argument146 AWER小组，求拍

zhuzz05UID: 2355356

TOPIC: ARGUMENT146 - The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper.

"The librarians in our town's school system have reported that the number of trips that our students make to their school library on a voluntary basis has decreased significantly in recent years. For example, the average seventh-grade student visited the school library five times last year, but four of those visits were part of required classroom activities. This shows that our students are reading less than in the past. To address this problem, our town needs to improve the atmosphere of the libraries so that they will be comfortable places in which to work. If students view the libraries as uncomfortable, then they are unlikely to want to spend much time there."
WORDS: 366         TIME: 00:30:00          DATE: 2008-3-17 0:03:26

In this argument, the speaker claims that their town should improve the atmosphere of the libraries so that they will be comfortable places in which to work, and then students will want to spend much time there. To bolster argument, the speaker cites the fact that the libraries in their town's school system have reported that the number of trips that their students make to their school library on a voluntary basis has decreased significantly in recent years. However, I find the argument unpersuasive in many aspects.

To begin with, the fact that the libraries in their town's school system have reported that the number of trips that their students make to their school library on a voluntary basis has decreased significantly in recent years lends no support to the argument. Perhaps that the students go to some other libraries which are not in the town's school system. Only this fact could prove that their students are reading less than in the past. The argument is great weakened.

The example about seventh-grade students is weak evidence. Firstly, seventh-grade students are not the representative of the overall students. Perhaps they have too much schoolwork to do and have no time to read in library. Secondly, this fact also can not prove that their students are reading less than in the past. These students may buy many books and read them in home. Or perhaps that they read in other place. The speaker fails to rule out other possible factors.  

There is no evidence that the reason of the times of students go to the libraries in their town's school system decreased is these libraries are uncomfortable. It is possible that students don not like the books in these libraries. Or perhaps the traffic situation near these libraries is not very good in recent years. The speaker fails to take into account other possible factors may influence the times of students go to the libraries in their town's school system.  

To sum up, the argument unconvincing as it stands. To support the argument, the speaker should provide more sufficient evidence that improve the atmosphere of the libraries really could let students want to spend much time there.