TPO 30 Integrated Writing Task

The reading is about whether the burning mirror existed in 2,200 years ago. The writer provides three seemingly plausible reasons to deny it, but the speaker casts doubts on them with concrete arguments.
As a start, the writer believes that the Greek did not have the sufficient technology to produce the device. However, the lecturer refutes the writer's idea by showing the key issue that there was no need for a large sheet of copper. In fact, the Greek could combine many small polished copper into a huge one to produce the device and they did have the technology. Thus, the Greek were capable to make the device.
Moreover, the author of the article asserts that the burning mirror was neither practical nor effective since it took too much time for the device to set the objects on fire. Nevertheless, the speaker disapproves the author's opinion and states that the burning mirror could ignite part of the Roman ships in seconds. Even though it took 10 minutes to set fire on the waterproof woods of the ships, a sticky material called pitch on the ships could be set on fire very soon. Therefore, the burning mirror was useable.
Lastly, the writer claims that a burning mirror is less useful than a flaming arrow, but the lecturer provide firm theory about the advantage of the burning mirror: it is a more surprising weapon. While the Roman soldier could watch for the flaming arrows by their tracks, they could not notice the burning mirror by the track. As a result, burning mirror is a more efficient weapon than the flaming arrows.