26 14. The following appeared as part of a newspaper editorial.
“Two years ago Nova High School began to use interactive computer instruction in three academic subjects. The school dropout rate declined immediately, and last year’s graduates have reported some impressive achievements in college. In future budgets the school board should use a greater portion of the available funds to buy more computers, and all schools in the district should adopt interactive computer instruction throughout the curriculum.”
Discuss how well reasoned... etc.
Sample essay 1:
The argument that the school board should buy more computers and adopt interactive computer instruction is not entirely logically convincing, since it ignores certain crucial assumptions.
First, the argument assumes that the decline of school dropout and the achievements of last year’s graduates’ results from the adoption of interactive computer instruction. However, there are several reasons why this might not be true. For example, achievements could have been made in other subjects than the ones with interactive computer instruction. Or last years’ graduates might not have been given the interactive computer instruction. Or the decline of the rate of dropout could be attributed to stricter discipline applied last year.
Second, even supposing the Nova High School’s decline of the dropout and last year’s graduates’ achievements benefit directly from the usage of interactive computer instruction, the success of the instruction in one school may not ensure the success in other schools. If it does not suit other schools, the instruction will not work.
Finally, even if the decline of the rate of dropout and the achievements of the last year’s graduates’ are the direct results of the interactive computer instruction, we still do not know whether the school can afford to apply the instruction on all the subjects or to all the students. If the school does not have sufficient fund and has to cut budgets on other projects such as the library, the quality of the school’s education will also compromise.
Thus, the argument is not completely sound. The evidence in support of the conclusion that the dropout rate declined and last year’s graduates made impressive achievements does little to prove the conclusion that other schools should use a greater portion of their funds to apply the instruction since it does not address the assumptions I have already raised. Ultimately, the argument might have been strengthened by making it clear that the decline of the dropout rate and the achievements of the graduates are the direct results of interactive computer instruction, that the instruction is also applicable to other schools in the district, and that the instruction is affordable to all the schools in the district.作者: myice 时间: 2010-6-4 17:13
Sample essay 2:
The editorial recommends that the school board of Nova High spend a greater portion of available funds on the purchase of additional computers and adopt interactive computer instruction throughout the curriculum. Two reasons are offered in support of this recommendation. First, the introduction of interactive computer instruction in three academic subjects was immediately followed by a decline in the school dropout rate. Second, last year’s graduates experienced impressive achievements in college. This argument is unconvincing for two reasons.
To begin with, this argument is a classic instance of “after this, therefore because of this” reasoning. The mere fact that the introduction of interactive computer instruction preceded the impressive performance of recent graduates and the decline in the dropout rate is insufficient to conclude that it was the cause of these events. Many other factors could bring about these same results. For example, the school may have implemented counseling and training programs that better meet the needs of students who might otherwise leave school to take jobs. In addition, the school may have introduced programs to better prepare students for college.
Secondly, the author assumes that the impressive achievements of last year’s graduates bear some relation to the introduction of interactive computer instruction at Nova High. However, no evidence is offered to support this assumption. Lacking evidence that links the achievements of the recent graduates to the interactive instruction, it is presumptuous to suggest that the computer instruction was in some way responsible for the students’ impressive performance.
In conclusion, the recommendation that Nova High spend a greater portion of available funds on the purchase of additional computers and adopt interactive computer instruction throughout the curriculum is ill-founded. To strengthen this recommendation the author would have to demonstrate that the decline in the dropout rate and the impressive performance of recent graduates came about as a result of the use of computer-interactive instruction. All that has been shown so far is a correlation between these events.作者: myice 时间: 2010-6-4 17:13
27 题库125
The following appeared as part of the business plan of the Capital Idea investment firm.
“Across town in the Park Hill district, the Thespian Theater, Pizzazz Pizza, and the Niblick Golf Club have all had business increases within the past two years. Capital Idea should therefore invest in the Roxy Playhouse, the Slice-o’-Pizza, and the Divot Golf Club, three new businesses in the Irongate district. As a condition, we should require them to participate in a special program: Any customer who patronizes two of the businesses will receive a substantial discount at the third. By motivating customers to patronize all three, we will thus contribute to the profitability of each and maximize our return.”
Capital Idea投资公司的商业计划：
在ParkHill区的Thespian剧院，Pizzazz比萨，Niblick高尔夫俱乐部在过去2年都有业务增长。因此Capital Idea应该投资Poxy剧场，Slic－o比萨和Divot高尔夫俱乐部这3家新的Irongate区的企业。为使他们达到条件，我们应该要求他们参加特殊的项目：任何顾客在其中两家消费将在第三家得到折扣。通过刺激顾客在所有3家店消费，我们将增进每一家的利润，从而使我们的回报最大化。作者: myice 时间: 2010-6-4 17:13
提纲：
1， The author commits a fallcy of false analogy.
2， Therefore the proposal of investment in the Irongate district is groundless. No investment should be made until other factors have been considered and the benefit-cost analysis has been made.
