GRE作文6分教学博客

tesolchinaUID: 2191404

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

Three years ago, because of flooding at the Western Palean Wildlife Preserve, 100 lions and 100 western gazelles were moved to the East Palean Preserve, an area that is home to most of the same species that are found in the western preserve, though in larger numbers, and to the eastern gazelle, a close relative of the western gazelle.

The only difference in climate is that the eastern preserve typically has slightly less rainfall.

Unfortunately, after three years in the eastern preserve, the imported western gazelle population has been virtually eliminated.

Since the slight reduction in rainfall cannot be the cause of the virtual elimination of western gazelle, their disappearance must have been caused by the larger number of predators in the eastern preserve.

The author argues that the large number of predators must be the main cause of the elimination of western gazelle since the the climate difference is negligible.  We need to collect more evidence about three main issues that may affect the fate of western gazelle: the food sources, the predators and the environment.

There is no doubt that western gazelle, like other animals, need abundant food to supply.  While the new environment only has slightly less rainfall, it may not sustain the kind of food that western gazelles need to survive.  Perhaps western gazelles rely on a kind of vegetation that needs more rainfall or other nourishment that could only be found in the west.  Therefore, we need more information about the food supply for western gazelles to better understand the causes of its elimination.  

Another important factor we need to consider is the predators that might threaten the western gazelles.  It is true that a greater number of lions and other wild carnivores could be the predators of the western gazelles.  But it is important to bear in mind that there might be other smaller animals that are easier preys for the predators.  If the predators could obtain food from other sources, the western gazelles might be spared.  

On the other hand, we also need to look into environmental factors that might cause the elimination of the animals.  Maybe the water and air pollution were more severe in the new environment which the western gazelles found difficult to withstand. Or there might be certain germs or virus that wiped out western gazelles.  Or perhaps the preserve has been so overcrowded that the western gazelles simply could not establish their own territory to survive.  

In order to determine the causes of the disappearance of western gazelles, it is important to collect more information about its food supply, the potential predators and other environmental factors that may affect their livelihood.  

tesolchinaUID: 2191404

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

While the Department of Education in the state of Attra suggests that high school students be assigned homework every day, the data from a recent statewide survey of high school math and science teachers give us reason to question the usefulness of daily homework.

In the district of Sanlee, 86 percent of the teachers reported assigning homework three to five times a week, whereas in the district of Marlee, less than 25 percent of the teachers reported assigning homework three to five times a week.

Yet the students in Marlee earn better grades overall and are less likely to be required to repeat a year of school than are the students in Sanlee.

Therefore, we recommend that all teachers in our high schools should assign homework no more than twice a week.

the usefulness of the survey results
- whether the self-reported data is reliable (teachers may have incentive to lie)
- whether the science and math teachers could represent all the teachers

the amount of homework, the teaching and the feedback  
- how much homework is assigned each time
- whether the homework is carefully designed to support the teaching
- whether feedback was carefully given

the other factors that may affect the learning outcome   
- the requirement for repeating may be different
- Marlee students may be smarter
- Marlee teachers may be better trained or better paid

theoneneoUID: 3622097

我试着用分情况讨论法和1+3结构练习了一篇习作，Issue1，想请老师指导，谢谢。
https://bbs.gter.net/thread-1869811-1-1.html

tesolchinaUID: 2191404

The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Parkville Daily newspaper.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

Throughout the country last year, as more and more children below the age of nine participated in youth-league sports, over 40,000 of these young players suffered injuries.

When interviewed for a recent study, youth-league soccer players in several major cities also reported psychological pressure exerted by coaches and parents to win games.

Furthermore, education experts say that long practice sessions for these sports take away time that could be used for academic activities.

