Practice Test #9

F O R T H E T O E F L®
W R I T I N G S E C T I O N

9
Practice Test #9 
For the TOEFL®
​ ​ Writing Section 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Practice Test #9 
For the TOEFL®​   
Writing Section 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

1
 
 
 Practice Test #9 
For the TOEFL®
​ ​ Writing Section 
 
 

 
 
 
The TOEFL Writing Section:  
Directions 
 
 
This section measures your ability to use writing to communicate in an academic environment. 
There will be two writing tasks. 
 
For the first writing task, you will read a passage and listen to a lecture and then answer a question based 
on what you have read and heard. For the second task, you will answer a question based on your own 
knowledge and experience. 
 

When you see the audio icon it means that there is an audio version of the text. ​Please ​click the 
icon ​to get redirected to the audio file​.  
 
If you would like to see a model essay of the question you are answering, you can refer to the answer key.  
 
When you're ready, turn the page to see the directions for the first writing task.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

2
 
 
 Practice Test #9 
For the TOEFL®
​ ​ Writing Section 
 
 

 
Writing Task 1 - Integrated Question 
 
 

Directions​: For this task, you will read a passage and listen to a lecture about an academic topic.  
 
You may take notes during this time. After the passages have finished, you will then be asked a question 
about them. After the question, you will have 20 minutes to write your response. Effective responses are 
usually between 250 to 350 words. You may look at the reading passage and your notes as you write. Keep 
in mind that the question will not ask for your opinion. 
 
You have three minutes to read. You may begin reading now. 

Over the past few decades, there has been growing concern from scientists, 
sociologists, and politicians that the rapid increase in population growth now 
occurring will eventually cause serious problems. In 1800, the Earth’s population 
reached 1 billion. In 1990, the total reached 5 billion. Today, there are over 7 billion 
people in the world, and that number continues to grow. This ever-expanding 
population will have a terrible effect on life in the future.  

First of all, the population problem will lead to the extinction of hundreds of species, 
especially those located in freshwater environments. Even though 70% of the Earth is 
covered by water, most of it is saltwater. There is a limited amount of fresh water 
from rivers, lakes, and ponds that is considered drinkable. The rate at which the 
current population drinks water far outpaces the amount of time it takes for water to 
replenish. Undoubtedly, this will threaten freshwater species and cause the 
extinction of many.  

Overpopulation will also lead to an increase in conflicts and wars around the globe. 
In developing countries where resources are scarce, governments will have a harder 
time providing food, water, and other basic necessities to their people. Poverty is an 
unavoidable consequence of overpopulation. Not only will people grow unhappy 
with their leaders, but those leaders may consider war as a way to reduce poverty.  

Lastly, overpopulation will actually increase the cost of living for people around the 
globe. While most people believe products will get cheaper in the future, in an 
environment where basic necessities are scarce, their prices will increase. If there is a 
lack of food, water, or shelter, then the prices of all of these essentials will be much 
higher than they are today.  

3
 
 
 Practice Test #9 
For the TOEFL®
​ ​ Writing Section 
 
 

 
Now listen to part of a lecture on the same topic you just read about.  
 
After you listen to the passage, answer the question. 
 
Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they answer the specific problems 
presented in the reading passage. 
 
You have 20 minutes to plan and write your response.  
 
 
   

4
 
 
 Practice Test #9 
For the TOEFL®
​ ​ Writing Section 
 
 

Writing Task 2 - Independent Question 

  
Directions​:​ ​For this task, you will write an essay in response to a question that asks you to state, 
explain, and support your opinion on an issue.  
 
Typically, an effective essay will contain a minimum of 300 words. Your essay will be judged based on the 
quality of your writing. This includes the development of your ideas, the organization of your essay, and 
the quality and accuracy of the language you use to express your ideas.  
 
You have 30 minutes to plan and complete your essay. 
  
Your professor has assigned the class a final project. However, each student is free to choose who they 
will work with. If you had to work on this kind of project, would you rather:  
 
- Work alone 
- Work with classmates  
- Work with a tutor 
 
Use specific reasons and examples to support your essay. Be sure to use your own words. Do not use 
memorized examples.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

5
 
 
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 Practice Test #9 
For the TOEFL®
​ ​ Writing Section 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Practice Test #9 
For the TOEFL® ​ ​ Writing Section 
Answer Key 
   

7
 
 
 Practice Test #9 
For the TOEFL®
​ ​ Writing Section 
 
 

Integrated Writing Transcript  

 
Look, there's no doubt about it, the population of the Earth has increased dramatically in the last century. While 
the rate of growth may alarm some futurists who believe we will be living in some terrible, dystopian future of 
scarcity, I disagree with researchers who have such a negative outlook on the future. Here's why.  
 
