Description
EXAMPLE·WRITING TASK 1: INTEGRATED ESSAY
The reading usually presents a position or argument in favor of a topic. The lecture presents information that calls into question the position or a counterargument. In other words, this task is usually a synthesis of disagreement, contrast, or opposition.
1. Draw a chart with space for a relationship sentence at the top and 3 points underneath.
Relationship sentence: __________________________________________
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Reading
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Lecture
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Point 1
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Point 1
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Point 2
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Point 2
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Point 3
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Point 3
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2. Read a short passage about an academic topic and take notes on the chart.
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Homeownership is a goal for many people because they see it as a sound investment with many other positive outcomes as well.
Although it is true that the housing market can be volatile, from an individual perspective, buying a home to live in is still one of the best ways to acquire wealth. In the first place, homes appreciate. Over the long term, even initial losses reverse themselves and property values rise. Moreover, the cost for a rental tends to go up every year, whereas the cost of a 30-year mortgage is fixed. If the purchase is made when financing costs are low, then the investment is even more attractive. Traditionally, tax advantages have been offered to homeowners, providing additional financial incentives to enter the real estate market.
Another positive aspect of homeownership is the control that owners have over their living situation. Landlords can change the terms of rental agreements at the end of a short contract, forcing tenants to increase their expenditure or move. In contrast, homeowners have a sense of security and stability. By owning a home in a community, it is possible to maintain a stable environment without being compelled to make changes that may not be advantageous or well timed.
Finally, there are some unexpected social benefits for homeowners. In general, research supports positive outcomes 1n education, health, arid crime. Specifically, the children of homeowners tend to achieve higher grades in school, both adults and children living in their own homes report better health and higher self-esteem, and crime rates are significantly lower in neighborhoods with a high percentage of resident homeowners.
Relationship sentence: __________________________________________
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Reading
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Lecture
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Point 1 wealth creation—homes appreciate, fixed mortgage, tax incentives
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Point 1
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Point 2 control over living situation—rental contracts change
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Point 2
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Point 3 social benefits—health, education, crime
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Point 3
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3. Listen to a lecture on the same topic and take notes on the chart.
Now listen to part of a lecture in an economics class. The professor is talking about home-ownership
[audio|src:'\listening\toefl_advanced\SynthesizingMemorizeTheStepsActivity3.mp3']
Relationship sentence: the lecturer refutes the idea in the reading passage that homeownership is a goal promising positive outcomes.
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Reading
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Lecture
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Point 1 wealth creation—homes appreciate, fixed mortgage, tax incentives
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Point 1 recession—high mortgage, half value
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Point 2 control over living situation—rental contracts change
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Point 2 foreclosure—insecurity, loss control
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Point 3 social benefits—health, education, crime
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Point 3 one paycheck from losing home—stress, children lower grades, less involved in school
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4. Write a relationship sentence.
5. Respond, using information from both the reading and the lecture.
Question
Summarize the main points in the lecture, and then explain how they cast doubt on the ideas in the reading passage.
The lecturer refutes the idea in the reading passage that homeownership is a goal promising positive outcomes. He makes a case for a reversal of this trend in the current economy, addressing the three assumptions in the passage.
First, he questions whether a home is a good way to create wealth. Although homes appreciated in the past, in today's market, homes are, in fact, depreciating to such a low that some homeowners are paying a high fixed mortgage for a home that is worth about half the value of its purchase price.
Second, the lecturer disagrees that homeownership provides control over one's living situation. During the recession, foreclosures and forced sales created a loss of control and a climate of insecurity in the market. He points out that many first-time homeowners would rather rent but cannot solve the problem of how to return to a rental without losing a significant investment in the home that they now own.
Third, studies confirm that many owners are only one paycheck away from losing their homes, a situation that creates stress for all family members, reversing the social benefits that homeownership once assured, including lower grades and less involvement in school activities on the part of the children.
Clearly, economic instability has affected the value of homeownership in serious ways.
6. Use the points on the chart to check for a complete response.
The essay is complete because it includes all three arguments proposed in the reading passage with the opposing argument for each one presented in the lecture. |