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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on political science. Write a postresponding to the professor's question. n your response, you should do the following Express and support your opinion. Make a contribution to the discussion in your own words An effective response will contain at least 100 words.

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Task Overview

Professor

As I mentioned in class, governments make public policies to describetheir responses to various problems that affect a community. Part of this process involves setting and defending priorities about which issues deserve the most attention and resources. For example, governments need to decide whether they should spend more money on education or on environmental protections. If you were a policy maker. which issue would you argue is more important education or environmental protections?Why?

Andrew

We all live on planet Earth, and it is the only planet we have. Therefore, we must take care of it. Clearly, protecting the environment should be the government's priority over education. I think the REAL question is, which approach to protecting the environment restricting pollution, regulating population, promoting clean energy, or something else should be the government's priority.

Kelly

I disagree with Andrew that that the environment is more important than education. Education is actually the best way to protect the environment.Educated people can see how their decisions affect the world around them.Also, with better science and technology education, we can develop solutions to environmental problems. Therefore, I think the government should spend more money into education

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

While Kelly's argument that education provides opportunities for developed technology and informed environmental issues' deciders does make sense in some extent, I tend to support Andrew's perspective that the only Earth we live on should be taken care by human. To supplement this, another point I want to emphasize is that mankind's activities more or less make irreversible effect on our global mother-Earth. In this case, any advanced technology designed by human is barely vain. For example, the acid rain due to the contamination of car drops to the field. Consequently, crops which are human basic life resources will finally decayed. It makes difficulties for scientists to change this mess. Therefore, I contend that government should put priority to environmental protection.

Evaluation Result

1. 子项得分

  • Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.5

  • Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.0

  • Language Use and Grammar: 4.0

2. 预估分数

25. 3 任务完成度

总体来说,这篇文章较好地回答了教授的问题,并表达了作者的观点。但是,为了更好地完成任务,建议在以下方面进行改进:

  1. 在支持观点时提供更多具体的例子和细节。

  2. 注意使用恰当的词汇和语法结构。

英文示例:

  1. Instead of just mentioning acid rain, you could provide more specific examples of how human activities have irreversible effects on the environment, such as deforestation, plastic pollution, or global warming.

  2. Replace "mankind's activities more or less make irreversible effect" with "human activities often have irreversible effects."

4. 文章结构与组织

从文章结构和组织方面来看,这篇文章有明确的结构,包括引言、正文和结论。然而,在以下方面还有改进空间:

  1. 在段落之间使用更清晰的过渡词或短语。

  2. 在正文部分中对每个观点进行更详细的阐述。

英文示例:

  1. Add transition words or phrases between paragraphs, such as "On the other hand," "Furthermore," or "In addition."

  2. Expand on the example of acid rain by discussing its causes, consequences, and potential solutions in more detail.

5. 语法批改

While Kelly's argument that education provides opportunities for developed technology and informed environmental issues' decidersissue decision-makers does make sense into some extent, I tend to support Andrew's perspective that the only Earth we live on should be taken care by human.on. To supplement this, anotheremphasize this point I want to emphasize ishighlight that mankind'shuman activities more or less makean irreversible effectimpact on our global mother-Earth. In this case, any advanced technology designed by humanhumans is barely vain. For example,instance, the acid rain due tocaused by car pollution drops into the contamination of car drops to the field.fields. Consequently, cropscrops, which are human basic life resources will finally decayed. Itdecay. This makes difficultiesit difficult for scientists to changereverse this mess.situation. Therefore, I contend that governmentgovernments should put priority toprioritize environmental protection.

Section Title: 6 Article Revision

While Kelly presents a compelling argument that education can lead to technological advancements and informed decision-making regarding environmental issues, I am inclined to agree with Andrew's stance that prioritizing the protection of our planet is crucial. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that human activities often have irreversible effects on our Earth. In many cases, even the most advanced technologies may prove insufficient in mitigating the damage caused. For instance, acid rain resulting from automobile pollution can lead to crop deterioration, which in turn affects our fundamental food resources. Overcoming such challenges poses significant difficulties for scientists and researchers. Consequently, I maintain that governments should prioritize environmental protection over education. (115 words)

While Kelly's Kelly presents a compelling argument that education provides opportunities for developed technology can lead to technological advancements and informed decision-making regarding environmental issues' deciders does make sense in some extent, issues (clarified the subject of the sentence and made it more concise), I tend am inclined to support agree with Andrew's perspective stance that prioritizing the only Earth we live on should be taken care by human. To supplement this, another point I want protection of our planet is crucial (simplified language for clarity). Furthermore, it is important to emphasize is recognize that mankind's human activities more or less make often have irreversible effect effects on our global mother-Earth. Earth (improved sentence structure). In this case, any many cases, even the most advanced technology designed by human is barely vain. technologies may prove insufficient in mitigating the damage caused (rephrased for clarity). For example, the instance, acid rain due resulting from automobile pollution can lead to the contamination of car drops to the field. Consequently, crops crop deterioration (revised wording for better flow), which are human basic life in turn affects our fundamental food resources will finally decayed. It makes (simplified language for clarity). Overcoming such challenges poses significant difficulties for scientists to change this mess. Therefore, and researchers (rephrased for better flow). Consequently, I contend maintain that government governments should put priority to prioritize environmental protection.protection over education (simplified language and clarified meaning).

