Argument38 【0710G-HIT坚持交作业小组作文大帖】第八次作业

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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: 482          TIME: 01:57:43          DATE: 2007-6-29 20:04:13


The argument is well presented, but not thoroughly well reasoned.In order to reduce absenteeism from school and work, the Ichthaid, a nutritional supplement  devried from fish oil, is recommended to take everyday to prevent colds which are the most frequently reason proposed for a leave. This method discovered in nearby East Meria where high fish consumption leads to people visiting the doctor only once or twice per year for the treatment of  colds, seems logical and reasonable.

However, the writer of the newsletter of the West Meria Public Health Council is failing to consider other possible alternatives to aviod getting cold through eat more fish. Such alternatives may include the fact that the weather in nearby East Meria may not fluctuate dramatically from daytime to night, or that most of the people there have a strong body which can resist the cold attack.And besides,it is possible that they pay more attention to individual sanitation and weather variety and have a better living habit than people in other places. Perhaps the level of common medical construction in East Meria is higher where citizens can receive bacterin injection periodically every year when the cold most probably booms to reach epidemic levels.

In addition, the writer has failed to consider that visiting the doctor only once or twice per year can't euqal to catching fewer colds. Perhaps people usually take pills to cure themselves at home instead of going to hospital. So there may be no relation between fish consumption and catching a cold. On the other hand it is mentioned in the argument that colds are the most frequent reason given for absences from school or work. Whereas the reason often proposed by people may be not the real reason but only an excuse, because which is the most appropriate one to propose and people will get a leave easier. Perhaps they have a private matter to deal with which is not convient to say out straight or to be known by others.It appears reasonable that, if absences expected to be reduced, the reason for absences should be found out and eliminated by some means. But if catching a cold is avoided as the real reason of absences by taking Ichthaid, other excuses like stomache toothache or headache may appears more frequently, then what measures should we take to aviod those?

Finally, that taking Ichthaid derived from fish oil everyday have the same function of preventing colds to eating fish is still quite a question. Furthermore, by far, there is still no evidence to prove whether taking this supplement for long term can cause side effect or not.

Overall, the reasoning behind preventing colds by take Ichthaid in order to decrease absences is not approved as presented above. Before any final decisions are made about taking Ichthaid, the West Meria Public Health Council should evaluat all possible alternatives and causes for colds and absences.