The purpose of this exercise is to give you a chance to practice your creativity and writing skills in a less controlled exercise while helping you to maintain an organization which frames around the TWE prompt.
At the top of your screen, you will see a TWE practice question.. In the middle of the screen, you will see a box with main idea, support idea, and a sub-support idea headings. The box shows you how many support and sub-supports you should aim for on each exercise. Unlike the "Drag and Drop Shopping List Exercises", develop your own shopping list of ideas which frame around the key points of the question. For example, if you read the question
It has recently been announced that a large shopping center may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
and saw the this box,
| Main Idea: | ||
| Support idea: | Support idea: | Support idea: |
| Sub-support idea: | Sub-support idea: | Sub-support idea: |
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... write your own ideas so that it would look something like this (i.e., of course your ideas would be different than this):
| Main Idea: Having a large shopping center close to my house is good. | ||
| Support idea: Convenient and cost-effective. | Support idea: Bring much needed jobs | Support idea: Real estate on my and my neighbors' properties would appreciate. |
| Sub-support idea: I would only have to drive a short distance to shop. | Sub-support idea: Children could get jobs and not have to take the bus. | Sub-support idea: Many people would want to move close to the shopping center; the demand for housing would increase. |
| Sub-support idea: I could be saving money on gas as a result. | Sub-support idea: My neighbors who are looking for work could also find gainful employment at the shopping center. | Sub-support idea: The increase in demand would lead to an increase in prices in real estate. |
1. It has recently been announced that a new movie theater may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: I will oppose the plan to build a movie theater in my neighborhood. | ||
| Support idea: The potential hazards of its construction. | Support idea: Noisy traffic. | Support idea: Unsightly trash. |
| Sub-support idea: The dirt from construction might give me allergies. | Sub-support idea: Noisy foot traffic late at night. | Sub-support idea: Movie goers might throw thrash in my yard. |
| Sub-support idea: I might get hit by debris (i.e., concrete, wood) | Sub-support idea: Cars driving late at night will disturb me in my sleep. | Sub-support idea: They might also throw trash outside of the theater. |
2. Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed (damaged) by human activity. Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place to live. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: The Earth is being damaged by people's activity. | ||
| Support idea: Air pollution | Support idea: Destroying nature. | Support idea: Exhausting natural resources. |
| Sub-support idea: Acrid smoke and toxic products are emitted from companies. | Sub-support idea: Many forests were cut down. | Sub-support idea: Oil extraction. |
| Sub-support idea: Many cars pollute the atmosphere with carbon monoxide. | Sub-support idea: Rivers, especially nearby the cities, were blocked with dams to change the water level or even to alter the direction of the waterflow. | Sub-support idea: Depletion of coal. |
3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Face-to-face communication is better than other types of communication, such as letters, E-mail, or telephone calls. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: I personally prefer face-to-face communication. | ||
| Support idea: Eliminates misunderstanding. | Support idea: Makes solid relationships. | Support idea: Encourages continued interaction; makes relationship stronger. |
| Sub-support idea: His body language such as facial expression will tell you he disagrees or doesn't follow your line of thought. | Sub-support idea: People will absorb the information more than words when they meet each other; they will make a connection with you. | Sub-support idea: Face-to-face communication is that encounters tend to hold longer than other forms of communication. |
| Sub-support idea: If you had sent an e-mail to him, this person may have misinterpreted what you really wanted to say. | Sub-support idea: People can always sense if others really want to communicate with them and eye contact will definitely help understanding and benefit the relationship. | Sub-support idea: The more you talk, the stronger your relationship will be. |
4. Some people like to do only what they already do well. Other people prefer to try new things and take risks. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
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| Main Idea: I agree with the above statement. | ||
| Support idea: Good for risk takers to challenge the old convention | Support idea: Risk takers are mirrors for society. | Support idea: Risk takers serve as our primary catalysts for progress. |
| Sub-support idea: Martin Luther King disagreed with the injustice committed against blacks. | Sub-support idea: Picasso and Dali broke the established rules of composition and ultimately emerged as the greatest artists; they mirrored society's capableness of changing the old way of viewing art. | Sub-support idea: Copernicus developed his new paradigm and theories that helped facilitate Galileo's empirical observations, helping society progress. |
| Sub-support idea: Through risk taking, King asserted civil rights for minorities. | Sub-support idea: A reflection of our own desires, be-bop musician Charlie Parker broke all the harmonic rules, and folk musician-poet Bob Dylan broke the rules for lyrics to give us music we wanted but didn't know how to create. | Sub-support idea: Kepler's laws of planetary motion made science progress. |
5. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The most important aspect of a job is the money a person earns. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: Economic gain should not be the overriding factor in selecting a career. | ||
| Support idea: Making money is not an end in or of itself, but rather a means of obtaining other things. A career helps a person accomplishes those goals. | Support idea: Many people select a career for other reasons other than money. | Support idea: Some choose a career because of its location or because of the social interaction. They do not choose the career because of the money it generates. |
| Sub-support idea: Security for oneself and family. | Sub-support idea: Nurses, teachers and social workers, choose their career from an overriding altruistic desire to help others. | Sub-support idea: Some people work at the beach, so they become life guards. |
| Sub-support idea: Freedom to travel or to pursue hobbies | Sub-support idea: Others choose to pursue intellectual or creative fulfillment-as writers, artists, or musicians- not for the money it might produce | Sub-support idea: Some who enjoy social interaction become bartenders. |
6. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Businesses should do anything they can to make a profit. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: I disagree with this statement. | ||
| Support idea: Businesses have an ethical duty to serve the community. | Support idea: Businesses should not ignore to preserve the environment. | Support idea: The motivation and final objective of doing business is making money, but not at the expense of the community or the environment. |
| Sub-support idea: Mrs Field's, Ben&Jerry's, and Timberland provide jobs and donating money, facilities, or serves to social programs. | Sub-support idea: A water company sets up a short-term target of $20 million profits, while totally ignoring environmental issues by leaking a toxic substance into the ground. | Sub-support idea: Company has obvious duty to maximize shareholder wealth of community members of the board. |
| Sub-support idea: Businesses who entirely pursue profits without any benefit to their communities will certainly lose their reputation and market shares. | Sub-support idea: Although this company has successfully saved money for equipping the water recycling program, it has to pay even more for the government punishment. | Sub-support idea: Corporations also have a duty to serve society and preserve their environment. |
7. Describe a custom from your country that you would like people from other countries to adopt. Explain your choice, using specific reasons and examples.
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| Main Idea: India has custom of touching of elder' s feet by youngsters. | ||
| Support idea: Origins of custom. | Support idea: Description of custom. | Support idea: Advantages of custom. |
| Sub-support idea: Originated long back in the Indian society. | Sub-support idea: At social gatherings, children kneel down and touch feet of the elders. | Sub-support idea: Creates a bond between the elders and youngsters. |
| Sub-support idea: From generation to generation, parents teach children in Indian society is to show their respect to elders and respected persons in the family and society by touching their feet. | Sub-support idea: After having had their feet touched, the elders in turn bless children with some pious verses for the good health and prosperity in life. | Sub-support idea: Teaches the children to obey their parents from a very early age |
8. 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.
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| Main Idea: There are various ways of reducing stress. | ||
| Support idea: Reading. | Support idea: Music. | Support idea: Talking to friends and family. |
| Sub-support idea: You become part of the story. | Sub-support idea: We are totally lost in its rhythm and melody. | Sub-support idea: You can tell someone each incident that occurred during the day and how you reacted to it. |
| Sub-support idea: You get involved in the characters of the story and reach a different world altogether. | Sub-support idea: If we know the lyrics of the song, we start humming along with it. This releases the pressure. | Sub-support idea: Just as you discuss your day, other people discuss theirs. This friendly atmosphere can prove effective in reducing stress. |
9. Some people say that physical exercise should be a required part of every school day. Other people believe that students should spend the whole school day on academic studies. Which opinion do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: Physical exercise should be a required part of every school day. | ||
| Support idea: Physical exercise will increase the overall wellness of the students. | Support idea: Physical exercise will teach the children teamwork. | Support idea: Physical exercise will give students a chance to release some stress from their rigorous academic studies. |
| Sub-support idea: Doctors recommend cardiovascular exercise for students. They say it will make students healthier. | Sub-support idea: Baseball teaches children to work together. | Sub-support idea: Students need a break from studying; exercise will help energize the student mentally. |
| Sub-support idea: Exercise will make students hearts and bodies stronger. | Sub-support idea: Teamwork from sports prepares a student for his/her future vocation. | Sub-support idea: After exercise, when the student returns to the classroom, he/she will be more productive. |