Since the disadvantages outweigh any advantages, we in Parkville should discontinue organized athletic competition for children under nine.

assumption 1: the injuries are severe enough to justify discontinuing  
- perhaps many of the injury cases are minor
- maybe better training and supervision could reduce the number of injuries
- perhaps the injury rate is not very high compared to other activities


assumption 2: the injured players are evenly distributed across age groups and sport categories
- maybe players of certain age groups are more vulnerable to injury (attention should be focused on such age group; not to discontinue players of all ages under 9)
- perhaps players of certain sports are more likely to get injured

assumption 3: the interview studies could represent all the youth league players and the pressure is necessarily bad
- only a dozen of players are interviewed (are they randomly selected from all the players)
- can soccer players’s experience represent players of other sports
- pressure could be useful

assumption 4: all players practice for long sessions that only influence academic activities negatively
- maybe many players do not practice very long sessions
- perhaps the exercises can improve the health and the learning efficiency
- the competitive spirit could motivate the students to study harder  

supersamUID: 3589628

tesolchina 发表于 2015-5-23 06:19
argument写作中作者和读者之间的某种互动往往通过对作者自己和读者及原论证提出者的称谓和指代来完成。比如 ...

老师好！　关于语态的问题。　主动语态建议在文章中使用吗？还是说最好使用被动语态。

辰南UID: 3613235

正愁着issue不会写呢  太感谢王老师饿了

毉易-牧羊人UID: 3458186

tesolchina 发表于 2015-2-24 16:54
4) Scandals are useful because they focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or refor ...

这个issue是说 Scandals are useful because they focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could，是不是应理解为scandals能focus our attention，这种attention 并没有其他演说家或者改革家能够focus的，因此scandals是有用的。

tesolchinaUID: 2191404

The following appeared in an article written by Dr. Karp, an anthropologist.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

Twenty years ago, Dr. Field, a noted anthropologist, visited the island of Tertia and concluded from his observations that children in Tertia were reared by an entire village rather than by their own biological parents.

However, my recent interviews with children living in the group of islands that includes Tertia show that these children spend much more time talking about their biological parents than about other adults in the village.

This research of mine proves that Dr. Field's conclusion about Tertian village culture is invalid and thus that the observation-centered approach to studying cultures is invalid as well.

The interview-centered method that my team of graduate students is currently using in Tertia will establish a much more accurate understanding of child-rearing traditions there and in other island cultures.

It might seem logical, at first glance, to agree with the argument in Dr. Karp’s article that children in Tertia actually are raised by their biological parents (and perhaps even, by implication, that an observation-centered approach to anthropological study is
not as valid as an interview-centered one). However, in order to fully evaluate this argument, we need to have a significant amount of additional evidence. The argument could end up being much weaker than it seems, or it might actually be quite valid. In order to make that determination, we need to know more then analyze what we learn.
The first piece of evidence that we would need in order to evaluate Dr. Karp’s claims is information about whether or not Tertia and the surrounding island group have changed significantly in the past 20 years. Dr. Field conducted his observational study 20 years ago, and it is possible that Tertia has changed significantly since then. For example, if we had evidence that in teh intervening years Westerners had settled on the island and they introduced a more typical Western-style family structure, it would certainly weaken Dr. Karp’s argument. In that case, the original study could have been accurate, and Dr. Karp’s study could be correct, as well, though his conclusion that Dr. Field’s method is ineffective would be seriously weakened.

Another piece of evidence that might help us evaluate this claim involves the exact locations where Dr. Karp’s interviews took place. According to this article, Dr. Karp and his graduate students conducted interviews of “children living in the group of islands that includes Tertia.” If we were to learn that they never interviewed a single Tertian child, it would significantly weaken the conclusion. It could turn out to be the case, for example, that children on Tertia are raised communally, whereas children on other islands nearby are raised by their biological parents.

In order to fully evaluate this article, we would also need to learn more about the interview questions that Dr. Karp’s team used. What exactly did they ask? We don’t know, nor do we know what the children’s responses actually were. What did they say about their biological parents? The mere fact that they speak more frequently about their biological parents than they do about other adults does not meant hat they are raised by their biological parents. It would significantly undermine Dr. Karp’s argument if it turned out that the children said things like how much they missed their parents or how their parents had left them in a communal environment. Without knowing WHAT the children said, it is hard to accept Dr. Karp’s conclusion.

