[a习作temp] argument167【决战AW作文小组】第9次作业 [复制链接]

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发表于 2009-2-9 23:09:32 |只看该作者 |倒序浏览

TOPIC: ARGUMENT167 - A folk remedy* for insomnia, the scent in lavender flowers, has now been proved effective. In a recent study, 30 volunteers with chronic insomnia slept each night for three weeks on lavender-scented pillows in a controlled room where their sleep was monitored. During the first week, volunteers continued to take their usual sleeping medication. They slept soundly but wakened feeling tired. During the second week, the volunteers discontinued their medication. As a result, they slept less soundly than the previous week and felt even more tired. During the third week, the volunteers slept longer and more soundly than in the previous two weeks. This shows that over a short period of time lavender cures insomnia.

*A folk remedy is usually a plant-based form of treatment common to traditional forms of medicine, ones that developed before the advent of modern medical services and technology.
WORDS: 433       TIME: 00:40:00       DATE: 2009/2/9 22:56:21

In this argument, the  speaker provides a folk remedy, using the scent in lavender flowers to cure
insomnia. To support the folk remedy's treatment effect, the speaker cites a survey , thirty volunteers with chronic insomnia slept each night for three weeks on lavender-scented pillows in a controlled room where their sleep was monitored. To contrast the sleeping situations during the three weeks, the speaker makes a conclusion that lavender-scent can cure insomnia in a short period of time. However, is it the true this folk remedy has a significant curative effect? I will show some evidences to proof this conclusion is based on some logical flaws and unsubstantiated assumption.

First of all, there is a distinct doubtful point in the conclusion. Only depend on a three-week study, can the speaker make a conclusion. It is unreasonable and cursory. It is very possible the lavender-scent' effect is only a ephemeral circumstance and will changed in a short time. In addition, there is only 30 volunteers that can not represent all the circumstances of the insomnia patients.

Secondly, ignoring the above factors, the speaker asserts that in the third week when the volunteers have slept with a lavender-scent pillow for three weeks, they have a longer and more soundly sleep than before. The speaker does not provides a certainly level how deep the volunteers sleep. And whether all the volunteers have this situation or  only part of them. This data is very important and plays a critical role in the conclusion.

Even if all of the receivers slept longer and  more soundly than in the previous two weeks, there is no evidence to provide they have a good sleep, because of the speaker does not tell us the situation of feel of the volunteers  when they get up. The lavender-scent can lead to a good sleep in only a assumption made by the speaker. Perhaps, the volunteers are more tired than before because of the lavender scent. Or the real reason which causes the volunteers sleeping longer and soundly is they are too tired for the beginning two weeks test.

However, even assuming that the lavender-scent treatment has a definite healing efficacy, it cannot make a conclusion that it can cures insomnia in a short period of time. There is no a clear definition of a short time, an hour, a week, or a month, How long? We can not get it through this conclusion.

In sum, this conclusion is not convincing and reasonable. To bolster this conclusion, the speaker should to provide a long-term survey of insomnia for all circumstances of the patients.