Writing 1 toefl

The reading claims that many critics argue that ethanol is not a good replacement for gasoline and it provides three reasons of support. However, the professor states that ethanol is a good alternative for gasoline and none of the reasons is convincing. He refutes each of the author's reasons.

First, the article avers that the increase use of ethanol fuel would not help to solve one of the biggest environmental problems caused by gasoline use: global warming. In contrast, the speaker opposes this point by saying that ethanol will not increase the global warming. In fact, it is true that ethanol releases carbon dioxide but ethanol often made from plants such as corn and the process for growing corn would absorb the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. As a result, growing plants would remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and it would help decrease the global warming.

Second, the article posits that the production of significant amounts of ethanol would dramatically reduce the amount of plants available for uses to feed farm animals. On the other hand, the lecturer counters this point by stating that ethanol production does not have to reduce the resources for other animals. Actually, ethanol could produce from celleluse which is a compenent in the cell wall in plants and it could be produce from plants that are not eaten by animals. He adds that so production of ethanol will not affect on food resources for other animals.

Third, the passage asserts that ethanol fuel will never be able compete with gasoline on price. Conversely, the professor casts doubt on this point by explaining that ethanol will be able to compete with gasoline on price. He mentions that it is true that government subsidies ethanol production, but when enough people will use ethanol, producers will increase the production of ethanol and this would lead to drop of the ethanol's price. He adds that study shows that ethanol production would increase three times in future and the cost would drop by 40%.