20xx年新GRE作文ARGUMENT和ISSUE题库word版

20xx年新GRE作文ARGUMENT题库

官方原链接：

/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/argument/pool

This page contains the Argument topics for the Analytical Writing section of the

GRE revised General Test. When you take the test, you will be presented with one Argument topic from this pool.

Each Argument topic consists of a passage that presents an argument followed by specific task instructions that tell you how to analyze the argument. The wording of some topics in the test might vary slightly from what is presented here. Also, because there may be multiple versions of some topics with similar or identical wording but with different task instructions, it is very important to read your test topic and its specific task directions carefully and respond to the wording as it appears in the actual test.

Woven baskets characterized by a particular distinctive pattern have previously been found only in the immediate vicinity of the prehistoric village of Palea and therefore were believed to have been made only by the Palean people. Recently, however, archaeologists discovered such a "Palean" basket in Lithos, an ancient village across the Brim River from Palea. The Brim River is very deep and broad, and so the ancient Paleans could have crossed it only by boat, and no Palean boats have been found. Thus it follows that the so-called Palean baskets were not uniquely Palean.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared as part of a letter to the editor of a scientific journal.

"A recent study of eighteen rhesus monkeys provides clues as to the effects of birth order on an individual's levels of stimulation. The study showed that in stimulating situations (such as an encounter with an unfamiliar monkey), firstborn infant monkeys produce up to twice as much of the hormone cortisol, which primes the body for

increased activity levels, as do their younger siblings. Firstborn humans also produce relatively high levels of cortisol in stimulating situations (such as the return of a

parent after an absence). The study also found that during pregnancy, first-time

mother monkeys had higher levels of cortisol than did those who had had several offspring."

Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly account for the facts presented in the argument.

The following appeared as a letter to the editor from a Central Plaza store owner. "Over the past two years, the number of shoppers in Central Plaza has been steadily decreasing while the popularity of skateboarding has increased dramatically. Many

Central Plaza store owners believe that the decrease in their business is due to the number of skateboard users in the plaza. There has also been a dramatic increase in the amount of litter and vandalism throughout the plaza. Thus, we recommend that the city prohibit skateboarding in Central Plaza. If skateboarding is prohibited here, we predict that business in Central Plaza will return to its previously high levels."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

The following appeared in a letter from a homeowner to a friend.

"Of the two leading real estate firms in our town!Adams Realty and Fitch

Realty!Adams Realty is clearly superior. Adams has 40 real estate agents; in

contrast, Fitch has 25, many of whom work only part-time. Moreover, Adams' revenue last year was twice as high as that of Fitch and included home sales that averaged $168,000, compared to Fitch's $144,000. Homes listed with Adams sell faster as well: ten years ago I listed my home with Fitch, and it took more than four months to sell; last year, when I sold another home, I listed it with Adams, and it took only one month. Thus, if you want to sell your home quickly and at a good price, you should use Adams Realty."

population increases to 100,000 during the summer months. To reduce the number of accidents involving mopeds and pedestrians, the town council of Balmer Island should limit the number of mopeds rented by the island's moped rental companies from 50 per day to 25 per day during the summer season. By limiting the number of rentals, the town council will attain the 50 percent annual reduction in moped accidents that was achieved last year on the neighboring island of Seaville, when Seaville's town council enforced similar limits on moped rentals."

Arctic deer live on islands in Canada's arctic regions. They search for food by moving over ice from island to island during the course of the year. Their habitat is limited to areas warm enough to sustain the plants on which they feed and cold enough, at least some of the year, for the ice to cover the sea separating the islands, allowing the deer to travel over it. Unfortunately, according to reports from local hunters, the deer populations are declining. Since these reports coincide with recent global warming

trends that have caused the sea ice to melt, we can conclude that the purported decline

in deer populations is the result of the deer's being unable to follow their age-old

migration patterns across the frozen sea.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following is a recommendation from the Board of Directors of Monarch Books.

"We recommend that Monarch Books open a caf" in its store. Monarch, having been in business at the same location for more than twenty years, has a large customer base because it is known for its wide selection of books on all subjects. Clearly, opening

the caf" would attract more customers. Space could be made for the caf" by

discontinuing the children's book section, which will probably become less popular

given that the most recent national census indicated a significant decline in the

percentage of the population under age ten. Opening a caf" will allow Monarch to

attract more customers and better compete with Regal Books, which recently opened

its own caf"." Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in

order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the

recommendation.

