[토플라이팅] 실전문제 2세트 (ACTUAL TEST 2 sets)

SET 1     

integrated writing

Reading

While the modern age has led to many improvements in people's lifestyles, one negative aspect has emerged. Namely, the cost of raising children in the United States has ballooned. In fact, raising a child costs more in America than in any other country on Earth. 

According to a recent study, on average, parents must pay approximately $260,000 to feed, clothe, and educate their children from the day they are born until they graduate from university at approximately the age of twenty-one. For many families, the costs are even higher since they send their children to expensive private schools and universities, some of which charge over $40,000 a year for tuition and room and board. This number does not include travel or toys and other playthings, which can also be expensive. 

Incredibly, rearing children in America requires about a third more money than in other Western countries like France and Spain. One reason for this is the limited socialism found in many European countries, where parents do not have to pay tuition for their children to attend schools. Also, while the standard of living is lower in these countries than in the U.S., prices are also cheaper, a big advantage that enables parents to save more money. 

Finally, there is the matter of what parents spend their money on. Parents in most countries use the majority of money dedicated to their children on necessities like clothes and food. However, Americans typically spend money on items people from other countries would consider excessive. For example, American parents expend considerable amounts of money on private tutoring- in education, music, and athletics. Also, they pay extremely high amounts for health care for their children. Altogether, it makes bringing up American children very expensive. 

 

Listening

Narrator:  Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about. 

W: Everyone knows that raising children in America nowadays is expensive. Indeed, that's one reason why many couples are choosing to have only one child or none at all. However, I don't want to discourage any of you from having children of your own. There are some ways to get those expenses down.

For example, many families, even those with health insurance, spend huge amounts of money on medical expenses for their children. That's understandable. But, instead of treating illnesses when they occur, they ought to be practicing prevention, which, in the long run, will save them money. One way to do this is to practice extreme cleanliness. A clean child is a healthy child. Clean children become sick less often and have fewer allergies. That's money in the bank right there. 
Another cost-reducing measure is also related to health. We often hear about kids that get burned in the kitchen or hurt themselves in other ways. Remember, even with health insurance, one trip to the hospital can cost tens of thousands of dollars. So parents should be educating their children on safety. Knowing about safety increases the chances that the child won't get hurt and will remain out of harm. 

Finally, parents should be encouraging their children to pursue their own intellectual interests. Too many times, parents waste money on tutoring or lessons that their children aren't interested in. Why pay for piano lessons if your kid hates the piano? He's not going to become the next Mozart if he hates it. And parents shouldn't spend so much money on educational software if it's for something that their child has no interest in. Of course, these suggestions might only reduce a few thousand dollars off the total price tag, but, at today's rates, every dollar counts.  

 

Sample Answer

Directions: You have 20 minutes to plan and write your response. Your response will be judged on the basis of the quality of your writing and on how well your response presents the points in the lecture and their relationship to the reading passage. Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words. 
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to specifically explain how they answer the problems raised in the reading passage. 

 

The reading passage states that the cost of raising children in the United States is higher than in other countries. The professor, however, claims there are many ways to decrease these costs. 

 

The reading mentions that raising a child from birth to college averages $280,000. It declares that this number is often higher and does not include expenses like travel or toys, The professor notes that health care costs are enormous. She says that if parents practice prevention and keep their children clean and healthy, they can save lots of money. 

The reading then argues that American tuition rates are much higher than in Europe, where many attend school for free. It also states that products in these countries are cheaper than in the U.S. However, the professor counters by saying parents should educate their children about safety. This will keep their children from getting hurt and will save thousands in medical expenses. 

 

Finally, responding to the claim that American parents spend more money on excessive or unnecessary items, the professor declares that parents should first learn what their children enjoy before paying for it. For example, parents should not pay for piano lessons if their child hates playing the piano. 

The professor comes up with several ways to decrease the price of raising a child, thereby making it more appealing to couples. 

 

 

independent writing

Question: 
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? 
Most advertisements make products seem much better. 
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. 

 

Sample Answer 
Today, advertisers use various ways to make their advertisements more appealing. In most cases, they appear to be successful at making their products seem much better than they really are; thus they are able to tempt customers to purchase them. I have a number of reasons for feeling this way, and they are all based upon my own personal experiences. 

First, my family has occasionally purchased products after seeing them advertised on commercials. Unfortunately, several purchases turned out to be misguided. For example, once we saw several advertisements for a new car. The advertisements stated that the car had excellent engineering, so it would never break down. My parents then purchased the car; however, after just a couple of weeks, it broke down because of an engine problem. We only kept that car for a couple of years, but, during that time, we had numerous problems with it and frequently had to get it repaired. 

Another example of the exaggerating effects of advertisements is the many advertisements for restaurants on television. These are especially common for fast-food restaurants. The food in the commercials always looks delicious, and the people seem to enjoy eating it. Also, the appearance and presentation of the food in the commercials are amazing. These commercials have often prompted me to encourage my family to visit some of these restaurants. However, in many instances, the food was not as delicious as the actors in the commercials made it appear to be. Additionally, the helpings of food were smaller, and it did not look as appetizing as the food in the commercials did. 

There is one more way in which advertisers often make their products look more attractive than reality. They often advertise a price that is not the correct one. Instead, it is much cheaper than the real price of the product. I saw this once in an advertisement for an airline. It was promoting very cheap fares anywhere in the country. However, when my father called to ask about the tickets, the operator told him there were many restrictions on those flights. According to them, we had to fly on certain dates and at specific times. And there were not many cheap tickets available. So, while there were some cheap tickets for sale, there were just a few, and we were not able to buy any. 