Display title: 8 思维导图


1. Introduction
   - Education vs. Environmental Protection

2. Kelly's Argument
   - Education leads to technological advancements
   - Informed decision-making regarding environmental issues

3. Andrew's Stance
   - Prioritizing the protection of our planet is crucial

4. Irreversible Effects of Human Activities
   - Acid rain from automobile pollution
   - Crop deterioration and food resources affected

5. Challenges for Scientists and Researchers
   - Difficulties in mitigating damage caused by human activities

6. Conclusion
   - Governments should prioritize environmental protection over education.

Display title: 9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
compelling/kəmˈpɛlɪŋ/adjectiveevoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way引人注目的Kelly presents a compelling argument that education can lead to technological advancements.
prioritize/praɪˈɒrɪtaɪz/verbdesignate or treat (something) as more important than other things优先考虑Governments should prioritize environmental protection over education.
irreversible/ɪrɪˈvɜrsəbəl/adjectivenot able to be undone or altered不可逆的Human activities often have irreversible effects on our Earth.
acid rain/ˈæsɪd reɪn/nounrainfall made sufficiently acidic by atmospheric pollution that it causes environmental harm酸雨Acid rain resulting from automobile pollution can lead to crop deterioration.
crop/krɒp/nouna cultivated plant that is grown as food, especially a grain, fruit, or vegetable农作物Crop deterioration affects our fundamental food resources.
deterioration/dɪˌtɪəriəˈreɪʃən/nounthe process of becoming progressively worse恶化Acid rain can lead to crop deterioration.
mitigation/ˌmɪtɪˈgeɪʃən/nounthe action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something减轻Advanced technologies may prove insufficient in mitigating the damage caused by human activities.
stance/stæns/nounthe attitude of a person or organization toward something; a standpoint立场I am inclined to agree with Andrew's stance that prioritizing the protection of our planet is crucial.
informed/ɪnˈfɔrmd/- adjective- having or showing knowledge of a particular subject or situation- 见多识广的- Informed decision-making regarding environmental issues is important for our planet's future.

Section Title: 6 Article Revision

While Kelly presents a compelling argument that education can lead to technological advancements and informed decision-making regarding environmental issues, I am inclined to agree with Andrew's stance that prioritizing the protection of our planet is crucial. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that human activities often have irreversible effects on our Earth. In many cases, even the most advanced technologies may prove insufficient in mitigating the damage caused. For instance, acid rain resulting from automobile pollution can lead to crop deterioration, which in turn affects our fundamental food resources. Overcoming such challenges poses significant difficulties for scientists and researchers. Consequently, I maintain that governments should prioritize environmental protection over education.

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

1

Read the prompt carefully and identify all parts of the question before writing.

2

Reference the reading passage and the other students' opinions in your response.

3

Use specific examples to support your main point — avoid generic statements.

4

Aim for 120-150 words. Longer responses are not always better; clarity and focus matter more.

5

Practice timed responses (10 minutes) to build fluency under exam conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TOEFL Academic Discussion task?
The TOEFL Academic Discussion task requires you to contribute to an online classroom discussion. You'll read a professor's question and other students' responses, then write your own post expressing and supporting your opinion in about 10 minutes.
How is the Academic Discussion task scored?
The task is scored on a scale of 0-5 based on relevance to the discussion, quality of language use (grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure), and how well you develop and support your ideas with specific examples and reasoning.
What are the user samples on this page?
These are real responses submitted by TOEFL test-takers who practiced this question on LingoLeap. Each sample has been evaluated by our AI scoring engine, which provides a score and detailed feedback on strengths and areas for improvement.
How accurate is the AI evaluation?
LingoLeap's AI evaluation engine is trained on official ETS scoring rubrics and calibrated against human rater scores. While no automated system is perfect, it provides reliable feedback for practice purposes and helps identify specific areas for improvement.
How can I practice this Academic Discussion task?
You can practice by signing up for a free LingoLeap account. Write your own response to this exact question, submit it, and receive instant AI evaluation with detailed feedback on your writing.
How long should my Academic Discussion response be?
Aim for 120-150 words. The task gives you 10 minutes to write your response. Focus on clarity, supporting your opinion with specific examples, and referencing the discussion context rather than writing a longer response.

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