ARGUMENT 159 - The nation of Claria covers a vast physical area. But despite wide geographic differences, many citizens are experiencing rising costs of electricity. A recent study of household electric costs in Claria found that families who cooled their houses with fans alone spent more on electricity than did families using air conditioners alone for cooling. However, those households that reported using both fans and air conditioners spent less on electricity than those households that used either fans or air conditioners alone. Thus, the citizens of Claria should follow the study's recommendation and use both air conditioners and fans in order to save money on electricity.
WORDS: 498 TIME: 0:53:59 DATE: 2006-2-9
The author recommends that it is using both air conditioners and fans that can save money on electricity, basing on the recent survey on household electric costs in Claria that cooling with fans only costs more on electricity than with air conditioners alone, and cooling with both of them above saves more than with them respectively. The argument seems logical at the first glance; however, a close consideration will reveal the unwarranted premises that lead to questionable recommendation.
To begin with, the recommendation relies on the survey carried in the various areas of Claria, which is not persuasive. If the electric costs of variety of physical areas are not shown separately, the result might not reflect the actual circumstances of the electric costs in Claris and thus be unreliable. Perhaps, the families using fans and air conditioners for cooling are living in the areas that the climate there is warm all year around; as a result, the electric costs are high. In comparison, the families using conditioners or fans alone live in the areas that cooling is only demanded in hot summer, which leads to quite low electric costs. Without taking the wide geographic differences of Claris, it is incredible to conclude that use both air conditioners and fans will save money on electricity. If the citizens living the all warm areas adopt this recommendation, the costs on electricity will be much more than before, let alone reduce them.
Even assuming that the survey is based on comprehensive consideration including the geographic variety in Claria, the argument is still indefensible. The author fails to take into account the cost per unit of electricity in different areas in Claria. It is possible that the author neglects the possibility that the electricity cost per unit is high in using fans alone than in using air conditioners. This situation may also creditable in the circumstance of using air conditioners and fans both and using them separately. In short, this scenarios would provide an alternative explanation for high electric costs in using fans alone and using either fans or air conditioners only , and undermine the credibility of the assumption.
Finally, the author simply equates the electric costs for cooling with the total electric costs. The fans and air conditioners not are the only household electric appliances. Perhaps other electric appliances cost more electric than the electric appliance for cooling. It may also possible that the families have fewer electric appliances except fans and air conditioners than the ones have fans or air conditioners selectively. Not ruling out the possible circumstances, the author cannot reasonably infer that use both air conditioners and fans will save money on electricity.
In sum, the argument is unpersuasive as it stands. To bolster the argument, the author must show that the survey is carried out with full consideration including the wide geographic differences in Claria. Furthermore, the cost of electric per unit in different areas and the number of household electric appliances of each family are needed.作者: ldc792001 时间: 2006-2-10 08:48:19
argument159(sally组作业)
ARGUMENT 159 - The nation of Claria covers a vast physical area. But despite wide geographic differences, many citizens are experiencing rising costs of electricity. A recent study of household electric costs in Claria found that families who cooled their houses with fans alone spent more on electricity than did families using air conditioners alone for cooling. However, those households that reported using both fans and air conditioners spent less on electricity than those households that used either fans or air conditioners alone. Thus, the citizens of Claria should follow the study's recommendation and use both air conditioners and fans in order to save money on electricity.
WORDS: 498 TIME: 0:53:59 DATE: 2006-2-9
The author recommends that it is using both air conditioners and fans that can save money on electricity, basing on the recent survey on household electric costs in Claria that cooling with fans only costs more on electricity than with air conditioners alone, and cooling with both of them above saves more than with them respectively. The argument seems logical at the first glance; however, a close consideration will reveal the unwarranted premises that lead to questionable recommendation.
To begin with, the recommendation relies on the survey carried in the various areas of Claria, which is not persuasive. If the electric costs of variety of physical areas are not shown separately, the result might not reflect the actual circumstances of the electric costs in Claris and thus be unreliable. Perhaps, the families using fans and air conditioners for cooling are living in the areas that the climate there is warm all year around; as a result, the electric costs are high. In comparison, the families using conditioners or fans alone live in the areas that cooling is only demanded in hot summer, which leads to quite low electric costs. Without taking the wide geographic differences of Claris, it is incredible to conclude that use both air conditioners and fans will save money on electricity. If the citizens living the all (year)warm areas adopt this recommendation, the costs on electricity will be much more than before, let alone reduce them.
Even assuming that the survey is based on comprehensive consideration including the geographic variety in Claria, the argument is still indefensible. The author fails to take into account the cost per unit of electricity in different areas in Claria. It is possible that the author neglects the possibility that the electricity cost per unit is high in using fans alone than in using air conditioners. This situation may also creditable in the circumstance of using air conditioners and fans both and using them separately. In short, this scenarios would provide an alternative explanation for high electric costs in using fans alone and using either fans or air conditioners only , and undermine the credibility of the assumption.
Finally, the author simply equates the electric costs for cooling with the total electric costs. The fans and air conditioners not are the only household electric appliances. Perhaps other electric appliances cost more electric than the electric appliance for cooling. It may also possible that the families have fewer electric appliances except fans and air conditioners than the ones have fans or air conditioners selectively. Not ruling out the possible circumstances, the author cannot reasonably infer that use both air conditioners and fans will save money on electricity.(这段结论如果定义为正是因为上述两种可能性，所以推广到所用公民是不恰当的，会好些吧。)
In sum, the argument is unpersuasive as it stands. To bolster the argument, the author must show that the survey is carried out with full consideration including the wide geographic differences in Claria. Furthermore, the cost of electric per unit in different areas and the number of household electric appliances of each family are needed.