Writing topics and their supporting

reasons for TOEFL ibt

by:
Yasaman Esfandiari
Arya Haghighat

1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The government should
spend more money on improving access to the Internet than on public
transportation.
-internet :
communication
information
navigation
electronic transaction
-public transportation:
air pollution
traffic
economical growth
2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Telephone has greater
influence on peoples lives than television has.
-telephone:
communication
-TV:
news
cultural training
entertainment
educational programs
advertisement
3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Most businesspeople
are motivated only by the desire for more money.
motivated by social prestige
motivated by the fact that they can provide people with something new
changing the society by their products
fame
internal satisfaction

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4. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students who keep their
rooms neat and organized will be more likely to succeed than students who do
not.
disciplined and well organized person
concentration
having a well organized room results in having a well organized mind
reduces the stress
5. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Sports teach people
lessons about life
team work
perseverance and making effort to achieve a goal
physical health results in mental health
reduce stress
making decisions in critical situations
making friends
6. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Improving schools is the
most important factor in the successful development of a country.
prepares students for future tasks
how to treat other people and create the culture of the society ( patriotic)
economical growth
level of literacy
industrializing
7. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Advertising is the most
important cause of unhealthy eating habits.
proliferation of fast food restaurants
hectic life
the fact that people pay attention more to their economical growth rather than their physical
health
they prefer to spend their time on some other issues
lack of programs that teach people about nutritious foods
8. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Young people should try
several different jobs before they take a long term career.
they should focus on their studies
some other people might be really in need of having a job but students may occupy their
positions
they should spend spare time on resting and exercising
9. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Newspapers and
magazines are the best ways to learn about a foreign country.
movies
internet
living in that country
lack of coverage
10. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A job with more
vacation time but a low salary is better than a job with a high salary but less
vacation time
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efficiency
job satisfaction
you have enough time to spend with your family
reduce stress
trip
11. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? To remain happy and
optimistic when you fail is more important than achieving success.
every success can be achieved by bearing several failures
as human beings we need to be relaxed and calm in our lives physical health
mental health
life is too short to be obsessed with being successful
more confident
12. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way to improve
the quality of education in a country is to increase teachers salaries
motivation
they are less concerned with their economical status
they can devote more money to researches
job satisfaction
13. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Professional athletes,
such as football and basketball players, do not deserve the high salaries that
they are paid
they are not educated enough
discourage people from engaging in productive jobs
they dont have as great influence as other occupations have in the society
they even dont do their job in the best way
14. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Younger school children
(ages five to ten) should be required to study art and music in addition to math,
science, history and language.
it helps them to be mentally healthy
imagination
creativity
they can find the field that they are talented in
entertainment
15. Do you agree or disagree with the statement? People will spend less time
cooking and preparing food in twenty years.
a trend from history reveals this fact
they are more concerned with economical growth
hectic life
proliferation of fast food restaurants
advertising
16. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students should not
take part-time jobs while they are studying in universities.

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#8
17. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Movies and TV
programs made in ones own country are more interesting than those made in
other countries
language
different cultures
develop your view toward movies
more instructive
18. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Being creative, rather
than planning carefully, helps people come up with the best solution to a
problem.
some problems are really difficult to deal with in a natural way
it has been historically proved that the most important breakthroughs are results of
creativity
a new and elaborate idea cannot be helpful unless there is a good plan behind it
save time
focus better
less stress
19. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? If you do not make sure
other people (especially influential people or your employers) know about your
strengths and accomplishments, you will never get successful in life.
other factors such as perseverance, money, education, government support, creativity
20. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents should allow
children to make their own choices rather than determine their childrens future
for them.
independency
responsibility
they feel that they are mature enough to make decisions, however in the emergencies parents
can help them
21. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Only movies that can
teach us something about real life is worth watching.
science fiction improve our imagination
as we suffer from hectic lives, we need comedy for our pleasure
children enjoy cartoons more than instructive movies
22. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should only
study or play and dont have to do household chores.
independency
responsibility
teamwork
skills such as cooking

