TOEFL Integrated Writing

📖 Reading Passage

The extinction of the woolly mammoth has long been attributed to overhunting by early humans. However, a closer examination of the evidence reveals that climate change was the primary driver of their demise. First, the warming climate at the end of the last Ice Age drastically reduced the mammoth's preferred habitat—the cold, dry steppe grasslands. As temperatures rose, these grasslands were replaced by dense forests and wetlands, which were unsuitable for mammoths, leading to a sharp decline in their population. Second, the warming also caused a shift in vegetation composition, with nutrient-poor plants such as mosses and conifers replacing the nutritious grasses that mammoths relied on. This dietary change likely led to malnutrition and reduced reproductive success. Third, while human hunting did occur, archaeological evidence indicates that human populations were sparse and their hunting tools, such as spears, were often ineffective against such large animals. In contrast, the timing of mammoth extinction correlates strongly with periods of rapid climate warming, not with human expansion. Therefore, the extinction of the woolly mammoth is best explained by climate-induced habitat loss and food scarcity.

🎧 Listening Lecture

The reading claims that climate change, not human hunting, drove the woolly mammoth to extinction, but this argument is flawed. First, while it is true that warming reduced grasslands, mammoths were highly adaptable creatures. Fossil evidence shows that mammoths thrived in a variety of habitats, including forests and even tundra, and their diet was more flexible than the reading suggests. They could consume a wide range of plants, including woody shrubs, so the vegetation shift would not have been fatal. Second, the reading overlooks the significant role of human hunting. Recent archaeological finds reveal that humans developed sophisticated hunting strategies, such as driving herds into pits or using projectiles with sharp stone points, which could effectively kill large mammals. Moreover, the expansion of human populations into new areas often coincided with the rapid disappearance of mammoth populations, even in regions where climate conditions remained stable. Third, the correlation with warming does not prove causation. In fact, mammoths survived the previous interglacial warm periods, so warming alone cannot explain their extinction. Instead, the combination of human pressure and a slightly stressed population would have pushed them over the edge. Thus, the reading's reliance on climate as the sole cause is unconvincing.