xiongbaobao

GWD-7-Q18:Boldface**
Although the earliest surviving Greek inscriptions written in an alphabet date from the eighth century B.C., a strong case can be made that the Greeks actually adopted alphabetic writing at least two centuries earlier.  Significantly, the text of these earliest surviving Greek inscriptions sometimes runs from right to left and sometimes from left to right.  Now, the Greeks learned alphabetic writing from the Phoenicians, and in the process they would surely have（说明是假设语气） adopted whatever convention the Phoenicians were then using with respect to the direction of writing.  Originally, Phoenician writing ran in either direction, but by the eighth century B.C. it had been consistently written from right to left for about two centuries.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A.        The first is the position that the argument seeks to establish; the second reports a discovery that has been used to support a position that the argument opposes.
B.        The first is the position that the argument seeks to establish; the second presents an assumption on which the argument relies.
C.        The first presents evidence that is used in support of the position that the argument seeks to establish; the second presents an assumption on which the argument relies.
D.        The first is an objection raised against a position that the argument opposes（指该句是提出来反对文章所反对的）; the second is the position that the argument seeks to establish.
E.        The first is an objection raised against a position that the argument opposes; the second is evidence that has been used to support that position.

xiongbaobao

GWD-6-Q16*: Boldface
Historian:  Newton developed mathematical concepts and techniques that are fundamental to modern calculus.  Leibniz developed closely analogous concepts and techniques.  It has traditionally been thought that these discoveries were independent.  Researchers have, however, recently discovered notes of Leibniz’ that discuss one of Newton’s books on mathematics.  Several scholars have argued that since the book includes a presentation of Newton’s calculus concepts and techniques, and since the notes were written before Leibniz’ own development of calculus concepts and techniques, it is virtually certain that the traditional view is false.  A more cautious conclusion than this is called for, however.  Leibniz’ notes are limited to early sections of Newton’s book, sections that precede the ones in which Newton’s calculus concepts and techniques are presented.

In the historian’s reasoning, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?

A.        The first provides evidence in support of the overall position that the historian defends; the second is evidence that has been used to support an opposing position.
B.        The first provides evidence in support of the overall position that the historian defends; the second is that position.
C.        The first provides evidence in support of an intermediate conclusion that is drawn to provide support for the overall position that the historian defends; the second provides evidence against that intermediate conclusion.
D.        The first is evidence that has been used to support a conclusion that the historian criticizes; the second is evidence offered in support of the historian’s own position.
E.        The first is evidence that has been used to support a conclusion that the historian criticizes; the second is further information that substantiates that evidence.

xiongbaobao

GWD-5-Q20: Boldface
Scientists typically do their most creative work before the age of forty.  It is commonly thought that this happens because aging by itself brings about a loss of creative capacity. 观点1 However, studies show that a disproportionately large number of the scientists who produce highly creative work beyond the age of forty entered their field at an older age than is usual. 证据 Since by the age of forty the large majority of scientists have been working in their field for at least fifteen years, the studies’ finding strongly suggests that the real reason why scientists over forty rarely produce highly creative work is not that they have simply aged but rather that they generally have spent too long in a given field.  结论

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A.        The first is the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second is an objection that has been raised against a position defended in the argument.
B.        The first is a claim that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes; the second is a finding that has been used in support of that position.
C.        The first is an explanation that the argument challenges; the second is a finding that has been used in support of that explanation.
D.        The first is an explanation that the argument challenges; the second is a finding on which that challenge is based.
E.        The first is an explanation that the argument defends; the second is a finding that has been used to challenge that explanation.[D]

xiongbaobao

GWD-5-Q19: Boldface
Historian:  In the Drindian Empire, censuses were conducted annually to determine the population of each village. 前提事实 Village census records for the last half of the 1600’s are remarkably complete. 前提事实 This very completeness makes one point stand out：in five different years, villages overwhelmingly reported significant population declines. Tellingly, each of those five years immediately followed an increase in a certain Drindian tax. 证据 This tax, which was assessed on villages, was computed by the central government using the annual census figures.  Obviously, whenever the tax went up, villages had an especially powerful economic incentive to minimize the number of people they recorded; and concealing the size of a village’s population from government census takers would have been easy.  推断Therefore, it is reasonable to think that the reported declines did not happen.结论立场

