TPO 21 Integrated TOEFL essay

The reading and the lecture are both contradicting each other, in terms of the benefits of genetically modified plants. The author of the article states that genetically modified trees have many advantages. However, the lecturer casts doubt about the claim mentioned in the article and refutes all the theories explained in the article.

According to the article, genetically planted trees would have more survival rate compared to non-modified trees. Nonetheless, the speaker negates the argument presented in the passage. Furthermore, he discusses that non-modified trees are strong enough to defeat natural calamities. On the contrary, genetically modified trees are evolved with only one uniform characteristic whereby they can not survive in dangerous situations such as climate change or attack by pesticides. Hence, this theory is not acceptable.

Moreover, another passage highlights that farmers will get economic benefits by planting genetically modified trees since they usually grow faster than other trees. Although the narrator refutes this by asserting that farmers have to pay a very high amount to the company in order to get seeds of a tree. Also, they would have to pay for every plant that would grow on their farms in the future. Consequently, farmers will be paying more for plants in comparison to the economic benefits earned from those plants. As a result, this idea does not work.

Last but not least, the text explains that genetically modified trees help to save the endangered native trees since these modified trees tend to grow faster which can be used for firewood. So, there is no need to cut native plants. On the contrary, the speaker again opposes the theory and describes that it is true that genetically modified trees grow aggressively but that can negatively affect native plants because genetically modified trees would compete for the natural resources with the other native plants in that region. Therefore, gradually, it will wipe out all native plants from that region.