【NINE小组】第七次作业--by ashtray_s

ashtray_sUID: 3008202

As critical thinking is increasingly emphasized in today’s highly competitive and complex world, factual learning, which is often blamed as a drudgery issuing in a blind rule of thumb, is been condemned by some educators. They even argue that factual learning should be totally replaced by the learning of critical thinking ability, which put more emphasis on the ideas, trends and concepts that facts illustrate. This is a superficial recommendation to say the least.

Concepts are to us like the air we breathe. History is replete with examples of what were considered at one time to be facts , but later disproved as incorrect theories. From geocentric theory to heliocentric theory, from astrology to modern astronomy, old theories would give way to new ones at any time. What we inherit from our precedents, however, is not the facts themselves, but the ability to analyze and integrate facts into our own network of ideas, by which we humans virtually approach everything in experience as something that can be given meaning: the boiling of water might have been no more than a way to produce hot water if it were not Watt who happened to realize the great energy produced in this process and thus invented steam engine, the revolutionary machine that pushed the whole world into industrial age. Similarly, the phenomenon that bat can detect things accurately made little sense until the reflection principal of wave was discovered and applied into radar to determine objects . It is such kind of power of mind that differentiates us from other creatures and that is exactly how we keep moving forward. On the contrary, a student who has been imparted with no more than bare facts to which all he has done is memorize could be nothing but a follower. How, if it possible, could we count on someone without critical thinking to do any creative work or make any difference?

As is said by Aristotle, it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it, the ultimate goal of education is to help students form their own way of thinking and judgment of value, that is, critical thinking ability, the only way by which they can utilize their knowledge effectively and solve new problems independently. Thus, it is absolutely the educators’ responsibility to help students grasp the concepts, trends and concepts beneath the facts.

The rote learning, however, is also indispensable. Becoming educated is a process. Some tools we need for acquiring and analyzing facts must be memorized. How could we count on a 3-year child who doesn’t even memorize ABCs understand the ideas of Aristotle? Likewise, only by acquiring large number of historical cases can historians integrate them and go beneath the surface, finding the universal principal of our human race. The facts and rules that we memorize are the hooks in the cupboards on our minds where we hang new information.

Bare factual knowledge without critical thinking make little sense. While critical thinking skills are also meaningless without a broad base of factual knowledge. You cannot build a architecture out of nothing but a grandiose blueprint. Educators who claim that factual learning should be eliminated are throwing out the baby with the bath water. Thus, it is therefore my opinion that educators should base their assessment of students on both their grasp of facts and their critical thinking ability.

amber_cUID: 3131341

As critical thinking is increasingly emphasized in today’s highly competitive and complex（建议换一个词） world, factual learning, which is often blamed as a drudgery issuing in a blind rule of thumb, is been condemned by some educators.(这句话好长~) They even argue that factual learning should be totally replaced by the learning of critical thinking ability, which put（puts） more emphasis on the ideas, trends and concepts that facts illustrate. This is a superficial recommendation to say the least.
前面几句话几乎都在复述题目，最后一句是观点。不过，我觉得是不是可以预告一下即将要论证的观点，就是再specific一点。个人感觉而已。
Concepts are to us like the air we breathe.（不是说这句话有问题，但我觉得换一个类比会让语言更好，例如A to B is like C to D） History is replete with examples of what were considered at one time to be facts , but later disproved as incorrect theories. From geocentric theory to heliocentric theory, from astrology to modern astronomy, old theories would give way to new ones at any time.(这些例子和首句的关系是？) What we inherit from our precedents, however, is not the facts themselves, but the ability to analyze and integrate facts into our own network of ideas, by which we humans virtually approach everything in experience as something that can be given meaning: the boiling of water might have been no more than a way to produce hot water if it were not Watt who happened to realize the great energy produced in this process and thus invented steam engine, the revolutionary machine that pushed the whole world into industrial age. （这句话无敌长，建议缩短一下，看着好累~例子和前面的论点可以分开写）Similarly, the phenomenon that bat can detect things accurately made little sense until the reflection principal of wave was discovered and applied into radar to determine objects . It is such kind of power of mind that differentiates us from other creatures and that is exactly how we keep moving forward. On the contrary, a student who has been imparted with no more than bare facts to which（这里看不太懂） all he has done is memorize could be nothing but a follower. How, if it（it 去掉） possible, could we count on someone without critical thinking to do any creative work or make any difference?
明显这一段critical thinking是关键词，但是与concepts的关系就很模糊。
As is said by Aristotle, it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it, the ultimate goal of education is to help students form their own way of thinking and judgment of value, that is, critical thinking ability, the only way by which they can utilize their knowledge effectively and solve new problems independently.(如果这一整句不全是引用，建议分开) Thus, it is absolutely the educators’ responsibility to help students grasp the concepts, trends and concepts beneath the facts.
貌似还是在写critical thinking。最后加一句与题目相关的语句。有点牵强。
The rote learning, however, is also indispensable. Becoming educated is a process. Some tools we need for acquiring and analyzing facts must be memorized(memory). How could we count on a 3-year child who doesn’t(does not) even memorize ABCs (to)understand the ideas of Aristotle? Likewise, only by acquiring large number of historical cases can historians integrate them and go beneath the surface, finding the universal principal of our human race(integrate, go, find 应该是并列的动词吧，所以用find，不用finding). The facts and rules that we memorize are the hooks in the cupboards on our minds where we hang new information.
提及memory的重要性。例子用得挺恰当，语言也多变。
Bare factual knowledge without critical thinking make little sense. While critical thinking skills are also meaningless without a broad base of factual knowledge. You cannot build a architecture out of nothing but a grandiose blueprint. Educators who claim that factual learning should be eliminated are throwing out the baby with the bath water.（这个，麻烦spin解释一下下，我不太懂这个类比） Thus, it is therefore（thus 和therefore一起用？） my opinion that educators should base their assessment of students on both their grasp of facts and their critical thinking ability.

