Morning! Mr Kitos,
I am wondering these days whether I should prepare a so-called “template” if I want to make a better performance. As there is no much time for me to get fully prepared. And I ever heard some teacher saying that “the longer the better”, and with a good template I can easily achieve this goal.
Topic: agree or disagree? Newspapers and magazines are the best way of learning about a foreign country
When talk about what is the best way of learning about a foreign country, people may find it hard to come to a conclusion due to diverse personal experience. Some voice point out that, to a great extent, the information they convey is limited and experiencing something we want to know is usually the best way. Others, on the opposite side, content that these two medium are the major way we acquire knowledge and information. There is probably some truth to both argument, but I seriously doubt that former’s contention will bear the brunt of close scrutiny. Therefore, I suggest the former proposition bears greater relevance than the latter, and I would like to reason and provide evidence to support my viewpoint.
The first reason I want to put forward is that we sometimes will find it difficult to attain much information of foreign country we need from these publications. There has been a desirable tendency these years toward the way we acquire information. A recent survey conducted at a university reveals that 82 percent of respondents ranked “internet is the best way to access information of foreign country.” Thus, basic to any understanding of the inconvenience that newspaper and magazines bring about are the responses from general citizens who use internet as their preferred way to learn about the foreign country. Of course, “surfing on the internet” has become a buzzword among common people, saying nothing of the same word to gain communication of foreign country. Hence, I insist that newspaper and magazines are actually not the best way to learn about a foreign country.
Another equally significant reason that cannot be ignored is that if someone wants to learn about foreign country remarkably, s/he may definitely go to visit that place. Further evidence comes from the example of my sister. My sister is person who fantastically enjoys traveling to foreign country. When asked why traveling brings such huge attraction to her, she answered without hesitation:”because once I found some interesting places in newspaper and magazines, then I really want to be there myself, so I can really have a true feeling about it and learn something more. This case is seen as merely the tip of iceberg, but the striking answer gives me a full understanding of the fact that if you want to know something, the best way is to try it yourself. Just as an old saying goes “seeing is believing.”
Needless to say, it is quite easy for common people to think that both newspaper and magazines are two most direct and convenient ways for us to get information in daily life. Because of the obvious reason that they are sold almost everywhere and you can read them at anytime. It can be given a concrete example that one who is on the bus or plane can easily make the best use of the time reading, instead of doing nothing.
After ruminating overall these factors, we may safely come to the conclusion that newspaper and magazines by no mean the best way to learn about a foreign country. Apart from providing the insufficiency of the information they can give, it also provides the fact that if you are trying to learn foreign country, you should really go there yourself. Thus, we must not only engage in thorough discussion, but also put theory into practice in order to acquire a better sense of the most appropriate and effective way to learn about a foreign country.
(PS:I actually use a template, it seems a little weird. I hope you can help>a<)
TOEFL listening discussions: What did the young man do during his last holiday?