It is slightly more difficult to discuss teh evidence we might need in order to evaluate the more interesting claims in Dr. Karp’s article, namely his extension of the results of his study to a conclusion that interview-centered methods are inherently more valid than observational-centered approaches. In order to fully evaluate this claim, in fact, we would need to look at many more examples of interview-based and observation-based anthropological studies and we would also need to look into different study designs. Perhaps Dr. Field did not conduct an effective observational study, but other observational approaches could be effective. In order to make such grandiose claims, Dr. Karp really needs a lot of additional evidence (ideally a meta- analysis of hundreds of anthropological studies).

Clearly, then, we need to have additional evidence in order to get a more complete understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Dr. Karp’s article. We need to know about Tertia and the surrounding islands, whether or not they have changed over the past 20 years. We also need to know about study design (Dr. Karp’s and Dr. Field’s). And we really need a lot more information if we want to extend the results of a study about one island culture to all anthropological fieldwork.

tesolchinaUID: 2191404

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

In surveys Mason City residents rank water sports (swimming, boating, and fishing) among their favorite recreational activities.

The Mason River flowing through the city is rarely used for these pursuits, however, and the city park department devotes little of its budget to maintaining riverside recreational facilities.

For years there have been complaints from residents about the quality of the river's water and the river's smell.

In response, the state has recently announced plans to clean up Mason River.

Use of the river for water sports is, therefore, sure to increase.

The city government should for that reason devote more money in this year's budget to riverside recreational facilities.

model-essay

ETS

While it may be true that the Mason City government ought to devote more money to riverside recreational facilities, this author’s argument does not make a cogent case for increased resources based on river use. It is easy to understand why city residents would want a cleaner river, but this argument is rife with holes and assumptions, and thus, not strong enough to lead to increased funding.

Citing surveys of city residents, the author reports city resident’s love of water sports. It is not clear, however, the scope and validity of that survey. For example, the survey could have asked residents if they prefer using the river for water sports or would like to see a hydroelectric dam built, which may have swayed residents toward river sports. The sample may not have been representative of city residents, asking only those residents who live upon the river. The survey may have been 10 pages long, with 2 questions dedicated to river sports. We just do not know. Unless the survey is fully representative, valid, and reliable, it can not be used to effectively back the author’s argument.

Additionally, the author implies that residents do not use the river for swimming, boating, and fishing, despite their professed interest, because the water is polluted and smelly. While a polluted, smelly river would likely cut down on river sports, a concrete connection between the resident’s lack of river use and the river’s current state is not effectively made. Though there have been complaints, we do not know if there have been numerous complaints from a wide range of people, or perhaps from one or two individuals who made numerous complaints. To strengthen his/her argument, the author would benefit from implementing a normed survey asking a wide range of residents why they do not currently use the river.

Building upon the implication that residents do not use the river due to the quality of the river’s water and the smell, the author suggests that a river clean up will result in increased river usage. If the river’s water quality and smell result from problems which can be cleaned, this may be true. For example, if the decreased water quality and aroma is caused by pollution by factories along the river, this conceivably could be remedied. But if the quality and aroma results from the natural mineral deposits in the water or surrounding rock, this may not be true. There are some bodies of water which emit a strong smell of sulphur due to the geography of the area. This is not something likely to be affected by a clean-up. Consequently, a river clean up may have no impact upon river usage. Regardless of whether the river’s quality is able to be improved or not, the author does not effectively show a connection between water quality and river usage.

A clean, beautiful, safe river often adds to a city’s property values, leads to increased tourism and revenue from those who come to take advantage of the river, and a better overall quality of life for residents. For these reasons, city government may decide to invest in improving riverside recreational facilities. However, this author’s argument is not likely significantly persuade the city government to allocate increased funding.

tesolchinaUID: 2191404

The following appeared in a health newsletter.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

A ten-year nationwide study of the effectiveness of wearing a helmet while bicycling indicates that ten years ago, approximately 35 percent of all bicyclists reported wearing helmets, whereas today that number is nearly 80 percent.

Another study, however, suggests that during the same ten-year period, the number of accidents caused by bicycling has increased 200 percent.

These results demonstrate that bicyclists feel safer because they are wearing helmets, and they take more risks as a result.