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23. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for
the government to spend money on art museums and concert halls than on
recreational facilities such as swimming pools and playgrounds.
hectic life so we need pleasure
exercising is the most significant factor in maintaining a physically healthy body
children should enjoy their childhood

24. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better to take a
secure job with a low pay than to take a job with a high pay but is easy to lose.
hectic life, stress out
job security results in higher efficiency
job security has a direct relationship with job satisfaction
25. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? In the busy and
crowded world today, we should not expect people to be polite to each other.
being polite has an intrinsic value
hectic life, stress, aggravate
children learn from their parents, it becomes a part of their culture
26. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It was easier to achieve
success in the past than it is today.
technology, information availability
more educated teachers
fully developed government
supportive role of families, less crowded families
communication
27. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Movies and televisions
should always show audience that good people are rewarded and bad people are
punished.
instructive, a mere behavior has a certain consequence
children learn more easily, they are vulnerable
hectic life
they lose their motivations
juvenile delinquency increase
28. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is often not a good
idea to move to a new city or a new country because you will lose old friends.
new culture
new language
new friends
new chains of communication

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29. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better to hold a big
party and invite many people to come than a small party where only a few close
friends and family members are invited
in order to have an enjoyable party, the members should have close relationships with each
other
more economical
it is more comfortable for anyones neighborhood
socializing ( their memories )
30. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Its better to have rules
about the type of clothing that people wear at schools or in their workplace.
unity
decreases conflicts between different social classes
they feel that they are representatives of their school and as a result they control they
behavior
it is more beautiful ( they are well disciplined)
31. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should buy
things that are made in their own country, even if the price of these products is
higher than that of the products made in other countries.
raises the countrys economical status ( import less goods and export more domestic
products)
encourage domestic producers
it can result in breakthroughs
32. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The food we ate in the
past was healthier than the food we eat today.
fruits were more nutritious because they didnt contain chemicals
proliferation of fast food restaurants
advertisement
hectic life ( enough time for preparing food)
good eating habits from their ancestors have not been transferred to current era
33. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents do not
understand their children so well as parents did 50 years ago.
the gap between their ages is less than before
they have less children than before
they care more about their children
improvement of psychology
34. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People would be
happier with fewer possessions.
less stress ,fear of bankruptcy
optimistic view towards the future
it increases your risking power
it is more comfortable
more respect in the society

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35. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People who move out of
their native villages or towns are more successful and happier than people who
stay in their native villages or towns
they live closely together
they help each other more in difficult situations
environmental effects
they expect less
they are less stressed out
36. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The environmental
issue is too complex to be handled by the individual.
air pollutions ( governmental control)
number of trees cutting down for paper
some events are natural disasters( fires in forests)
extinction of animals (human activity, food cycle)
37. Do you agree with the following statement? The government should support
scientific research even if theres no practical use.
some research will result in practical usage in the future ( steam engine)
it will encourage people to try to do several research
some future discoveries need some impractical research in the past
38. Do you agree with the following statement? In order to succeed, you should be
more like others than be different from everyone else?
Throughout history, people who were different from others endow the society with
breakthroughs ( Inestine)
the fact that the number of people who are successful is less than ordinary people
mentally ( the issues which are different remains in peoples minds better analogously the
society)
people are biased toward their unsuitable taught
39. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? In a team, those who do
not accept others criticism cannot succeed.
criticism can be constructive
it makes friendships disappear
prejudice
it results in prevalence of dictatorship
40. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People holding different
views cannot achieve success as a team.
they can share different views until the best one
criticism can be constructive
prevent dictatorship
41. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All school teachers
should be required to take courses every five years to update their knowledge.
technology
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psychological improvements (Utilize new procedures for teaching-have profound impact)

