TOEFL Outlines ( 1 – 50 ) PART 6

TOEFL Outlines ( 1 – 50 )
TOEFL question #26:
Decisions can be made quickly, or they can be made after careful thought.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The decisions that
people make quickly are always wrong. Use specific examples to support
your opinion.

I. People make decisions in different ways. Some do so quickly and others
take a lot of time. I do not believe that you must always take a lot of time
making a decision. Sometimes it is better to make a quick decision.

II. You may lose an opportunity
a. If you always take a long time to make decisions, you may lose an
opportunity to do something.
b. For example: your friend has two tickets to a sporting event but
you have to decide immediately whether you want to go or not.
c. For example: you have a chance to meet the president of your
country but you must act right away.

III. You may put yourself or others in danger
a. For example: driving requires that you make quick decisions to
avoid accidents
b. For example: someone may be choking and you need to help
immediately or they could die.
c. For example: a child may run into the street and you need to react
right away to save him/her

IV. Spontaneous decisions can be the most fun
a. People should occasionally live spontaneously in order to enjoy life
b. For example: you unexpectedly decide to buy a friend a gift even
though there is no special occasion...get enjoyment out of giving the

gift

V. In conclusion, it is wise to think through important decisions but you
should not always have to take a lot of time making decisions. Sometimes
the best decisions are the ones you make spontaneously.

TOEFL question #27:
You need to travel from your home to a place 40 miles (64 kilometers)
away. Compare the different kinds of transportation you could use. Tell
which method of travel you would choose. Give specific reasons for your
choice.

I. I live in a big city and there are many options for traveling. If I had to
travel 64 kilometers from my home I could choose a car, a train or a bus. I
would choose my own car for several reasons.

II. My car is quicker
a. When you take a bus or train you have to go on their schedule
(which may be limited). When I take my own car, I can travel on MY
schedule
b. Buses and trains are not as direct as cars. They must stop to pick
up people so it takes longer to go by bus or train.

III. My car is cheaper & more convenient
a. If I have to travel 64 kilometers from my home, it will cost only a
few dollars in gas, but a bus or train would cost about 10 times as
much.
b. In my car, I can listen to music or sing a song but on a bus or a train
these activities would bother the other passengers.

IV. I trust myself more than the bus driver or train conductor
a. If I drive myself, I am in control. If I take a bus or train, someone
else is in control and I don’t know if that person has been drinking, is
depressed, etc. I feel safer if I drive.
b. I prefer to drive in varying weather conditions because I don’t like
to be a passenger in these conditions. I feel that I have no control over
the vehicle.

V. In short, I would take my own car if I had to travel far from my home. It
is quicker, cheaper, more convenient and safer than either a bus or a train.

TOEFL question #28:
People have different ways of escaping the stress and difficulties of modern
life. Some read; some exercise; others work in their gardens. What do you
think are the best ways of reducing stress? Use specific details and
examples in your answer.

I. People experience stress in their daily lives. There are many ways to
alleviate stress, but I think the best ways include reading and walking.

II. Reading provides an escape
a. When you read a book, you can escape from your own life and
read about someone else’s life
b. You can forget about your problems and enjoy the story
c. You can pretend that you are a character in the story and imagine
your life as a different person, away from the stress.

III. Walking provides physical activity and mental relaxation
a. Walking is a nice way to forget about stressful things
b. For example: you can look at the scenery, think about pleasant

things
c. Physical activity helps the mind relax, so it reduces stress

IV. In conclusion, people relieve stress in different ways. What is useful for
one person may not be useful for another so you should experiment and see
what works best for you!

TOEFL question #29:
Schools should ask students to evaluate their teachers. Do you agree or
disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

I. Teachers are important to schools and they should be good at their jobs.
One way to know if they are effective is to have students evaluate them.

II. Teachers need to be evaluated by the students who learn from them
a. Students have contact with their teachers everyday. Their
evaluation would be useful to the administration.
b. Students are honest. If a teacher is bad or if a teacher is good,
students will say so

III. Teachers need to get information about their own teaching from more
than one source.
a. Teachers are evaluated by administration
b. Teachers should be evaluated by students (for another opinion)
c. Perhaps teachers should even be evaluated by other teachers (for a
third opinion)

IV. Teachers should not be afraid of student evaluations
a. If teachers are doing a good job, they will not fear more
evaluations

b. If teachers are not doing a good job, the school can fire the teacher
c. If teachers need some extra help, they can take more classes to
improve their teaching

V. In short, if students evaluate their teachers, everyone wins. The students
give input on their teacher’s skills and the teachers really understand how
well they are teaching their lessons and how well their students are learning.

TOEFL question #30:
Some people like to travel with a companion. Other people prefer to travel
alone. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support
your choice.