【Big Fish】03月15日Argument167--By gaobao

gaobaoayu123UID: 2740997

TOPIC: ARGUMENT167 - A folk remedy* for insomnia, the scent in lavender flowers, has now been proved effective. In a recent study, 30 volunteers with chronic insomnia slept each night for three weeks on lavender-scented pillows in a controlled room where their sleep was monitored. During the first week, volunteers continued to take their usual sleeping medication. They slept soundly but wakened feeling tired. During the second week, the volunteers discontinued their medication. As a result, they slept less soundly than the previous week and felt even more tired. During the third week, the volunteers slept longer and more soundly than in the previous two weeks. This shows that over a short period of time lavender cures insomnia.

*A folk remedy is usually a plant-based form of treatment common to traditional forms of medicine, ones that developed before the advent of modern medical services and technology.
WORDS: 382
TIME: 00:30:00
DATE: 2010/3/15 22:37:22

The argument concludes that the scent of lavender flowers is effective to treat insomnia. Supported its conclusion, the author cites a three-week experiment which has several flaws.

A threshold problem involves the definition of insomnia. If we have a different way to explain the insomnia the experiment would be nonsense. As we know, the insomnia may mean the difficulty to get asleep but not how soundly or longer they slept, and whether they felt tired is no need to be considered. Thus, without the clearly definition of insomnia it is impossible to assess the strength of the argument.

In addition, the author fails to show us the information about the volunteers' sleeping before the experiment. If they slept soundly and wakened not so tired before the experiment, the affection of lavender scent is not convincing.

Thirdly, there is no evidence showed that the condition besides their medicines is not changed through the all three weeks. If they changed their food, living behavior or so, the result may also change. Therefore, without proving of these, it is too hasty to draw the conclusion that it is the lavender-scent pillow that cures the volunteers' insomnia.

Further more, the argument overlooks the other factors may affect the result of the experiment. May be they are just not adapt themselves to the condition of the test room. As the argument said they are monitored all the time, common sense tells us this would make us not feel comfortable more or less. Other factors just like food they eat or so would also affect the result of the test.

At last, there are some minor flaws in the argument. First, whether the 30 volunteers are enough to present the all insomnia patient? Second, whether the usual sleeping medication they eat is wrong that caused the first week sleeping status? Without this information, the conclusion may prove nothing but the sleeping condition is changed through the three-week test.

In conclusion, the argument is unconvincing as it stands. To strengthen the assertion that the lavender-scented pillows can cures insomnia, the author must provide us the accurate definition of insomnia, and the information of the volunteers' sleeping before that test. To make it more convincing the author would also tell us there are no other factors to affect the experiment.


感觉写的很不对劲望指正

wowoyuweiweiUID: 2754055

The argument concludes that the scent of lavender flowers is effective to treat insomnia. Supported its conclusion, the author cites a three-week experiment which has several flaws.

A threshold problem involves the definition of insomnia. If we have a different way to explain the insomnia the experiment would be nonsense. As we know, the insomnia may mean the difficulty to get asleep but not how soundly or longer they slept, and whether they felt tired is no need to be considered. Thus, without the clearly definition of insomnia it is impossible to assess the strength of the argument.

In addition, the author fails to show us the information about the volunteers' sleeping before the experiment. If they slept soundly and wakened not so tired before the experiment, the affection of lavender scent is not convincing. 这段好少啊

Thirdly, there is no evidence showed that the condition besides their medicines is not changed through the all three weeks. If they changed their food, living behavior or so, the result may also change. Therefore, without proving of these, it is too hasty to draw the conclusion that it is the lavender-scent pillow that cures the volunteers' insomnia.

Further more, the argument overlooks the other factors may affect the result of the experiment. May beMaybe they are just not adapt themselves to the condition of the test room. As the argument said they are monitored all the time, common sense tells us this would make us not feel comfortable more or less. Other factors just like food they eat or so would also affect the result of the test.这个和上一段有什么区别啊？都可以说 是other factors

At last, there are some minor flaws in the argument. First, whether the 30 volunteers are enough to present the all insomnia patient? 这个其实可以多说说Second, whether the usual sleeping medication they eat is wrong that caused the first week sleeping status这个也算其他的factors吧? Without this information, the conclusion may prove nothing but the sleeping condition is changed through the three-week test.

In conclusion, the argument is unconvincing as it stands. To strengthen the assertion that the lavender-scented pillows can cures insomnia, the author must provide us the accurate definition of insomnia, and the information of the volunteers' sleeping before that test. To make it more convincing the author would also tell us there are no other factors （to affect）affecting the experiment


我不知道说的对不对，我觉得，你的点找的很准，但是有几段其实内容是比较相近的，可以合起来。