strawberry101

congratulations! awesome score!

Congratulations!!! :)

Hello people, I just phoned ETS this morning. I am so happy to find out that I got 6.0 in my essay and 273 in toefl! I cannot believe it! God is so goooooooood! I praise, thank, glorify, and adore Him! Special thanks to bruno, ish, and toeflmania for checking my essays! You are really my angels! :) love, strawberry101

thank you for all your comments! :)

thank you very much for your greetings! :) They made me feel better. I hope you are all right. imran4x5: I found the grammar section quite easy. I answered all the toefl grammar questions here in testmagic when I was preparing for the exam. Hope this helps. to vijaya: I got essay question #100.

hello guys, first of all, I want to say thank you very much for being so nice and helpful. Your comments especially in the TWE section really motivated me to do better. I just took my TOEFL a couple of hours ago and my score range was 220-273. Listening - 27 Structure - 12-28 Reading - 27 I am happy about the result as I only need 220 to meet the licensure requirement. However, I am quite anxious with the result of my TWE. I wasn't able to check my whole essay. I ran out of time. :( In this regard, I would like to ask for your prayers. Please pray for an at least 4.5-5.0 grade of my essay. I badly need it to meet the requirement. Thank you so much and I wish you all the best. Best Regards, strawberry101

wow, thanks! I hope i'll get the same score on the actual test! :)

Hello guys, I wrote this in 30 minutes! whew! Please comment and rate it. :) Tenchu! mwahh! :) strawberry101 :cool: 0033 (PR) You have received a gift of money. The money is enough to buy either a piece of jewelry you like or tickets to a concert you want to attend. Which would you buy? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. Gifts never fail to put a smile on our faces. It is always nice to give gifts to someone you care about and it is equally touching to receive something from someone who loves you. As much as possible, I would like to receive something in kind; I do not enjoy much receiving cash. But of course, we can always convert this to something memorable or something worth remembering. If I would be given cash, which is enough only for a piece of jewelry or a ticket to a concert, I would rather buy a ticket to a concert. I believe watching a concert will do me a lot of good like being entertained, being able to eliminate stress, and being able to meet other people. Undoubtedly, watching concerts is very entertaining. I will be able to watch my favorite singers and pop stars perform live on stage. I can cheer them, sing with them, and dance with them. I can also ask my friends to come with me so I can enjoy all the more. When I was in highschool, Mariah Carey went to our country for a concert. My friends and I love her so we made sure that we would not miss this once in a lifetime event. WE really had fun and though the ticket was very expensive, we believed it was all worth it. Secondly, watching concerts will eliminate our stress. It will take our mind off from our stressful work. It will help us relax our body, mind, and spirit especially when we watch the concerts of the famous Filipino balladeers like Nyoy Volante, Gary Valenciano, and Martin Nievera. A few years back, when my mother still had her stressful job, she used to watch classical and ballad concerts. She told me that it helped a lot to relieve her tension from a hectic schedule. Lastly, watching concerts can help us meet other people. Of course, there will be many people watching the concert who have the same choice of music like ours. We can talk to them and maybe, can be friends in the long run. Also by mere talking to people, we will gain more knowledge with regards to politics, fashion, jobs, music, art and many others. To sum up, I believe that watching concerts is very beneficial. It is not only entertaining and relaxing, but can help us meet other people as well. So if given a choice between a piece of jewelry and a concert ticket, I would choose the latter. I think that watching concerts offers more advantages than wearing a piece of jewelry.

