Argument140 第6篇 越写越差，字数越少了，求拍

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作者：amanda1011     共用时间：30分4秒     370 words
从2005年6月29日10时59分到2005年6月29日11时30分

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The following appeared in a report of the Committee on Faculty Promotions and Salaries at Elm City University.
'During her seventeen years as a professor of botany, Professor Thomas has proved herself to be well worth her annual salary of $50,000. Her classes are among the largest at the university, demonstrating her popularity among students. Moreover, the money she has brought to the university in research grants has exceeded her salary in each of the last two years. Therefore, in consideration of Professor Thomas' demonstrated teaching and research abilities, we recommend that she receive a $10,000 raise and a promotion to Department Chairperson; without such a raise and promotion, we fear that Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University for another college.'

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The arguer recommends that we should raise the salary of Professor Thomas and give her promotion to Department Chairperson; otherwise she would leave Elm City University for another college because we neglect her perfect teaching and research abilities. It seems to be sound and convincing at first glance. However, a further analysis would reveal that the argument commits several fallacies and doubt will be cast on the arguer's conclusion.

In the first place, the arguer claims that without such a raise and promotion, Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University. But he does not show us that Professor Thomas has an interest in other universities or is discontent with her salary and position. So, we could not see the possibility that Professor Thomas has a desire to leave for another college. The arguer draws his conclusion from a wrong assumption.

Secondly, the arguer fails to provide strong evidences to demonstrate that Professor Thomas has a perfect teaching and researching abilities in his argument. The merely fact that her classes are among the largest at the university does not follow her good ability in teaching. We have no idea about the students' opinions about her teaching. If the courses she is in charge of are the fundamental ones that every student has to take part in, her classes would of course be the largest. Also, the arguer does not mention that whether the students join her classes are satisfied with her teaching or not. If the students are required to choose her classes and not satisfy with her teaching, we would hardly agree that she is popular among students.

Thirdly, the arguer believes that she has good research ability because the money she has brought to the university in research grants has exceeded her salary in each of the last two years. But he could not provide the evidence that how excellent of her research? Does she solve some difficult scientific problems? Money could not represent the research ability.

In sum, the arguer does not provide us enough evidences to show Professor Thomas' teaching and research abilities. If he takes action hastily, we have every reason to doubt that it would incur dissatisfaction from other professors in the university.