Sample TOEFL Agree/Disagree Essay – Solving Major Problems

The Question
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?  Most of the biggest problems in the world will be solved in the next few decades.  Use details and examples to support your answer.

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The Sample Essay
          It is critically important that we attempt to deal with major problems that affect life in the modern world. However, I do not feel that the most serious problems in society will be solved in the next few decades. I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.

          First of all, the influence of the Internet on the world will continue to increase, which will exacerbate a lot of situations. The widespread popularity of online social networks means that many people are exposed to misleading articles and dangerous propaganda every day. This creates a lot of conflict in society, and in the long run causes people to dislike and mistrust each other. For instance, when an election was held in my country last year, I was exposed to inflammatory articles every time I opened up Facebook or Twitter. The articles were designed not just to help certain candidates win the election, but to make readers actively hate opposing candidates. This trend will likely have disastrous effects over time, as it will probably divide the nation into groups of people who loathe each other. I am sure that social networks will continue to grow in prominence for the rest of my life; therefore, this problem will not be solved.

          Second, it will take centuries for nations to collaborate enough to deal with serious environmental problems. Major environmental issues, such as global warming, can only be dealt with by nations working together. However, there is no evidence that world governments are serious about collaboration of this type, and I don’t think I will live long enough to see world leaders change their minds. To date, every time our political leaders have come together and promised to reduce industrial pollution, they have failed to fulfill those promises. In fact, tensions around the world have risen over the past few decades, so international cooperation seems less likely than ever before. Perhaps when the threat to the planet becomes so severe that it cannot be ignored nations will set aside their differences and get to work, but that will not happen during my lifetime.

          In conclusion, I am certain that the most critical problems in the world will not be solved in the near future. This is because the continued popularity of social networks will make people all over the planet hate each other, and world governments will not be able to work together to prevent major environmental catastrophes. (408 words)

 

 


 
 
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