TOEFL TPO -1 Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Read the Academic Discussion question below. Complete the following tasks. (1) Underline the topic and task words in the prompt. (2) Underline the students’ positions and supporting ideas. Your professor is teaching a class on education. Write a post responding to the professor’s question.
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Professor
As discussed in class, knowing history is essential for understanding the present and shaping the future. It provides us with a sense of identity and helps us to understand the complexities of the world we live in. It also helps us to develop critical thinking skills, as we learn to analyze and interpret historical events and their impact on society. Before next class, I would like you to discuss this question: Should studying history be made compulsory for all university students, regardless of their main fi eld of study? Why?
Amy
I would defi nitely say that all university students regardless of their major should be required to study history. History teaches us about the successes and failures of past societies, and the lessons we can learn from them. Additionally, studying history promotes empathy and understanding of different cultures and perspectives. By making history a compulsory subject, universities can ensure that all students have a well-rounded education and become informed and engaged citizens.
Jeremy
I hold a different view from Amy and believe that not every college student should learn history. While history provides valuable insights into the past, it may not be relevant or necessary for students pursuing certain fi elds of study. For example, a student studying engineering may not benefi t from studying ancient civilizations. Also, forcing students to study history may lead to disinterest and lack of engagement, ultimately defeating the purpose of education.
User Samples & Evaluation Results
User Sample
In response to professor's questions, I firmly believe that studying history should not be made compulsory for all university students. This perspective aligns with Jeremy's argument that history knowledge may noy be relevant for students pursuing certain fields of study. Furthermore, learning history will make students have no time to relax. Studying history could take up a lot of time since students need to attend numerous courses and after single class, students are supposed to practice for hours. For example, they need to learn historical figures, historical events and they need to spend time to complete some homeworks. All of this time could have been devoted to doing something fun, such as watching movie, going to the gym, listening to the music, which can help students to relax. Otherwise, students my get str out with tons of difficult assignments and hours and hours of courses every day. While Amy contends that study history can ensures that all students have a well-rounded education and become informed and engaged citizens, she overlooks the fact that learning their major and get good grade is far more crucial than merely cultivating how to understand the complexities of the world.
Evaluation Result
1. 子项得分
Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.0 Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 3.5 Language Use and Grammar: 3.5
2. 预估分数
Estimated Score: 22 (3.5)
3. 任务完成度
你的文章在任务完成度方面表现良好,但仍有一些改进空间。首先,你需要更清晰地表达你的观点,并提供更多相关的细节和例子来支持你的论点。此外,在回答问题时,尽量避免使用过于简单或重复的词汇和表达。
改进建议示例:
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在讨论学习历史对学生是否有益时,可以提供更具体的例子,如历史课程如何影响了学生在其他领域的学习。
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在谈到学习历史可能导致学生没有时间放松时,可以讨论其他方法来平衡学习和休闲活动,而不是仅仅列举一些娱乐活动。
4. 文章结构与组织
从文章结构和组织方面来看,你的文章整体上是合理的。然而,在某些段落中,你需要更明确地阐述主题,并确保每个段落都集中讨论一个特定的观点。同时,在段落之间使用清晰的过渡词和短语,以帮助读者更好地理解你的观点。
改进建议示例:
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在引入你的观点时,可以使用更明确的表达,如:“在我看来,学习历史对于某些专业的学生并非必要。”
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在讨论学习历史可能导致学生没有时间放松时,可以添加一个过渡句子,如:“此外,强制性学习历史可能会影响学生在其他方面的发展。”
5. 语法批改
In response to professor's questions, I firmly believe that studying history should not be made compulsory for all university students. This perspective aligns with Jeremy's argument that history knowledge may noynot(misspelling) be relevant (Two consecutive spaces)for students pursuing certain fields of study. Furthermore, learning history will make students have no time to relax.
Studying history could take up a lot of time since students need to attend numerous courses and after single class, students are supposed to practice for hours. For example, they need to learn historical figures, historical events and, and(comma between independent clauses) they need to spend time to complete some homeworkshomework(misspelling). All of this time could have been devoted to doing something fun, such as watching moviea movie(This rule identifies whether the article 'a' is missing in a sentence.), going to the gym, listening to theto(Detects potentially wrong usage of "to the") music, which can help students to relax. Otherwise, students my get strSTR(misspelling) out with tons of difficult assignments and hours and hours of courses every day.
While Amy contends that study history can ensuresensure(Non-infinitive verb after modal verbs) that all students have a well-rounded education and become informed and engaged citizens, she overlooks the fact that learning their major and get gooda good(This rule identifies whether the article 'a' is missing in a sentence.) grade is far more crucial than merely cultivating how to understand the complexities of the world.
Title: 6 文章修订
In response to the professor's question, I firmly believe that making history a compulsory subject for all university students is not necessary. This stance aligns with Jeremy's argument that historical knowledge may not be relevant for students pursuing certain fields of study. Moreover, focusing on history could potentially deprive students of valuable leisure time.
Delving into history can be time-consuming, as it requires attending numerous courses and dedicating hours to practice after each class. Students must familiarize themselves with historical figures and events while also completing homework assignments. This time could be better spent engaging in recreational activities such as watching movies, going to the gym, or listening to music, which can help students relax. Without opportunities for relaxation, students may become overwhelmed by the constant barrage of challenging assignments and lengthy lectures.
