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Academic Discussion prompt

Do you think urban or rural living offers a better quality of life? Support your position with reasons.

Every scored sample answer Reach120 publishes for this prompt, banded so you can see the range rather than one version of "good".

2 sample answersSociology

The prompt

As it appears in practice

Population shifts between cities and rural areas reflect different lifestyle preferences. Each environment offers distinct advantages and challenges.

Sample answers, by band

2 published

Reach120 practice band estimate — not an official ETS score How we estimate

Middle response

Band 4.53.5/5 rubric
Personally, I believe that urban living offers a better quality of life. Although some people might argue that it has several drawbacks, I am convinced that this approach offers numerous advantages. To begin with, I strongly agree with Nadia's perspective that city living provides diverse job opportunities. For example, people can find jobs easily in companies, restaurants, and local shops. As a result, people can reduce their stress because they have access to more employment opportunities. Additionally, city dwellers have access to better educational resources. For example, students living in cities have greater access to academic discussions and workshops. As a result, students can improve their academic performance. Taking everything into consideration, I argue that living in cities is better because it provides better access to job opportunities and educational resources.

What worked

  • Clear position statement
  • Use of examples
  • Logical structure

What cost points

  • Lack of specific details
  • Limited engagement with classmates' ideas
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Middle response

Band 4.53.5/5 rubric
While I appreciate that points of Farida about living in rural area, but I agree with Nadia that urban living is more advantageous. The main reason is that in the city you can have more job opportunities and a comfortable routine. For example, if you live in a rural area, you need to drive for hours to the supermarket, while those who live in town need to drive only a few minutes. So, when we live near a mall, hospital, or supermarket, our life can be easy. In addition, we could have better educational institutions. In the end, we could be more free to choose everything, better hospitals, better jobs, better groceries, so it is a happier life in the city. For these reasons, I firmly believe that urban living offers a better quality of life.
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