【NINE小组】第七次作业—by Amber

amber_cUID: 3131341

ISSUE 92

It is suggested that whether a student performs well or not should be determined by if he or she possesses the ability to interpret the ideas, trends, and concepts that facts clarify, not to grasp mere facts. Admittedly, since the very purpose of education is to free students’ thoughts and spirits, such a recommendation is rational in certain circumstances, while under others it requires a second thought.

Only by knowing the concepts and deep meanings of facts can students have an insight into those facts, think out the objective laws among facts, and apply them to finding answers to questions or solutions to problems. I strongly agree that if we learn only facts we learn rather little. As the old saying goes, ’to read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.’ Consider the discipline of management. A student who just memorizes what is ‘SMART Principle’ but has no ideas how to meet the specific requirements as a manager, of course, will be a layman and fail to manage an enterprise. And another example involves politics. Without learning deeply about the interests between two opposite parties, one can never be a wise and savvy politician. Undoubtedly, comprehensive understanding of facts truly cultivates students’ ability to analysis critically what we encounter, which also sharpens our skills to adapt ourselves to the realistic society.

Since education is to set students’ thoughts and spirits free, it is of tremendous significance to lead critical and creative thinking. The men who innovate, create, or discover are usually those who concentrate on the ideas, trends, and notions of facts. History informs me that accepting on blind faith what we are taught we gain little, leaving brains lack of vitality. In the physical science, with in-depth study and vast curiosity of existing theories, people tend to challenge the experts and their opinions by pointing out the flaws, putting forward new hypothesis, setting up experiments, and sometimes drawing opposite conclusions. If Galileo had not been skeptical with the theory of Aristotle, history would not have found a great experiment on the leaning tower of Pisa. Even in the arts, students should challenge, for creating new works, established styles and forms. Claude Monet, one of the greatest impressionist painters, whose focus on light was far beyond objects, changed people’s impression on the structure of light and nature. In short, without skepticism and creativity, our society would never evolve and thrive.

Naturally, facts are the cornerstone of other stuff, without which the discussion above will amount to meaninglessness. In some fields, professionals require us to remember the simple facts, basic knowledge in other words. For example, it is quite unacceptable for a would-be surgeon to merely understand the concepts of surgery, however, hardly memorize steps and what deserves particular attention. Moreover, I even cannot imagine that an attorney, not familiar with laws, will win a lawsuit and credit. That is to say, under specific situations, such as those where rigorous theoretical knowledge is needed, facts are the premise of all to develop the following plots.

Based on the above, from personal perspective, it is desirable to strike a balance between deep thinking and facts memories. To cultivate and ripen students’ ability, education institutions might be advised to offer different curriculums and various activities.

amber_cUID: 3131341

A50
The speaker concludes that insomnia could be cured by the scent of lavender, according to a study involving 30 subjects. In order to strengthen the conclusion, the speaker cites that volunteers in the three-week study slept on lavender-scented pillows each night in a controlled room, where they were monitored during sleep time. In a further consideration, I find that several problems serve to weaken the persuasion of the speaker's argument.
   

A fundamental problem is relevant to the very definition of insomnia. If insomnia is defined as a person's sleep time, then how soundly volunteers slept, or how tired they were after sleep, obviously provides no relative evidence. In other words, without a clear definition of insomnia, it is assertive to draw a conclusion. Furthermore, the assertion that the study proves that lavender cures insomnia within a short period of time, is unjustifiable with no circumscription of a short period time.


I also could not be persuades unless the speaker shows me more details about the experiment. For example, a controlled trial could not be more emphasized for comparison, which is not mentioned in the argument at all. Lacking of the comparison between volunteers who kept sleeping on lavender-scented pillows and those who did not sleep on them, it is unfair to assert that people benefit from the scent in lavender. Perhaps, other factors such as comfortable atmosphere, stopping medication, led to a better sleep. In short, the speaker needs to provide more evidence, which supports the reliability of the study.
  

Even if evidence required is laid out, I still remain doubts, in terms of facts during the experiment, about the conclusion. The fact that subjects slept more soundly with regular medication in the first week than they did while they discontinued medication, tends to prove the effectiveness of medication, not of lavender. In addition, the study shows that during the third week, the subjects slept longest and most soundly in experimental period. That perhaps is because they slept so little during the second week that they felt rather tired and in a consequence slept better in the third week. Or perhaps because the volunteers had adjusted themselves to the scent which virtually offered negative effect. Evidently, neither of the two facts could lead to a warranted conclusion.