Thus there is clearly a call for the government to strive to reduce the number of serious injuries from bicycle accidents by launching an education program that concentrates on the factors other than helmet use that are necessary for bicycle safety.

how accurate are the survey results
- do the respondents represent the bicyclists nationwide (maybe one survey focuses more on young people who tend to take more risk)  
- how are the questions phrased (whether they wear helmets vs. how often they wear)

the change of accident rates and the causes of the accidents
- maybe more people bike now
- maybe more pedestrians shared the road with bicyclists  
- road condition get worse
- the percentage of accidents caused by careless cycling  

the causes of accidents involving serious injuries and whether education can address the causes
- maybe serious injuries in some accidents could be prevented by wearing helmets
- maybe accidents involving serious injuries are caused by bad weather for which the education campaign would not be very helpful
- maybe accidents were caused by cycling under the influence of drug (then education is helpful)

tesolchinaUID: 2191404

The following is part of a memorandum from the president of Humana University.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

Last year the number of students who enrolled in online degree programs offered by nearby Omni University increased by 50 percent.

During the same year, Omni showed a significant decrease from prior years in expenditures for dormitory and classroom space, most likely because online instruction takes place via the Internet.

In contrast, over the past three years, enrollment at Humana University has failed to grow and the cost of maintaining buildings has increased.

Thus, to increase enrollment and solve the problem of budget deficits at Humana University, we should initiate and actively promote online degree programs like those at Omni.

conclusion 
if Humana develops and promotes online degree programs, the enrollment will increase and the problem of budget deficits will be solved.  

relevant data or premises:
Omni university has 50% more students enrolled in online degree programs 
Omni reduced the expenditure on dorm and classroom space 
enrollment at Humana did not grow in the past 3 years 
cost of maintaining buildings has increased  
Humana has a budget deficit 

now think about what to focus on in each middle paragraph in terms of assumptions


ENROLLMENT 
- the impact of online program on the overall student enrollment (it is assumed that the impact would be significant; only if Omni has a large number of online students to begin with; otherwise, 50% increase may not increase the total student population)
- what are the reasons why the enrollment failed to grow and whether these reasons would affect the success of online program 
assumed that the reasons would not affect the online programs 


COST 
- assume that the cost of building maintenance will necessarily decrease with the introduction of online programs; maybe some of the maintenance cost is fixed regardless of usage 
- why Humana has a budget deficit and would the root problems be addressed through online programs
- would the reduction in physical space expenditure be offset by additional expense for online programs (development and maintenance of the online platform; development of materials; marketing costs)
assumption that the overall expense would be reduced 

COMPARABILITY 
- whether or not Onmi and Humana are comparable in terms of reputation, the students’ interest in online programs, whether the disciplines are suitable for teaching online  

tesolchinaUID: 2191404

The following appeared in a health magazine published in Corpora.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

Medical experts say that only one-quarter of Corpora's citizens meet the current standards for adequate physical fitness, even though twenty years ago, one-half of all of Corpora's citizens met the standards as then defined.

But these experts are mistaken when they suggest that spending too much time using computers has caused a decline in fitness.

Since overall fitness levels are highest in regions of Corpora where levels of computer ownership are also highest, it is clear that using computers has not made citizens less physically fit.

Instead, as shown by this year's unusually low expenditures on fitness-related products and services, the recent decline in the economy is most likely the cause, and fitness levels will improve when the economy does.

assumption 1: the decreasing percentage of physically fit citizens is not related to the changing standards or the ageing of the population
- perhaps the standards have become higher resulting in fewer people identified as fit
- perhaps people become less physically fit simply because of ageing

assumption 2: levels of ownership of computers accurately reflect the time spent on computers
- maybe people spend more time using computers at work
- maybe people who own computers can better afford time and money for exercises and medical care (ownership of computers indicate socioeconomic classes rather than time spent on computers)

assumption 3: the low expenditures of fitness-related products are results of declining economy and the use of such products is necessary for keeping fit  
- the low expenditure may be a result of high expenditure in the previous years (the products are durable goods)
- people spent less money on the products probably because a new fitness center is opened (substitute for the fitness products)
- the products may not be necessary for keeping fit (people could simply jog on the roads)  

tesolchinaUID: 2191404

The following appeared in a memorandum from the owner of Movies Galore, a chain of movie-rental stores.

