2018年托福写作模拟试题：减少生活开支的方法

　　题目

　　A friend is going to reduce the living expense.

　　1、find a roommate that can share the living expenses

　　2、buy the new technology products less frequently

　　3、shop for less expensive food to cook at home

　　写作思路

　　本次综合写作以及独立写作较为简单，其中独立写作为三选一。

　　独立写作具体思路可借鉴：

　　选择第三种方法来减少生活开支：1. 食品开销是每日必然发生的，从日常开销节省会更省钱。2.很多商店都会有打折的活动，因此买不太贵的食物并不会降低生活水平，实施起来更为简单。3. 找室友会有安全隐患，而电子产品原本购买频率就低，因此不会有效减少生活成本。

　　Key sentences:

　　1、First off, purchasing for food is daily routine, which makes living expense more likely to increase.

　　2、Additionally, shopping for less expensive food will not necessarily lower the living standard.

　　3、Finally, finding a roommate may trigger safety problems, and technology products are seldom bought.

　　key words & phrases:

　　purchase, daily routine, lower the living condition, trigger, safety problems

　　托福写作范文一：

　　Modern city life is more expensive than ever, but with careful planning and smart adjustments, my friend can survive without too much of a sacrifice to the lifestyle he enjoys. One reasonable adjustment is to buy new technology products less frequently, and another is to shop for less expensive food to cook at home, but the single most effective adjustment my friend could make is to find himself a roommate.

　　Buying new technology products less frequently is a reasonable way to save money, but most people don’t tend to buy these products very often. For instance, a new phone is always expensive, but many—if not most—people buy a new phone only once every two to three years. They upgrade or buy a new computer even less often, perhaps once every five years. These products are expensive, but, again, are infrequently replaced. My friend benefits minimally from this method.

　　Shopping for less expensive food to cook at home is another reasonable way to save money, but it’s limited by the number of meals my friend eats at home and the amount of time he has to cook. He might only eat dinner at home, or he could be too busy to cook regularly. And, while hefty, grocery bills or food expenses usually don’t make up most of a person’s living expenses.

　　By getting a roommate, my friend reduces his housing fees, which are the most substantial part of his—and most young adult’s—living expenses. Having just one roommate halves the amount he needs to pay every month towards rental. Also expensive are utility bills, which account for essential things like electricity, water, internet services, air conditioning, and heating. These costs can, once again, be halved when there’s a roommate. Household items can also be shared between roommates to save costs. For instance, if the roommate buys a refrigerator or brings a sofa, then that’s one more item my friend does not need to buy for his apartment. The two of them could and should work out a fair way to contribute essential household items. Likewise, roommates can split the grocery and “consumables” bill, buy food items in bulk at a discount, and share food such as bread and fruit before they go bad.

　　So, while other cost-saving measures have merit, none are simpler and more effective than finding oneself a roommate. My friend and his wallet will ultimately thank me for my wise recommendation.