其实文章应该是要以critical thinking为主观点吧？但写到最后一段，就和谐了。二、三段的论证结构没有第四段严谨清晰。
小女子才疏学浅，不当之处，还请见谅！

ashtray_sUID: 3008202

As critical thinking is increasingly emphasized in today’s highly competitive and highly complicated world, factual learning, which is often blamed as a drudgery issuing in a blind rule of thumb, is been condemned by some educators. They even argue that factual learning should be totally replaced by the learning of critical thinking ability, which puts more emphasis on the ideas, trends and concepts that facts illustrate. This is a superficial recommendation to say the least.

Facts make no sense without critical thinking. History is replete with examples of what were considered at one time to be facts , but later disproved as incorrect theories. From geocentric theory to heliocentric theory, from astrology to modern astronomy, old theories would give way to new ones at any time. What we inherit from our precedents, however, is not the facts themselves, but the ability to analyze and integrate facts into our own network of ideas, by which we humans virtually approach everything in experience as something that can be given meaning. For example, the boiling of water might have been no more than a way to produce hot water if it were not Watt who happened to realize the great energy produced in this process and thus invented steam engine, the revolutionary machine that pushed the whole world into industrial age. Similarly, the phenomenon that bat can detect things accurately made little sense until the reflection principal of wave was discovered and applied into radar to determine objects . It is such kind of power of mind that differentiates us from other creatures and that is exactly how we keep moving forward. On the contrary, a student who has been imparted with no more than bare facts to which（这里看不太懂） all he has done is memorize could be nothing but a follower. （就是一个定语从句，all he has done to the bare facts is memorize）How, if possible, could we count on someone without critical thinking to do any creative work or make any difference?

As is said by Aristotle, it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. The ultimate goal of education is to help students form their own way of thinking and judgment of value, that is, critical thinking ability, the only way by which they can utilize their knowledge effectively and solve new problems independently. Thus, it is absolutely the educators’ responsibility to help students grasp the ideas, trends and concepts beneath the facts.
貌似还是在写critical thinking。最后加一句与题目相关的语句。有点牵强。(这一段确实是在写critical thinking, 这两段都是，因为正如我首段里面提到的，critical thinking puts more emphasis on the ideas, trends and concepts that facts illustrate，这是我理解的这个ability的实质。你觉得呢？)The rote learning, however, is also indispensable. Becoming educated is a process. Some tools we need for acquiring and analyzing facts must be memorized(memory). How could we count on a 3-year child who doesn’t(does not) even memorize ABCs (to)understand the ideas of Aristotle? Likewise, only by acquiring large number of historical cases can historians integrate them and go beneath the surface, and further find the universal principal of our human race. The facts and rules that we memorize are the hooks in the cupboards on our minds where we hang new information.

Bare factual knowledge without critical thinking make little sense. While critical thinking skills are also meaningless without a broad base of factual knowledge. You cannot build a architecture out of nothing but a grandiose blueprint. Educators who claim that factual learning should be eliminated are throwing out the baby with the bath water.（这个，麻烦spin解释一下下，我不太懂这个类比）这是一个习语，在泼洗澡水的时候连孩子一起泼掉了，意思是在你扔掉不要的东西时把宝贵的东西都无意地一起扔掉了）It is therefore（thus 和therefore一起用？） my opinion that educators should base their assessment of students on both their grasp of facts and their critical thinking ability.

ashtray_sUID: 3008202

Argue50

While it seems compelling that lavender works well in curing insomnia within a short period of time at first glance. Based on mere observation, however, the primary survey is not strong enough to draw a medical conclusion. Additionally, this argument is rife with holes and assumptions, and thus, not strong enough to lead to a conclusion that lavender cures insomnia within a short period of time.