The following appeared in a memo from the director of student housing at

Buckingham College.

"To serve the housing needs of our students, Buckingham College should build a

number of new dormitories. Buckingham's enrollment is growing and, based on

current trends, will double over the next 50 years, thus making existing dormitory

space inadequate. Moreover, the average rent for an apartment in our town has risen in recent years. Consequently, students will find it increasingly difficult to afford

off-campus housing. Finally, attractive new dormitories would make prospective

students more likely to enroll at Buckingham."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

Nature's Way, a chain of stores selling health food and other health-related products, is opening its next franchise in the town of Plainsville. The store should prove to be

very successful: Nature's Way franchises tend to be most profitable in areas where

residents lead healthy lives, and clearly Plainsville is such an area. Plainsville

merchants report that sales of running shoes and exercise clothing are at all-time highs. The local health club has more members than ever, and the weight training and

aerobics classes are always full. Finally, Plainsville's schoolchildren represent a new

generation of potential customers: these schoolchildren are required to participate in a fitness-for-life program, which emphasizes the benefits of regular exercise at an early age.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

Twenty years ago, Dr. Field, a noted anthropologist, visited the island of Tertia. Using an observation-centered approach to studying Tertian culture, he concluded from his observations that children in Tertia were reared by an entire village rather than by

their own biological parents. Recently another anthropologist, Dr. Karp, visited the group of islands that includes Tertia and used the interview-centered method to study

child-rearing practices. In the interviews that Dr. Karp conducted with children living

in this group of islands, the children spent much more time talking about their

biological parents than about other adults in the village. Dr. Karp decided that Dr.

Field's conclusion about Tertian village culture must be invalid. Some anthropologists recommend that to obtain accurate information on Tertian child-rearing practices,

future research on the subject should be conducted via the interview-centered method. Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

The council of Maple County, concerned about the county's becoming overdeveloped, is debating a proposed measure that would prevent the development of existing

farmland in the county. But the council is also concerned that such a restriction, by

limiting the supply of new housing, could lead to significant increases in the price of

housing in the county. Proponents of the measure note that Chestnut County

established a similar measure ten years ago, and its housing prices have increased

only modestly since. However, opponents of the measure note that Pine County

adopted restrictions on the development of new residential housing fifteen years ago, and its housing prices have since more than doubled. The council currently predicts

that the proposed measure, if passed, will result in a significant increase in housing

prices in Maple County.

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are

reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to

evaluate the prediction.

Fifteen years ago, Omega University implemented a new procedure that encouraged students to evaluate the teaching effectiveness of all their professors. Since that time, Omega professors have begun to assign higher grades in their classes, and overall

student grade averages at Omega have risen by 30 percent. Potential employers,

looking at this dramatic rise in grades, believe that grades at Omega are inflated and do not accurately reflect student achievement; as a result, Omega graduates have not been as successful at getting jobs as have graduates from nearby Alpha University. To enable its graduates to secure better jobs, Omega University should terminate student

evaluation of professors. Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

In an attempt to improve highway safety, Prunty County last year lowered its speed

limit from 55 to 45 miles per hour on all county highways. But this effort has failed:

the number of accidents has not decreased, and, based on reports by the highway

patrol, many drivers are exceeding the speed limit. Prunty County should instead

undertake the same kind of road improvement project that Butler County completed five years ago: increasing lane widths, resurfacing rough highways, and improving

visibility at dangerous intersections. Today, major Butler County roads still have a 55

mph speed limit, yet there were 25 percent fewer reported accidents in Butler County this past year than there were five years ago.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared as part of an article in a business magazine.

"A recent study rating 300 male and female Mentian advertising executives according to the average number of hours they sleep per night showed an association between the amount of sleep the executives need and the success of their firms. Of the

advertising firms studied, those whose executives reported needing no more than 6

hours of sleep per night had higher profit margins and faster growth. These results

suggest that if a business wants to prosper, it should hire only people who need less

than 6 hours of sleep per night."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following memorandum is from the business manager of Happy Pancake House

restaurants.

"Recently, butter has been replaced by margarine in Happy Pancake House

restaurants throughout the southwestern United States. This change, however, has had little impact on our customers. In fact, only about 2 percent of customers have

complained, indicating that an average of 98 people out of 100 are happy with the change. Furthermore, many servers have reported that a number of customers who ask

for butter do not complain when they are given margarine instead. Clearly, either

these customers do not distinguish butter from margarine or they use the term 'butter' to refer to either butter or margarine."

Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly

account for the facts presented in the argument.

In surveys Mason City residents rank water sports (swimming, boating, and fishing)

among their favorite recreational activities. The Mason River flowing through the city is rarely used for these pursuits, however, and the city park department devotes little of its budget to maintaining riverside recreational facilities. For years there have been complaints from residents about the quality of the river's water and the river's smell. In response, the state has recently announced plans to clean up Mason River. Use of the river for water sports is, therefore, sure to increase. The city government should

for that reason devote more money in this year's budget to riverside recreational

facilities.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in a memorandum from the manager of WWAC radio station. "To reverse a decline in listener numbers, our owners have decided that WWAC must change from its current rock-music format. The decline has occurred despite

population growth in our listening area, but that growth has resulted mainly from

people moving here after their retirement. We must make listeners of these new

residents. We could switch to a music format tailored to their tastes, but a continuing decline in local sales of recorded music suggests limited interest in music. Instead we should change to a news and talk format, a form of radio that is increasingly popular in our area."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following is a memorandum from the business manager of a television station. "Over the past year, our late-night news program has devoted increased time to

national news and less time to weather and local news. During this period, most of the complaints received from viewers were concerned with our station's coverage of

weather and local news. In addition, local businesses that used to advertise during our late-night news program have canceled their advertising contracts with us. Therefore, in order to attract more viewers to our news programs and to avoid losing any further advertising revenues, we should expand our coverage of weather and local news on all our news programs."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

Two years ago, radio station WCQP in Rockville decided to increase the number of

call-in advice programs that it broadcast; since that time, its share of the radio

audience in the Rockville listening area has increased significantly. Given WCQP's

recent success with call-in advice programming, and citing a nationwide survey

indicating that many radio listeners are quite interested in such programs, the station

manager of KICK in Medway recommends that KICK include more call-in advice programs in an attempt to gain a larger audience share in its listening area.

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

The following is a memorandum from the business manager of a television station. "Over the past year, our late-night news program has devoted increased time to

national news and less time to weather and local news. During this time period, most of the complaints received from viewers were concerned with our station's coverage of weather and local news. In addition, local businesses that used to advertise during our late-night news program have just canceled their advertising contracts with us. Therefore, in order to attract more viewers to the program and to avoid losing any further advertising revenues, we should restore the time devoted to weather and local news to its former level."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

The following appeared in an article written by Dr. Karp, an anthropologist.

"Twenty years ago, Dr. Field, a noted anthropologist, visited the island of Tertia and concluded from his observations that children in Tertia were reared by an entire village rather than by their own biological parents. However, my recent interviews with children living in the group of islands that includes Tertia show that these

children spend much more time talking about their biological parents than about other adults in the village. This research of mine proves that Dr. Field's conclusion about Tertian village culture is invalid and thus that the observation-centered approach to studying cultures is invalid as well. The interview-centered method that my team of graduate students is currently using in Tertia will establish a much more accurate understanding of child-rearing traditions there and in other island cultures."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

According to a recent report, cheating among college and university students is on the rise. However, Groveton College has successfully reduced student cheating by adopting an honor code, which calls for students to agree not to cheat in their

academic endeavors and to notify a faculty member if they suspect that others have cheated. Groveton's honor code replaced a system in which teachers closely

monitored students; under that system, teachers reported an average of thirty cases of cheating per year. In the first year the honor code was in place, students reported twenty-one cases of cheating; five years later, this figure had dropped to fourteen. Moreover, in a recent survey, a majority of Groveton students said that they would be less likely to cheat with an honor code in place than without. Thus, all colleges and

universities should adopt honor codes similar to Groveton's in order to decrease

cheating among students.

The following appeared in an article written by Dr. Karp, an anthropologist.

