Q1
Reading Passage
Congestion pricing -a system of charges imposed on vehicles entering or leaving certain areas of a city at peak times - has generated a great deal of controversy among the residents of the urban areas in which it has been implemented. Nevertheless, it offers significant benefits.
First, congestion pricing makes driving much safer. The reason is that a reduction in the volume of traffic leads to a decrease in the number of accidents. According to a study conducted by the Royal Institute of Technology, personal injury accidents declined by up to 10 percent during a seven-month trial period of congestion pricing in Stockholm. This is directly attributable to the sharp drop in traffic that occurred while the trial program was in effect.
Another advantage of this system is that it results in a city's public transportation network becoming more convenient to use. With a lower number of cars and trucks on the road, buses are able to stay on schedule, which means that people experience fewer delays when using this form of public transit. For example, bus delavs in London dropped by over 50 percent once congestion pricing was put in place. As a result, people had shorter wait times at bus stops and were able to reach their destinations more quickly.
Furthermore, congestion pricing has a positive impact on businesses within a city. This is because traffic congestion causes excessive fuel consumption and delays in the delivery of goods, all of which are significant financial burdens for companies. In fact, Partnership for New York City, an economic advisory group, maintains that local businesses in New York lose a combined total of $13 billion each year due to the extra costs of operating in a city with high traffic congestion.
Listening script
The reading passage discusses the concept of congestion pricing. Proponents are quick to point out the supposed advantages of this system, but, well... Let's just say that congestion pricing isn't as advantageous as some believe it to be.
Take the idea that it makes the roads safer for drivers. The exact opposite is actually true. While there may be a reduction in the, um, overall number of accidents, those that do occur are usually more severe. The lack of traffic makes it possible for vehicles to travel at much higher speeds. The relationship between vehicle speed and, uh, accident severity is highlighted in a report released by the Australian government in 2013. It states that a 30 percent increase in speed more than doubles the risk of serious injury or death when a collision occurs.
Now, another consideration is that congestion pricing actually makes public transportation less convenient for users in the long term. Things might be better at first, but as more and more people make use of the public transit network, its, uh, capacity is eventually exceeded. This leads to overcrowded conditions that not only cause riders discomfort, but also make it more difficult to even catch a bus. People often have to wait for several buses to pass by before one stops with enough room for new passengers.
Finally, consider the claim that congestion pricing provides financial benefits for businesses. This just doesn't match with the reality of the situation. Whenever this type of scheme is implemented, retail businesses experience a significant decline in revenue because the fees deter suburban shoppers from, uh, driving into the city. A 2003 survey by the London Chamber of Commerce revealed many retailers in the city center blame the congestion charges for lagging sales. So, um, clearly, congestion charging is not good for local businesses.
My answer
The reading passages contends that congestion pricing will bring significant benefits for three reasons. But, the lecturer brings up several points that contradicts this argument.
First, the lecturer contends that it makes the car accidents more severe. This is because the implementation of it makes the number of cars less and it leads to increase speed of cars on average. According to the research, 30% of faster speed makes car accidents severe two times more. This casts doubts on reading passage's claim that congestion pricing makes driving much safer.
Next, the lecturer points out that it makes a city's public transportation system more inconvenient to use in the long term. For example, after this policy applied, as people become more reliant on the bus, one of the public transportations, the bus inside will be overcrowded and people outside bus will be likely to miss the bus and have to wait until next one comes. This counters the reading passage's claim that it results in a city's public transportation network becoming more convenient to use.
Lastly, the lecturer maintains that it won't be beneficial for local business. According to the survey in a city, retailers blame congestion pricing because their revenue declines due to the increase of driving fees. Especially, this could be huge burden on small-medium sized retailers who has tight budget. This refutes the reading passage's claim that it has a positive impact on businesses within a city.
GPT
Your writing scores for this TOEFL integrated task are as follows:
Topic Development: 4/5 - You successfully addressed the main points in the reading and listening passages, and integrated them in your essay. However, there could be more elaboration on each point to fully convey the scope and complexity of the argument.
Organization: 5/5 - The essay was logically organized with clear transitions from one idea to the next. Each paragraph contained one main point and a reference to both the reading and the listening passages.
Language Use: 4/5 - The language was generally clear and varied, but there were some minor grammar mistakes and awkward expressions.
Mechanics: 4/5 - Some minor punctuation and capitalization errors, but overall well written.
Overall Score: 17/20
Your essay is well structured and you successfully challenge the claims made in the reading passage with information from the lecture. You might want to focus on more detailed development of the main points to give your essay more depth. Also, try to further refine your language use and grammar to avoid minor errors.
Based on the feedback, here's a slightly modified version:
The reading passage contends that congestion pricing will bring significant benefits for three reasons, but the lecturer contradicts these arguments with persuasive counterpoints.
Firstly, the lecturer contends that congestion pricing inadvertently makes car accidents more severe. While the policy may reduce the number of cars on the road, it also leads to increased vehicular speed. Research supports this claim, asserting that a 30% speed increase doubles the severity of car accidents. This casts doubt on the reading passage's assertion that congestion pricing enhances road safety.
Secondly, the lecturer points out that congestion pricing ultimately renders a city's public transportation system more inconvenient. As the policy encourages more people to rely on public transport, buses, for example, become overcrowded, leading to extended waiting times for passengers. This challenges the reading passage's claim that congestion pricing improves the public transportation network's convenience.
