TOEFL TPO 16 Integrated Writing Task

While the reading passage presents certain problems and limitations faced by archaeologists in Britain in the 20th century, the lecturer cites the new guidelines introduced in the 1990s that has changed the science of archaeology for the better.

First, it is mentioned by the author that the expansion of construction projects in Britain from the 1950s has greatly contributed to the loss of many valuable artifacts and archaeological sites. Fortunately, according to the new guidelines, any construction sites have to be examined by experts before they can start building. If the site is of archaeological values, the local governments will make plan to preserve it so uncovered artifacts can be protected.

Second, the problem of lacking financial support from the governments has also been solved through the fundings from construction companies as stated in the new guidelines. More specifically, construction companies will have to pay for initial investigation on the site before they can proceed with their projects. Thanks to this new source of financial assistance, archaeologists can now study a greater range of interesting sites.

Third, although there used to be a lack of job positions in the field of archaeology, which discouraged people from pursuing the career, this is no longer the case. There have been many new paid jobs in archaeology that didn't exist before, for example, examining and processing data from the sites. In fact, with the rise in archaeology job opportunities, Britain now has the highest number of professional archaeologists.