"Twenty years ago, Dr. Field, a noted anthropologist, visited the island of Tertia and

concluded from his observations that children in Tertia were reared by an entire

village rather than by their own biological parents. However, my recent interviews

with children living in the group of islands that includes Tertia show that these children spend much more time talking about their biological parents than about other

adults in the village. This research of mine proves that Dr. Field's conclusion about

Tertian village culture is invalid and thus that the observation-centered approach to

studying cultures is invalid as well. The interview-centered method that my team of

graduate students is currently using in Tertia will establish a much more accurate

understanding of child-rearing traditions there and in other island cultures."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

A recently issued twenty-year study on headaches suffered by the residents of Mentia investigated the possible therapeutic effect of consuming salicylates. Salicylates are

members of the same chemical family as aspirin, a medicine used to treat headaches. Although many foods are naturally rich in salicylates, food-processing companies also add salicylates to foods as preservatives. The twenty-year study found a correlation

between the rise in the commercial use of salicylates and a steady decline in the

average number of headaches reported by study participants. At the time when the

study concluded, food-processing companies had just discovered that salicylates can also be used as flavor additives for foods, and, as a result, many companies plan to do so. Based on these study results, some health experts predict that residents of Mentia will suffer even fewer headaches in the future.

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are

reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to

evaluate the prediction.

The following was written as a part of an application for a small-business loan by a

group of developers in the city of Monroe.

"A jazz music club in Monroe would be a tremendously profitable enterprise.

Currently, the nearest jazz club is 65 miles away; thus, the proposed new jazz club in Monroe, the C-Note, would have the local market all to itself. Plus, jazz is extremely

popular in Monroe: over 100,000 people attended Monroe's annual jazz festival last

summer; several well-known jazz musicians live in Monroe; and the highest-rated

radio program in Monroe is 'Jazz Nightly,' which airs every weeknight at 7 P.M.

Finally, a nationwide study indicates that the typical jazz fan spends close to $1,000

per year on jazz entertainment." Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in the summary of a study on headaches suffered by the

residents of Mentia.

"Salicylates are members of the same chemical family as aspirin, a medicine used to

treat headaches. Although many foods are naturally rich in salicylates, for the past

several decades, food-processing companies have also been adding salicylates to

foods as preservatives. This rise in the commercial use of salicylates has been found

to correlate with a steady decline in the average number of headaches reported by

participants in our twenty-year study. Recently, food-processing companies have

found that salicylates can also be used as flavor additives for foods. With this new use for salicylates, we can expect a continued steady decline in the number of headaches suffered by the average citizen of Mentia."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a local newspaper.

"Commuters complain that increased rush-hour traffic on Blue Highway between the suburbs and the city center has doubled their commuting time. The favored proposal of the motorists' lobby is to widen the highway, adding an additional lane of traffic.

But last year's addition of a lane to the nearby Green Highway was followed by a

worsening of traffic jams on it. A better alternative is to add a bicycle lane to Blue

Highway. Many area residents are keen bicyclists. A bicycle lane would encourage

them to use bicycles to commute, and so would reduce rush-hour traffic rather than fostering an increase."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in the summary of a study on headaches suffered by the

residents of Mentia. "Salicylates are members of the same chemical family as aspirin, a medicine used to

treat headaches. Although many foods are naturally rich in salicylates, for the past

several decades, food-processing companies have also been adding salicylates to

foods as preservatives. This rise in the commercial use of salicylates has been found

to correlate with a steady decline in the average number of headaches reported by

participants in our twenty-year study. Recently, food-processing companies have

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in an editorial in a local newspaper.

Opponents note that last year's addition of a lane to the nearby Green Highway was

followed by a worsening of traffic jams on it. Their suggested alternative proposal is

adding a bicycle lane to Blue Highway. Many area residents are keen bicyclists. A

bicycle lane would encourage them to use bicycles to commute, it is argued, thereby reducing rush-hour traffic."

The following appeared as a recommendation by a committee planning a ten-year

budget for the city of Calatrava.

"The birthrate in our city is declining: in fact, last year's birthrate was only one-half

that of five years ago. Thus the number of students enrolled in our public schools will soon decrease dramatically, and we can safely reduce the funds budgeted for

education during the next decade. At the same time, we can reduce funding for

athletic playing fields and other recreational facilities. As a result, we will have

sufficient money to fund city facilities and programs used primarily by adults, since

we can expect the adult population of the city to increase." Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in a letter to the editor of Parson City's local newspaper.

"In our region of Trillura, the majority of money spent on the schools that most

students attend!the city-run public schools!comes from taxes that each city

government collects. The region's cities differ, however, in the budgetary priority they give to public education. For example, both as a proportion of its overall tax revenues and in absolute terms, Parson City has recently spent almost twice as much per year as Blue City has for its public schools!even though both cities have about the same

number of residents. Clearly, Parson City residents place a higher value on providing

a good education in public schools than Blue City residents do."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in a memo from a vice president of Quiot Manufacturing.

