TOEFL TPO 31 Writing Task 1 Sample: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they respond to the specific argument made in the reading passage.

legacy_task_page.hero_subtitle

legacy_task_page.sample_count

legacy_task_page.legacy_notice_title

legacy_task_page.legacy_notice_body

legacy_task_page.task_overview_title

legacy_task_page.reading_passage

A fossil skeleton of a dinosaur called Sinosauropteryx, preserved in volcanic ash, was discovered in Liaoning, China, in 1996. Interestingly, the fossil included a pattern of fine lines surrounding the skeletal bones. Some paleontologists interpret the lines as evidence that Sinosauropteryx had feathers. However, critics have opposed the idea that Sinosauropteryx was a feathered dinosaur, citing several reasons. First, the critics points out that the fine lines may not even represent functional structures of a living dinosaur, but rather structures that were formed after the animal’s death. After the animal died and was buried in volcanic ash, its skin may have decomposed into fibers. The skin fibers then became preserved as lines in the fossil; the lines were misinterpreted as evidence of feathers. Second, even if the fine lines are remains of real structures of a Sinosauropteryx, scientists cannot tell with certainty what part of the dinosaur’s anatomy the structures were. Many dinosaurs had frills, ornamental fan-shaped structures growing out of some parts of their bodies. Some of the critics argue that the lines surrounding the skeleton are much more likely to be fossilized remains of frills than remains of feathers. A third objection is based on the fact that the usual functions of feathers are to help animals fly or regulate their internal temperature. However, the structures represented by the lines in the Sinosauropteryx fossil were mostly located along the backbone and the tail of the animal. This would have made the structures quite useless for flight and of very limited use in thermoregulation. This suggests that the lines do not represent feathers.

legacy_task_page.question

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

legacy_task_page.user_samples_title

task_page.user_sample

The reading presents reasons why the pattern of fine lines in Sinosauropteryx fossil was not feather. However, the lecturer disagrees with those critics and says that there are convincing evidences supporting that Sinosauropteryx was a feathered animal. First of all, the reading points out that the fine lines may be a functional body structures formed after dinosaur death. Skin fiber, for instance, is a guess. It was resulted from the decomposed skins in volcanic ash. Yet, the lecturer proposes that in the fossils of other animals at the same site of discovery, functional structures do exist. This indicates that the fine lines in Sinosauropteryx fossils are actually well-preserved functional structures in volcanic ash like feathers. Secondly, the reading suggests that the fine lines are more likely the remains of frills but not feathers. Nevertheless, the lecturer claims that frills and feathers have significant chemical differences. To be more specific, feathers are composed of a higher level of proteins called beta-caretin. According to scientific measurement, the fine lines contain such proteins. This implies that they are feathers not frills. Thirdly, the reading advices that feathers are usually used to aid flight or regulate body temperature. And the fine lines majorly lay along the animal's backbone and tail regions, sheding light on the fact that they are not for controlling flight or temperature. Therefore, they are not feathers. Nonetheless, the lecturer argues that feathers have other possible functions other than what have been mentioned in the reading. Take one bird species – Peacock – as an example. They display pretty long tails for attracting mate. Similarly in Sinosauropteryx fossils, orange and white colors of the fine lines were detected, showing that those lines represent feathers for display.

task_page.evaluation_result

1.Sub Scores

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

2.Estimated Scores

TOEFL iBT Integrated Writing Task 1 Score: 25

3.Task completeness The essay does a good job of addressing the specific requirements of the task by summarizing the points made in the lecture and explaining how they respond to the arguments made in the reading passage. However, there is room for improvement in terms of clarity and conciseness. To improve task fulfillment, try to make your points more concise and avoid repetition.

Example 1: Original sentence: "The reading presents reasons why the pattern of fine lines in Sinosauropteryx fossil was not feather." Improved sentence: "The reading presents reasons why the pattern of fine lines in Sinosauropteryx fossils may not represent feathers."

Example 2: Original sentence: "Take one bird species – Peacock – as an example." Improved sentence: "For example, peacocks use their long, colorful tail feathers for display purposes."

