TOEFL TPO 40 Writing Task 1 Sample: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how the proposal discussed in the lecture would solve the specific challenges described in the reading passage.
Historical user samples and AI evaluation results from an older TOEFL format.
32 archived user samples
Older TOEFL Format
This task is from a previous version of the TOEFL exam. The current TOEFL has a different structure. These archived samples remain available as a reference for practice.
Task Overview
Reading Passage
Many scientists believe it would be possible to maintain a permanent human presence on Mars or the Moon. On the other hand, conditions on Venus are so extreme and inhospitable that maintaining a human presence there would be impossible.First, atmospheric pressure at Venus’ surface is at least 90 times greater than the pressure at Earth’s surface. This means that a force of 100 kilograms is pressing down on every square centimeter of surface. All spacecraft that have landed on Venus have been crushed by this extreme pressure within an hour of landing. Almost anything humans might land on Venus would be crushed as well.Second, as far as we know, there are no reservoirs of water on Venus’ surface, and the planet’s atmosphere, made up mostly of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and sulfuric acid, contains hardly any oxygen or water vapor. Water and oxygen would therefore probably have to be supplied to Venus from Earth. The idea of ensuring a regular supply of water and oxygen from Earth is impractical in the extreme and would probably defeat the purpose of establishing a permanent station on Venus.Third, very little sunlight reaches the planet’s surface. About 60 percent of the sunlight that hits Venus is reflected back into space by the thick clouds that fill the atmosphere, which means that only 40 percent of the sunlight can get through the clouds. Below these clouds is a dense layer of carbon dioxide, which blocks even more light, so very little light reaches the surface. The lack of light would prevent the use of solar power cells, so humans could not get electricity to power their machines and equipment.
Question
Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how the proposal discussed in the lecture would solve the specific challenges described in the reading passage.
User Samples & Evaluation Results
User Sample
In the reading material, the author cites three reasons to support the viewpoint that the conditions on Venus are too extreme and inhospitable, which makes permanent human presence on Venus impossible. Nevertheless, the lecturer in the listening material argues that constructing a floating station 50km above the surface of Venus would overcome the challenges, and opposes the points in the reading material. First and foremost, the author argues that the atmospheric pressure on Venus is 90 times that of Earth and will crush any spacecraft that land on it. However, the lecturer offers an opposite stand that although the atmospheric pressure is too high on the surface of Venus, it is much low at a high altitude - 50 km above surface. At this level, the pressure is about the same as that on Earth, and poses no danger. In addition, the lecturer casts doubt on the author's another reason that there is no water on the surface or in the atmosphere of Venus (so the purpose of a permanent station is defeated as water and oxygen need to be supplied from Earth), demonstrating that water and oxygen can be made out of chemical compounds from Venus's atmosphere. Compounds such as carbon dioxide and a certain acid can be processed to make oxygen and water - no need to import them from Earth. Finally, the author's third reason that little sunlight reaches Venus's surface (blocked by thick clouds and CO2) makes generating electricity from solar power cells impossible is also counteracted by the lecturer who points out that at 50 km above Venus's surface, cloud is not as thick as on the surface. In addition, at this height there is also more reflected light from clouds above and below.Therefore, adequate electricity can be generated to power the floating
Evaluation Result
1.子项得分 任务完成度: 5 组织: 4 连贯性和衔接: 4 语言运用: 4
2.预估分数
25. 3.任务完成度
总体来说,这篇文章很好地完成了任务要求。作者准确地总结了听力材料中的观点,并详细解释了演讲者如何针对阅读材料中提出的挑战提出解决方案。为了进一步提高文章质量,可以尝试在引入听力观点时使用更多的同义词或短语,以避免重复。
示例1: 原文:Nevertheless, the lecturer in the listening material argues that constructing a floating station 50km above the surface of Venus would overcome the challenges, and opposes the points in the reading material. 修改后:On the contrary, the speaker in the listening passage contends that building a floating station 50km above Venus's surface could surmount these obstacles and refutes the claims made in the reading passage.