3， The programme suggested by the author is reckless or even ridiculous. The possible result can be the opposite of the author's imagination because the consumers have interest of only one or two of the three stores.
1， The business increases occured in the past two years. No one can guarantee the future profit.
2， The three new companies are not necessarily analogous to those profitable ones.
3， The condition that is required is absurd. There is no causal relatioship between the condition and the collective profit.作者: myice 时间: 2010-6-4 17:13
28某个grocer 为了increase profit和cut cost采取如下措施：lay off 10% employee and eliminate expensive free sample,并且决定和一个coffee shop合作，理由是coffee shop and the grocer can attract similar customers,thus can expect an increase in sales and higher profits 2次
考古：
a local chain Greentree Grocers has been experiencing high sales volume but decreasing profit margin. Its customers are wealthy people looking for gourmet food and luxury shopping experience, so it must cut costs without hurting the customers' shopping experience. So it plans to layoff 10 employees per store and eliminate expensive displays and free samples. In addition, it will partner with Cabaree Coffee Cafe to have a coffee shop in each store. This is supported by a recent survey that the Grocers and the Cafe attract similar types of customers. The conclusion is that Greentree Grocers will experience high sales volume as well as high profit margin.作者: myice 时间: 2010-6-4 17:13
29题库62
The following appeared in the letters-to-the-editor section of a local newspaper.
“Muscle Monthly, a fitness magazine that regularly features pictures of bodybuilders using state-of-the-art exercise machines, frequently sells out, according to the owner of Skyview Newsstand. To help maximize fitness levels in our town’s residents, we should, therefore, equip our new community fitness center with such machines.”
本地报纸上给编者的信板块：
一份叫Muscle Monthly的健康杂志规律性地刊登使用最好的训练器械的健美运动员的照片。据skyview报摊的摊主说它经常卖完。为了提高我镇居民的健康水平，我们应该给我们的新健身中心装备这样的器械。作者: myice 时间: 2010-6-4 17:13
提纲：
1. The bodybuilders may just pretend to be using the state-of-the-art exercise machines while, in fact, their excellent body conditions are due to the use of other types of equipment. And, they just do so for the advertisement purpose.
2. The circulation is just one of the indicators of the popularity of the magazine. What is more, I can find no direct relationship between the popularity of the magazine and the author's suggestion that we should equip the community with the state-of-the-art excercise machine.
3. The machines for body building will not necessarily have the same effect on fitness.
1.The state-of-the-art exercise machines do not necessarily fit every one.
2.There are other ways to advance the fitness levels of the town’s residents.
3.We should question what the validity and reliability of the owner’s statement.
4.There is no concrete statistic to prove the relationship between sales volume and the report of exercise machines.
A. First, tha arguer unfairly assume that Powerflex sells well in general because it sells well at Skyview Newstand.
B. Second, granting that Powerflex that regularly features pictures of bodybuilders using state-of-the-art exercise machines does sell well, there is no evidence that such machines will help maximize fitness levels.
C. Third, these machines that are suitable for body building man not bu suitable to help maximize the fitness level of the town’s residents.
D. Finally, granting that such machines can help maximize fitness levels,, adding such machines to the new commumity center will not ensure that the residents will use them to build up their health.作者: myice 时间: 2010-6-4 17:14
30 B1.The following appeared in a memorandum from the head of a human resources department at a major automobile manufacturing company to the company's managers:
“Studies have found that employees of not-for-profit organizations and charities are often more highly motivated than employees of for-profit corporations to perform well at work when their performance is not being monitored or evaluated. Interviews with employees of not-for-profit organizations suggest that the reason for their greater motivation is the belief that their work helps to improve society. Because they believe in the importance of their work, they have personal reasons to perform well, even when no financial reward is present. Thus, if our corporation began donating a significant portion of its profits to humanitarian causes, our employees’ motivation and productivity would increase substantially and our overall profits would increase as well.”作者: myice 时间: 2010-6-4 17:14
提纲：
Firstly, it is highly doubtful that employees of not-for-profit organizations and charities are often more highly motivated than employees of for-profit corporations. However, differences between the two departments clearly outweigh the similarities, thus making the comparison highly less than valid. For example, most of the workers in the not-for profit organizations are volunteers, who can self-motivated with dedication and integrity to society; while the employees in the for-profit corporation can also be highly promoted by the personal reasons, such as job satisfaction. Besides the monitoring and evaluation in the job performance can improve the employee’s efficiency and proficiency, thus making the employee self-fulfilled.
Secondly, the author unfairly assumes that the proposed donation would suffice to achieve the increasing profits. This is not necessarily the case without a thorough cost-benefit analysis. It is possible that the after the part of profits, once distributed as the bonus to the employees, will be donated to the humanitarian causes, the employees might be unsatisfied and then less productive. Consequently, the profits of the corporation reduced because increased cost from the donation and reduced productivity.
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