4.Essay structure and organization The essay has a clear structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Each paragraph focuses on a specific point with supporting details. However, there is room for improvement in terms of transitions between ideas and paragraphs.

Example 1: Original transition: "First of all, the reading points out that..." Improved transition: "Firstly, although the reading argues that..."

Example 2: Original transition: "Secondly, the reading suggests that..." Improved transition: "In contrast to this argument from the reading, the lecturer claims that..."

5. Grammar

The reading presents reasons why the pattern of fine lines in Sinosauropteryx ~~fossil~~fossils was not ~~feather.~~feathers. However, the lecturer disagrees with those critics and says that there are convincing evidences supporting that Sinosauropteryx was a feathered animal. First of all, the reading points out that the fine lines may be a functional body structures formed after dinosaur death. Skin ~~fiber,~~fibers, for instance, isare a guess. ~~It was~~They resulted from the decomposed skins in volcanic ash. Yet, the lecturer proposes that in the fossils of other animals at the same site of discovery, functional structures do exist. This indicates that the fine lines in Sinosauropteryx fossils are actually well-preserved functional structures in volcanic ~~ash~~ash, like feathers. Secondly, the reading suggests that the fine lines are more likely the remains of frills but not feathers. Nevertheless, the lecturer claims that frills and feathers have significant chemical differences. To be more specific, feathers are composed of a higher level of proteins called ~~beta-caretin.~~beta-keratin. According to scientific ~~measurement,~~measurements, the fine lines contain such proteins. This implies that they are ~~feathers~~feathers, not frills. Thirdly, the reading ~~advices~~advises that feathers are usually used to aid flight or regulate body temperature. And the fine lines ~~majorly~~mainly lay along the animal's backbone and tail regions, ~~sheding~~shedding light on the fact that they are not for controlling flight or temperature. Therefore, they are not feathers. Nonetheless, the lecturer argues that feathers have other possible functions ~~other than~~beyond what have been mentioned in the reading. Take one bird species – Peacock – as an example. They display pretty long tails for attracting mate. ~~Similarly~~Similarly, in Sinosauropteryx fossils, orange and white colors of the fine lines were detected, showing that those lines represent feathers for display.

Revised Essay

First of all, the reading points out that the fine lines may be a functional body structures formed after dinosaur death. Skin fiber, for instance, is a guess. It was resulted from the decomposed skins in volcanic ash. Yet, the lecturer proposes that in the fossils of other animals at the same site of discovery, functional structures do exist. This indicates that the fine lines in Sinosauropteryx fossils are actually well-preserved functional structures in volcanic ash like feathers.

Secondly, the reading suggests that the fine lines are more likely the remains of frills but not feathers. Nevertheless, the lecturer claims that frills and feathers have significant chemical differences. To be more specific, feathers are composed of a higher level of proteins called beta-caretin. According to scientific measurement, the fine lines contain such proteins. This implies that they are feathers not frills.

Thirdly, the reading advices that feathers are usually used to aid flight or regulate body temperature. And the fine lines majorly lay along the animal's backbone and tail regions, sheding light on the fact that they are not for controlling flight or temperature. Therefore, they are not feathers. Nonetheless, the lecturer argues that feathers have other possible functions other than what have been mentioned in the reading. Take one bird species – Peacock – as an example. They display pretty long tails for attracting mate. Similarly in Sinosauropteryx fossils, orange and white colors of the fine lines were detected, showing that those lines represent feathers for display. (288 words)

The reading presents reasons why the pattern of fine lines in Sinosauropteryx fossil was not ~~feather.~~ a feather (change "feather" to "a feather" for grammatical correctness). However, the lecturer disagrees with those critics and says that there are convincing ~~evidences~~ pieces of evidence (change "evidences" to "pieces of evidence" for proper usage) supporting that Sinosauropteryx was a feathered animal.

First of all, the reading points out that the fine lines may be a functional body structures (remove "a") formed after dinosaur death. Skin fiber, for instance, is a guess. It ~~was~~ resulted (change "was resulted" to "resulted" for proper verb tense) from the decomposed skins in volcanic ash. Yet, the lecturer proposes that in the fossils of other animals at the same site of discovery, functional structures do exist. This indicates that the fine lines in Sinosauropteryx fossils are actually well-preserved functional structures in volcanic ash like feathers.