10. Many parts of the world are losing important natural resources, such as forests, animals, or clean water. Choose one resource that is disappearing and explain why it needs to be saved. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
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| Main Idea: One important resource that needs to be saved is clean water. | ||
| Support idea: If it is saved, it can lead to healthy living. | Support idea: Clean water will also help in saving other natural resources such as forests and animals. | Support idea: Clean water should be preserved. |
| Sub-support idea: Unless we have clean water, we cannot think of preparing hygienic food that is essential for healthy living. | Sub-support idea: Sometimes the amount of waste dumped in the water bodies is so large that the water cannot flow at all. This deprives forests of the water that they get for their flourishing. | Sub-support idea: Protects our natural resources. |
| Sub-support idea: Unclean water has lead to diseases like dengue and people have died from it. | Sub-support idea: Animals who drink contaminated water continuously are in danger of extinction. | Sub-support idea: Allows us to exist in this world. |
11. In some countries, people are no longer allowed to smoke in many public places and office buildings. Do you think this is a good rule or a bad rule? Use specific reasons and details to support your position.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: It is a good rule that people should not smoke in public places. | ||
| Support idea: It's not healthy for other people who don't smoke. | Support idea: It's not good for smoker's health either. | Support idea: Smoking can cause others to feel stressed. |
| Sub-support idea: Nonsmokers have to smell and sometimes directly inhale the smoke, which may cause lung cancer. | Sub-support idea: Scientific evidence suggests a direct link of smoking to various forms of cancer. | Sub-support idea: If you have just finished from a serious conference and you smell smoke, maybe it makes you so tired because you don't get fresh air from outside. |
| Sub-support idea: Children who inhale smoke maybe can more easily get flus, colds, and respiratory sicknesses. | Sub-support idea: If smokers smoke excessively, they can become ill with this deadly form of cancer. | Sub-support idea: Nonsmokers may worry about getting cancer from second hand smoke. |
12. Some famous athletes and entertainers earn millions of dollars every year. Do you think these people deserve such high salaries? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: Famous athletes and entertainers deserve high salaries. | ||
| Support idea: The market, not the government, determines who gets paid what. | Support idea: They provide much needed entertainment which is a luxury. | Support idea: They have very short careers. |
| Sub-support idea: Athletes earn company high profits from radio and television rights, as well as everything sold at the concessions stands. | Sub-support idea: We expect to pay for our luxuries. | Sub-support idea: Athlete and entertainers have little chance of a stable career. Injury or getting old may make them no longer marketable. |
| Sub-support idea: These companies can afford to pay their entertainers and sports figures huge salaries, because those athletes and film stars draw people to the entertainment. | Sub-support idea: Athlete and entertainers who provide luxuries should be paid for their contributions. | Sub-support idea: They need to earn enough money to support themselves for the rest of their life. |
13. Advances in transportation and communication like the airplane and the telephone have changed the way that nations interact with each other in a global society. Choose another technological innovation that you think is important. Give specific reasons for your choice.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: The Internet is another important technological innovation. | ||
| Support idea: It has removed all barriers to communication. | Support idea: It provides a lot of information at the click of a button. | Support idea: Internet allows business through its e-commerce service. |
| Sub-support idea: Online chatting, E-mail. | Sub-support idea: Yahoo. | Sub-support idea: Online trading. |
| Sub-support idea: NetMeeting and Video conferencing. | Sub-support idea: Google. | Sub-support idea: Sell products on Web Sites to make profits. |
14. Some people believe that it is very important to make large amounts of money, while others are satisfied to earn a comfortable living. Analyze each viewpoint and take a stand.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: Each point deserves some consideration. | ||
| Support idea: Some say it is important to make large amounts of money. | Support idea: Other people are satisfied to earn a comfortable living for a number of reasons. | Support idea: I would say a person should earn enough to satisfy his basic requirements. |
| Sub-support idea: They not only want to make their life comfortable but also the lives their children and grandchildren. | Sub-support idea: They think the more money they have, the more sleep they lose over it. | Sub-support idea: People who have excessive money are more prone to stress related problems like depression and loneliness. |
| Sub-support idea: They think money is the answer to all problems and earning loads of it will help them to lead a problem free life. | Sub-support idea: They think it is not fair for one person to be very rich and the other to be extremely poor. | Sub-support idea: Money cannot buy happiness or health. |
15. Use examples and reasons to explain your answer to the following question: How do mass media (television, film and radio) influence children's behavior?
