TOEFL® essay: The study of history has value only to the extent that...

[Preetigm]

The study of history has value only to the extent that it is relevant to our daily lives.

The value of history plays a pivotal role in the development of mankind in various aspects including advancements in technology or ethical and social values and concerns. It has been said often that "History repeats and history manifests itself in various forms". The future such as the future of a mankind, or the future of a country poses many questions. If one delves deeply into the past, I believe we can find answers. I believe that the value of history is priceless. Some of life's toughest decisions are made from the lessons learnt in the past. Thus, I would say that the study of history is not only relevant to our daily lives decisions but also the decisions of the future. Best decisions can be obtained by studying the mistakes and progress done in the past.

Consider the building of weapons of mass destruction. After the world wars, each country wanted to be the supreme power. This thirst for power led the countries to develop weapons that could completely destroy the enemy. The serendipity of research led to the introduction to the world of Nuclear Sciences. Further research on the same led to the development of nuclear weapons. A very well known example that shocked the world and created history was the Nuclear bombing attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan that killed thousands of people. Along with loss of human lives there were also people and children who developed various disabilities. This shocked the world. History was made. A bitter lesson was learned .The United Nations (formed after the world wars) curbed on the development of nuclear weapons. All though, many countries still practice development of the nuclear science research, each development is condemned by various nations. This bitter lesson learnt ,however has curbed the advances in the development of the weapons of mass destruction.

My belief is that history is the best teacher of life. Consider the sudden extinction of the dinosaurs that occurred millions of years ago. Evidences support that this extinctions probably occurred due to drastic changes in the weather. The living species could not get accustomed to this weather and finally this led to their complete extinction. This again, was an important part of history. Today, many environmentalists use this example to highlight the effects of pollution in today's world. Pollution has caused drastic climatic changes. It has been observed that in the last century there has been an increase in 1 C in temperature. Also, it has been noted that the global warming has led to the melting of ice caps in the North and South poles. Acid rain has resulted in destruction and also extinction of certain marine species. If this continues then this could also lead to the destruction of living organisms as a whole. Thus, the past lesson learnt has created more awareness on protecting our environment.

Thus, I believe that the past is the best teacher for a better future. It is seen in many cases that history answers to various problems and questions that life today poses. Thus, I believe that the value of history is priceless. It not only answers simple daily life questions but also the future and decisions made by a state or country or the world. Bitter lessons learnt in history avoids the the repetition of the same in the future. Better decisions make a better person. This helps the society and development of the nation.Thus the impact of history has great value.

TOEFL listening discussions: A conversation between a bookstore sales clerk and a student