argument160 倒数第三天

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Argument160  第5篇 让砖头来得更猛烈些吧！
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As people grow older, an enzyme known as PEP increasingly breaks down the neuropeptide chemicals involved in learning and memory. But now, researchers have found compounds that prevent PEP from breaking neuropeptides apart. In tests, these compounds almost completely restored lost memory in rats. The use of these compounds should be extended to students who have poor memory and difficulty in concentrating—and therefore serious problems in school performance. Science finally has a solution for problems neither parents nor teachers could solve.
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Merely based on unfound assumption and dubious evidence, the author draws a conclusion that science finally has a solution for problems neither parents nor teachers could solve. To support the conclusion, the author points out that researchers found a compounds which can be conducive to learning and memory for the people. In addition, the author indicates that the use of compounds has succeeded in the experiments on the rats.

However, these alone neither constitute a logical argument in favor of the conclusion, nor provide compelling evidence making the argument sound. The author ignores such key issues which must be addressed to prove. In my point of view, the argument suffers from several flaws.

In the first place, whether the compounds will be effective on students is worth to doubt. Though the author cites success of experiments on rats, no evidence is stated in the argument to support that it will also succeed on the human beings. As we all know, many dissimilarities remains between the human and rats such as the genes, the organizations tissues. We don't know how much dozens is fit for the human beings. It is also possible that the compounds will cause some side-effect, which harms the body or mind more seriously.

In the second place, the author assumes that the reasons that elder people's decrease of memory and learning ability  are same to students with poor memory and difficulty in concentrating.  But, the author fail to provide evidence to support the assumption that it is an enzyme called PEP that result in such kind of decrease. As for the elder people, it is quite natural that their memory and learning ability decrease gradually with the increase of their ages caused by the enzyme. However, there are many other factors causing students with poor memory. For example, students are too young to control themselves completely, it is also possible that the students absorb in too much mental elements such as Zn, which can cause the poor memory and difficulty in concentrating. Without ruling out these possible explanations, the author can not make any predication.

Last but not least, the author assumes that the students with poor memory and difficulty in concentrating are the serious problems in school performance. However, it is not necessary the case. Different schools in various areas may have different conditions. It is too broad to say such kind the students are serious problems in school performances.  Even if the compound take effects for such kind students, we also can not draw a conclusion that science have better solution than parents and teachers, because this issue at most is one of large amounts issues which parents and teachers can not solve, and there is no evidence to prove that science can solve the other issues.

To sum up, the argument seems to be reasonable; in fact, it is neither persuasive nor sound. In order to make the argument more convincing, the author would have take following factors into consideration: First, he should prove that the enzyme caused the students with poor memory and difficulty in concentrating. Second, he should provide more detailed information about the experiments to prove that the compounds will take effect on human beings. If the argument includes the guessed factors above, it will be more thorough and adequate.

[ Last edited by staralways on 2005-7-29 at 00:25 ]