TOEFL Writing Task 1 [Integrated Task] – Practice Test #006

This TOEFL Writing Task 1 (Integrated Writing) practice test provides an authentic experience with a real reading passage and a corresponding audio lecture. Follow the instructions carefully to simulate the exam and assess your skills accurately.

TOEFL Integrated Writing Detailed Instructions

Read the passage: You will read an academic passage on a topic, usually about 3 minutes.
Listen to the lecture: After reading, you will hear a lecture on the same topic, presenting a different perspective or additional information. You will not be able to see the reading passage while listening.
Take notes: While reading and listening, take notes on the key points and main ideas. Most of your focus should be on the lecturer since the passage is already available for reference.
Refer back to the reading: You can review the reading passage after the listening portion is complete.
Stay objective: Avoid adding personal thoughts, agreeing or disagreeing with the speaker, or evaluating the quality of their arguments. The key is to remain neutral and accurately report what each source says. Think of yourself as a reporter: your task is to explain what each side claims, how their points relate to each other, and how the lecture challenges the reading.
Organize clearly and have a plan: Use clear structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Personally, I prefer writing a concise introduction that presents both sides and briefly states their main reasons, followed by three body paragraphs, each focusing on one point and discussing it from both perspectives. If done properly, there’s no real need for a conclusion, especially since this isn’t a personal or opinion-based essay.
Write your response: Summarize the main points from the lecture and explain how they relate to or challenge the points in the reading passage.
Stay within the word limit: Your response should be 150-225 words.
Proofread: Ensure your grammar, spelling, and sentence structure are accurate.
Submit your writing: Use the form below to privately submit your writing for review, or post it publicly in the comment section at the bottom of the page.
Feedback (optional): Order detailed written analysis or a video session to review your response using the official TOEFL writing criteria and identify specific areas for improvement.

Reading Passage

Despite the global ban on the sale of rhinoceros horns, rhinos are frequently poached for their horns, which can fetch tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram. Due to the high value of these horns, one species of rhino has already gone extinct, and without intervention, all rhino species are at risk of extinction. Several strategies have been proposed to address this issue.

The first suggestion is dehorning. Wildlife experts could remove the horns of rhinos in the wild to make them less appealing to poachers. When done with proper medical equipment and sedation, dehorning can be performed without harming the rhinos. In the early 1990s, a trial of this method showed that none of the dehorned rhinos were targeted by poachers.

The second approach focuses on consumer education. Most rhino horn is used in traditional medicine, despite there being no scientific evidence supporting its health benefits. Rhino horn is made almost entirely of keratin, the same protein found in human hair and nails, which has no known medicinal value. Educating consumers about the lack of health benefits could significantly reduce demand for rhino horn.

A third idea is to legalize government sales of rhino horn. Some governments have stockpiles of rhino horns seized from poachers. Rather than keeping these horns in storage, governments could sell them legally at low prices. If legal sales made rhino horns more affordable, poaching might become unprofitable, reducing the incentive to hunt rhinos and giving the species a chance to recover.