TOEFL TPO 19 Writing Task 1 Sample: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they challenge the specific points made in the reading passage.

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Many consumers ignore commercial advertisements. In response, advertising companies have started using a new tactic, called “buzzing.” The advertisers hire people—buzzers—who personally promote (buzz) products to people they know or meet. The key part is that the buzzers do not reveal that they are being paid to promote anything. They behave as though they were just spontaneously praising a product during normal conversation. Buzzing has generated a lot of controversy, and many critics would like to see it banned.First, the critics complain that consumers should know whether a person praising a product is being paid to praise the product. Knowing this makes a big difference: we expect the truth from people who we believe do not have any motive for misleading us. But with buzzing what you hear is just paid advertising, which may well give a person incorrect information about the buzzed product.Second, since buzzers pretend they are just private individuals, consumers listen to their endorsements less critically than they should. With advertisements in print or on TV, the consumer is on guard for questionable claims or empty descriptions such as “new and improved.” But when consumers do not know they are being lobbied, they may accept claims they would otherwise be suspicious of. This may suit the manufacturers, but it could really harm consumers.And worst of all is the harmful effect that buzzing is likely to have on social relationships. Once we become aware that people we meet socially may be buzzers with a hidden agenda, we will become less trustful of people in general. So buzzing will result in the spread of mistrust and the expectation of dishonesty.

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Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they challenge the specific points made in the reading passage.

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The article criticizes the companies' new tactic of hiring "buzzers" to promote their products, claiming that it is deceptive and harmful. However, the man in the lecture casts doubt on these claims by providing several counterarguments that challenge the assertions made in the article. In response to the first point, the article posits that buzzers promote unreliable facts regarding product details in order to increase their profit. Contrarily, the man contends that even though companies pay buzzers for their services, they are professional and genuinely believe in the products they promote; otherwise, companies would not hire them. Addressing the second concern, the article asserts that buzzer's descriptions are overrated and questionable. Nevertheless, the man disputes this claim by stating that he, as a buzzer working for a company, knows every aspect of the product, including its manufacture, price, and quality. He also emphasizes that consumers ask many questions about buzzed products and will not purchase them if they are not satisfied with his answers. Finally, while the article notes that buzzers spread dishonesty towards their consumers and erode trust in social relationships, the man counters this argument by pointing out that only advanced companies with high-quality production can afford numerous buzzers to serve their promotion. Therefore, it highlights these companies' status and commitment to offering superior products. In light of these claims raised by the man in the lecture, it becomes evident that the article's assertions may be misleading and overlook several crucial aspects of buzzing as a marketing strategy.

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1.Sub Scores

Task fulfillment: 4
Organization: 4
Coherence and Cohesion: 4
Language Use: 4

2.Estimated Scores

Estimated Score: 25

3.Task completeness The essay does a good job of summarizing the points made in the lecture and explaining how they challenge the specific points made in the reading passage. However, there is room for improvement in providing more detailed explanations of the lecture's counterarguments and further elaborating on how they directly challenge the reading passage's claims.

Suggestions for improvement:

Provide more specific examples from the lecture to support your summary.
Clearly explain how each counterargument from the lecture challenges the corresponding point in the reading passage.

Examples:

Instead of just stating that buzzers are professional and genuinely believe in their products, you could mention that companies specifically look for people who already use and like their products, which makes their endorsements more authentic.
When discussing consumers' questions about buzzed products, you could provide a specific example from the lecture, such as how people ask about price, service, and how long the buzzer has used the product.

4.Essay structure and organization The essay has a clear structure with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing each point of contention, and a conclusion. The organization is logical, with each paragraph focusing on a specific point and supporting details. However, transitions between ideas could be improved to enhance coherence and cohesion.

Suggestions for improvement:

Use transition words or phrases to connect ideas within paragraphs.
Improve transitions between paragraphs to create a smoother flow throughout the essay.

Examples:

In your second paragraph, you could use a transition phrase like "On the other hand" to contrast your point with what was stated in the article.
To improve transitions between paragraphs, consider using phrases like "Moving on to another concern" or "Regarding another point raised in the article" to signal a shift in focus.

5. Grammar

The article criticizes the companies' new tactic of hiring "buzzers" to promote their products, claiming that it is deceptive and harmful. However, the man in the lecture casts doubt on these claims by providing several counterarguments that challenge the assertions made in the article.

In response to the first point, the article posits that buzzers promote unreliable facts regarding product details in order to increase their profit. Contrarily, the man contends that even though companies pay buzzers for their services, they are professional and genuinely believe in the products they promote; otherwise, companies would not hire them.

Addressing the second concern, the article asserts that buzzer's descriptions are overrated and questionable. Nevertheless, the man disputes this claim by stating that he, as a buzzer working for a company, knows every aspect of the product, including its manufacture, price, and quality. He also emphasizes that consumers ask many questions about buzzed products and will not purchase them if they are not satisfied with his answers.

Finally, while the article notes that buzzers spread dishonesty towards their consumers and erode trust in social relationships, the man counters this argument by pointing out that only advanced companies with high-quality production can afford numerous buzzers to serve their promotion. Therefore, it highlights these companies' status and commitment to offering superior products.

In light of these claims raised by the man in the lecture, it becomes evident that the article's assertions may be misleading and overlook several crucial aspects of buzzing as a marketing strategy.

