argument48 我们的九月小组 9.3

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TOPIC: ARGUMENT48 - The following appeared in a newspaper article published in the country of Corpora.

"Twenty years ago, one half of all citizens in Corpora met the standards for adequate physical fitness as then defined by the national advisory board on physical fitness. Today, the board says that only one quarter of all citizens are adequately fit and suggests that spending too much time using computers may be the reason. But since overall fitness levels are highest in regions of Corpora where levels of computer ownership are also highest, it is clear that using computers has not made citizens less physically fit. Instead, as shown by this year's unusually low expenditures on fitness-related products and services, the recent decline in the economy is most likely the cause, and fitness levels will improve when the economy does."
WORDS: 495          TIME: 0:30:00          DATE: 2006-9-3

In the argument the author asserts that using computers can not be the reason of less physical fitness and that the recent decline in the economy is most likely cause. To support the claim, the author cites that overall fitness levels are highest in regions of Corpora where levels of computer ownership are also highest. The author also points out the low expenditures on fitness-related products and service this year. Close scrutiny of these evidences reveals that they lend little credible support to the assertion.

To start with, the assertion is based on the poor assumption that fewer citizens are adequately fit and therefore is wholly unjustifiable. No evidence reveals that the national advisory board on physical fitness takes enough survey and study to substantiate a declination of citizens that feel fit. It is possible that the broad draw the conclusion just groundlessly and imaginatively. Besides, not enough information about the standards for adequate physical fitness is available in the argument, rendering the inadequate credence of the standard defined by the national advisory board. It is possible that the standard can not be representative of the physical fitness levels. Absent these detailed information, the assertion is just unwarranted.

Furthermore, the author is too hasty to conclude that using computers has not made citizens less physically fit. The author simply equates the computer ownership with the computer utilization. No evidence substantiates that in the region where levels of computer ownership are highest people use computers more than other regions. It is possible that in other regions people use computers more efficiently and citizens there use computers more. Besides, the author simply treats the lack of evidence that something is the case as constituting sufficient evidence that something is not the case. The utilization of computer may be actually responsible for less physical fitness through certain factors that have not be validated by scientists. In short, lacking these concerning, the assertion just remains incredible.

Finally, it is presumptuous for the author to claim that the recent decline in the economy is most likely the cause to less physical fitness. Even assuming that expenditure on fitness-related products and services declines this year, citizens may use fitness-related product and services as many as before or even more through rent or other ways. Besides, not enough evidence indicates that it is just the decline in economy that induces the lower expenditures on fitness-related products and services. What is more, physical fitness is related to many other factors such as mental situation and psychological condition, therefore it is unpersuasive for the author to assert that the fitness levels will improve when the economy does.

In conclusion, according to what have been recounted, not enough evidence substantiate the claim. Rather than based on a groundless standard, the author should provide more information about citizens’ real condition of physical fitness. To better assess the assertion, I need more information about citizens’ utilization of fitness-related products and services. A comprehensive familiarity about the causes that result in less physical fitness is also indispensable.