【Flyer杀G作文组】07月02日Argument110-By 潇

红绡UID: 2839171

ARGUMENT 110
110. The following appeared in a memo from the Principal of Sherwood Junior High School."It appears that the lighting in Sherwood High's classrooms, which have large windows but minimal overhead light sources, is impairing student academic performance and teacher morale. Records show that during December and January, the two months with the fewest hours of daylight, attendance rates fall, average daily class participation drops, and grades decline. Teacher resignations are also highest during these months. According to a study of Tundra Vocational School, which experiences entire seasons with little daylight, students' grade point averages increased when Day Glow light bulbs, which mimic sunlight, were installed in classrooms. This study suggests that Sherwood can improve students' academic performance and teachers' morale by using Day Glow light bulbs in winter."

难度：★★★★


In this memo, the editor cites a study to support the argument that absence of Day Glow light bulbs in winter is the key reason impairing student academic performance and teacher morale. In the study, Tundra Vocational School which experiences entire seasons with little daylight makes use of Day Glow light bulbs in winter and succeeds in advancing students’ average grade point. Thus, the author concludes that Sherwood can improve students’ academic performance and teachers’ morale by using the same method as Tundra Vocational School. However, close scrutiny of this evidence and of the editorial’s line of reasoning reveals that they provide little credible support for the conclusion.

To begin with, the argument claim that using Day Glow light bulbs in winter would improve students’ academic performance and teachers’ morale regardless of whether weak students’ grade point and teachers’ morale are caused by without Day Glow light bulbs or not. There is no data indicating this premise to support this argument. So the editorial concluded unreasonably from the beginning.

As for the statement of weak lighting in Sherwood High’s classroom, the author described that the classroom has large windows but minimal overhead light sources. However, there is no data showing large windows cannot receive light the same as Day Glow light bulbs. Although records show that during December and January with the fewest hours of daylight, attendance rates fall, average daily class participation drops with grades declining, it is possible because people would be lazier or more somnolent in winter when the weather is cold so that getting up in time for both students and teachers is difficult. And then it would lead ineffective study and teaching coming next with decline of the average grades. There are many other possibilities.

Furthermore, even if it is little daylight impairing student academic performance and teacher morale, the author cannot confirm the Day Glow light bulbs would improve the situation of students and teachers. Though when the bulbs which mimic sunlight are used, students’ grade point averages increased, this evidence cannot be sufficient to hold on the argument. The author has not rule out other possibilities. If fortunately the school has improved the management and teaching methods at the same time, the study may be not valid. And no evidence certifies whether the bulbs have side effect for people.


Finally, the editorial predicates that the study suggests that Sherwood can improve students’ grades and teachers’ moral by using Day Glow light bulbs in winter which seems too artificial. We have no materials about the two schools so that we do not know what are the distinguish between them. Maybe DG bulbs are unsuitable to Sherwood, we do not know whether some weakness of DG bulbs would worsen the quondam situation.

In order to solidity the argument and rationalize the line of reasoning, the author has to keep the same conditions of comparison between two schools and solid the strictness of the study of Tundra Vocational School. We need more materials about the two schools. In addition, it is significant to assure the time of study and exclude other reasons causing the same results to increase the credibility of the conclusion.