TOEFL® essay: When I was a child, my grandmother usually told me many stories...

[Rongconrangsun]

When I was a child, my grandmother usually told me many stories about an unusual person who is named Superman. Due to those stories. I believed a hero in our life should have unusual talents and is always willing to sacrifice themselves for other people, who both know or unknown him, and my hero since my childhood is superman. He could do many things which a child as me are even an adult can't dream to do. Moreover, his characteristics are wonderful, he saved many people from dangerous cases which seemed to be hopeless to anyone. He also never required anything from them, even saying "Thank you". The image of superman in my childish thinking is a perfect person who nobody could be compared to. In contrast, when I grow up and I can recognize everything around me more cleanly, it's time for me to know that nobody could become exactly my hero of my childhood, but there are still many heroes existing in reality. When looking into my usual life, I could realize those heroes around, such as an ambulance driver who always appear when emergency, doctor who could sleep when trying to help his patient to overcome his disease or mother who works hard to be able to take care of her children. For that reason, I believe that a hero doesn't have to be able to do such wonderful unusual actions flying or moving one place to another in one second, a normal person also could become a real hero. So that, my father is really my hero. He couldn't ether fly or do magic for me, he could his best to protect and provide me a good life without thinking about his difficulties, his sadness or his danger at work. In conclusion, every person will have their own hero who isn't special to any other people.

TOEFL listening lectures: A university lecture by a professor of Physics

[Alan]

When I was a child, my grandmother usually told me many stories about an unusual person who is named Superman. Due to those stories. I believed a hero in our life should have unusual talents and BE always willing to sacrifice themselves for other people, who both know or unknown him, and my hero since my childhood is superman. He could do many things which a child LIKE me are even an adult can't dream OF DOING. Moreover, his characteristics are wonderful, he saved many people from dangerous cases which seemed to be hopeless to anyone. He also never required anything from them, even saying "Thank you". The image of superman in my childish thinking is a perfect person who nobody could be compared to. In contrast, when I grow up and I can recognize everything around me more cleanly, it's time for me to know that nobody could become exactly my hero of my childhood, but there are still many heroes existing in reality. When looking into my usual life, I could realize those heroes around, such as an ambulance driver who always appearS IN AN emergency, A doctor who could sleep when trying to help his patient to overcome his disease or A mother who works hard to be able to take care of her children. For that reason, I believe that a hero doesn't have to be able to do such wonderful unusual actions flying or moving FROM one place to another in one second, a normal person also could become a real hero. So that, my father is really my hero. He couldn't eIther fly or do magic for me, he WAS ABLE TO DO his best to protect and provide me WITH a good life without thinking about his difficulties, his sadness or his danger at work. In conclusion, every person will have their own hero who isn't special to any other people.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
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