In conclusion, due to several problems the argument is unconvincing as it stands. The speaker must provide information about a precise definition of insomnia, and about what a short period means. To better assess the speaker’s assertion, we need to know whether a controlled trial is involved in the study and what other factors produce impact on the subjects.

写完了，超时~

amber_cUID: 3131341

话说，昨晚是谁改我的来着？？555~

winterfineUID: 3141531

It is suggested that whether a student performs well or not should be determined by if he or she possesses the ability to interpret the ideas, trends, and concepts that facts clarify, not to grasp mere facts. Admittedly, since the very purpose of education is to free students’ thoughts and spirits, such a recommendation is rational in certain circumstances, while under others it requires a second thought.

Only by knowing the concepts and deep meanings of facts can students have an insight into those facts, think out the objective laws among facts, and apply them to finding answers to questions or solutions to problems. I strongly agree that if we learn only facts we learn rather little. As the old saying goes, ’to read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.’ Consider the discipline of management. A student who just memorizes what is ‘SMART Principle’ but has no ideas how to meet the specific requirements as a manager, of course, will be a layman and fail to manage an enterprise. And another example involves politics. Without learning deeply about the interests between two opposite parties, one can never be a wise and savvy politician. Undoubtedly, comprehensive understanding of facts truly cultivates students’ ability to analysis (analyze) critically what we encounter (这句话和前面的例证没有关系), which also sharpens our skills to adapt ourselves to the realistic society.

论证的第一个方向
Since education is to set students’ thoughts and spirits free, it is of tremendous significance to lead critical and creative thinking. The men who innovate, create, or discover are usually those who concentrate on the ideas, trends, and notions of facts. History informs me that accepting on blind faith what we are taught we gain little, leaving brains lack of vitality. In the physical science, with in-depth study and vast curiosity of existing theories, people tend to challenge the experts and their opinions by pointing out the flaws, putting forward new hypothesis, setting up experiments, and sometimes drawing opposite conclusions. If Galileo had not been skeptical with the theory of Aristotle, history would not have found a great experiment on the leaning tower of Pisa. Even in the arts, students should challenge, for creating new works, established styles and forms. Claude Monet, one of the greatest impressionist painters, whose focus on light was far beyond objects, changed people’s impression on the structure of light and nature. In short, without skepticism and creativity, our society would never evolve and thrive.

论证的第二个方向：The men who innovate, create, or discover are usually those who concentrate on the ideas, trends, and notions of facts.

Naturally, facts are the cornerstone of other stuff, without which the discussion above will amount to meaninglessness. In some fields, professionals require us to remember the simple facts, basic knowledge in other words. For example, it is quite unacceptable for a would-be surgeon to merely understand the concepts of surgery, however, hardly memorize steps and what deserves particular attention. Moreover, I even cannot imagine that an attorney, not familiar with laws, will win a lawsuit and credit. That is to say, under specific situations, such as those where rigorous theoretical knowledge is needed, facts are the premise of all to develop the following plots.
论证的第三个方向，有关rigorous theoretical knowledge is needed

Based on the above, from personal perspective, it is desirable to strike a balance between deep thinking and facts memories. To cultivate and ripen students’ ability, education institutions might be advised to offer different curriculums and various activities.

个人感觉题目是讨论students' grasp of facts 与 the ability to explain的对立。但是作者在论述时，重点都放在了facts上。尤其第三个方向与第一个方向，一个是deep meaning 还有一个rigorous theoretical knowledge is needed
虽然侧重点略有不同，但还是给人感觉不少地方重复，整体结构有些模糊。

语言真是很连贯~

winterfineUID: 3141531

The speaker concludes that insomnia could be cured by the scent of lavender, according to a study involving 30 subjects. In order to strengthen the conclusion, the speaker cites that volunteers in the three-week study slept on lavender-scented pillows each night in a controlled room, where they were monitored during sleep time. In a further consideration, I find that several problems serve to weaken the persuasion of the speaker's argument.


A fundamental problem is relevant to the very definition of insomnia. If insomnia is defined as a person's sleep time, then how soundly volunteers slept, or how tired they were after sleep, obviously provides no relative evidence. In other words, without a clear definition of insomnia, it is assertive to draw a conclusion. （失眠这东西还能怎么定义？） Furthermore, the assertion that the study proves that lavender cures insomnia within a short period of time, is unjustifiable with no circumscription of a short period time. （这个不是主要的逻辑问题吧）


I also could not be persuades (persuaded) unless the speaker shows me more details about the experiment. For example, a controlled trial could not be more emphasized for comparison, (这句有点奇怪，more emphasized?也许emphasize enough的结构更加合适?) which is not mentioned in the argument at all. Lacking of (去掉of) the comparison between volunteers who kept sleeping on lavender-scented pillows and those who did not sleep on them, it is unfair to assert that people benefit from the scent in lavender. Perhaps, other factors such as comfortable atmosphere, stopping medication, led to a better sleep. In short, the speaker needs to provide more evidence, which supports the reliability of the study.
  

