Sample TOEFL Integrated Essay Online Encyclopedias

Sample TOEFL Integrated Essay Online Encyclopedias Sample TOEFL Integrated EssayThe QuestionThis integrated (Type 1) question is from from theOfficial TOEFL iBT Tests CollectionfromETS. It also appeared on one of the TPO tests (number 5, I think). It was used on a real TOEFL test in the past.Special Offer: TOEFL Essay Evaluation and ScoringYou can now sign up to have your practice essays evaluated and scored by the author of this page. This service is a great way to learn how you will do before test day and how you can best prepare for the big day. Sign up today.The Sample Essay The reading and the lecture are about communal online encyclopedias, which are unique because they can be revised and edited by anyone in the world. The author of the reading argues that they are less reliable than traditional printed encyclopedias. The professor casts doubt on each of the criticisms made by the author. To begin with, the author notes that such encyclopedias are edited by individuals without academic credentials. He feels that this me ans their contributions are sometimes inaccurate or ill-informed. The professor challenges this point. He asserts that even traditional encyclopedias are not perfectly accurate. Moreover, he says that when errors creep into printed books, they remain there for years, unlike in online sources where they can be quickly corrected. Secondly, the author claims that vandals and hackers have opportunities to include false information in online encyclopedias, or to corrupt and vandalize correct information. He feels that unsuspecting users have no way of detecting when this has occurred. The professor casts doubt on these claims. He draws attention to the fact that the administrators of online encyclopedias have methods of protecting their content. He says that they have special editors who watch all changes and revert those which are obviously malicious. Finally, the author points out that communal reference works tend to focus on topics which are trivial or unimportant. This can c reate a false impression of which topics are important and which are not. The lecturer, in contrast, says that because online encyclopedias have unlimited space they are free to cover a wide variety of topics. He argues that just because a considerable number of articles are written about popular topics, we should not assume that academic topics are not being represented.NoteThis is a sample TOEFL integrated essay written by a native speaker. It follows our master guide for TOEFL integrated essays. If you find it useful, please remember that we have many more sample essaysfor you to read!