In the first place, the author fails to tell exactly how these patients felt after waking up during the third week. That the volunteers slept longer and more soundly in the third week than the previous two weeks is quite likely due to the fact that patients felt more tired than before during the second week after they woke up and thus they felt too tired in the third week, rather than the function of lavender. Thus, the recording of the volunteers’ feeling after waking up in the third week would help strength the argument because it would help assess the quality of their sleep and whether the lavender works.

Apart from that, even if the volunteers’ quality of sleep has been improved after the third weeks, there is no evidence indicating that the improvement is due to lavender. Other factors may contribute to it as well. It is at least likely that they gradually get accustomed to the new environment and less nervous than the first week, and sleep better. If the study could establish another group of people who do not sleep on such pillows as counterparts and compare their quality of sleep with the those sleeping on lavender pillows, that information would help eliminate other possible explanations.

Additionally, the author cannot hastily conclude that the volunteers’ insomnia has been thoroughly cured without any follow-up studies. Three weeks is just too short for the researcher to tell the function of lavender accurately. If I were the researcher, I would continue to record the volunteers’ quality of sleep after the three weeks and see if it is normal even if the volunteers stop using lavender pillows. It would also be beneficial to further ask these volunteers if they have some other malaise such as headache to see if the lavender has some side-effects in order to determine its real effect.

To sum up, the arguer’s argument mentioned above is not based on valid evidence or sound reasoning, both of which is indispensable for a conclusive argument. In order to draw a better conclusion, the arguer should reason more convincingly, cite some evidence that is more persuasive, and take every possible consideration into account.

m7catsueUID: 3040890

4# ashtray_s
While it seemscompelling that lavender works well in curing insomnia within a short period oftime at first glance.（个人建议：这句话用while引导，句子结束了也没转折；可以和后面however这句话合起来） Based on mere observation, however, theprimary survey（experiment/study） is not strong enough to draw a medicalconclusion. Additionally, this argument is rife with holes and assumptions, andthus, not strong enough to lead to a conclusion that lavender cures insomniawithin a short period of time.

In the first place, the author fails to tellexactly how these patients felt after waking up during the third week. That the volunteersslept longer and more soundly in the third week than （加in）the previous two weeksis quite likely due to the fact that patients felt more tired than beforeduring the second week after they woke up and thus they felt too tired in thethird week, rather than the function of lavender. Thus,the recording of the volunteers’ feeling（feelings） afterwaking up in the third week would help strength（strengthen） the argument because it would help assess thequality of their sleep and whether the lavender works.
第一个错误指出：作者没有说明第三周志愿者醒来后的感受
是否疲惫。文章写给出了他们第三周睡得更久的可能的原因，而不是因为lavender。我觉得也可以正面写 他们第三周醒来可能会报告更累甚至筋疲力竭，虽然睡得更久了，如果是这样的结果，那lavender也不能用来治疗失眠了。 仅供参考~

Apart from that, even if the volunteers’ qualityof sleep has been improved after the third weeks（in the third week）, there is no evidence indicating that theimprovement is due to lavender. Other factors may contribute to it as well. Itis at least likely that they gradually get accustomed to the new environmentand （加felt） less nervous than the firstweek, and sleep better. If the study could establish another group of people whodo not sleep on such pillows as counterparts(counterparts用在这里不准确；controlgroup对照组) andcompare their quality of sleep with the those sleeping on lavender pillows, thatinformation（which） would help eliminate other possible explanations.
说明除了lavender之外可能还有其他的影响因素。也可以说：科学试验中除了实验组，还应设立对照组。这样表达可能会更准确。

Additionally, the author cannot hastily concludethat the volunteers’ insomnia has been thoroughly cured without any follow-upstudies. Three weeks is （are） just too short for theresearcher（researchers） to tell the function of lavender accurately.If I were the researcher, I would continue to record the volunteers’ quality ofsleep after the three weeks and see if it is normal even if the volunteers stopusing lavender pillows. It would also be beneficial to further ask thesevolunteers if they have some other malaise such as headache to see if thelavender has some(any)side-effects in order to determine its real effect.

并不能说明lavender完全治愈了失眠，需要进一步的跟进研究。

To sum up, the arguer’s argument mentioned aboveis not based on valid evidence or sound reasoning, both of which is(are)indispensable for a conclusive argument. In order to
draw a better conclusion（这里感觉写 tosupport his/her conclusion会更好）, thearguer should reason more convincingly, cite some evidence that is morepersuasive, and take every possible consideration into account.


个人的一些看法，说得不对的请指正~