Sample TOEFL Integrated Essay – Wave Energy

The Question

This integrated question is taken from a Korean textbook which you probably can’t buy. I am unable to provide the lecture and reading, but if you need some practice tests I strongly recommend buying the Official TOEFL iBT Tests Collection.  It’s an excellent source of practice questions!

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The Sample Essay

         The reading and the lecture are about wave farms, which some people think are an alternative to fossil fuels. The author of the reading believes that these facilities have many advantages. The lecturer casts doubts on the author’s claims. He does not believe that they are particularly advantageous.

           First of all, the author notes that wave farms are reliable sources of power because they utilize waves which are constant and predictable. As a result, it is possible to guess exactly how much energy they can produce. The lecturer disagrees with this assertion. He says that wave generators are not very reliable because they often experience technical problems due to the harsh environment they operate in. He points out that for this reason the amount of power they produce fluctuates wildly.

           Secondly, in the article it is mentioned that wave farms do not harm the environment. It is pointed out that they do not burn fossil fuels, so no harmful gasses are emitted into the environment. This point is challenged in the lecture. The lecturer says that the convertors used in the stations contain damaging chemicals that can sometimes leak into the surrounding ocean. He asserts that these have a very bad effect on marine organisms when this happens.

          Finally, the author observes that wave farms do not affect the attractiveness of the surrounding area. It is mentioned that they float just near the surface of the ocean, so they cannot be spotted by local people. The lecturer, on the other hand, posits that they actually do clash with local scenery. He says that they are painted bright colors so they can be detected by ships, which means that tourists can also spot them from nearby beaches.

Templates and Guides

This is a sample TOEFL integrated essay written by a native speaker.  It follows our master guide  for TOEFL integrated essays.  If you find it useful, please remember that we have many more sample essays for you to read!