In the historian’s argument, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A.        The first supplies a context for the historian’s argument; the second acknowledges a consideration that has been used to argue against the position the historian seeks to establish.
B.        The first presents evidence to support the position that the historian seeks to establish; the second acknowledges a consideration that has been used to argue against that position.
C.        The first provides a context for certain evidence that supports the position that the historian seeks to establish; the second is that position.
D.        The first is a position for which the historian argues; the second is an assumption that serves as the basis of that argument.
E.        The first is an assumption that the historian explicitly makes in arguing for a certain position; the second acknowledges a consideration that calls that assumption into question.[C]

xiongbaobao

GWD-3-Q16: Boldface
Economist:  Tropicorp, which constantly seeks profitable investment opportunities, has been buying and clearing sections of tropical forest for cattle ranching, although pastures newly created there become useless for grazing after just a few years.  The company has not gone into rubber tapping, even though greater profits can be made from rubber tapping, which leaves the forest intact.  Thus, some environmentalists conclude that Tropicorp has not acted wholly out of economic self-interest.  However, these environmentalists are probably wrong.  The initial investment required for a successful rubber-tapping operation is larger than that needed for a cattle ranch.  Furthermore, there is a shortage of workers employable in rubber-tapping operations, and finally, taxes are higher on profits from rubber tapping than on profits from cattle ranching.

In the economist’s argument, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?

A.        The first supports the conclusion of the economist’s argument; the second calls that conclusion into question.
B.        The first states the conclusion of the economist’s argument; the second supports that conclusion.（倒了）
C.        The first supports the environmentalists’ conclusion; the second states that conclusion.
D.        The first states the environmentalists’ conclusion; the second states the conclusion of the economist’s argument.
E.        Each supports the conclusion of the economist’s argument.[C]

xiongbaobao

GWD-3-Q2: Boldface
Hunter:  Hunters alone are blamed for the decline in Greenrock National Forest’s deer population over the past ten years.  Yet clearly, black bears have also played an important role in this decline.  In the past ten years, the forest’s protected black bear population has risen sharply, and examination of black bears found dead in the forest during the deer hunting season showed that a number of them had recently fed on deer.

In the hunter’s argument, the boldface portion plays which of the following roles?

A.        It is the main conclusion of the argument.（后文都是围绕这个论点展开的论据）
B.        It is an objection that has been raised against the main conclusion of the argument.
C.        It is a judgment that the argument opposes.
D.        It is a finding that the argument seeks to explain. （不是finding，而是conclusion，后文倒是finding in support of this conclusion）
E.        It provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument.[A]

xiongbaobao

GWD-2-Q21: Boldface（GWD-TN-14/28）
Environmental organizations want to preserve the land surrounding the Wilgrinn Wilderness Area from residential development.  They plan to do this by purchasing that land from the farmers who own it.  That plan is ill-conceived:  if the farmers did sell their land, they would sell it to the highest bidder, and developers would outbid any other bidders.  On the other hand, these farmers will never actually sell any of the land, provided that farming it remains viable.  But farming will not remain viable if the farms are left unmodernized, and most of the farmers lack the financial resources modernization requires.  And that is exactly why a more sensible preservation strategy would be to assist the farmers to modernize their farms to the extent needed to maintain viability.

In the argument as a whole, the two boldface proportions play which of the following roles?

A.        The first presents a goal that the argument rejects as ill-conceived; the second is evidence that is presented as grounds for that rejection.
B.        The first presents a goal that the argument concludes cannot be attained; the second is a reason offered in support of that conclusion.
C.        The first presents a goal that the argument concludes can be attained; the second is a judgment disputing that conclusion.
D.        The first presents a goal, strategies for achieving which are being evaluated in the argument; the second is a judgment providing a basis for the argument’s advocacy of a particular strategy.
E.        The first presents a goal that the argument endorses; the second presents a situation that the argument contends must be changed if that goal is to be met in the foreseeable future.

xiongbaobao

GWD-1-Q22: Boldface
City Official:  At City Hospital, uninsured patients tend to have shorter stays and fewer procedures performed than do insured patients, even though insured patients, on average, have slightly less serious medical problems at the time of admission to the hospital than uninsured patients have.  Critics of the hospital have concluded that the uninsured patients are not receiving proper medical care.  However, this conclusion is almost certainly false.  Careful investigation has recently shown two things:  insured patients have much longer stays in the hospital than necessary, and they tend to have more procedures performed than are medically necessary.

In the city official’s argument, the two boldface portions play which of the following roles?

A.        The first states the conclusion of the city official’s argument; the second provides support for that conclusion.
B.        The first is used to support the conclusion of the city official’s argument; the second states that conclusion.
C.        The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics; the second states the position that the city official’s argument opposes.
D.        The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics; the second provides support for the conclusion of the city official’s argument.
E.        The first states the position that the city official’s argument opposes; the second states the conclusion of the city official’s argument.[E]