Sample TOEFL Agree/Disagree Essay (Humans and the Earth)

The Question

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Human activity is making the earth a worse place to live. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. 

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The Sample Essay

  (This sample essay uses our TOEFL essay templates)    

        The world is changing at a rapid pace nowadays due to the actions of human populations. I am of the opinion that humanity has had a mostly negative effect on the planet.  I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.

         To begin with, industrial development has caused major air pollution, which has a terrible effect on our health.  Every week we can hear news reports about how horrible air quality is in major cities all over the world. Additionally, it is often reported that chronic lung diseases are on the rise and that there is a connection between these two trends.  I am reminded of the years I spent living in Beijing, which is home to many massive factories. After having spent most of my life living in the Canadian countryside where the air is mostly clean, I immediately noticed the smog and pollution of urban China.  Within months I began suffering from a variety of respiratory illnesses and had difficulty breathing. As a result, I spent quite a few afternoons at a local hospital being treated for various throat and lung infections. A majority of the population of the Earth now resides in cities, and they often suffer from similar consequences of industrial development.

         Secondly, human development has led to a massive accumulation of trash, which spoils the natural beauty of the planet.  While in the past products were often made of biodegradable materials like paper and wood, today most manufactured goods are made of plastic that never breaks down.  Such materials sometimes find their way into permanent landfills, but often they just end up as litter. When I traveled to the island of Borneo last summer I was impressed by the beauty of the place, but I also noticed that the natural environment was marred by an accumulation of plastic bags and water bottles that were strewn everywhere.  Had I visited the island a century ago I would not have found it tainted in such a way.

       In conclusion, I strongly believe that human activity has made the planet a less pleasant place to live.  This is because people are more likely to suffer from the effects of pollution than in the past, and because humans create garbage which has destroyed the natural beauty of our world. (386 words)