Integrated Writing Task
For the Integrated task, you must read a passage on an academic topic for three minutes and then listen to a short lecture on the same topic. This lecture will either support or challenge what’s written in the passage. Your response must summarize the main points discussed in the lecture and explain how these points relate to the reading.
You’ll have a total of 20 minutes to write your response. Your response should be around 150-225 words. During this time, you may reread the passage; however, you may not listen to the lecture again.
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.
TOEFL Essay Templates.
Template 1: Integrated Writing Task
Paragraph 1 (Introduction)
Your first paragraph will introduce the lecture and how it relates to the reading. This paragraph doesn’t need to be long; a simple two or three sentences should suffice.
1. Begin with a topic sentence that summarizes the main point of the lecture.
Examples:
· According to the lecture, …
· Based on the lecture, …
· The lecturer states/believes that …
· The lecturer talks about …
· The lecturer discusses …
2. Next, explain whether the passage refutes or supports the main point of the lecture.
Examples (Contrast):
· By contrast, the author of the passage explains/states/posits that …
· The author of the passage, however, disagrees with this idea/belief. Instead, he/she believes that …
· The author of the passage, however, doubts this idea/belief and thinks that …
· The author challenges this point, however, by explaining/suggesting/positing that …
Examples (Agreement):
· This line of thinking agrees with that of the author, who states that …
· The author of the passage agrees with this notion/idea/belief, stating that …
· Likewise, the author of the passage explains/states/posits that …
· The author of the passage supports this idea/belief, explaining that …
Paragraph 2 (Body)
In this paragraph, you’ll want to focus on one of the key points in the lecture and explain whether the passage refutes or supports this idea.
1. Introduce the main point you’ll be discussing.
Examples:
· First, the lecturer asserts/claims/suggests that …
· For one, the lecturer thinks/believes that …
· The first point the lecturer makes is that …
2. Next, describe this particular point in more detail and then discuss how the passage either refutes or supports it. I suggest using one to two sentences here.
Examples:
· On the other hand, the author asserts/claims/suggests that …
· Likewise, the author thinks/believes that …
· This concept is refuted/supported by the passage, which asserts/claims/suggests that …
3. Finally, conclude your paragraph by explaining what this difference or similarity means.
Examples:
· This difference/similarity ultimately means/indicates that …
· Basically, the lecturer/author is saying that …
· The lecturer and author are essentially in agreement with each other. Both think/believe that …
· Clearly, the lecturer and author maintain different views on …
Paragraph 3 (Body)
In this paragraph, you’ll focus on another key point in the lecture and again discuss how the passage either agrees or disagrees with this idea. The structure here is essentially identical to that of paragraph 2, so make sure you are using new transitions and varying your word choice.
1. Start by introducing the second point in the lecture you’ll be discussing. Because this is your second body paragraph, do not use transitions such as “first” or “first of all.”
Examples:
· Second, the lecturer argues/contends/asserts that …
· Next, the lecturer suggests/proposes that …
· Another key point the lecturer makes is that …
2. Next, explain this key point in more detail and elaborate on how it is either refuted or supported by the passage. As with paragraph 2, I recommend using one to two sentences here.
Examples:
· In other words, the lecturer is suggesting/proposing that …
· The author, however, agrees/disagrees with this idea/belief, suggesting/proposing that …
· Similarly, the author argues/contends/asserts that …
3. Finally, explain what this difference or similarity means.
Examples:
· What this difference/similarity means is that …
· This difference/similarity in thinking tells us that …
· Evidently, the lecturer thinks/believes that … , whereas the author thinks/believes that …
Paragraph 4 (Body + Conclusion)
This final body paragraph will offer your last key point in addition to a brief conclusion. Once again, try to vary your transitions and words here so that your body paragraphs do not sound redundant.
1. Introduce and summarize the third point in the lecture. This is your third and final body paragraph, so do not use transitions such as “first” or “next.” Instead, use transitions such as “third,” “finally,” “last,” and “lastly.”
Examples:
· Third, the lecturer explains/states that …
· Finally, the lecturer introduces the idea that …
· Lastly, the lecturer goes on to say that …
2. Then, explain this point in more detail and discuss whether the passage matches or challenges it. Use one or two sentences here.
Examples:
· This point is also made in the passage, which argues/contends/asserts that …
· The passage supports this idea, suggesting/proposing that …
· On the contrary, the author writes that …
3. Finally, conclude your paragraph by explaining the significance of this similarity or difference. You should also look at this sentence as the conclusion to your entire response. Remember, you do not need to write a separate concluding paragraph for this task; it’s perfectly OK to combine it with your last body paragraph!
Examples:
· In conclusion, the lecturer and author appear to be in agreement/disagreement about …
· All in all, the lecturer argues/contends/asserts that … , whereas the author argues/contends/asserts that …