Even if evidence required is laid out, I still remain doubts, in terms of facts during the experiment, about the conclusion. The fact that subjects slept more soundly with regular medication in the first week than they did while they discontinued (discontinuing) medication, tends to prove the effectiveness of medication, not of lavender. In addition, the study shows that during the third week, the subjects slept longest and most soundly in experimental period. That perhaps is because they slept so little during the second week that they felt rather tired and in a consequence slept better in the third week. Or perhaps (it is) because the volunteers had adjusted themselves to the scent which virtually offered negative effect. Evidently, neither of the two facts could lead to a warranted conclusion.
Perhaps出现过共3次，可以考虑换个表达

In conclusion, due to several problems the argument is unconvincing as it stands. The speaker must provide information about a precise definition of insomnia, and about what a short period means. To better assess the speaker’s assertion, we need to know whether a controlled trial is involved in the study and what other factors produce impact on the subjects.

貌似这三个段落间并没有那么明显的逻辑关系，如果文章能组织得更有层次就更好了。
可能是因为限时的原因？语言没有issue那么严谨。

amber_cUID: 3131341

多谢指正！立马修改~
飘呀飘~

amber_cUID: 3131341

It is suggested that whether a student performs well or not should be determined by if he or she possesses the ability to interpret the ideas, trends, and concepts that facts clarify, not to grasp mere facts. Admittedly(Naturally), since the very purpose of education is to free students’ thoughts and spirits, such a recommendation is rational in certain circumstances, while under others it requires a second thought.(it is recommendable to base assessment of students on more flexible learning ability.)
  Only by knowing the concepts and deep meanings of facts can students have an insight into those facts, think out the objective laws among facts, and apply them to finding answers to questions or solutions to problems. (By grasping the concepts and trends of facts can students have an insight into those facts, find out the objective laws and apply a theory to practice, furthermore sharpen skills for the future professional.)I strongly agree that if we learn only facts we learn rather little. As the old saying goes, ’to read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.’ Consider the discipline of management. A student who barely memorizes what is ‘SMART Principle’ but has no ideas how to meet the specific requirements as a manager, of course, will be a layman and fail to manage an enterprise. (Considerable though the principles in t students’ mind are, they cannot help students to be competent in their careers, for rote learning cannot equip students with ability to analyze issues in different circumstances. To meet the requirement of modern education, a vast number of education institutions have set up much more extracurricular activities, such as debates, athletics, dramas, and etc, to encourage students to participate, thus to activate their thinking. Instead of being required to blindly memorize doctrines and theories, students will learn how to think and how to apply to meet such an assessment criterion, which emphasizes ability of explaining concepts and trends. )

Since education is to set students’ thoughts and spirits free, it is of tremendous significance to lead critical and creative thinking. The men who innovate, create, or discover are usually those who concentrate on the ideas, trends, and notions of facts. History informs me that accepting on blind faith what we are taught we gain little, leaving brains lack of vitality. In the physical science, with in-depth study and vast curiosity of existing theories, people tend to challenge the experts and their doctrines by pointing out the flaws, putting forward new hypothesis, setting up experiments, and sometimes drawing opposite conclusions. If Galileo had not been skeptical with the theory of Aristotle, history would not have found a great experiment on the leaning tower of Pisa.( Likewise, it is hard for a student who just remember the steps of a chemical experiment , to design a new experiment to verify the same theory. Even in the arts, students should challenge, for creating new works, established styles and forms. However, a student without any acknowledge about concepts or trends of existing painting forms, has little possibility to make outstanding painting—let alone a breakthrough.)

If the education evaluation standard is how much and how firmly a student memorizes the facts, then our society would never evolve and thrive. Because we, regarded as the hope and driving force of society in the future, will lose our creativity and the ability to take what we learn from textbooks into effect.

Based on the above, from personal perspective, it is desirable to (evaluate students  on the extent to which they can explain the ideas, trends and concepts of facts,rather than on how much they can remember.) To cultivate and ripen students’ ability, education institutions might be advised to offer different curriculums and various activities.