argument53 同主题写作第四期

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53.Thirteen years ago, researchers studied a group of 25 infants who showed signs of mild distress when exposed to unfamiliar stimuli such as an unusual odor or a tape recording of an unknown voice. They discovered that these infants were more likely than other infants to have been conceived in early autumn, a time when their mothers' production of melatonin-a hormone known to affect some brain functions-would naturally increase in response to decreased daylight. In a follow-up study conducted earlier this year, more than half of these children-now teenagers-who had shown signs of distress identified themselves as shy. Clearly, increased levels of melatonin before birth cause shyness during infancy and this shyness continues into later life.

In this argument, the arguer concludes that increased levels of melatonin before birth would cause shyness during infancy and this shyness continues into later life. To support the conclusion, the arguer points out that the infants in the research are more likely than others to have been conceived in a time when melatonin would increase. In addition, the arguer shows that more than half of these children identified themselves as shy when they grow up. However, this argument is unconvincing for several critical flaws.

In the first place, the arguer fails to demonstrate that there is a direct cause between increased melatonin and the signs of mild stress. As there are many things that could affect the probability of conceiving, people could not easily conclude that these infants are more likely to have been conceived in early autumn. Besides that, there are no things showing that it is the increased melatonin in early autumn but not other things that caused the signs of mild distress. The arguer does not preclude other things occurring in the early autumn, which would cause the abnormal reaction to unfamiliar stimuli. So, people can not conclude that increased melatonin is the only reason of signs of mild distress.

In the second place, though it is really the melatonin that caused the signs of mild distress when they are infants, the arguer fails to convince us that when they are teenagers, the thing more than half of these children identify themselves as shy is directly caused by increased levels of melatonin. When people grow up, there are many things and people that could affect them, which would at last lead to shyness. As the arguer does not show that other things but melatonin are useless, we cannot say that melatonin is making its use. What is more, not all people who showed the signs of mild distress consider themselves shy, so the conclusion cannot be got so easily.

In the third place, though it is really the melatonin caused shyness when people are teenagers, the arguer does not show anything that could demonstrate this shyness would continues into later life. When people get into a college, or make more friends, the case would be very helpful for people to get out of shyness. As people know more, they could change a lot. How can we believe the conclusion as there is no further support?

In sum, the arguer fails to establish a causal relationship between increased levels of melatonin and the signs of mild distress and shyness. To strengthen the argument, the arguer would have to provide evidence that increased melatonin is the only reason of signs of mild distress. To better evaluate the argument, we would need more information about the relationship between melatonin and shyness and more support that it would continue in the later life.

472字:L:L:L有点晕,这次格式要是错请斑斑先告知错哪,自我感觉好象没什么问题:vomit: