TOEFL iBT Essay Topic 003
If you were asked to send one thing representing your country to an international exhibition, what would you choose? Why? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
Sample essay 1.
If I were asked to send one thing representing my country to an international exhibition, I’d send something unexpected: one week’s worth of television programming. These programs would best represent my country. They show how the citizens of my country live and what they think and feel.
The dramas on television are very realistic. They show how people in different parts of the country go about their daily lives. They show how they earn their livings, how they deal with crime, and how they interact with each other. The dramas also show how people in various economic groups dress, what kinds of houses they live in, and what kinds of education their children receive.
The comedies indicate what people in my country think is funny. Even though the situations are exaggerated, they reflect how my culture deals with very basic human situations. People everywhere understand falling in love, raising a family, and earning a living.
Sample essay 2.
If I could choose one thing representing my country to display in an international exhibition, I would choose kimono, a traditional Japanese wear. It is true that there are other great things to exhibit in my country, but I think that kimono is the best for the following reasons.
First of all, kimono is valuable. It used to be worn as a dairy wear a few hundreds years ago, but now people wear it on special occasions such as ceremonies and festivals. And they are very expensive and some cost as much as tens of thousand dollars. So, it is, for sure, worth being displayed in such a big show.
In addition, kimono is very colorful and kind of large when it is opened. In an exhibition, there should be other various things that can attract visitors’ attention, so clothes might be less attractive. However, kimono’s clothes are made of thousands of threads and colorful and beautiful. So, it does not seem inferior to other displays.
Moreover, kimono could symbolize our culture very well. It is delicate and requires a variety of skills to make. It is often said that diligence and delicacy are great aspects of Japanese culture. Kimono, which takes long time and numerous techniques to make, is a good way to show foreign people our culture in an exhibition.
Finally, of course, kimono is soft and flexible because they are something to wear. So, it is easy to carry. And it can be displayed in various ways. It means that kimono does fit to everywhere in an exhibition and how to display it can be changed according to the situation. It will help kimono to look great and beautiful there.
Although it is true that we have a lot of things which can represent my country, nothing else can have so many elements which is important in order to displayed. So, kimono is the best thing to be put on exhibition.