限时写的argument38，往死里拍吧~~

hx880603UID: 2537629

TOPIC: ARGUMENT38 - The following memo appeared in the newsletter of the West Meria Public Health Council.

"An innovative treatment has come to our attention that promises to significantly reduce absenteeism in our schools and workplaces. A study reports that in nearby East Meria, where fish consumption is very high, people visit the doctor only once or twice per year for the treatment of colds. Clearly, eating a substantial amount of fish can prevent colds. Since colds are the reason most frequently given for absences from school and work, we recommend the daily use of Ichthaid, a nutritional supplement derived from fish oil, as a good way to prevent colds and lower absenteeism."
WORDS: 506          TIME: 00:30:00          DATE: 2008-9-15 20:52:58

The author suggests that in order to prevent colds and reduce the rate of absenteeism we should recommend the daily use of lchthaid, which is derived from fish oil. It may seems reasonable on the surface, however, with further scrutiny, I find several faults in this argument.
First of all, the author unfairly associates the high consumption of fish to the low rate of visit to the doctor as result of colds. It is entirely possible that the people in EM are all in good health； accordingly, they seldom catch colds. Or perhaps the doctors' fees are so high in EM that few people can afford to visit doctors when they catch colds. Even assuming the people in EM seldom catch colds, the author also fails to indicate if there are other healthy foods or life-styles of residents in EM accounting for their good health. Without providing sufficient information of the health conditions of residents in EM, the author cannot make me believe high fish consumption contributes to the reducing of colds.
Secondly, the author assumes that those who are absent from school and work are really because of colds. As we know, some of the absenteeism are is just the result of laziness instead of catching colds, which is just an excuse for their absenteeism. Or perhaps workers and students have some personal reasons which they don't like to make them public. Unless the author could ensure actual cold rates in the whole absenteeism, it is unwarranted for him to reach this conclusion. Additionally, the author doesn't indicate that it is sufficient to reduce absenteeism through the declination of colds.
Thirdly, even assuming that high consumption of fish could reducing colds and the colds are the main factor contributing to the absenteeism, the author also fails to indicate that lchthaid is the useful ingredient of the fish which contributing to the declination of the rate of colds. Without the results of some scientific experiment, the author cannot make it clear that it is lchthaid or other ingredients in fish that play an important role in reducing colds. The less important the lchthaid is , the less convincableconvincible of the author's claim about the function of lchthaid.
Finally, the author also overlooks other solutions to reduce the rate of absenteeism. For the purpose of decreasing absenteeism, the factories could make the job more profitable and schools could make the study more attractive to students. To build up the body of workers and students, it is also alternative for the government to subsidize some public exercise facilities and promote citizens to exercise frequently.
All in all, this argument does have some merits but is not flawless. For the purpose of better supporting his suggestion, the author needs to provide sufficient information to indicate the it is the high fish consumption contributing to the low rates of colds and in-depth investigation about why workers and students are absent. To better convine me, the author also needs to conduct some experiments to illustrate that lchthaid is the useful ingredients of fish.

[ 本帖最后由 hx880603 于 2008-9-16 08:30 编辑 ]