1. Reading passage
"Over the past 150 years, scientists have tracked a steady decline in populations of yellow cedar, a species of tree that is commonly found throughout parts of the northwestern United States and Canada. Numerous hypotheses have been put forward to account for this decline. The first hypothesis centers on changes in climate as the main cause of the decline in yellow cedar populations. Seasonal temperatures have been changing in the regions where yellow cedars grow. As a result, the growth of the surface roots of the trees no longer begins in the early spring, but in the late winter.
This change has a considerable impact on overall tree health. Because the young roots are sensitive to temperature change, they are prone to freezing during cold winter nights, and such root damage may eventually lead to the death of many trees. A second hypothesis is that parasites such as the cedar bark beetle are largely responsible for the decline. The larvae of cedar bark beetles are known to eat the wood of the trees, damaging them severely.
Several cases have been documented where the beetles attacked yellow cedars so extensively that hundreds of trees died, so these parasites are certainly capable of causing a decrease in tree population.
A third hypothesis singles out brown bears as the cause of the decline. The bark of the yellow cedar is high in sugar and bears often tear the bark off with their claws to eat it. In fact, the sugar content of the yellow cedar bark is even higher than that of the forest berries that the bears regularly consume. While the stripping of the bark is unlikely to kill the trees outright, the feeding habits of the bears leave the trees in a vulnerable state, indirectly contributing to their decline."
2. Listening script
"The reading passage offers a few explanations regarding the population decline of the yellow cedar, but unfortunately, none of them are truly convincing.
First, there is the hypothesis about roots being damaged by cold temperatures. Well, the passage fails to point out one very important factor. At higher elevations, where the temperature is lower, there are far fewer trees dying than at lower elevations, where it is relatively warm. So, if the decline were due to freezing temperatures, we would see a larger number of trees dying at higher elevations. With that in mind, even if colder temperatures weaken the roots of the trees, it seems unlikely that this is what is killing the trees.
Second, the problem with the cedar bark beetle hypothesis is that yellow cedars have a higher resistance to insect parasitism than the majority of tree species. To be specific, yellow cedars contain chemicals in their leaves and bark that are toxic to the insects. As such, the chances of healthy yellow cedars dying as a result of insect damage are low.
In cases where dead yellow cedars were found to be infested with beetles, it seems more likely that the trees were already diseased or damaged, and close to death, prior to the arrival of the beetles. So, we cannot claim that the beetles are directly responsible for a decline in yellow cedar populations.
And finally, while it is true that bears damage trees, I doubt they are responsible for the yellow cedar's decline. Yellow cedars have been dying off in large numbers all across the northwest United States, both in mainland coastal regions and also on islands off the coast. The thing is, these islands are not home to any bears, but we still see the same decrease in the number of yellow cedars. This tells us that bears are not responsible for the population decline."
3. My answer
"The reading passages and the lecturer both discuss why steady decline in populations of yellow cedar happens. the writer states that there are three reasons for this but the lecturer disagree with the argument, saying that none of them make sense.
First, the lecturer doubts the writer's point that climate change is the main cause of the decline with young roots of yellow cedar being prone to freezing during cold winter season. But he states that if this make sense, in higher level where temperature is lower, more roots would have been died, but it's not ture.
Second, the lecturer refutes the argument that parasites such as the cedar bark beetle are resopnsible for the decline. The lecturer disputes that yellow cedar has toxic chemical in its leaves and bars so it will be very few chance that yellow ceder would be killed by beetle dead. Also, yellow ceder dead seems to be previously weakened or diseased already so it is hard to say that yellow ceder is vulunable to this kind of parasites.
Finally, the lecturer doubts the writer's argument that brown bears is the cause of the decline. The lecturer claims that one example of island place where many dead yellow cedar are observed. But in this place, there are no brown bears living in. So he states that brown bear will not be main cause of the decline."