Secondly, the reading suggests that the fine lines are more likely the remains of frills but not feathers. Nevertheless, the lecturer claims that frills and feathers have significant chemical differences. To be more specific, feathers are composed of a higher level of proteins called ~~beta-caretin.~~ beta-keratin (change "beta-caretin" to "beta-keratin" for correct term). According to scientific measurement, the fine lines contain such proteins. This implies that they are feathers not frills.

Thirdly, the reading ~~advices~~ advises (change "advices" to "advises" for proper verb form) that feathers are usually used to aid flight or regulate body temperature. And the fine lines ~~majorly~~ primarily (change "majorly" to "primarily" for better word choice) lay along the animal's backbone and tail regions, ~~sheding~~ shedding (correct spelling from "sheding") light on the fact that they are not for controlling flight or temperature. Therefore, they are not feathers. Nonetheless, the lecturer argues that feathers have other possible functions other than what have been mentioned in the reading. Take one bird species – Peacock – as an example. They display pretty long tails for attracting ~~mate. Similarly~~ a mate (add "a" for grammatical correctness). Similarly, in Sinosauropteryx fossils, orange and white colors of the fine lines were detected, showing that those lines represent feathers for display.

Mind Map


- Introduction
  - Reading: Fine lines in Sinosauropteryx fossil not feathers
  - Lecture: Disagrees, believes they are feathers

- Point 1: Functional body structures
  - Reading: Fine lines may be skin fibers from decomposition
  - Lecture: Other fossils at site show functional structures, indicating fine lines are preserved feathers

- Point 2: Frills vs. feathers
  - Reading: Fine lines more likely frills than feathers
  - Lecture: Chemical differences between frills and feathers, fine lines contain beta-caretin proteins found in feathers

- Point 3: Functions of feathers
  - Reading: Feathers used for flight or temperature regulation, fine lines not for these purposes
  - Lecture: Other functions of feathers, e.g., display in peacocks; Sinosauropteryx had colored fine lines for display purposes

Key Words

Word	Phonetic Symbol	Part of Speech	English Definition	English Translation (if needed)	Sample Sentence
Sinosauropteryx	sɪˌnoʊsɔːrəpˈtɛrɪks	Noun	A genus of small feathered theropod dinosaur from early Cretaceous.		The discovery of Sinosauropteryx fossils provided evidence for the existence of feathered dinosaurs.
Fossil	'fɒsəl	Noun	The remains or impression of a prehistoric organism preserved in petrified form or as a mold or cast in rock.		Scientists study fossils to learn about the history of life on Earth.
Decomposition	dɪˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən	Noun	The process of decaying or rotting.		The decomposition of organic matter provides nutrients for plants and other organisms.
Volcanic ash	vɒlˈkeɪnɪk æʃ	Noun	Fine particles of rock, minerals, and volcanic glass created during volcanic eruptions.		Volcanic ash can preserve fossils by quickly covering and protecting them from the elements.
Frill	frɪl	Noun	A border or edge of a decorative feature, often found in animals.		Some reptiles have frills around their necks for display or protection purposes.
Beta-caretin	ˈbeɪtə kærətɪn	Noun	A type of protein found in feathers and some other structures in animals.		Beta-caretin is an important component of feathers, providing strength and flexibility.
Regulation	/ˌrɛgjʊˈleɪʃən/	/Noun/	/A rule or directive made and maintained by an authority./	/ /	/The regulation of body temperature is essential for maintaining an organism's health./
Backbone	/ˈbækboʊn/	/Noun/	/The series of vertebrae extending from the skull to the pelvis; spine./	/ /	/The backbone provides support and structure to the body./
Display	/dɪˈspleɪ/	/Noun/	/An arrangement or presentation of items or objects for others to see./	/ /	/Peacocks use their colorful tail feathers in a display to attract mates./
Chemical	/ˈkɛmɪkəl/	/Adjective/	/Relating to chemistry or the interactions of substances as studied in chemistry./	/ /	/The chemical composition of a substance can provide information about its properties and functions./