TOEFL Academic Writing and Argumentation 3

Question 1

In academic writing, which of the following is the BEST example of a well-developed body paragraph?

Accepted Answer

Studies show that urban air pollution contributes to respiratory illness. According to the WHO, cities with high particulate matter levels report significantly higher rates of asthma and bronchitis, demonstrating a clear link between pollution and public health outcomes.

Answer

Option B presents a clear claim, specific evidence from a credible source, and analysis connecting the evidence to the claim — the hallmarks of a well-developed academic paragraph.

Question 2

When paraphrasing a source in academic writing, a writer should:

Accepted Answer

Restate the original idea in their own words and sentence structure, then cite the source

Answer

Proper paraphrasing requires rewriting the idea in your own words AND your own sentence structure, followed by a citation to acknowledge the original source.

Question 3

Which of the following BEST describes a 'straw man' fallacy in argumentation?

Accepted Answer

Misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack

Answer

A straw man fallacy involves distorting or exaggerating an opponent's position to make it easier to refute, rather than addressing the actual argument.

Question 4

In the TOEFL Integrated Writing task, what is the student expected to do?

Accepted Answer

Explain how the lecture challenges, supports, or casts doubt on points from the reading

Answer

The Integrated Writing task requires students to synthesize information from both a reading passage and a lecture, explaining the relationship between the two — typically how the lecture challenges the reading's points.

Question 5

Which of the following sentences contains a DANGLING MODIFIER?

Accepted Answer

Running quickly through the airport, the flight was barely caught.

Answer

In Option B, 'Running quickly through the airport' modifies 'the flight,' which is illogical — flights do not run. This is a dangling modifier because the subject performing the action is missing.

TOEFL Practice Test

TOEFL Practice Test

TOEFL Academic Writing and Argumentation 3