argument26[Shining Sep]作文组

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TOPIC: ARGUMENT26 - The following appeared in a memo from the chairperson of the school board in the town of Saluda.

"For the past five years, Mr. Charles Schade has been the music director at Steel City High School, and during that time the school band from Steel City High has won three regional band competitions. In addition, the quality of the music rehearsal facilities and musical instruments at Steel City High has improved markedly over the past five years. Because of such successes at Steel City High, the Saluda school board should hire Mr. Schade to plan and direct the general music education programs for the entire Saluda school system."
WORDS: 380          TIME: 0:42:01          DATE: 2006-8-26

In this argument, the chairperson advocates that the Salude school board should hire Mr.Schade to plan and direct the general music education programs for the entire Saluda school system. To substantiate it, the chairperson relies in part on Steel City High(SCH)'s competition award and in part on the improvement of musical and facilities. However, with careful examination of this argument, we find that it has several logical flaws and therefore unconvincing as it stands.

A threshold problem with this argument is that the chairperson believes SCH's success in competitions are to large extent contributed to Mr.Shade's ability. But the chairperson fails to provide evidence to verify that is the case. It is likely that their achievement in competition is due to the wonderful skill of  their band, or their unique style. Moreover, Mr.Schade may play a very limited and small part, if any, in their success. Every scenario, if true, would undermine the chairperson's conclusion.

Even assuming that Mr.Schade plays a significant role in SCH's competition, we would not arrive at the conclusion that Mr.Shade is a outstanding and proper teacher for Saluda. Without knowing SCH's musical condition five years ago, we can not assert that great improvement has been brought due to Mr.Schade. It is possible that SCH's music was already at high level, or even won more award each year, if so, Mr.Shade contributes nothing to SCh's success or even to some degree impedes SCH's success.

Moreover, the assumption that the quality of the music rehearsal facilities and musical instrments at SCH has improved markedly is result from Mr.Schade's coming is unwarranted. Some alternative explanations may lead to this improvement, such as more students in SCH during last five years are fond of music, and more instruments are needed to cater the needs. Or perhaps enterprise outside school endowed the facilities just because of SCH's success in competition. Without accounting for these possibilities, the chairperson cannot convince me that Mr.Shade made this improvement.

In sum, the argument discussed above is unpersuasive. To strengthen it , the chairperson should provide more information about the music level of SCH five years ago, to better evaluate this argument, we also need to know other alternatives may result in SCH's success in competition and instruments improvement.

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