示例2: 原文:In addition, at this height there is also more reflected light from clouds above and below. 修改后:Furthermore, at this altitude, there is an increased amount of reflected light from both upper and lower cloud layers.
4.文章结构与组织 这篇文章的结构和组织基本上是清晰的,包括引言、主体和结论。每个段落都集中讨论一个具体的观点,并提供支持细节。然而,可以在段落之间加入更明确的过渡词或短语,以提高文章的连贯性。
建议1:在引言部分,可以更明确地指出文章将讨论听力材料中提出的解决方案。 示例:In this essay, we will discuss the solutions proposed in the lecture to address the challenges mentioned in the reading passage.
建议2:在主体段落之间使用过渡词或短语。 示例:Moving on to the second challenge, the author claims that... However, the lecturer counters this argument by stating that...
5. 语法批改
In the reading material, the author cites three reasons to support the viewpoint that the conditions on Venus are too extreme and inhospitable, which makes permanent human presence on Venus impossible. Nevertheless, the lecturer in the listening material argues that constructing a floating station 50km above the surface of Venus would overcome the challenges, and opposes the points in the reading material.
First and foremost, the author argues that the atmospheric pressure on Venus is 90 times that of Earth and will crush any spacecraft that land on it. However, the lecturer offers an opposite stand that although the atmospheric pressure is too high on the surface of Venus, it is much lowmuch lower(Superfluous article before 'much', e.g. 'a much work') at a high altitude - 50 km above surfacethe surface(This rule identifies whether the article 'the' is missing in a sentence.). At this level, the pressure is about the same as that on Earth, and poses no danger.
In addition, the lecturer casts doubt on the author's another reason that there is no water on the surface or in the atmosphere of Venus (so the purpose of a permanent station is defeated as water and oxygen need to be supplied from Earth), demonstrating that water and oxygen can be made out of chemical compounds from Venus's atmosphere. Compounds such as carbon dioxide and a certain acid can be processed to make oxygen and water - no need to import them from Earth.
Finally, the author's third reason that little sunlight reaches Venus's surface (blocked by thick clouds and CO2) makes generating electricity from solar power cells impossible is also counteracted by the lecturer who points out that at 50 km above Venus's surface, cloud is not as thick as on the surface. In addition, at this heightheight,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) there is also more reflected light from clouds above and below.Therefore Therefore(Missing space between sentences), adequate electricity can be generated to power the floating
Section Title: 6.文章修订
In the reading material, the author cites three reasons to support the viewpoint that the conditions on Venus are too extreme and inhospitable, which makes permanent human presence on Venus impossible. Nevertheless, the lecturer in the listening material argues that constructing a floating station 50km above the surface of Venus would overcome these challenges and opposes the points in the reading material.
First and foremost, the author argues that the atmospheric pressure on Venus is 90 times that of Earth and will crush any spacecraft that land on it. However, the lecturer offers an opposite stand that although the atmospheric pressure is too high on the surface of Venus, it is much lower at a high altitude - 50 km above surface. At this level, the pressure is about the same as that on Earth, and poses no danger.
In addition, the lecturer casts doubt on another reason provided by the author: there is no water on Venus's surface or in its atmosphere (so establishing a permanent station would be impractical as water and oxygen need to be supplied from Earth). The lecturer demonstrates that water and oxygen can be made out of chemical compounds from Venus's atmosphere. Compounds such as carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid can be processed to make oxygen and water - eliminating any need to import them from Earth.
Finally, regarding author's third reason – little sunlight reaching Venus's surface (blocked by thick clouds and CO2) makes generating electricity from solar power cells impossible – it is also counteracted by the lecturer who points out that at 50 km above Venus's surface, cloud coverage is not as dense as on its surface. In addition, at this height there is also more reflected light from clouds above and below. Therefore, adequate electricity can be generated to power a floating station using solar power cells. (310 words)
Revised essay: Section Title: 7.文章批改
In the reading material, the author cites three reasons to support the viewpoint that the conditions on Venus are too extreme and inhospitable, which makes making permanent human presence on Venus impossible. Nevertheless, the lecturer in the listening material argues that constructing a floating station 50km above the Venus's surface of Venus would overcome the challenges, these challenges and opposes the points in the reading material.