children become more informed in every generations
teachers self confidence
more respect
42. Do you agree with the following statement? All high school students should take
a course in basic economics
they should enjoy their lives ( they are not mature enough to deal with economical issues)
some majors are not relevant at all to economics
they should focus on their fields of studies
they are really basic that are not worth studying
43. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should only
play sports for fun, not in competitions or contests.
competition can be constructive
they should see the results of their efforts
they understand how to be friends besides being competitors
they can stand failures
44. Some people have ambitious dreams and keep following them, but other people
always focus on realistic goals and try to achieve them. Which do you think is
better?
less stress
less disappointing
less chances of giving up
more possibility of being satisfied
45. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? To solve present and
future problems , it is necessary to understand the past
several changes ( the world is changing, so problems are changing)
it is time consuming
some solutions were just effective in the past or we dont have the necessary equipments to
do them
some of their solutions were primitive
46. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? If parents want their
children to do well at school, they should limit the time their children spend on
watching TV.
time consuming
distraction
some unsuitable movies
their physical health is influenced by spending so many hours on watching TV
47. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Printed books have had
greater effects on society than televisions
TVs have more audience
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they are more diverse

they have visual and auditory effects
Advertisement
48. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: People can solve
important problems by themselves or with the help from their family members
so theres no need for the government to help them.
environmental problems
city life problems
some problems need cooperation of the whole society and government should gather them
(childrens labor)
some problems need national investment ( hygiene problems)
49. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should have
hobbies and do physical activities that are very different from their own work
they need diversity in their lives( mentally he will lose his passion )
they will be overwhelmed if they dont do this (reduce efficiency)
possibility of quitting the job will increase
they dont enjoy their hobbies as well
50. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? If we cant say anything
nice about someone, then we should not say anything about this person.
he might not like that people talk behind his back whether it is true or not
prejudice
maybe our idea about him is wrong and it is just an interpretation
exaggeration
restrict his ability of changing
51. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Scientists should be
responsible for the negative impacts of their discoveries
people are the ones who use these discoveries negatively (knife)
governments can advertise some new discoveries negatively (social networks)
parents can have a negative effect on their children for using the discoveries (technophobia)
governments sometimes use these discoveries in a negative way(nuclear energy)
52. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Improving schools is the
most important factor in the successful development of a country?
#6
53. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Working at home using
computers or telephones is better than working in the office.
hectic life
reduce stresses regarding the atmosphere of the place any one works
efficiency
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time management
reduce traffic and air pollution
54. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for
governments to spend money to improve Internet access than public
transportation.
#1
55. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? If you need to discuss
upsetting or controversial problems with others, using email/ text messaging is
better than using telephone/voice-messaging.
it is more comfortable for conveying emotions
since you want to debate something, interaction is necessary
some issues are vulnerable to misunderstanding
56. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People who have
learned many different skills are more likely to succeed than those who focus on
learning only one skill.
self confidence
reliability
instruct it to other people
being professional has a direct relationship with being prosperous in the future
every issue has its own complexity
57. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The personal and work
related challenges that young people face today are not any different from the
challenges their parents and grandparents faced when they were young.
the world is changing
technology
safety
hectic life
disease
58. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students who keep
rooms their neat and organized are more successful than those who do not.
#4
59. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement. Nowadays more and
more people spend too much money on their pets (dogs, cats and others),
although there are better uses for this money.
help the poor
using technological devices
travel
hectic life
economical difficulties

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60. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? In the modern world,
we should never be impolite to another person.
intrinsic value
hectic life
friendship
respect
children will learn
61. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Telephone has had
greater effects on peoples lives than television
#2
62. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People care more about
public recognition than about money. Even if no more money is given, public
recognition can still make people work harder.
economical difficulties
life satisfaction
self confidence
respect
reduces stress
63. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Successful leaders
should make others part of the decision-making process.
criticism
diversity
dictatorship
others should leadership
other members self confidence
responsibility
64. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Colleges or Universities
should offer more courses to prepare students for the future before they start
working.
experience, professional
deal with job difficulties
self confidence
organization and leadership
practical usages of their science
use their time efficiently
65. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Young people today are
less dependent on their parents than in the past.
families have less children
families are more careful about their children
less support from government
the gap between their ages is less than before

