ARGUMENT76 女人护肤很重要

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TOPIC: ARGUMENT76 - The following appeared as part of an article in a health and beauty magazine.

"A group of volunteers participated in a study of consumer responses to the new Luxess face cream. Every morning for a month, they washed their faces with mild soap and then applied Luxess. At the end of that month, most volunteers reported a marked improvement in the way their skin looked and felt. Thus it appears that Luxess is truly effective in improving the condition of facial skin."
WORDS: 402
TIME: 00:30:00
DATE: 2010-2-6 11:48:47

This article concludes that Luxess is truly effective in improving the condition of facial skin. To support this recommendation, the author cites a study that most volunteers reported a marked improvement in the way their skin looked and felt after use the new Luxess face cream every morning for a month. However, this argument suffers a serious of logical problems and critical flaws, and it is therefore wholly unpersuasive.

To begin with, the arguer fails to support further details about the number and condition for the sample of this study. Common sense informs me that almost every people have his or her personal face problems, such as acne and spot. If the volunteers in this study all have same problems, this study could only substantiate the conclusion that the Luxess could improve one face problem but others are uncharted. On the other hand, the number, age and gender of the sample are also unknown. Thus, this study cannot be convinced at all.

Moreover, even though this study could generally represent most people’s condition, the improvement of face even cannot simply and hastily attribute to the use of Luxess. As the consumers reported, they not only use Luxess every morning, but also washed their faces with mild soap. It is largely possible that the improvement of their face due to the use of mild soap. Also, the author also not demonstrates that the subjects not use other cosmetics during this month, such as mask or facial.

Finally, the validity of the face improvement is also uncharted. The conclusion of their face improved only on the basis of their subjective feelings- they looked and felt. Perhaps it is just their feelings but not real. As we all known, people always have self-satisfaction no matter whether they conscious or not. It is possible that the effect do not for using Luxess but their self comfort. If the writer desires to render this article more reasonable, an effective measure is to use precise equipment to test their face problems and work out an exact report, but not only the simple feelings of the consumers.

In conclusion, this argument cannot be taken serious as it stands. To further evaluate it, the writer needs to support more data about the sample in order to eliminate other possibilities and ruling out other influences to their face. Moreover, the arguer also needs to take more time to study. After all, the problems of face cannot really be improved for such a short time.


TOPIC: ARGUMENT140 - The following appeared in a report of the Committee on Faculty Promotions and Salaries at Elm City University.

"During her seventeen years as a professor of botany, Professor Thomas has proved herself to be well worth her annual salary of $50,000. Her classes are among the largest at the university, demonstrating her popularity among students. Moreover, the money she has brought to the university in research grants has exceeded her salary in each of the last two years. Therefore, in consideration of Professor Thomas' demonstrated teaching and research abilities, we recommend that she receive a $10,000 raise and a promotion to Department Chairperson; without such a raise and promotion, we fear that Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University for another college."
WORDS: 428
TIME: 00:30:00
DATE: 2010-2-6 12:24:56

This article concludes that Elm City University needs to raise $10,000 and a promotion to Department Chairperson for Professor Thomas in order to retain she teach in their university but not leave for another college. To support she really deserve the worth, the author cites that her classes are the largest so that she is popular among students. Moreover, she brought more money than her salary in each of the last two years. However, the argument suffers a series of logical problems and critical flaws, and it is therefore wholly unpersuasive.

To begin with, the premise that if they do not raise her salary and give her such a promotion, she might leave is unreasonable. The author supports no evidence about this assumption and arbitrarily point out that prediction. But common sense informs me that a real excellent professor won't be tempted by money and power. Also, they are really the professor’s desire is unknown. Yet she may have dissatisfaction with her current work condition, but she may prefer to get a long vacation rather than gaining more money.

Moreover, even though it is extremely possible, whether Professor Thomas is really popular or not also cannot hastily conclude either. The largest classes cannot prove her popularity among students. Perhaps they are obliged to choose her class. It is also possible that many students drop out her class during the term. Though students all like her, it does not mean that she has a high level of teaching ability. The reason why students like her may lie in her charming characteristic but not the quality of teaching.

Finally, the money she brought to the university cannot substantiate that she has great research abilities, let alone the assumption is also problematic. First, as the article mentioned at first, she has been to the university for seventeen years, but the author only supports the last two years, how about the other years? It is possible that during the other years, the professor even has not brought any money to the university at all. Even though she really brought much more money in the past, it cannot hastily predict that she could continuously bring more money in the future. On the other hand, the money which she brought cannot prove the ability of her research. Were the author desires to prove that ability, an substantive avenue is to show how many papers she has launched and how many research she has worked out.

In conclusion, this argument cannot be taken serious as it stands. To better evaluate it, the author needs to support more reasonable evidences to demonstrate that she is really popular among students, such as a survey. Moreover, the writer also needs to reaffirm that the professor virtually has teaching and research abilities and will continuously bring much more money to their university than her salary, even though her salary would be raise to $60,000.