0015 (EX) Neighbors are the people who live near us. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbor? Use specific details and examples in your answer. Neighbors are God’s gift to us. It is impossible for a man to live by himself, as he needs other people for his survival. This is largely the reason why a community was formed. People need to live together in order to survive. However, though this concept is already well known for many people, there are still some neighbors who are selfish and uncooperative. I believe they should not be like this. People who live near us should be good. They must be helpful, friendly, and know how to respect ones privacy. First of all, a good neighbor must be friendly. He must always wear a smile whenever you meet each other on the street. A nice hello is helpful in order to promote a peaceful and happy environment. A few years back, my family and I lived in Guam. Our neighbors were so friendly and nice, making it difficult for us to leave the place. It is wonderful to live in a village with friendly people living around you. Second, a good neighbor must be helpful. It is great when someone dependable is living near your place. When my father accidentally choked, we needed to rush him at the hospital. Since he was so heavy, my mother and I could not carry him. As a result, my mother called our neighbors to ask for help and we were so thankful as they responded immediately. I believe that without their help, my father would not probably be saved. Lastly, a good neighbor must know how to respect privacy. It is nice if someone living near your house is sensitive enough to know when your family needs to be alone. It is quite annoying if your neighbor is very nosy. We once had a neighbor like this, my parents and all other people in our village thought that she was really irritating. I remember she became a major issue in our community. In sum, I believe a good neighbor is friendly, helpful and knows how to respect privacy of other people. If only all our neighbors possess these qualities, then undoubtedly, people will live in harmony. 0057 (PR) Some movies are serious, designed to make the audience think. Other movies are designed primarily to amuse and entertain. Which type of movie do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Movies are very popular nowadays. In my country, watching movies is regarded as the number one form of entertainment. Movie producers are considered as the richest people in my homeland because of the large profits they earn from filmmaking. Because of this, movie writers are inspired creating different movie plots. Some stories are serious while some are just for pure amusement. Between the two, I prefer to watch movies that are primarily designed to amuse and entertain people. I believe this type of movies is more enjoyable, is more relaxing, and promotes a more positive outlook towards life. Undoubtedly, movies that are created for pure entertainment are more enjoyable. When I was in grade school, my parents, brother, and I love to watch comedy films. We all enjoy the movie not only because the story is amusing, but because we are together as well. It is fun when family watches a movie together. A motion picture primarily designed for entertainment can only make this happen, as most children do not appreciate serious films. Secondly, movies purely made for entertainment and amusement are more relaxing. They lessen the work of the brain, as fewer neurons are needed to understand the story. People, who are under so much stress, will appreciate this type of movies because their mind and body will be relaxed. This is largely the reason why my bestfriend, who has a stressful job as an executive, always ask me to watch light movies with her every weekend. She wants to release her stress from a week’s work. Lastly, this type of movies promotes a more positive outlook towards life. When a person feels happy, she has a greater tendency to become more inspired to do good things. Watching movies made for pure entertainment brings motivation. When my sister suffered from severe depression a few months ago, her psychologists advice her to watch comedy films and avoid watching serious movies. My sister followed the advise of her doctor and amazingly, her condition improved and I noticed that she became more positive towards life and inspired to do valuable things. In sum, I believe that movies, which are primarily designed for amusement and entertainment, are beneficial to people. This kind of movies brings enjoyment, relieves stress, and encourages a more positive attitude towards life.

hello ish, bruno, and toeflmania, thank you very much for the comments! You are all great I hope I can be as good as you guys! to toeflmania: Good luck in your exam tom! Believe me, you'll ace it! :) strawberry101

Hello guys, These are the essays which I wrote this afternoon. Pls. read and grade them. Thank you. Regards, strawberry101 _________________________________________________ 0131 (AD) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Only people who earn a lot of money are successful. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Many people in our present society work hard to earn a lot of money. Women are becoming increasingly more career oriented nowadays since they believe that the fatter their pay envelope is, the more successful they are. Some individuals admire their friends who occupy top paying positions in their company and reckon them as successful. However, from my point of view, I strongly disagree that only people who earn a lot are successful. Success cannot be measured by money alone. I believe happiness, peace, respect and trust, which you gain from people around you are the more important basis for success. Undoubtedly, happy individuals can be regarded as successful people. As what Mother Theresa of Calcutta once said, ‘ nothing can match the happiness I derive from serving the poor.” She became so famous because of her love for the poor people. She devoted her life in serving them. She was so kind-hearted that the Catholic Church called her a living saint then. I believe it was the highest form of achievement a person like her could gain while living. Secondly, a person living in peace can be looked upon as a successful individual. A peaceful life indicates contentment and happiness, which most people nowadays dreamt of having. No amount of money can level it. While I was in highschool, I met a very rich family who lived in a first class subdivision. Their house was really big, their furniture were expensive and they traveled a lot. It was undeniably that they were living a luxurious life. A couple of months after, we heard that their mother committed suicide due to depression. The poor woman found out that her husband was unfaithful and she was really devastated because of it. As a result, their family was broken and I could not imagine how hard it was for the children to accept. It was in this kind of situation that I felt very lucky having a peaceful and loving family like mine. Thirdly, a person can be considered successful if he gets the respect of the people around him. Respect is not earned overnight. When I was in college, my professor earned the respect of his colleagues by being so good in his job. Though he did not earn a lot, everybody listened to what he says. He always gave lectures about his area of expertise in seminars and symposiums at no cost. Many people attended his seminars and applied to their job what they learned from it. Almost everybody looked up unto him. Lastly, I believe that the trust of the people is a more important measure of success than money. It is great if people listen to what you are saying because they think you are a true and a highly reliable person. You can use it to influence other people’s opinion to direct them to a path towards a successful life. The fulfillment you can gain from this is priceless. In sum, I disagree that only people who earn a lot of money are successful. I believe fame, respect, and trust are the most important measures of success. Money is dispensable but these things will be treasured throughout our lifetime. 0043 (EX) Why do you think some people are attracted to dangerous sports or other dangerous activities? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Dangerous sports are becoming increasingly popular around the world. In my country, people go crazy watching these dangerous activities such as skydiving, javelin, rock climbing, drug racing, boxing and wrestling. Also, more and more people are getting interested to try these themselves. Just recently, some of my male friends became so involved with this kind of activities even though they are aware of the danger and the amount of money involved. Some people are attracted to these dangerous sports because of the thrill, excitement and the sense of fulfillment they gained from them. Firstly, the thrill and excitement brought about by these dangerous sports make some people enjoy all the more. When I was in college, my friends and I love to watch boxing games. Even some of us enrolled in a sports clinic for boxing. Though it is dangerous and physically harmful, we tried it because of the excitement we feel. It is a wonderful experience when you feel that your adrenalin hormones are rushing. Secondly, some people do these for self-esteem. They believe that their self-worth is boosted once they participate in dangerous sports. They feel they are superior to others because not all people can do this kind of activities. Furthermore, some people felt a great sense of accomplishment once they tried these dangerous sports. One example is my big brother who loves to participate in car racing. My mother thinks she will suffer from heart attack everytime my sibling has a game. She was so worried and afraid that something bad might happen to my one and only brother. But, despite of my mother being against it, my brother insists on participating because according to him, the fulfillment he gained from it, is priceless. In conclusion, it is truly indeed that many people are attracted to dangerous sports. These activities are fun and exciting. I, for one, enjoy them too. However, though these activities are fascinating to many of us, we should always remember to take safety measures as we cannot deny the fact that these sports are life threatening. 0132 (MA) If you could invent something new, what product would you develop? Use specific details to explain why this invention is needed. The world is becoming increasingly more and more perilous nowadays. The population is currently at six billion. Crimes, such as robberies are continuously getting higher. In this situation, I believe our society needs a very efficient security monitoring system so that robberies will at least be minimized. So If I could invent something new, I would definitely develop a very efficient and affordable security monitoring system. In this context, I will further discuss why I believe this invention is greatly needed. Undoubtedly, security is a major concern nowadays. In my country, many people will not leave their homes alone. It is because they are scared that they might be robbed. As a result, family hardly goes out together. This is sad for many of my countrymen since we, Filipinos, give a great deal of importance to family. We are well known for having close family ties. We do not want someone to be left out but because of this situation; we are forced to do so. With the use of my invention, people can easily monitor their homes through the use of their cellphones. A webcam, which automatically takes and sends pictures to cellphones whenever a change is sensed by it, will be installed at their houses. Of course, I will make sure that this webcam is sensitive enough to all kinds of changes in its surrounding. In this way, people can go out and leave their houses with no worries. Secondly, these monitoring system will help solve court conflicts easier. It is a pity that many court cases of robberies is processed for a number of years due to lack of evidence. With the help of my product, evidences will be easily made available. We can develop the pictures taken from the webcam and present these as evidences to court. As a result, more time and money will be saved on the part of the victim and on the part of the court judges and workers. In conclusion, I would definitely develop a security monitoring system if I could invent something new. I believe it is the answer to many of our problems. Robberies will be lessened and people will lead a more peaceful life.

