The TOEFL test consists of four sections – Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. In the Writing Section, you will need to do two tasks – an Integrated Task and an Independent Task. The time to complete both tasks is 50 minutes and you are advised to spend 20 minutes on the Integrated Task and 30 minutes on the Independent Task. Let’s take a look at a sample question for the Integrated Task in the TOEFL Writing Section.
For the Integrated Task, you will have to read a passage and listen to an audio recording first before you start writing. The reading passage and the audio recording will be on the same topic but will have differing views. You task is to summarize and compare these two prompts. You will be able to refer to the reading passage as you write your essay, but you will only hear the audio recording once. The time given to write your essay is 20 minutes and you will need to write a minimum of 150 words.
Here is a sample question for this task. Please take note that the audio recording is presented as a transcript here but in the actual test, you will not see this transcript but will only hear it.
TOEFL Integrated Writing Task sample
Reading passage
Critics say that current voting systems used in the United States are inefficient and often lead to the inaccurate counting of votes. Miscounts can be especially damaging if an election is closely contested. Those critics would like the traditional systems to be replaced with far more efficient and trustworthy computerized voting systems.
In traditional voting, one major source of inaccuracy is that people accidentally vote for the wrong candidate. Voters usually have to find the name of their candidate on a large sheet of paper containing many names—the ballot—and make a small mark next to that name. People with poor eyesight can easily mark the wrong name. The computerized voting machines have an easy-to-use touch-screen technology: to cast a vote, a voter needs only to touch the candidate’s name on the screen to record a vote for that candidate; voters can even have the computer magnify the name for easier viewing.
Another major problem with old voting systems is that they rely heavily on people to count the votes. Officials must often count up the votes one by one, going through every ballot and recording the vote. Since they have to deal with thousands of ballots, it is almost inevitable that they will make mistakes. If an error is detected, a long and expensive recount has to take place. In contrast, computerized systems remove the possibility of human error, since all the vote counting is done quickly and automatically by the computers.
Finally some people say it is too risky to implement complicated voting technology nationwide. But without giving it a thought, governments and individuals alike trust other complex computer technology every day to be perfectly accurate in banking transactions as well as in the communication of highly sensitive information.
Lecture Transcript
(Narrator) Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
(Female professor) While traditional voting systems have some problems, it’s doubtful that computerized voting will make the situation any better. Computerized voting may seem easy for people who are used to computers. But what about people who aren’t? People who can’t afford computers, people who don’t use them on a regular basis—these people will have trouble using computerized voting machines. These voters can easily cast the wrong vote or be discouraged from voting altogether because of fear of technology. Furthermore, it’s true that humans make mistakes when they count up ballots by hand. But are we sure that computers will do a better job? After all, computers are programmed by humans, so “human error” can show up in mistakes in their programs. And the errors caused by these defective programs may be far more serious. The worst a human official can do is miss a few ballots. But an error in a computer program can result in thousands of votes being miscounted or even permanently removed from the record. And in many voting systems, there is no physical record of the votes, so a computer recount in the case of a suspected error is impossible! As for our trust of computer technology for banking and communications, remember one thing: these systems are used daily and they are used heavily. They didn’t work flawlessly when they were first introduced. They had to be improved on and improved on until they got as reliable as they are today. But voting happens only once every two years nationally in the United States and not much more than twice a year in many local areas. This is hardly sufficient for us to develop confidence that computerized voting can be fully trusted.
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.
TIME: 20 minutes
RECOMMENDED ESSAY LENGTH: 150-225 words
GOOD
the reading and lecture comparing about the voting system by using a computer or traditionally. in the passage author prefers the computerized voting system. in contrast, the speaker refuses the claim made in the passage.
first, according to the speaker, casting the vote by using a computer is not easy for those who have no idea to operate the computer. those who have no computer are discouraged from voting. which is challenged to the author who emphasizes the computer voting is easier for anyone since it has overcome the difficulties of searching the name of the candidate in the huge name list. the passage also claims there might be a potential mistake while casting vote on paper since there is a small tick mark which might be confusing to the people having poor sight.
second, the lecture corrects the author’s opinions about the effective counting capability of computing than counting manually. the speaker claims that the computer is programmed by human and there might be human error associates with. the error made in manual counting is less significant than the error in counting by computing. manual counting may alter a few balots whereas counting by machine alters thousands of balots. If there is a mistake in the counting of balot, the situation will be complex because there is no record of balot in the computer voting system. third, people use computing banking and other financial activity daily. they trust the computing system. the author claims. in another hand, the lecture casts doubt on this. the speaker says that the use of computer paying system is done daily and the error associating can find out and eliminate as soon as possible. but the election is done every 2 years so the error associates with the computer vote-counting system can’t be detected and avoided.
This reading and lecture are comparing the voting system by using a computer or traditionally. In the passage, the author said the traditional voting should be replaced by a far more efficient and trustworthy computerized voting because the Voters usually have to find the name of their candidate on a large sheet of paper containing many names—the ballot—and make a small mark next to that name. People with poor eyesight can easily mark the wrong name.
But the lecturer said computerized voting may seem easy but not everyone has the luxury of using a computer or even affording one but does that mean they can’t vote? and these voters can cast the vote wrong or get discouraged because of the fear of technology. Every citizen has the right to vote, and the only way that makes everyone on the same level is by voting traditionally.
Furthermore, people indeed make mistakes while counting the votes, but does that mean computers are perfect? After all, computers are programmed by humans, so human error can occur in the program and that can be far more serious. Errors in computers can result in miscounted votes or remove all records of votes and a computer recount in the case of a suspected error is impossible! but if there is a discount in the traditional voting system, the tellers can just recount them.
Finally, the author said it is too risky to implement complicated voting technology nationwide. But without giving it a thought, governments and individuals alike trust other complex computer technology every day to be perfectly accurate in banking transactions as well as in the communication of highly sensitive information. but the lecturer said these systems are used daily and they are used heavily. They didn’t work flawlessly when they were first introduced. They had to be improved on and improved on until they got as reliable as they are today. But voting happens only once every two years nationally in the United States and not much more than twice a year in many local areas. This is hardly sufficient for us to develop confidence that computerized voting can be fully trusted.
The author and the lecturer both express about the computerized voting systems. The reading explains that the use of computers will simplify the way of counting votes and take little time to accomplish the work. The speaker in the lectures opposes this idea in three different ways.
The reading argued that the use of computers will be easier and help the votes not to be destroyed at the end of the work. The lecturer sees this in different ways as he says that the use of compurers will be difficult for those who are technophobic and have the problem of eysesight.
Second, the reading explains that the use of a computer will reduce counting errors. This idea was opposed by the lecturer when he explain that computers were made by humans so they can make the same errors as other people do.
Finally, the writers express that it’s better to belives in traditional ways of counting votes because is the way which is safe more than computers from banks because it needs to be changed always while voting was mad once in more than three years