TOEFL Essay 54 with the model answer:
Read the question below. You have 30 minutes to plan, write, and revise your essay. You should write at lease 300 words.
Should a city try to preserve its old, historic buildings or destroy them and replace them with modern buildings?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
Model Answer:
Generally, the old structures and buildings testify the glorious past. They also help to beautify the cities with no cost. So, they should be preserved. There are opinions that the old structures should be replaced with modern buildings but I will take an opposite stance of this view for the following reasons.
Earlier, people used to make buildings and other structures with great care so that the establishments could survive several hundred years. Besides, they also have a value that the modern buildings of the present day do not have. The old buildings were made with rare woods and other building elements. As a result, the buildings get a classy look in different terms. But if the buildings are destroyed, the looks will be gone. And the modern buildings are unable to bring those classy looks back.
Moreover, when an old building is torn down, it causes damage to the environment. Normally, the old buildings have been constructed covering a huge area. The boundary of the building was surrounded by various types of trees and foliage. Naturally, the developers will also destroy the nature to raze the old building. This will cause a great damage to the environment. For instance, when the old building in my locality was destroyed, the developers also cut down the trees surrounding the building to make the land free of obstacles for a modern building.
Another reason to preserve old buildings is that they have more space inside. Most of the modern buildings are made for commercial purposes. The developers want to make more profit from the land business. So, they try developing properties in a manner which will bring profit in an extensive amount for them. Consequently, the shape and size of the modern buildings become smaller. I have rented my office in a modern building. But the rooms are insufficient to accommodate my furniture and staffs. I am unable to move freely inside the office. If the office had been in an old building, I could have plenty of spaces for my movement and accommodate my furniture and tools.
Based on the reasons above, I think cities should preserve the historic buildings. The buildings having historical values should be preserved to remind the people about the past culture and activities.
