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Argument140  第2篇 让砖头来得更猛烈些吧！
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作者：寄托家园作文版普通用户     共用时间：30分3秒     508 words
从2005年6月26日15时55分到2005年6月26日16时30分
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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.'
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Merely based on unfounded assumption and dubious evidence, the author draws a conclusion that Professor Thomas should receive a $10000 raise and a promotion to Department Chairperson. To support the conclusion, the author pointed out that the professor is welcomed among the students. In addition, she bought more money than her salary to he university in research.  Moreover, the author asserts that without such a raise and promotion, the professor will leave for another college rather than continue to teach in Elm City University.

However, these alone neither constitute a logical argument in favor of the conclusion, nor provide compelling evidence making the argument sound. The author ignore such key issues which must be addressed to prove. In my point of view, the argument suffers from several flaw.

In the first place, the author assumes to establish a causal relationship between the number of students in her class and her popularity among students. In the author's opinion, since her classes are the largest in the school, it illustrate that she is one of the most popular professor in the university. However, it is not necessary the case. It is possible that she is the only professor of botany; students have no other choice, but choose her classes. There is another possibility that the exam in her classer is quite easy, most students can get scores. Without ruling out such explanations, the author fails to convince me that the professor is popular among the students.

In the second place, the author cites the evidence that she has brought much more money than her salary to the university in research last two years. Yet, this evidence also can not support to the conclusion well. Since the primary task of a university professor is to engaging in the research in his or her fields, and to cultivate the students engaging in the research, rather than to bring money to the university. Even if we concede that the ability of bringing money to the university is one of the aspects to evaluate a professor, the author fails to provide evidence that how much a professor should bring to university in the average. Maybe, the money professor has brought to the university is much less than any other professors.

Last but not least, the author assumes that Professor Thomas will leave the university if she couldn't receive the raise and the promotion. However, there is no evidence stated in the argument which can support the author's assumption. There are many other factors rather than the money and status which can decide whether one will continue to work or leave. Perhaps, Professor has worked in Elm City University for many years, he has been familiar with everything here, and has a strong emotion to the university. All the students and teachers here show the respect to her. If she chooses another university, she will lose all of those.

To sum up, the argument seems to be plausible; in fact, it is neither sound nor persuasive. In order to make the argument more convincing, the author would have following factors into consideration such as her contribution to the university; her fame or status in her field, like that whether she is an authority in her field or not. If the argument concluded the factors guessed above, it would be more thorough and adequate.

[ Last edited by staralways on 2005-7-26 at 23:18 ]