TOEFL® Essay: Meeting with a famous person

[Konstantin]

Hello!
Question:
If you could travel back in time to meet a famous person from history, what person would you like to meet? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
Answer:
If I had the possibility to travel in time to meet one famous person I would prefer to go at 1960th and meet with Y. Gagarin, who was the first cosmonaut in the world. I want to encounter with him because he was my compatriot. Also I want to ask him how he had achieved such terrific results and what he felt during his incredible voyage.

I believe that Yuri Gagarin is the most famous compatriot of mine. He had been born in our province and studied at College in my native city which is named Saratov. During all his life he liked our city and now there are several monuments in honor him. Moreover, children from the entire generation wanted to be cosmonauts as he was. It would be interesting for me to talk Saratov over with him and to discover the similarities between our ways of life.

Also, I would ask this exciting man about his great will power because I could understand that it was very hard for a person from the country to become the best candidate for the space flight. At the beginning of his career he was just pilot of a fighter, but then he was selected in the special band to prepare for flying in outer space. As you now, eventually he became the best one in the group. Talking with him, I could understand better how I should improve myself and finally achieve my own goals. Probably, encouraging me, he would provide a new charge of fresh energy for my future life.

Finally, I like some kinds of adrenaline sports because of the incredible emotions. Interacting with Y.Gagarin I want to understand his feelings because I think they were very strong. I would ask him not merely about his emotions in the outer space, but also on land. I can’t imagine the senses which one experiences taking off and saying calmly “Go!” or receiving the highest reward in the Soviet Union. I believe that we even find similarities in our minds.

I guess that this man is one of the most charismatic persons in the entire history of humankind. And I think that meeting with him would invigorate me to become the best one in my own specialty.



TOEFL listening discussions: A conversation between a student and a university service representative