important challenges that need to be addressed.

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 provision of free digital resources and the role of libraries as community hubs. However, the response lacks depth in explaining how the lecture challenges these points. For instance, the explanation of funding issues and the need for trained staff are mentioned but not elaborated upon.

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, such as "This makes it hard to maintain and update their online resources and tech equipment" and "The lecture disagrees, saying these programs need trained workers and tools that many libraries don't have." 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.

Strategies for Taking the Integrated Writing Task on the Role of Public Libraries in the Digital Age

The following tips aim to equip you with the requisite tools to approach this task with confidence.

• The initial step necessitates a thorough reading of the passage to grasp the specific demands of the question.
• Close attention should be paid to the lecture presented in the audio clip. Take concise notes on the speaker's key arguments, examples, and evidence, particularly those used to refute or support the assertions made in the reading passage.
• Identify areas of agreement and disagreement between the reading passage and the lecture. Look for discrepancies, contradictions, or additional information in the lecture that challenges the assertions made in the reading passage.
• A well-structured response requires a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. The introduction should paraphrase the prompt and outline your main points. 
• The body paragraphs will present your analysis of the reading passage and the lecture, citing specific examples and evidence.

Are you prepared to write your way to TOEFL success? We've included sample responses and expert tips to help you along the way. Now it's your turn to practice!

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