__________________________________ hi reggaetony! Your essay is good. It is 5.0-5.5 too though we have a different point of view!Hehe. Let's keep on writing! Good luck. :) hello bruno, thank you for grading my essays. I really appreciate it. I hope I'll get the same score on my actual test. I'll post my other essays later. I hope you won't get tired of reading and grading them. My exam will be on Monday! Haay, I really pray that I'll make it. Thanks again, Strawberry101 :) btw nice mcdo signature! it's really cool :)

Hello, My exam day is fast approaching and I'm getting nervous. Please read and grade my essays. Your feedbacks will help me a lot. Thank you, Strawberry101 _______________________________________________ 0026 (AD) It has recently been announced that a new movie theater may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. Movies are very popular nowadays. In my country, it is regarded as the number one form of entertainment. Almost all people from all walks of life in my homeland love seeing films, because it is very relaxing, affordable, and educational. It is unfortunate that at present, the moviegoers from my community need to travel a long distance just to watch a film, so I am sure that a new movie theater, which may be built in our village, would bring great joy to our neighborhood. It is for this reason that I support the plan of building a new movie theater in my neighborhood. Also, I believe that this plan will generate more income to our people. It cannot be doubted that building a movie theater in our neighborhood will create more job opportunities for my neighbors. I am certain that the owner of the movie theater will need people to work for him. Also, our small businesses will boom since more people will be coming in our area. We can create food stalls, make for rent parking areas, and sell different movie memorabilia. This could generate larger income for the people and for the government as well. As a result, the government will have more funds to build larger roads and larger parks for our children. Secondly, having a movie theater in our neighborhood will bring us convenience. Most of us will greatly appreciate it because this means that we will not have to travel anymore just to see a movie. This will save us from gas and parking fees. As a result, we will have more money for other important things such as food and clothing. Furthermore, parents will not be so worried about their movie fanatic children anymore since the movie theater is very near. Parents are more certain that their children will be safer and will go home on time. In conclusion, I strongly support the plan of building a movie theater in my neighborhood. It will not only give us entertainment, but a lot of career opportunities and other benefits as well. 0054 (AD) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? One should never judge a person by external appearances. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. We cannot deny the fact that most people are guilty of judging other people’s personality based on external appearances. Judging other individuals by looks is a very common mistake. When I was a child, my friends and I were so scared of the old lady living in our village. She was a gray haired, thin woman with many marks on her face. We thought she was a witch. It is a pity that even young children are guilty of making this kind of judgment. For whatever reason, I strongly believe that one should never judge a person by looks. It would be very unfair not only to the person concerned but to ourselves as well because we might be missing an opportunity of meeting an awesome individual. Undoubtedly, judging other people by looks is very unfair. A few years back, I had a friend at work, who looked very timid. She was short, thin, and had a stooped posture. Nobody wanted to befriend her. Everybody thought that she was brainless. My boss gave her very light duties. Her work was so unchallenging that she missed a lot of career opportunity. Though she was so responsible and good at her job, our supervisor never gave her tough duties, as he perceived her as a simple-minded one. My friend thought that this treatment was unjust so she left the company. After a while, my boss and her coworkers realized her importance when they heard that my friend was the new supervisor of the company’s competitor. Secondly, there is a great risk of missing good people if we allow us to judge by appearances. We should always give a second chance to people to show us how they really are, without masquerades. When I was in college, I had a classmate who seemed not to know how to take care of herself. Her hairstyle and clothing looked so untidy. She never smiled in class and always bowed her head while walking. When I talked to her, I found out that she was just depressed. Later on, we found ourselves to be very good friends. I was happy that I did not judge her based on her outward qualities because if I did, I would probably miss an opportunity to meet my bestfriend. In sum, I believe that people should not judge a person by external appearances. We all have our bad days too so it is just proper that we give each other a second chance. We must judge a person based on his inward qualities and not on his external appearance.

Forgive my ignorance but who takes GRE? What is it for? Hope to hear from you guys.. thanks

hi toeflmania! Good work! That is something in 30 minutes! :) My only advice to you is to avoid too much repetition of words e.g. appearance, judgement, people. hope this helps.. :)