Argument35 【0906G 文以载道三月四月小组】第一周第二次作业 by 115463

115463UID: 2543341

Argument35
The following appeared in the summary of a study on headaches suffered by the residents of Mentia.
"Salicylates（水杨酸脂） are members of the same chemical family as aspirin, a medicine used to treat headaches. Although many foods are naturally rich in salicylates, for the past several decades food-processing companies have also been adding salicylates to foods as preservatives. This rise in the commercial use of salicylates has been found to correlate with a steady decline in the average number of headaches reported by participants in our twenty-year study. Recently, food-processing companies have found that salicylates can also be used as flavor additives（食品香料） for foods. With this new use for salicylates, we can expect a continued steady decline in the number of headaches suffered by the average citizen of Mentia."
水杨酸酯和用来治疗头痛的药物--阿司匹林是同一类化合物。尽管很多食品天然富含水杨酸酯，过去几十年中食品加工公司仍然在食品中加入它来作为防腐剂。这种水杨酸酯在商业上的使用被发现与我们为期20年研究的参加者所报告的头痛发病的平均数量下降是相关的。最近，食品加工公司发现水杨酸酯也可以被用作食品香料。根据这种水杨酸酯的新用途，我们可以预期Mentia居民患头痛症的数量将会持续稳步下降。

提纲：
1.Salicylates虽说和asprin同属一族，但是对人体的功效可能不同。
即使功效相同，在日常食品中的量能否达到医疗效果没有说明
2.对于引用的调查，其可信度有问题，哪些人参与了调查，是否可信？
3. 即使salicylates能治疗现在的病，病因也许会在以后变化，不见得以后就能治愈。


In the summary, the arguer asserts that the number of headaches suffered by the average citizen of Mentia will appear a continued steady decline with the new use for salicylates. To support the assertion, the arguer cites the following facts: salicylates'  chemical similarity to asprin, the rise of its use in food and the decline of headaches reported by Mentia citizens in the 20-year study. Close scrutiny of these facts, however, reveals that they provide little credible support to the author's assertion.

In the first place, salicylates in the same chemical family as Asprin does not mean that it will have the similar influence on human body and therefore lead to declining headaches. Common senses inform us that a slight change in the structure of a chemical compound will result in a significant variation in its biological effect. Even if salicylate does work as Asprin in the human body, the arguer does not mention its average amount contained in daily food. It is very likely that the total salicylate we take in per day is too few to has the ablity to treat headaches. Without showing this information, the conclusion of salicylates has the effect of inhibiting headaches is unauthentic.

In the second place, It is doubtful that whether the report which is made by participants can reflect the true situation. Maybe some people whom are suffered from headache fail to report the information with the reasons like the busy work or simply forget to report that. The range of the study participants is also an important factor which has a critical influence to the authenticity of the study. These flaws in the study reveal that it lends little credible support to the author's assertion.

Finally, it is unconvincing for the arguer to expect a continued steady decline of headaches in the future relying on the data in the past 20 years. Nothing is presented to ensure that the leading cause of headaches among the citizens, involving habits, stress and environmental pollution, will not change at all in the coming years. Even if the salicylates were effective pain-killer in the past, we are not sure whether it will work as well in the future for the headaches which may caused by other reasons.

To sum up, the conclusion in this argument is not well supported. Before we can accept the conclusion, we need more information about the real biological effect of salicylates and the cause of headaches. To strengthen the argument, the arguer should provide persuasive evidence to ascertain the relationship between salicylates and declining headaches in the study.

[ 本帖最后由 115463 于 2009-1-12 01:35 编辑 ]

liuguaguaUID: 2569375

on 115463
Argument35

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