[TOEFL essay] Working with machines vs. Working with people

Based on the matter of working partners, people have different favorite kinds of occupations. Some prefer occupations in which they work primarily with machines. Others choose professions in which they work with people. Each of the two types has its own advantages, and which one suits a person best depends on his personalities and field of profession. Personally I prefer working with machines, for I enjoy the feeling of being the boss whenever at work.

First of all, many people like working with machines since they are technically advanced, and are becoming a perfect substitute for human labor. It is obvious that machines and computers are essential for most fields of occupations. For industrial workers, automatic machines are indispensible; for art designers and architects, computers prove to be great tools in mass designing with high accuracy, while for scientists, scientific machines such as computers and telescopes are strictly required for research. As can be seen, machines are ideal partners for a lot of people whose limited time and capabilities do not allow them to work on their own.

On the contrary, human are still regarded as the best working partners by several people whose jobs require human discussion and interaction. It is clear that in some jobs, teamwork and mutual assistance among workers are crucial to success. Moreover, it is widely believed that professions involving interaction between people are much more interesting, while those in which human primarily work with machines are boringly repetitive. To illustrate this point, recent researches demonstrated that more than half the workers doing such jobs as electrician and mechanical engineering over a long time in the US feel they are driven stressed. Lastly, some people prefer the atmosphere of working in a competitive environment where peer pressure can motivate them to work harder and improve their effectiveness and productivity.

For personal reasons, however, I prefer working with machines. Firstly, machines are highly consistent, accurate, and reliable, while humans may be spontaneous and fallible. In addition, it is not easy to find a person whose personalities and working habits fit mine, which is key to successful cooperation. Moreover, I always like to have things work in my own way. Consequently, I consider machines to be my best partners since they are obedient servants who always do whatever they are told to do and never criticize me, unlike some co-workers who may disagree with my plans. To sum up, working with machines or working with human, each of which has its advantages and drawbacks, depends on each person’s preference; I choose to work mainly with machines because of both their reliability and their flexibility, which enables me to do things in my own way.

[TOEFL Essay] A Small Town vs. A Big City

The second essay I decided to post to the blog since I think it’s generally better than the others I’ve written.

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Topic Question: Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

I was born and lived in a small town in the countryside for years until my family moved to Hanoi, a very big city, so I believe I have good experience living in both places. From my perspective, big cities make life more significant and enjoyable. Since the movement to Hanoi, I can hardly think of a possibility to return to live in a small town.

In terms of living quality, I must say a big city is far flourishing than a town. It offers me the chance to expose to a good education, and a healthily competitive environment for me to live in. Also, in a rapidly thriving city like Hanoi, all kinds of services seem so plentiful. I don’t have to ride a bike 10 kilometers to school every morning anymore. Moreover, how convenient it is when markets and supermarkets lie only 50 footsteps from home, and my parents no longer have to travel over 30 kilometers to get medical treatments. We now already have a decent fridge, a TV, a computer and copious amount of clean water, which was always in dearth when I was a child.

The second reason I love this city so much is that I enjoy the abundance of mass media and entertainments here. Once suffered the shortage of newspaper and books, I now listen to hottest up-to-date news on TV twice a day, surf the Internet to find out information, and have access to library to read and research whatever I am inquisitive about. Furthermore, it is various sorts of entertainment, along with media, that play a crucial part of my life. After school I often watch a comedy show on Star World, see a film at night, go out for supper with my family once a week, and go to the stadium every weekend.

Finally, the hustle and bustle of a changing city contributes to motivate me to achieve goals. It took me months to adapt to this changing world when I first came to Hanoi, but soon I realized this animated environment has changed my whole life. Every morning I come to school and compete with my friends in every class for the valedictorian title. Whenever walking down the street I can notice people rushing in a very dynamic fashion. It is the bustling and competitive atmosphere of work within this busy city that gives me the greatest impetus for studying and working for my future, which I believe cannot be found in my old tranquil hometown.

Hitherto, I have never regretted moving to a big city like Hanoi. In fact, the past three years of modern life gave me a lot more than the over ten years of living in the countryside. I love this hurly-burly of city life, all the facilities and comforts I am provided with, a valuable approach to latest technologies, and the exposure to big opportunities. Therefore, I am totally convinced that life in a big city is much better than one in a small town.

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It seems I still cannot get rid of my wordiness. Over 400 words, though tried my best to truncate it.

=> Task: Practice thinking and expressing ideas straightforwardly unless if I want to write a complete essay under time pressure

[Essay] Are Books More Important than Experience?

(Compare & Contrast)

I wrote this essay 4 days ago. Another TOEFL essay I coerce myself to complete. There is not much time left, particularly about 4 months from now till I sit the test. I know the chase of time to procrastinate is definitely over. Still, how painful to start!

Back to the essay. Not a good one I believe. I still cannot surpass the time pressure. Length is another drawback. I can’t help being so verbose and fastidious whenever I discuss a problem.

Anyway, just keep practicing, Truong! Be sanguine.

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Topic Question: Are Books More Important than Experience? (Compare & Contrast)

I totally agree with the claim that “Not everything that is learned is contained in books”. In fact, although books are essential and huge sources of knowledge that we always highly appreciate, from my perspective, I believe that experience is more important, compared with the knowledge gained through books , for attaining is the only way to improve and give us a much more realistic and vibrant picture of our real life.

First, let’s take a look at some major pros and cons of books in providing knowledge. The most indisputable advantage of books is that they grant people gargantuan sources of information. Also, with the number of books surging day by day, books are more approachable than ever, making the process of researching much easier. However, books are so abstract and hypothetical, making all its information useless if not applied to practices. Besides, many people considered books a little stubborn and subjective, since information in a book, many times, can be biased due to the prejudiced viewpoint of the author. Moreover, because of their limitation and dependence upon particular areas, nations, environments and periods of time, books can soon be obsolete.

On the contrary, despite the fact that experience is a little bit more difficult to accomplish, it is palpable that experience is far more realistic to people. A lot of real-life lessons just cannot be achieved through textbooks, but only by experience. A girl, though peruses a cookery book carefully, is not likely to succeed in preparing dinner if she has never cooked before. And even helpful lessons would still be useless if not applied into practice. For instance, what a boy learned about electricity in physics textbook will have not much meaning unless he himself spends some time checking the electrical system around his house. Discernibly, practices are the most valuable ones that will lead to the best understanding of knowledge.

To conclude, books and experience has their own advantages as well as disadvantages. Whereas books provide us with gigantic knowledge deriving from various sources throughout the world and somehow easier to approach, experience, on the other hand, is much more practical and pragmatic, which can help us well-adapted to the changing world. Also, in my view, if we can apply as much knowledge from books as possible into practice and use them to serve our lives, it would even be far more beneficial.