AP Language Mock Exam Argument Essay

In The Machine in the Garden: Technology and the Pastoral Ideal in America (1964), a book on the relationship between technology and culture in the United States, cultural historian Leo Marx describes a defining human conflict in the modern age. On the one hand, Marx argues, “the machine” attracts us because technology amplifies human power, increasing the efficiency of human labor and expanding human wealth; on the other hand, it threatens to destroy “the garden,” the spaces and activities where humans find comfort and rest.

Write an essay that argues your position on the extent to which it is possible to achieve a harmonious balance between the ideals represented by the machine and the garden.

In your response you should do the following:
Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible position.
Provide evidence to support your line of reasoning.
Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.