【Try Best】第一小组 ARGUMENT207 by小红莓

小红莓UID: 2641349

TOPIC: ARGUMENT207 - It is known that in recent years, industrial pollution has caused the Earth's ozone layer to thin, allowing an increase in the amount of ultraviolet radiation that reaches the Earth's surface. At the same time, scientists have discovered, the population of a species of salamander that lays its eggs in mountain lakes has declined. Since ultraviolet radiation is known to be damaging to delicate tissues and since salamander eggs have no protective shells, it must be the case that the increase in ultraviolet radiation has damaged many salamander eggs and prevented them from hatching. This process will no doubt cause population declines in other species, just as it has in the salamander species.
WORDS: 435
TIME: 00:29:59
DATE: 2009-7-8 23:58:17

In this argument, the author concludes that the thinning of Earth's ozone layer is the reason for the population declines of salamander and some other species. To support his conclusion, the author cites the fact that fewer salamanders that lay their eggs in mountain lakes were discovered. The author also claims that the ultraviolet radiation could damage delicate tissues and as a result damage the salamander eggs. The argument is unconvincing in several aspects.

To begin with, the author fails to provide any evidence that shows the population of salamander is really decreased. Even if scientists have discovered the population of a species of salamander that lays its eggs in mountain lakes has declined, it' possibly that there are more and more species of salamander lay their eggs in somewhere else instead of the mountain lakes. Perhaps it is just because the salamander could resist the damage of ultraviolet radiation; it could lay eggs in the places that in the sun. Even if the number of salamander eggs was declined, it is not necessary to prove that the population of salamander was also declined. Perhaps the eggs have stronger adaptation than before and the whole rate of hatching increased because of the change of weather condition or some other reasons. Without evidence to substantiate the author's claim, the author cannot convince me that the population of salamander is really decreased.

Secondly, even though ultraviolet radiation could damage delicate tissues and salamander eggs have no protective shells, it's hardly to convince me that ultraviolet radiation damage salamander eggs and prevent them from hatching. Perhaps salamander does not have the delicate tissues which were easily to be damaged. Or perhaps salamander eggs have some other protective tissues inside the shells. Without ruling out all the possibilities, the argument is unreasonable.

Thirdly, even if the population declines of salamander were the result of the thinning of Earth's ozone layer, it's hardly to conclude that the population declines in other species have the same reason. The author fails to provide any evidence to show that population declines of salamander were a general example of all species. As all species are different in some way, the conclusion is indefensible.

In sum, the argument is logically flawed as it stands. To persuade me that the population declines of salamander and some other species was the result of the thinning of Earth's ozone layer, the author should provide more evidence to show that the population of salamander is really decreased because of ultraviolet radiation rather than some other reasons and the population declines of salamander was a general example of all species.

ahngUID: 2605383

惊见小红霉，进步很明显阿～～

GG86_FlyUID: 2641450

整篇文章很流利，错误几乎都论述到了，我认为应该多练习下论证的力度了， 把内容再充实下

tidejoyUID: 2527165

自愧不如，帮顶吧~~~