TOEFL essay sample: Not everything that is learned is contained in books

[Quan11287]

It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?

Two main sources we gain knowledge from are books and practical experience. Some people think knowledge from books is more important than that from experience, others suppose practice brings about more necessary knowledge than books do. Clearly, each of them has its own advantages.

On one hand, knowledge from books effectively provides people with basic information about what they need for their life. If you want to know something about a country in the world, just take a book and read it. This way help you have comprehensive information about it without spending a lot of money on a trip. In addition, knowledge from books is cumulated from one generation to others, so this has formed an abundant and systematic depository of knowledge for human. If a scientist wants to develop a new theory or law, he must use available laws formulated by other scientists in the past. He can’t make out everything from the commencement. Therefore, it should be admitted that knowledge from books play an essential role in people’s life.

On the other hand, knowledge gained from experience bring about practical feelings of life. No one can cook a good meal just after reading a book teaching cooking. No one can swim after reading a book teaching swimming. No one can do business well after reading business and economics books. Almost all things you apply into your real life stem from your own real experience. You can know how to effectively solve your problems only when you have to face them yourself. In short, experience gives people hands-on and realistic knowledge so that they could deal with their real issues in their real lives.

In general, real life provide people with more necessary knowledge than books. People still can live well without reading many books. You still can manage to become rich thanks to you own experience rather than reading business books. You may learn how to communicate effectively with people just because you contact with them frequently. That is not to mention the fact that all of knowledge from books is collected from real life in order to serve it only. So once knowledge obtained from experience assists you more effectively in real life, why don’t you more highly appreciate it?

In short, although knowledge from books is very important, that from real experience is even more so because it is what people have to rely on to exist

[Alan]

THE Two main sources we gain knowledge from are books and practical experience. Some people think knowledge from books is more important than that from experience, others suppose practice brings about more necessary knowledge than books do. Clearly, each of them has its own advantages.

On THE one hand, knowledge from books effectively provides people with basic information about what they need for their life. If you want to know something about a country in the world, just take a book and read it. WITH This TYPE OF help you have comprehensive information about it without spending a lot of money on a trip. In addition, knowledge from books is ACcumulated from one generation to others, so this has formed an abundant and systematic depository of knowledge for humanS. If a scientist wants to develop a new theory or law, he must use available laws formulated by other scientists in the past. He can’t make out everything from the BEGINNING. Therefore, it should be admitted that knowledge from books playS an essential role in people’s life.

On the other hand, knowledge gained from experience bringS about practical feelings of life. No one can cook a good meal just BY reading a book teaching cooking. No one can swim after reading a book teaching swimming. No one can do business well after reading business and economics books. Almost all things you apply into your real life stem from your own real experience. You can know how to effectively solve your problems only when you have to face them yourself. In short, experience gives people hands-on and realistic knowledge so that they could deal with their real issues in their real lives.

In general, real life provideS people with more necessary knowledge than books. People can STILL live well without reading many books. You can STILL manage to become rich thanks to you own experience rather than reading business books. You may learn how to communicate effectively with people just because you contact with them frequently. That is not to mention the fact that all of knowledge from books is collected from real life in order to serve it only. So once knowledge obtained from experience assists you more effectively in real life, why don’t you appreciate it MORE HIGHLY?

In short, although knowledge from books is very important, that from real experience is even more so because it is what people have to rely on to exist


THIS IS A GOOD PIECE OF WRITING

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A New Season