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66. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Compared with people
who live in urban areas, the people who live in rural areas can take better care
of their families.
hectic life
living closely together
responsibility
dependency
67. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Its better to relax by
watching a movie or reading a book than doing physical exercises
physical health
mental health and unleash your energy
making friends by exercising in a group
observing other peoples exercising transfers positive energies
68. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The advice from the
grandparents is of no use to their grandchildren because the world has changed
a lot over the past 50 years.
some solutions are not practical in the contemporary era
some solutions are so primitive
some problems are new due to the worlds changing
grandparents may not be able to transfer their information using details
69. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Among all the
characters that a successful person has, communication skill is the most
important.
perseverance
education
honesty
creativity
reliability
70. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is easier for people to
become well-educated now than in the past
better schools
increased level of literacy
improvement of educational methods
improvement of technology
dependency of being successful on being well educated
71. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way to learn
about a foreign country is to read newspaper and magazines from that country.
#9
72. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents should
encourage their children to do their homework independently rather than help
them to do it.

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independency
responsibility
they can learn better
their problems can be found better by their teachers
73. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Two people can still
become good friends if one of them has more money than the other one does.
they have social conflict since they are from different classes
they cannot understand each others problems
they cannot even hang out with each other
74. Some people think university professors should spend more time doing
research while others think they should spend more time educating students.
What is your view?
the main responsibility of a professor is training students
by teaching students you can prepare bulk of them for researching
they can establish their team and just give idea to them and have the other members to do
simpler jobs

75. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? One of the
characteristics of successful leaders is the sense of responsibility for accepting
their mistakes.
it can be constructive for future purposes
other members self confidence enhances
group unity will be preserved
prevents the group from dictatorship
76. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents should allow
children to make mistakes and let them learn from their own mistakes.
independency
responsibility
making mistakes is essential for future success
children should understand that life is full of predicament
77. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The most important
problems in todays world will be solved in our lifetime.
environmental problems: some problems are not known thoroughly
sedentary life: not only decrease , but also increase because of improvements in
technological areas
hectic life: obsession with money making
medicine defects: low efficiency of education

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78. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Although science and
technology will continue to improve, the most significant improvement for the
quality of peoples lives have already taken place.
hectic life
environmental problems
sedentary life
medicine
79. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement. Movies and television
have more negative effects than positive effects on the way young people
behave.
sedentary life and physical problems
advertisement
violence
some other substitute as entertainments
80. Which kind of universities do you prefer, universities whose graduates can find
good jobs or universities where there are famous professors?
independency
prosperity
life satisfaction
self confidence
81. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Universities should
spend more money on improving facilities (eg. labs and general equipment)
than on hiring famous professors.
being professional before attending a job
practical usage of their knowledge in theory
maintaining their health through exercise
transportation system
82. Do you agree of disagree with the following statement? It is important to know
what is happening around the world, even if it does not affect your personal
lives.
can be constructive: political
technology: if a country faces restriction in importing facilities it can produce it itself
self confidence because of general information advancement
Although some happenings seem that they dont have any effects on our lives in a short time,
they could influence our lives in long term, i.e. exploitation of India by Britain
83. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better for
government to spend money on building modern housing than on preserving
historic or traditional buildings and homes.
effective use of space
increase in number of people who need modern houses
safety
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light
diminish unemployment critic
84. Some people like to buy a piece of technological device as soon as it is available
in the market. Other people prefer to buy it after it has been adopted by many
people. Which do you prefer?
more economical
defects are more obvious
other experiences
repair men are more familiar with the device
more software
85. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important to
choose friends that can have fun with you than to choose friends that will help
you when you need them.
some problems are so difficult to be mentioned with people other than friends
helping each other in hard situations will have a significant effect on enhancing the
friendship
the main responsibility of a friend is supporting his friend
these two characteristics are not mutually exclusive
86. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? If a student is having
difficulty studying a course, it is better for the student to turn to a friend who is
good at this course than to turn to his/her teacher for help.
a teacher is more knowledgeable
more experienced
more trustworthy, hesitation
a teacher instructs a student about how to use her information efficiently on the test
the teachers view of the student
87. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? the most important
investment for a company is to spend money to improve the work skills of its
employees.
machinery
relationship with other companies
advertisement
material
technology and research
88. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Patience is usually not a
good strategy. We should take action now rather than later.
some problems need immediate reactions
accumulation of some delicate problems may lead to huge problems (friendship)
patience is psychologically harmful process
it may lead to talking behind someones back