While Amy asserts that studying history ensures a well-rounded education and fosters informed and engaged citizens, she overlooks the fact that excelling in one's major and achieving good grades are far more crucial than merely understanding the complexities of the world. By prioritizing their primary field of study, students can develop expertise in their chosen discipline while still having opportunities to explore other subjects based on personal interest rather than compulsion. (207 words)
In response to the professor's questions, question[added "the" for clarity], I firmly believe that studying history should not be made making history a compulsory subject[rephrased for clarity] for all university students. students is not necessary. This perspective stance aligns with Jeremy's argument that history historical knowledge may noy not be relevant relevant[corrected spelling] for students pursuing certain fields of study. Furthermore, learning history will make students have no time to relax. Moreover, focusing on history could potentially deprive students of valuable leisure time[rephrased for clarity].
Studying history could take up a lot of time since students need to attend Delving into history can be time-consuming, as it requires attending numerous courses and dedicating hours to practice after single class, students are supposed to practice for hours. For example, they need to learn each class. Students must familiarize themselves with historical figures, historical figures and events and they need to spend time to complete some homeworks. All of this while also completing homework assignments. This time could have been devoted to doing something fun, be better spent engaging in recreational activities such as watching movie, movies, going to the gym, or listening to the music, which can help students to relax. Otherwise, students my get str out with tons of difficult Without opportunities for relaxation, students may become overwhelmed by the constant barrage of challenging assignments and hours and hours of courses every day. lengthy lectures.
While Amy contends that study history can asserts that studying history ensures that all students have a well-rounded education and become fosters informed and engaged citizens, she overlooks the fact that learning their excelling in one's major and get achieving good grade is grades are far more crucial than merely cultivating how to understand understanding the complexities of the world.world[rephrased for clarity]. By prioritizing their primary field of study, students can develop expertise in their chosen discipline while still having opportunities to explore other subjects based on personal interest rather than compulsion.
8 思维导图
- Making history compulsory
- Not necessary
- Aligns with Jeremy's argument
- Historical knowledge not relevant for all fields
- Time-consuming
- Attending courses and practicing
- Familiarizing with historical figures and events
- Completing homework assignments
- Deprives students of leisure time
- Recreational activities (movies, gym, music)
- Relaxation and avoiding overwhelm
- Amy's counterargument
- Well-rounded education and informed citizens
- Overlooks importance of excelling in major and good grades
- Prioritizing primary field of study while exploring other subjects based on interest, not compulsion.
9 关键词
| Word | Phonetic Symbol | Part of Speech | English Definition | Simplified Chinese Translation | Sample Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| compulsory | /kəmˈpʌlsəri/ | adjective | required by law or a rule; obligatory. | 必修的,强制性的。 | Making history a compulsory subject for all university students is not necessary. |
| aligns with | /əˈlaɪn wɪð/ | verb + preposition | to agree with or match the opinions or actions of another person or group. | 与…一致。 | - This stance aligns with Jeremy's argument that historical knowledge may not be relevant for students pursuing certain fields of study. |
| time-consuming | /taɪm kənˈsjuːmɪŋ/ | adjective | - taking a lot of or too much time. | 耗时的。 | - Delving into history can be time-consuming, as it requires attending numerous courses and dedicating hours to practice after each class. |
| recreational activities | /ˌrekriˈeɪʃənəl ækˈtɪvətiz/ | noun | activities done for enjoyment or relaxation. | 娱乐活动。 | - This time could be better spent engaging in recreational activities such as watching movies, going to the gym, or listening to music. |
| overwhelmed | /oʊvərˈwɛlmd/ | adjective | having too many things to deal with; feeling defeated by an excessive amount of work or pressure. | 不堪重负的。 | - Without opportunities for relaxation, students may become overwhelmed by the constant barrage of challenging assignments and lengthy lectures. |
| well-rounded | /wɛl ˈraʊndɪd/ | adjective | having a wide range of skills, knowledge, or interests. | 全面发展的。 | - While Amy asserts that studying history ensures a well-rounded education and fosters informed and engaged citizens... |
| excelling | /ɪkˈsɛl/ | verb | - being very good at something; surpassing others in some skill or quality. | 擅长,优于。 | - ...she overlooks the fact that excelling in one's major and achieving good grades are far more crucial than merely understanding the complexities of the world. |
| expertise | /ˌekspərˈtiːz/ | noun | - expert skill or knowledge in a particular field. | 专业知识,专长。 | - By prioritizing their primary field of study, students can develop expertise in their chosen discipline... |
| compulsion | /kəmˈpʌlʃən/ | noun | - a strong urge to do something; an irresistible impulse. | 强迫,冲动。 | - ...while still having opportunities to explore other subjects based on personal interest rather than compulsion. |
How Academic Discussion Is Scored
The TOEFL Academic Discussion task is evaluated based on the official ETS scoring rubric. AI evaluation analyzes each response across multiple dimensions.
Relevance & Contribution
Does the response address the question and contribute meaningfully to the discussion?
Language Use
Grammar accuracy, vocabulary range, and sentence structure quality.
Development & Support
Are ideas well-developed with specific examples and clear reasoning?
Common Patterns Across Responses
Based on analysis of user submissions for this task, here are common patterns observed in student responses.
Many students provide clear opinions but lack specific supporting examples.
Strong responses directly reference the reading passage and other speakers' viewpoints.
Higher-scoring responses use varied sentence structures and academic vocabulary.
Time management is a key factor — responses that feel rushed tend to score lower on development.
Learning Tips
Read the prompt carefully and identify all parts of the question before writing.
Reference the reading passage and the other students' opinions in your response.
Use specific examples to support your main point — avoid generic statements.
Aim for 120-150 words. Longer responses are not always better; clarity and focus matter more.
Practice timed responses (10 minutes) to build fluency under exam conditions.
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