First and foremost, the author argues that the atmospheric pressure on Venus is 90 times that of Earth and will crush any spacecraft that land lands on it. However, the lecturer offers an opposite stand opposing stance, stating that although the atmospheric pressure is too high on the surface of Venus, Venus's surface, it is much low lower at a high altitude - 50 km above its surface. At this level, the pressure is about the same as that on Earth, Earth and poses no danger.
In addition, the lecturer casts doubt on the author's another reason that provided by the author: there is no water on the Venus's surface or in the its atmosphere of Venus (so the purpose of establishing a permanent station is defeated would be impractical as water and oxygen need to be supplied from Earth), demonstrating . The lecturer demonstrates that water and oxygen can be made out of chemical compounds from Venus's atmosphere. Compounds such as carbon dioxide and a certain sulfuric acid can be processed to make oxygen and water - no eliminating any need to import them from Earth.
Finally, the regarding author's third reason that – little sunlight reaches reaching Venus's surface (blocked by thick clouds and CO2) makes generating electricity from solar power cells impossible – it is also counteracted by the lecturer who points out that at 50 km above Venus's surface, cloud coverage is not as thick as on the dense as on its surface. In addition, at this height there is also more reflected light from clouds above and below.Therefore, below. Therefore, adequate electricity can be generated to power the floatinga floating station using solar power cells.
8. Mind Map

9. Keywords
| Word | Phonetic Symbol | Part of Speech | English Definition | Simplified Chinese Translation (if needed) | Sample Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| inhospitable | /ɪnˈhɒspɪtəbl/ | adjective | not welcoming or generous to guests and visitors; not offering a pleasant or sustaining environment | 不适合居住的,不友好的 | The conditions on Venus are too extreme and inhospitable for human presence. |
| atmospheric pressure | /ætməˈsfɛrɪk ˈprɛʃər/ | noun phrase | the force exerted on a surface by the weight of the atmosphere above it; also called air pressure or barometric pressure | 大气压力,气压,气象压力 | The atmospheric pressure on Venus is 90 times that of Earth. |
| altitude | /ˈæltɪtjuːd/ | noun | height above sea level or the earth's surface, usually measured in meters or feet; elevation | 海拔,高度 | At an altitude of 50 km above Venus's surface, the atmospheric pressure is similar to Earth's. |
| compound | /ˈkɒmpaʊnd/ | noun | a substance formed from two or more elements chemically united in fixed proportions | 化合物 | Carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid are compounds found in Venus's atmosphere. |
| integrate | /ˈɪntɪgreɪt/ | verb | to combine or mix two or more things together to form a single unit | 整合,结合 | We can integrate the resources from Venus's atmosphere to create water and oxygen. |
| counteract | /ˌkaʊntərˈækt/ | verb | to act against something in order to reduce its force or neutralize it | 抵消,对抗 | The lecturer counteracts the author's argument about solar power cells being ineffective on Venus. |
| dense | /dɛns/ | adjective | closely compacted in substance; having parts that are close together, making it difficult for light, air, etc., to pass through | 稠密的,密集的 | The cloud coverage is not as dense at 50 km above Venus's surface. |
| reflected light | /rɪˈflɛktɪd laɪt/ | noun phrase | light that has been thrown back after striking a surface; not absorbed by the surface | 反射光,反光 | At 50 km above Venus's surface, there is more reflected light from clouds above and below. |
| generate | /ˈdʒɛnəreɪt/ | verb | to produce or create something, especially power or energy; bring into existence | 产生,发生,生成 | Adequate electricity can be generated using solar power cells at this altitude. |
| floating station | /ˈfloʊtɪŋ ˈsteɪʃən/ | noun phrase | a structure that is designed to float on water or in the atmosphere of a planet and serve as a base for operations or research activities | 漂浮站,浮动站 | A floating station 50 km above Venus's surface could overcome the challenges of extreme conditions. |
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