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| Main Idea: Mass media influences a child's behavior to a great extent. | ||
| Support idea: Talking style. | Support idea: Interaction skills. | Support idea: General awareness. |
| Sub-support idea: A child tries to imitate whatever he sees or hears in television, films and on radio. | Sub-support idea: A child might learn violence and hostility from movies and interact that way to neighbors. | Sub-support idea: If the child listens to news, he knows about current affairs. |
| Sub-support idea: If the child likes a particular actor in film and television, he will try to imitate that actor's talking style. | Sub-support idea: If the shows and films he watches depict a friendly environment, the child is likely to interact pleasantly with friends and neighbors. | Sub-support idea: If he watches channels like Animal Planet and Discovery, he will have a strong knowledge about plants and animals. |
16. It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Do you agree or disagree?
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: I disagree. Children should grow up in a big city. | ||
| Support idea: More opportunities to learn about technologies. | Support idea: They can find a good job only in a big city. | Support idea: Many schools or universities are located in a big city. |
| Sub-support idea: Computers are more available in the city. | Sub-support idea: Most famous firms are located in a big city. | Sub-support idea: Columbia University. |
| Sub-support idea: Innovative technologies (i.e., DVD, CD- burners) are usually started in the city. | Sub-support idea: If they can apply to these firms, it means they can earn a lot of money. | Sub-support idea: UCLA |
17. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Teachers should make learning enjoyable and fun for their students. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: Learning should be fun. I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. | ||
| Support idea: Students learn faster when the teaching is done interactively, which is fun for the students. | Support idea: Students do not get bored when they do things which are fun. | Support idea: Students become friendly with their teacher when they do fun things. |
| Sub-support idea: While teaching a student the basics of addition, he will learn it faster if the teaching is done by asking a student to pick out things, such as pencils, the number of which is equal to the solution of the problem. | Sub-support idea: They will be able to concentrate on the subject being taught for longer durations. | Sub-support idea: Children do not consider their teacher as someone who is there just to give them work. |
| Sub-support idea: Students can play games about history and get rewards when they answer questions correctly. They can learn history faster this way. | Sub-support idea: Solving problems in Math, Writing. | Sub-support idea:
This helps them to listen more effectively to what the teacher is saying, the same way they would listen to their friends. |
18. Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a teacher. Others think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to develop your essay.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: People can learn better with a teacher rather than themselves. | ||
| Support idea: If there is someone to guide us, we will know which methodology is the best to achieve the target. | Support idea: A teacher who has even some knowledge about the subject can help us know whether the content we are studying is correct. | Support idea: Teachers can motivate us to study. |
| Sub-support idea: Someone learns better through visual teaching style. | Sub-support idea: They can tell us about which books, CBTs, or the Internet Web Sites to use. | Sub-support idea: Students will practice writing more if they have high motivation. |
| Sub-support idea: Some learn better through verbal interaction. | Sub-support idea: They can test us to determine if we have correct application of subject matter. | Sub-support idea: If someone encourages you to study hard, you are bound to perform well or even excel in the subject. |
19. Many students have to live with roommates while going to school or university. What are some of the important qualities of a good roommate? Use specific reasons and examples to explain why these qualities are important.
| Main Idea: View solution and next exercise | ||
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| Main Idea: Choosing a roommate to live with is an important decision. He should have several important qualities. | ||
| Support idea: Honesty. | Support idea: Cleanliness. | Support idea: A clean slate. |
| Sub-support idea: He will not steal from me. | Sub-support idea: Cleans the kitchen. | Sub-support idea: He doesn't get involved in illegal activities. |
| Sub-support idea: He will not use my things without my permission. | Sub-support idea: Keeps apartment organized and clean. | Sub-support idea: Some illegal activities can also be contagious, where I might start participating in it merely because I am around it. |
20. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Dancing plays an important role in a culture. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
| Main Idea: View solution | ||
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| Main Idea: Dancing is indeed a very important aspect since it teaches us valuable information about a culture. | ||
| Support idea: The nature of the culture's symbols and art forms are revealed in costumes and equipment. | Support idea: The body language (moves and gestures) gives information about social contact behaviors. | Support idea: The style of preferred music for the culture. |
| Sub-support idea: Through dancing, the participants are able to reveal and express their chosen role in the garments they choose. | Sub-support idea: Participants are modeling typical activities of their culture and thus imparting instructions and historical information to the audience. | Sub-support idea: Reveals much about a culture: an observer has an opportunity to observe who is singing and the nature of the voices. |
| Sub-support idea: Frequently dancers utilize objects like swords or sticks or hoops or musical instruments to further reveal information about their role in the social story portrayed in the dance. | Sub-support idea: In other dances, one can see expressions of deep emotion: love, worship, grief, strength, anger, etc. and thus obtain clues about the inner feelings of the culture's individuals. | Sub-support idea: I found this aspect (music) of dance particularly fascinating during a brief time I spent in a rural village in Zimbabwe a few years ago. |