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89. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Young people should
choose a job that is similar to what their parents did.
independency
responsibility
education
societies demands
interest
90. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? In order to succeed in
doing a new job, the ability to adapt oneself to the new environment is more
important than the excellent knowledge of this job.
experience
self confidence
job satisfaction
high salary
promotion
influential role in the society
91. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: It is much easier for
people to achieve success without their family members help now than in the
past.
independency
responsibility
education
technology
governmental support
more skilful teachers
92. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: The competition
between friends always has negative effect.
constructive
assistance besides helping each other
reassembling friends together
dealing with each other for a long time helps establish a better friendship
93. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Your job has more effect
on your happiness than your social life does.
friendship
exercising
vacation
hobbies
family members
education level
94. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: it is impossible to be
completely honest with your friend.
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some facts are impossible to be discussed with friends

some people are not eligible for understanding the truth
some facts may lead to an enormous annoyance
wrong interpretation of some facts
95. Which one of the following would you change to improve your health: 1. The
kind of food you eat 2. The amount of exercise 3. The amount of stress
exercise:
mental health
physical health (sedentary life)
physical health (heart attack)
96. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Governments and
private companies should share their scientific discoveries with the rest of the
world.
prosperity
domestic product
discourage other scientists from competition
exportation
97. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Leadership comes
naturally. One cannot learn how to develop it.
knowledge and self confidence
teachers
experience
support
psychological knowledge
98. Some people like to work at home, while others prefer to work in the office.
Which do you prefer and why?
#53

99. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Young people now are
more likely to help others than young people were in the past.
hectic life
family unity
sense of responsibility
being stressed out
100. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Governments should
focus their budgets more on environmental protection than on economic
development.
hectic life
air pollution
some environmental problems cannot be solved by individuals
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global warming
101. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is not necessary for
university students to attend classes as long as they can pass their
examinations.
experience of teachers
more significant issues
reduces stress
research
social interaction
102. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is important for
governments to protect wild animals and wilderness areas for the future
generations.
tourism
ecosystem (food cycle)
wilderness areas reduce peoples stress (hectic life)
diminish unemployment critic
103. Which of the following do you think contribute most to an enjoyable vacation:
1. good food 2. good location 3. good friends to travel with. Select one and give
your reasons.
good friends:
having fun
cooperation
prevent possible annoyance
conformity
104. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students are more
interested in politics now than they were in the past.

disagree:
they are overwhelmed by their parents
there are less political books
in many countries politics can lead to punishment
agree:
more freedom
political courses required in universities
more social committees in the society

105. Which way do you think is the best for a student to make new friends? 1.
joining a sports team 2. participate in community activities 3. traveling
participate in community activities:
social influence
deals with a lot of people
people who have same ideas have the chance to meet each other
ability to withstand critique

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106. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Nowadays it is easier
to maintain good health than in the past
proliferation of fast food restaurants
advertisement
sedentary life
hectic life
107. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students can get as
many benefits from organization or club activities as they can get from their
academic studies.
prosperity
education is vital for having a good job
self confidence
social influence
108. When you are assigned an important presentation for work or school, do you
prefer to work on it right away so that you can work on it a little bit every day, or
wait until you have a good idea about the presentation?
ideas come up with breakthroughs
intensive work in a period of time enhances our concentration
students creativity improves
something new is evaluated better by professors
109. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Young people
nowadays do not respect their teachers as much as they did in the past.
they were older than contemporary teachers
students are much more informed because of technology
number of teachers increased

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