I believe it is clear that advertisements show their products much better than they are in reality. Unfortunately, these commercials give consumers the wrong idea about the products being sold. 

 

 

SET 2     

integrated writing

Reading

One of the most controversial aspects of law enforcement these days are speed cameras. These are cameras that are installed at various places and then used to monitor the speeds of passing drivers. Equipped with radar detectors, they take pictures of speeders, which then results in violators being sent a speeding ticket that they must pay some time later. While many people dislike speed cameras, they are actually beneficial to society. 

For one, they have made the roads safer. While there are sometimes signs that indicate that speed cameras are nearby, most of the time they are hidden from view. Therefore, if drivers feel or know that there is a speed camera in the vicinity, they often drive slower since the price of speeding tickets can be two hundred or more dollars. Slower speeds mean fewer accidents, so speed cameras are already helping protect people. 

Second of all, because of speed cameras, police officers do not have to waste much of their time finding speeders. This frees the police to do the more important aspects of their job, like catching criminals and helping keep the public safe. In fact, thanks to the success of speed cameras, more and more are being installed, so, in the future, police officers may never have to issue any speeding tickets at all. 

Finally, because speed cameras provide hard evidence that an individual was, in fact, speeding, fewer people are protesting their tickets in court. This decrease in complaints is starting to free up traffic courts, which are constantly backlogged with cases. So, instead of challenging their tickets, most violators, when they receive a picture of their transgression in the mail, simply write a check and pay their fine. 

 

Listening

Narrator:  Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about. 
M: I must say that I find speed cameras to be some of the most abhorrent devices that police departments all across the country are using. Not only do they infringe upon our basic rights, but they are also inherently dangerous. Here, let me give you a few reasons as to why I feel this way.  
First of all, speed cameras actually don't make the roads safer. They make them more dangerous in many cases. Why? Let me explain. People are often worried about getting a speeding ticket since they cost so much money. So, if a person is speeding and suddenly notices a camera, what's he going to do? Slam on the brakes. That's what. And then the car behind him might just slam into him. There are numerous documented cases of accidents occurring because people tried suddenly to slow down upon seeing a traffic camera. So they aren't saving lives. In some cases, they are ending them. 
Here's another thing. Now that fewer police officers are being tasked to catching speeders, they have more time to snoop around and bother law-abiding citizens. 
Just the other week I was harassed in the park by a cop when all I was doing was sitting on a park bench feeding the squirrels. And you'll notice that crime rates haven't decreased since these speed cameras have been installed. So what are the cops doing with their extra time? 
Finally, cameras malfunction. Several people have received pictures in the mail that weren't even their cars. And others have gotten ticketed when they were definitely not speeding. Simply put, these cameras cannot be trusted to be completely accurate, and the government would be wise to ban their use before they cause any more problems. 

 

Sample Answer

Directions: You have 20 minutes to plan and write your response. Your response will be judged on the basis of the quality of your writing and on how well your response presents the points in the lecture and their relationship to the reading passage. Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words.  
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture you just heard, explaining how they cast doubt on specific points made in the reading passage.  

 

The reading passage makes the argument that speed cameras are beneficial to society. The professor, however, argues that they strip people of their rights and are actually dangerous. 

First, the reading claims that speed cameras make roads safer because people will drive slowly for fear of paying heavy fines. Because they are driving slower, they have few accidents. The professor, however, says that speed cameras make roads more dangerous. According to him, people who are speeding will slow down suddenly upon seeing a camera, thereby often causing accidents as they try to avoid getting ticketed. 

The reading also states that speed cameras allow officers to spend more time catching criminals instead of watching for speeders. The professor counters this argument by mentioning that police are starting to harass law-abiding citizens like him. Also, he states that crime rates have not decreased lately, so the police are obviously not doing much with this extra time. 

Finally, while the reading claims that the backlog of court cases is decreasing as fewer people protest their tickets in courts because of speed cameras, the professor says that many people are being improperly fined, so speed cameras cannot be trusted. For this reason, he believes they should be banned. 

 

 

independent writing

Question:
Some people say that students learn the most important things in life inside the classroom. Others believe that they learn the most important lessons of life outside the classroom. 
Which opinion do you agree with? Why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. 

 

Sample Answer
Although I believe the lessons students learn in classrooms are important, I do not think they learn the most important lessons there. Instead, I feel that the most important lessons learned in life are those taught outside of the classroom. 

First of all, students learn many important lessons from their families. Students may spend several hours a day at school, but they spend even more time at home with their families. Families are easily the most important things in students' lives, Students can watch the relationships between their parents, brothers, and sisters. And they can also learn how to interact with each family member. When they get older, they will most likely have families of their own, so it is crucial for them to learn how to get along with their own family first.  

Next, many students participate in sports and athletics. Sometimes they do this as members of a team. But all students at least participate in recess and physical education. When students play a game or sport, they are not just getting exercise. Instead, they are also learning about teamwork and how to work well with others. This is important because, in the future, almost everyone will find jobs after graduating from high school or college. People must work well together at their jobs in order to be as productive and efficient as possible. Learning how to work with others actually begins on the playground, not in classrooms, where individualism is often promoted rather than teamwork. 

Finally, once school finishes, many students hang out with each other and engage in various group activities like doing their homework, playing computer games. or just watching movies. Basically, these students are learning how to get along with their peers. They are also developing friendships, Students learn early on that not everyone is the same and that people have different personalities. So, by hanging out and doing things together with their friends, students can learn how to get along with others. This is a very Important lesson for life since students will meet hundreds or even thousands of people in their lifetimes. 

 

It seems obvious that the best lessons for life are learned while students are outside of the classroom. Although they might not think of what they are doing as learning, students are in fact developing skills they will need and use for the rest of their lives.