Section Title: 6. Revised Essay

The article criticizes the companies' new tactic of hiring "buzzers" to promote their products, claiming that it is deceptive and harmful. However, the man in the lecture casts doubt on these claims by providing several counterarguments that challenge the assertions made in the article.

In response to the first point, the article posits that buzzers promote unreliable facts regarding product details in order to increase their profit. Contrarily, the man contends that even though companies pay buzzers for their services, they are professional and genuinely believe in the products they promote; otherwise, companies would not hire them.

Addressing the second concern, the article asserts that buzzer's descriptions are overrated and questionable. Nevertheless, the man disputes this claim by stating that he, as a buzzer working for a company, knows every aspect of the product, including its manufacture, price, and quality. He also emphasizes that consumers ask many questions about buzzed products and will not purchase them if they are not satisfied with his answers.

Finally, while the article notes that buzzers spread dishonesty towards their consumers and erode trust in social relationships, the man counters this argument by pointing out that only advanced companies with high-quality production can afford numerous buzzers to serve their promotion. Therefore, it highlights these companies' status and commitment to offering superior products.

In light of these claims raised by the man in the lecture, it becomes evident that the article's assertions may be misleading and overlook several crucial aspects of buzzing as a marketing strategy. (255 words)

Revised essay: The article criticizes the companies' new tactic of hiring "buzzers" to promote their products, claiming that it is deceptive and harmful. However, the man in the lecture casts doubt on these claims by providing several counterarguments that challenge the assertions made in the article.

In response to the first point, the article posits that buzzers promote unreliable facts regarding product details in order to increase their profit. ~~Contrarily,~~ On the contrary (revised for a more natural tone), the man contends that even though companies pay buzzers for their services, they are professional and genuinely believe in the products they promote; otherwise, companies would not hire them.

Addressing the second concern, the article asserts that buzzer's descriptions are overrated and questionable. ~~Nevertheless,~~ Nevertheless (maintained for a natural tone), the man disputes this claim by stating that he, as a buzzer working for a company, knows every aspect of the product, including its manufacture, price, and quality. He also emphasizes that consumers ask many questions about buzzed products and will not purchase them if they are not satisfied with his answers.

Finally, while the article notes that buzzers spread dishonesty towards their consumers and erode trust in social relationships, the man counters this argument by pointing out that only advanced companies with high-quality production can afford numerous buzzers to serve their promotion. ~~Therefore,~~ Therefore (maintained for a natural tone), it highlights these companies' status and commitment to offering superior products.

In light of these claims raised by the man in the lecture, it becomes evident that the article's assertions may be misleading and overlook several crucial aspects of buzzing as a marketing strategy.

8. Mind Map


1. Introduction
   - Article's criticism of buzzers
   - Lecture's counterarguments

2. Unreliable facts
   - Article: Buzzers promote unreliable facts for profit
   - Lecture: Buzzers are professional and believe in products

3. Overrated descriptions
   - Article: Buzzer's descriptions are questionable
   - Lecture: Buzzers know product details and answer consumer questions

4. Dishonesty and eroding trust
   - Article: Buzzers harm social relationships and trust
   - Lecture: Only advanced companies with high-quality products can afford buzzers, showing commitment to quality

5. Conclusion
   - Article's assertions may be misleading, overlooking crucial aspects of buzzing as a marketing strategy.

9. Key Words

Word	Phonetic Symbol	Part of Speech	English Definition	English Translation	Sample Sentence
buzzer	/ˈbʌzər/	noun	A person who promotes a product or service through word-of-mouth marketing	N/A	The company hired several buzzers to create excitement about their new product launch.
deceptive	/dɪˈsɛptɪv/	adjective	Giving an appearance or impression different from the true one; misleading	N/A	The advertisement was deceptive, making the product seem better than it actually was.
counterargument	/ˈkaʊntərˌɑrɡjəmənt/	noun	An argument or set of reasons put forward to oppose an idea or theory developed in another argument	N/A	He presented a strong counterargument that challenged the author's claims.
overrated	/ˌoʊvərˈreɪtɪd/	adjective	Having a higher opinion of (someone or something) than is deserved	N/A	Many people believe that the movie is overrated and not as good as critics claim.
manufacture	/ˌmæn.jəˈfæk.tʃər/	verb	To make or produce something, typically on a large scale using machinery	N/A	The company manufactures its products in a state-of-the-art facility.
erode	/ɪˈroʊd/	verb	Gradually destroy or be gradually destroyed	N/A	Trust between them began to erode after several misunderstandings.
commitment	/kəˈmɪtmənt/	noun	The state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc	N/A	Their commitment to customer satisfaction sets them apart from other companies in the industry.
misleading	/mɪsˈliːdɪŋ/	adjective	Giving the wrong idea or impression; deceptive	N/A	The article's claims were misleading and did not accurately represent the situation.
marketing strategy	/ˈmɑrkətɪŋ ˈstrætədʒi/	noun	A plan of action designed to promote and sell products or services	N/A	The company's marketing strategy included hiring buzzers to spread positive word-of-mouth.
assertion	/əˈsɜrʃ(ə)n/	noun	A confident and forceful statement of fact or belief	N/A	The speaker's assertion was challenged by the audience member, who provided a counterargument.