TOEFL Writing Task 1 [Integrated Task] – Practice Test #037

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

Numerous dinosaur fossils have been discovered in Alaska’s North Slope, an area now known for its frigid Arctic climate. Around 100 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed this region, the environment was already quite harsh, especially in winter when months of total darkness occurred. How these dinosaurs, particularly the large herbivorous edmontosaur (Edmontosaurus), managed to survive the extreme winter conditions has led paleontologists to propose the idea that they survived by migrating south to more hospitable climates. Several points support this migration hypothesis.

First, the edmontosaur’s diet lends credence to the migration theory. Edmontosaurs were herbivores, relying entirely on plants for food. Since no plants could grow during the prolonged cold and darkness of the North Slope winter, it seems logical that these dinosaurs would have had to leave the region to find food in more temperate areas.

Second, the discovery of many edmontosaur skeletons at the same site suggests they lived in herds. Modern migratory animals, like caribou and buffalo, also live in herds and travel together during migrations. Living in herds allows animals to coordinate their movements, which is another indication that edmontosaurs may have migrated in large groups.

Lastly, edmontosaurs were physically well-suited for long-distance travel. To escape the harsh winter, they would need to migrate approximately 1,600 kilometers south. At a pace of five kilometers per hour, a migration could be accomplished within several weeks. Given that edmontosaurs were capable of running up to 45 kilometers per hour, their physical abilities suggest they could easily have completed the journey to a warmer climate during the harsh Arctic winters.