We are now more aware than ever of the diversity of species in various biospheres. We have biologists and 
researchers who go to great lengths to catalog all known species and measure the likelihood that they may go 
extinct. Preserving biodiversity is a serious matter. Educational institutions and non-profit organizations work 
very hard to ensure that no threatened species ever goes extinct. So, while we'll still need more drinking water in 
the future, there's no reason to believe it will lead to the extinction of species.  
 
The author sees the future as a place of scarcity, whereas I see it as a place of abundance. New technology has 
already been developed that can easily filter even the dirtiest water to make it drinkable. There are even 
machines that produce food that can provide people in need with the caloric intake they need to survive. So, my 
point is that any future wars will not be due to a lack of basic necessities as the reading claims.  
 
As we can see today, all kinds of products are only getting cheaper. Just look at the price you paid for your home 
computer or cell-phone. Such items cost less than ever before, even though they use pretty advanced technology. 
Moreover, once devices that produce clean drinking water and food become readily available to more people 
around the globe, individuals in poorer nations will not have to worry about the price of the basic items they 
need to live.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

8
 
 
 Practice Test #9 
For the TOEFL®
​ ​ Writing Section 
 
 

Task #1: Integrated Writing (block method) 

  
The reading and listening passages are about the future consequences of overpopulation. The author 
believes there will be terrible outcomes from the population increase. The lecturer disagrees with the 
claims made in the reading and attacks each of the writer’s arguments. 
  
According to the author, one issue is water consumption. The article asserts that as water is consumed by 
more and more people, this will cause hundreds of freshwater species to become extinct. The second 
problem the writer sees is the increase in conflicts and war. The writer posits that because there will be 
fewer resources in overpopulated countries, poverty will result, and poverty leads to war. Finally, the 
reading passage states that the cost of living will increase because the price for basic necessities such as 
food, water, and shelter will become more expensive as the population grows. 
  
The professor suggests there are flaws with the writer’s arguments. For one, he says there is no reason to 
believe that drinking more water will lead to extinction. He elaborates on this by mentioning the fact that 
scientists and researchers work very hard to classify all living creatures in order to prevent them from 
going extinct. Secondly, while the speaker acknowledges it is possible there may still be future wars, he 
disagrees that they would be caused by the scarcity of resources. He puts forth the idea that this will not 
be an issue because the future will hold new technologies that can filter water and produce food for the 
population. On the last point, he claims that many things, such as cell phones and computers, already cost 
less than they did before. The lecturer believes that as the technologies for clean water and food 
production become more readily available to the masses, these products will only become cheaper. 
  
To sum up, both the author and the speaker are passionate about their views on overpopulation and 
disagree with each other on every point. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

9
 
 
 Practice Test #9 
For the TOEFL​®​ Writing Section 
 
 

Task #2: Independent Writing 

  
People often say that two heads are better than one, but in my experience, I am always more productive if 
I work by myself. If I were working on a school project, I personally would rather work alone than with 
classmates or a tutor. There are two reasons for this, which I will discuss in the following paragraphs. 
  
For one, I prefer working alone on projects because this allows me to work at my own pace. When working 
with a team or a mentor, I must adjust to other people’s schedules. There are meetings to plan and tasks 
to delegate, which takes a lot of time. But, when I work by myself, I can do the work when I am motivated 
and inspired to do it. I can draw from personal experience to highlight this perspective. Once I had a 
school project in biology to do with a group of four people. We were all very busy students, with part-time 
jobs and extra-curricular activities. It was almost impossible to schedule a time for all of us to meet. 
Because of this, we got started too late. Each of our parts of the project was disconnected and thrown 
together, and ultimately our overall score was low because we didn’t have time to work on the project. If I 
had just done the whole project myself, I know I would have received a better grade. For this reason, 
working alone is better for me because I can work according to my own timetable. 
  
The second reason I prefer to work by myself on projects is that everyone creates a different level of 
quality in their work for the group. Sometimes when working with classmates, a few of them are lazier 
than I am. I always want to do the best job I can, so it is better for me to work alone. For example, I was 
working on a presentation with schoolmates in high school once, and two of the students in the group 
didn't do their share of the work. Ultimately, I had to do my part and their parts as well. It would have been 
better and easier for me to just do all the work myself than to be frustrated and wait until the last minute 
for my team to let me down. Because I always give 100 percent on a project, and not everyone else does, it 
is just better for me to work by myself. 
  
In conclusion, if I were working on a school project, I would rather work alone. Working by myself allows 
me to go at my own pace, and it also allows me to do my best quality work without having to depend on 
others for my grade. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

10
 
 
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