TPO25 - Integrated TOEFL essay

In this set of material, the reading passage states that the clay jars including copper cylinders are not likely to be used as electric batteries in ancient times and brings up three reasons to support. However, the lecturer finds all the ideas unconvincing and provides some evidence to refute them all.

First of all, the author of the passage claims that no wire or electricity conductors were found in the area that vessels were excavated. In contrast, the lecturer declares that absence of wires and conductors can be explained by the fact that the vessels discovered by local people who were not trained archeologists. They might have found other objects but the objects were not recognized and overlooked or thrown away.

Furthermore, the reading passage argues that the copper cylinders were used to preserve scrolls. On the contrary, the lecturer contends that although the vessels resemble the holder of the scrolls, this does not prove anything. In fact, this can explain how the first ancient battery have been invented because it is possible that the vessels were utilized to preserve scroll and that the inventors later identified that they can use the copper cylinders with iron rod to produce electricity.

Finally, it is mentioned in the reading passage that ancient people did not have any electrical devise to use the electricity so producing electricity did not make any sense for them. Conversely, the lecturer explains that the electricity can be applied to make a mild shock or used as an invisible magical power. In addition, the generated electricity can have a healing usage and exploited as a motivation for muscles as it is used nowadays in medical situations.