4. Feedback
TOEFL integrated writing is graded on a 5-point scale as follows:
Task fulfillment and organization
Grammar usage
Vocabulary usage
Coherence and cohesion
Here's my evaluation:
Task fulfillment and organization (3.5/5): Your essay does a decent job of summarizing both the reading and the listening passages. However, the structure and clarity of your essay could be improved. The introduction and conclusion could be more robust, and the transitions between points could be smoother.
Grammar usage (2.5/5): Your essay contains quite a few grammatical errors, such as incorrect verb tenses, missing articles, and incorrect word forms ("ceder" instead of "cedar").
Vocabulary usage (3/5): Your vocabulary is adequate, but there are some words that are misused or misspelled, such as "bars" instead of "bark", "dead" instead of "death", and "resopnsible" instead of "responsible".
Coherence and cohesion (3/5): You manage to connect the points from the lecture and the reading passage adequately, but the connections could be clearer and the transition smoother.
Total: 12/20
Suggestions for improvement:
Improve your grammar and vocabulary by further studying English grammar rules and expanding your vocabulary.
Make sure to proofread your essay for spelling errors.
Work on the structure of your essay, and make sure your ideas flow logically from one to another.
Try to create clearer connections between the points in the reading and the lecture.
Expand on your introduction and conclusion to make your essay more complete and robust.
5. Certainly, here's a revision of your essay:
The reading passage and the lecture both explore potential reasons for the steady decline in yellow cedar populations. The author proposes three possible causes for this phenomenon, yet the lecturer disputes each one, arguing that they lack sufficient evidence.
First, the author suggests that climate change, particularly the early freezing of young roots in the cold winter season, is the primary cause of the cedar decline. However, the lecturer challenges this, pointing out the inconsistencies in the claim. He argues that if this were true, more trees at higher elevations, where temperatures are generally colder, would be affected. Yet, this is not the case, thus casting doubt on the correlation between cold temperatures and the decline in yellow cedar populations.
Secondly, the reading passage postulates that parasites such as the cedar bark beetle significantly contribute to the decrease in yellow cedars. However, the lecturer refutes this, emphasizing that yellow cedars contain toxic chemicals in their leaves and bark, which act as a deterrent against such parasites. Furthermore, he notes that when yellow cedars are found dead and infested with beetles, the trees often show signs of previous disease or damage, suggesting that they were already in a weakened state prior to the beetle infestation. This undermines the assertion that beetles are a leading cause of yellow cedar decline.
Lastly, the author identifies brown bears as another potential cause, as they strip the bark off the trees to eat. However, the lecturer contends this point, citing the instance of a bear-free island where a significant decline in yellow cedar populations was still observed. Therefore, he concludes that brown bears cannot be considered the primary reason for the yellow cedar's decline."
6. Certainly, here's a revised version of your response:
Both the reading passage and the lecture discuss the declining populations of the yellow cedar tree. The author proposes three potential causes of this decline, while the lecturer contests these theories, asserting that they are not entirely plausible.
Firstly, the reading attributes this decline to climate changes, suggesting that the sensitivity of the tree's young roots to early freezing in colder seasons may cause tree death. However, the lecturer challenges this theory. He argues that if this was indeed the case, we would observe more tree deaths at higher elevations where temperatures are consistently colder, which contradicts actual observations.
Secondly, the reading passage posits that parasites, specifically the cedar bark beetle, are largely accountable for the cedar decline. However, the lecturer refutes this claim, highlighting that yellow cedars contain toxic substances in their leaves and bark that act as natural deterrents to such insects. Additionally, he proposes that the instances of beetle infestation in dead yellow cedars might be a consequence, rather than the cause, as these trees could have already been weakened or diseased prior to the beetle attack.
Lastly, the reading suggests that brown bears contribute to the yellow cedar decline due to their habit of consuming the high-sugar bark of these trees. Contrarily, the lecturer disputes this, presenting the example of certain islands where a significant yellow cedar decline is observed despite the absence of bears. This evidence challenges the idea that bears are a primary factor in the population decrease.
In conclusion, while the reading passage provides several reasons for the decline in yellow cedar populations, the lecturer counters each of these theories, pointing out inconsistencies and presenting alternative explanations for the observations.