[try best]第一小组 7.5 Argument56

GG86_FlyUID: 2641450

TOPIC: ARGUMENT56 - Collectors prize the ancient life-size clay statues of human figures made on Kali Island but have long wondered how the Kalinese artists were able to depict bodies with such realistic precision. Since archeologists have recently discovered molds of human heads and hands on Kali, we can now conclude that the ancient Kalinese artists used molds of actual bodies, not sculpting tools and techniques, to create these statues. This discovery explains why Kalinese miniature statues were abstract and entirely different in style: molds could only be used for life-size sculptures. It also explains why few ancient Kalinese sculpting tools have been found. In light of this development, collectors should expect the life-size sculptures to decrease in value and the miniatures to increase in value.
WORDS: 439
TIME: 00:30:00
DATE: 2009-7-5 Íõè´ 11:50:20

In this argument, the speaker concludes that the ancient life-size clay statues of human figures will decrease in value while the miniatures will increase in value in the future. To support this conclusion, the speaker points out that the life-size sculptures were made by molds of actual bodies and the miniatures were sculpted by tools and techniques. However, carefully examine the speaker's reasoning, we may find this argument contains several flaws, which render the speaker's conclusion untenable.

First of all, the molds of human heads and hands found by archeologists on Kali cannot substantiate the speaker's conclusion that the ancient Kalinese artists used molds of actual bodies, not sculpting tools and techniques, to create the life-size statues. In the first place, the speaker doesn't provide more evidence to show that these molds are made of actual bodies. Maybe the ancient artists sculpted these molds which could be easily used in their creations.
In second place, the speaker unfairly assumes that the artists didn't use sculpting tools and techniques to create these statues. It is possible that they use tools and techniques more often than molds in parts of their creations. With the mere finding of archeologists, the speaker cannot make a reasonable conclusion.

Secondly, the fact that the few ancient Kalinese sculpting tools have been found on Kali lends little support to the speaker's conclusion for two reasons. On one hand, few ancient Kalinese sculpting tools have been found doesn't show that scientist cannot find no more tools. Maybe there were a lot of ancient tools buried in the earth, and it is unfortunate that archeologists haven't found them yet. On the other hand, since there are only few sculpting tools have been found, how can the speaker explain the production of miniatures?

Thirdly, even if the life-size clay statues are made of molds of actual bodies, the speaker cannot unfairly look down upon their values. The value of these ancient statues lies in the preservation time and the influence to the future generation, not in the difficult or easy production process. Lacking this important cognition, the speaker cannot reasonable judge the value of ancient statues by their making process.

To sum up, the speaker's conclusion is untenable as it stands. To better support this argument, the speaker should provide more evidence to show that the molds is made of actual bodies, not sculpted by the artists. And the speaker should also convince me that the ancient artistes used molds to create the life-size statues rather than sculpting the statues by themselves. Besides, even if I concede these facts, I still can't agree with the speaker's conclusion that the life-size sculptures' value should decrease and the miniatures' value should be increased.

小红莓UID: 2641349

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