Lastly, the lecturer maintains that congestion pricing is not beneficial for local businesses. A city survey revealed that retailers attribute declining revenues to the increased driving fees associated with congestion pricing. This burden is particularly impactful on small-to-medium sized retailers operating on tight budgets. This information refutes the reading passage's claim that congestion pricing has a positive impact on city businesses.
Teacher
The lecturer aruges that congestion pricing is not as advantageous as some believe it to be. This contradicts the reading passage's claim that it is highly beneficial.
The reading passage contends that congestion pricing has some advantages. On the other hand, the lecturer bring sup several points that contradcits argument.
First, the lecturer asserts that roads are not made safer by congestion pricing. The accidents that occur are more severe because the cars involved are traveling at higher speeds. In fact, a 30 percent increase in speed doubles the risk of serious injury or death. This casts doubt on the reading passage's claim that driving is less dangerous when congestion pricing is implemented.
Next, the lecturer contends that congestion pricing results in public transportation becoming less convenient. As more people use the public transit network, its capacity is exceeded. This causes discomfort and makes it difficult for people to catch a bus. This counters the reading passage's claim that congestion pricing increases the convenience of using public transportation.
Finally, the lecturer maintains that the idea that congestion pricing benefits businesses does not match with reality. Businesses see a drop in revenue because suburban shoppers are deterred from driving into the city. Retailers in the city center blame the congestion charges for lagging sales. This refutes the reading passage's claim that it has a good effect on local businesses.
TIP
Reading 연구 주제 반박 가능성 10%
세부 내용 반박도 할 수 있음
EX) buses on schedule -> Not on schedule
숫자랑은 percent, percentage 는 large, small
인정하는 부분은 필기! (prediction in the number of accidents)
만약 못 잡았으면 severe 로만 기술 (number 줄었다고 얘기하면 감점)
숫자 등 디테일 잡는 것보다 방향을 잡는 것이 더 중요
약어 연습!!
정확히 못 들었으면 + - 방향으로라도 generally 하게 표현할 것!!
단어 떠올리는게 어려우면 품사라도 바꾸기 (convenient to use -> the convenience of using)
READING은 꼭 paraphrasing 하자!!
VOCA
an increase in, a rise in a surge in
A increase, A rises
A increases B, A raises B
a decrease in, a drop in
a reduction in, a decline in
A decrease, A declines
A decreases B, A reduces B
benefits, merits, advantages
proponents: 지지자
in the long term = in the long run
deter A from B = A가 B하는 것을 막다.
lagging sales: 판매 부진
occur, happen, take place
at higher speeds, at higher speed
속도, 가격, 비율, 특정 지점 at
~에 영향을 미치다.
affect, influence, impact, have an effect on, have an influence on, have an impact on
it positively affects local businesses (O)
it affects positively local businesses (X)
☆ 문장 연습
주어는 -가 ..하도록 한다. (주어 동사- to부정사)
allow; permit; force; require; motivate; stimulate; encourage; enable; teach; challenge; cause; lead
주어는 -가 ..하지 못하게 한다. (주어 동사 from -ing)
stop; prevent; keep; deter; discourage; distract
이 혜택들은 교외 사람들이(shoppers) 도시로 운전해서
들어오도록 한다.
The benefits enable suburban shoppers to drive into the city.
* Paraphrasing
읽기 본론 1
First, congestion pricing makes driving much safer.
= Driving is less dangerous when congestion pricing is implemented.
= When congestion pricing is implemented, driving is less dangerous.
= It is safer to drive when congestion pricing is implemented.
Q2
Me:
I understand why Sonia and Mark thinks that accessibility and customers should be the main consideration when choosing the ideal location for a restaurant. However, in my opinion, we should check where our potential competitors are located first. This is because it gives a lot of useful information about a location. For example, When my mother was searching a place to open her Thai restaurant, I advised her that she had to find which district has the most number of Thai restaurants. She found it and visited the place and she could be aware of who is going to be the main customer group (gender, age, etc.) and refer to the competitiveness other rivals have. This information really helped her.
GPT:
The response you provided for the TOEFL Writing task is quite good, and I would give it a score of around 3.5 to 4 out of 5, based on the TOEFL independent writing rubric. You clearly state your position and provide reasons and an example to support it.
However, there are a few areas that could use some improvement to make your response even stronger.
Grammar and Spelling: There are a few errors ("Mark thinks" instead of "Mark think", "helpd" instead of "helped") that could be corrected for better clarity.
Cohesion: Link your ideas better by using cohesive devices and transition words.
Specificity: Include more specific information and details in your example to make it more convincing.
Here's a modified version of your response:
I appreciate Sonia's and Mark's viewpoints that accessibility and customer base should be primary considerations when selecting a restaurant's location. However, in my perspective, the first step should be to assess the location of potential competitors. This approach provides invaluable insights about the location and the demographic.
When my mother was planning to open her Thai restaurant, I suggested she investigate the areas with the highest concentration of similar establishments. She did this and found it immensely informative. By visiting the location, she was able to discern the predominant customer group in terms of gender, age, and other relevant demographics. She also gleaned insights into the competitive edge that her rivals possessed.
This information was instrumental in shaping her restaurant's business strategy. For instance, understanding the customer base guided her in tailoring the menu, pricing, and ambiance to suit the target demographic. Recognizing her competitors' strengths and weaknesses, on the other hand, enabled her to differentiate her restaurant and offer unique value propositions.
Thus, while accessibility and customers are significant, gauging the competition initially can offer a comprehensive understanding of the business landscape, contributing to a more informed and strategic decision-making process.