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

In order to reverse the recent decline in our profits, we must reduce operating expenses at Movies Galore's ten movie-rental stores.

Since we are famous for our special bargains, raising our rental prices is not a viable way to improve profits.

Last month our store in downtown Marston significantly decreased its operating expenses by closing at 6:00 p.m. rather than 9:00 p.m. and by reducing its stock by eliminating all movies released more than five years ago.

Therefore, in order to increase profits without jeopardizing our reputation for offering great movies at low prices, we recommend implementing similar changes in our other nine Movies Galore stores.

the reason why the profits have declined
- maybe the decline is caused by the decrease in revenue (measures should be taken to increase revenue)
- if the expenses have increased, what are the causes? (labor cost or overhead?)

whether raising the price would hurt the reputation and the revenue
- maybe the price is still competitive after the price increase
- how sensitive the customers are to the price change (maybe the revenue will increase)

the business records during 6pm to 9pm in the other 9 stores
- maybe more revenue has been generated during these hours
- look into the labor and overhead costs during these 3 hours

the business records related to the older movies
- compare the stocking expense and the revenue generated

tesolchinaUID: 2191404

57) The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of marketing at Dura-Sock, Inc.
A recent study of our customers suggests that our company is wasting the money it spends on its patented Endure manufacturing process, which ensures that our socks are strong enough to last for two years. We have always advertised our use of the Endure process, but the new study shows that despite our socks' durability, our average customer actually purchases new Dura-Socks every three months. Furthermore, our customers surveyed in our largest market, northeastern United States cities, say that they most value Dura-Socks' stylish appearance and availability in many colors. These findings suggest that we can increase our profits by discontinuing use of the Endure manufacturing process.
Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

how long the customers expect to use the socks
- they buy new ones every three months probably because they find socks of new styles attractive
- but they may expect to use the socks for 2 years
- they may donate their old socks to Salvation Army and count on the fact that such socks last for 2 years  

to what extent the survey results reflect the overall customers’ attitudes
- how about the city customers in the South who are in general less wealthy
- how about the customers from rural areas who may care less about appearance and colors  

the impact of using other tech on costs and profits
- maybe the patented process has other advantages such as lower manufacturing costs
- perhaps the patent fee is really small when it is shared by each pair of socks
- switching to another technology may cost money in training and machinery replacement

tesolchinaUID: 2191404

The following appeared in a memo from the president of Bower Builders, a company that constructs new homes.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

A nationwide survey reveals that the two most-desired home features are a large family room and a large, well-appointed kitchen.

A number of homes in our area built by our competitor Domus Construction have such features and have sold much faster and at significantly higher prices than the national average.

To boost sales and profits, we should increase the size of the family rooms and kitchens in all the homes we build and should make state-of-the-art kitchens a standard feature.

Moreover, our larger family rooms and kitchens can come at the expense of the dining room, since many of our recent buyers say they do not need a separate dining room for family meals.

assumption 1: the results of the survey accurately reflect the preference of the customers
- the respondents in the nationwide survey are different from the local buyers in terms of taste, purchasing power and lifestyle
- the most desired home features are not necessarily the decisive factors when buying homes (other factor such as affordability and practical use)  

assumption 2: the two features are the reasons why Domus sold homes faster and at higher prices
- maybe their homes have other attractive features such as convenient location and low per-square-feet price  (or the homes are fully furnished)
- Domus has a better marketing and sales teams
- Domus offers extra mortgage

assumption 3: the extra space in family room and kitchens with better kitchen facilities can attract more buyers to pay higher prices  
- maybe the buyers already believe that the current family room and kitchens are spacious enough
- the extra cost of the features may not be affordable for the buyers  
- the profit margin may be reduced  

assumption 4: the anecdotal evidence is reliable and the buyers do not need separate dining rooms for other purposes
- it is not clear how many buyers say that and how reliable the evidence it
- they may need a separate dining room to host a banquet or throw a party