argument105 我们的九月小组 8.28

lanyelovemeUID: 2234077

TOPIC: ARGUMENT105 - The following appeared in a health newsletter.

"According to a recent study, people with many social ties report catching colds less often than do people with few social ties. Consequently, researchers conclude that having an active social life probably helps strengthen the immune system. The researchers note that catching a cold-one of a family of highly contagious viruses-gives the cold-sufferer temporary immunity to that virus in the future, but not to the many other related viruses. Merely being exposed to a new cold virus, however, is not enough for a person to catch a cold, since a strong immune system can successfully fight off some new viruses. Thus, in order to prevent catching a cold, people should strengthen their immune systems by becoming more active socially."
WORDS: 432          TIME: 0:30:00          DATE: 2006-8-28

In the argument, the author asserts that people should strengthen their immune systems by attending more social activities. To support the claim, the author cites the research which notes that catching a cold gives the cold-sufferer temporary immunity to that virus in the future. Close scrutiny of these evidences reveals that they lend little credible support to the assertion.

To start with, the assertion is based on an unpersuasive study and therefore wholly unjustifiable as it stands. No information about how temporary immunity to certain virus when a cold-sufferer catches a cold. Neither does the author provide enough evidence that every cold-catcher will surly gain immunity without regarding the physical status of the sufferer. Besides, the author simply omits to consider other life-forms that may cause cold such as bacteria. No evidence is available that the cold-sufferer will also attain immunity for the bacteria after catching cold. Absent these detailed information to justify the claim, the assertion is just groundless.

Furthermore, the author simply makes two irreconcilable claims in the argument. On the one hand, the author asserts that the cold-sufferer can only gain immunity to the very virus which cause the cold but not to many other related viruses. On the other hand, the author claims that a strong immune system can successfully fight off some new viruses. Since the immune system can not attain immunity for those viruses that have not cause cold, not enough evidence is provided to substantiate the assertion that immune system can successfully resist some new viruses. In short, the assertion in the argument is self-contradictory as it stands before the author reconciles it to be convincing.

Finally, the author ignores the side effects for people to contact more social activities when concerning the illness viruses and bacteria might cause. Since new ill-causing viruses will engender sickness before the sufferer catch the illness before, contact with more social activities will probably results more illness before a strong immune system is established. Besides, certain deadly viruses and bacteria may invade and destroy the immune system without enough defensive protection, which may cause severe illness for the contactors. Without ruling out these possibilities and addressing them, the author just can not convince that people should strengthen their immune systems by becoming more active socially.

In conclusion, according to what have been recounted, not enough substantiated evidence supports the assertion. Rather than based on an unpersuasive study, the author should provide more information about the process for cold-sufferer to gain temporary immunity to that very virus in the future. To better assess the claim, a comprehensive consideration about contact with more social activities is also indispensable.

[ 本帖最后由 lanyeloveme 于 2006-8-28 23:42 编辑 ]

bjbennyUID: 2223947

这篇argument中的问题我始终么有想明白，让我再想想，然后再给你改，呵呵