argument55 AWER小组，求拍

zhuzz05UID: 2355356

Argument55. The following appeared in a Letter to the Editor of the Shady Villagenewspaper.

"Commuters are complaining that the rush hour traffic on Blue Highwaybetween Shady Villageand Bright City has doubled their commuting time.Some commuters have asked that an additional traffic lane be built, but therecent creation of such a lane on nearby Green Highway apparently attracted morecommuters, judging from the fact that rush-hour traffic jams actually increasedthere this past winter. To reduce rush-hour traffic on Blue Highway, a bicycle lane should beadded instead of a traffic lane. This approach will succeed because manycitizens of Shady Village are avidbicyclists; 75 percent of respondents to a recent questionnaire distributedthere said "


In this argument,the speaker claims that a bicycle lane should be added instead of a trafficlane on Blue Highway (BH). To support the claim, the speaker point out that atraffic lane on nearby Green Highway (GH) apparently attracted more commuters. Thespeaker also cites a research that many responders would like to bicycle morehouses. However, I find the argument unpersuasive in many aspects.

To begin with, thefact that rush-hour traffic jams actually increased on the GH this past winterlends no support to the argument. The increase of commuters may not caused bythe additional traffic lane. Perhaps there are other possibilities could cause rush-hourtraffic jams. Furthermore only the information of a winter is insufficient datato prove that a traffic lane on GH would always attract more commuters.

Even if a traffic laneon nearby GH apparently attracted more commuters. The speaker fails to takeinto account the differences between GH and BH. The traffic lane on GH mayattract more commuters, but a traffic lane on BH may not. The speaker cannotanalogy GH with BH without rile out the differences between the two ways.

Furthermore, thevalidity of the research is doubtful. Lacking information about the number of citizenssurveyed and the number of the responders, we have good reason to doubt that ifthe sample is representative of the overall citizens of Shady Village.Even if that result of the research is accepted. People said that they wouldlike to bicycle more hours per week than they currently do. It is not means thatthey like to bicycle on the highway. Perhaps they only like to bicycle in thepark or around their house. The argument is great weakened.

To sun up, theargument is not unconvincing as it stands. To bolster the argument, the speakershould provider sufficient information to prove that a bicycle lane should beadded instead of a traffic lane on Blue  Highway.

[ 本帖最后由 zhuzz05 于 2008-3-8 23:56 编辑 ]

zhuzz05UID: 2355356

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