argument 71 第一次写，大家看看吧，务必拍砖~

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TOPIC: ARGUMENT71 - Copper occurs in naturemixed with other minerals and valuable metals in ore, and the proportion ofcopper in the ore can vary considerably. Until fairly recently, the only way toextract pure copper from ore was by using a process that requires large amountsof electric energy, especially if the proportion of copper in the ore is low.New copper-extracting technologies can use up to 40 percent less electricitythan the older method to process the same amount of raw ore, especially when theproportion of copper in the ore is high. Therefore, we can expect the amount ofelectricity used by the copper-extraction industry to decline significantly.
WORDS: 434
TIME: 00:58:42
DATE: 2010-1-13 上午 11:47:18

The arguer indicates that thecopper-extraction industry will use the new copper-extraction technologies, theone can use less electricity than the older one especially when the proportionof copper in the ore is high, to decline the consumption of the amount ofelectricity. However, the argument is not so forceful in some points that Icannot receive the conclusion.

First of all, without the notation ofwhether the proportion of ore with high proportion of copper in the nature ishigh, we cannot evaluate whether the new technologies or the old technologiesare more efficient in most cases. Since the author do not point out theperformance of the new technologies when the proportion of copper in ore islow, it has large possibility that most ore in nature has low proportion of copper,which is more efficiently handled by the old technologies that can save moreelectricity. In such cases, we cannot say that the new technologies use muchless electricity than the old one.

In the second place, even in mostsituation, the new copper-extraction technologies are more effective than theold one, the author's assumption that the copper-extraction industry willsurely use it is open to doubt. The author does not mention the cost of
corresponding equipments, so we do not knowwhether most factories can afford them. If few factories or corporations chooseto use the new technology, we can not conclude that the the new technologies ispractically in production and it can save electricity.

Last but not least, even if most factoriesuse such new copper-extraction technologies, it is too hastily for the authorto conclude that the amount of electricity by this industry will declinesignificantly. The comsumption of electricity of this industry has many aspectsbesides the extraction of
pure copper.Even though the electricity is saved when the factories extract pure copper usethe new technologies, other extra electricity may be used to maintain theequipments, inspect the machines or just warm up the whole suit of facilities.Even maybe the electricity consumed by the equipment is a little part of thetotal amount of electricity used by this industry. Although it declinesobviously, it cannot influence the total amount much. So the author do not givedirect evidence that demonstrate the amount of electricity will declinesignificantly.

To sum up, before the author clearlyexplain the advantages of the new copper-extraction technologies about aboveproblems, we should carefully evaluate the new technologies and do not be toooptimistic about the amount of electricity used by the copper-extractionindustry at present or in the future.