"During the past year, Quiot Manufacturing had 30 percent more on-the-job accidents than at the nearby Panoply Industries plant, where the work shifts are one hour shorter than ours. Experts say that significant contributing factors in many on-the-job

accidents are fatigue and sleep deprivation among workers. Therefore, to reduce the number of on-the-job accidents at Quiot and thereby increase productivity, we should shorten each of our three work shifts by one hour so that employees will get adequate amounts of sleep."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in a memorandum from the planning department of an

electric power company.

"Several recent surveys indicate that home owners are increasingly eager to conserve energy. At the same time, manufacturers are now marketing many home appliances,

such as refrigerators and air conditioners, that are almost twice as energy efficient as those sold a decade ago. Also, new technologies for better home insulation and

passive solar heating are readily available to reduce the energy needed for home

heating. Therefore, the total demand for electricity in our area will not increase!and

may decline slightly. Since our three electric generating plants in operation for the

past twenty years have always met our needs, construction of new generating plants will not be necessary."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The vice president of human resources at Climpson Industries sent the following

recommendation to the company's president.

"In an effort to improve our employees' productivity, we should implement electronic monitoring of employees' Internet use from their workstations. Employees who use

the Internet from their workstations need to be identified and punished if we are to

reduce the number of work hours spent on personal or recreational activities, such as shopping or playing games. By installing software to detect employees' Internet use

on company computers, we can prevent employees from wasting time, foster a better work ethic at Climpson, and improve our overall profits."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in a letter from the owner of the Sunnyside Towers apartment

complex to its manager.

"One month ago, all the showerheads in the first three buildings of the Sunnyside

Towers complex were modified to restrict maximum water flow to one-third of what it used to be. Although actual readings of water usage before and after the adjustment are not yet available, the change will obviously result in a considerable savings for

Sunnyside Corporation, since the corporation must pay for water each month. Except for a few complaints about low water pressure, no problems with showers have been reported since the adjustment. I predict that modifying showerheads to restrict water flow throughout all twelve buildings in the Sunnyside Towers complex will increase

our profits even more dramatically."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in

order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to

evaluate the prediction.

The following report appeared in the newsletter of the West Meria Public Health

Council.

"An innovative treatment has come to our attention that promises to significantly

reduce absenteeism in our schools and workplaces. A study reports that in nearby East Meria, where fish consumption is very high, people visit the doctor only once or twice per year for the treatment of colds. Clearly, eating a substantial amount of fish can

prevent colds. Since colds represent the most frequently given reason for absences

from school and work, we recommend the daily use of Ichthaid!a nutritional

supplement derived from fish oil!as a good way to prevent colds and lower

absenteeism."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in a recommendation from the planning department of the

city of Transopolis.

"Ten years ago, as part of a comprehensive urban renewal program, the city of

Transopolis adapted for industrial use a large area of severely substandard housing

near the freeway. Subsequently, several factories were constructed there, crime rates in the area declined, and property tax revenues for the entire city increased. To further revitalize the city, we should now take similar action in a declining residential area on the opposite side of the city. Since some houses and apartments in existing nearby

neighborhoods are currently unoccupied, alternate housing for those displaced by this action will be readily available."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in a memo from the new vice president of Sartorian, a

company that manufactures men's clothing. "Five years ago, at a time when we had difficulties in obtaining reliable supplies of

high quality wool fabric, we discontinued production of our alpaca overcoat. Now that we have a new fabric supplier, we should resume production. This coat should sell

very well: since we have not offered an alpaca overcoat for five years and since our

major competitor no longer makes an alpaca overcoat, there will be pent-up customer demand. Also, since the price of most types of clothing has increased in each of the

past five years, customers should be willing to pay significantly higher prices for

alpaca overcoats than they did five years ago, and our company profits will increase." Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

A recent sales study indicates that consumption of seafood dishes in Bay City

restaurants has increased by 30 percent during the past five years. Yet there are no

currently operating city restaurants whose specialty is seafood. Moreover, the

majority of families in Bay City are two-income families, and a nationwide study has

shown that such families eat significantly fewer home-cooked meals than they did a

decade ago but at the same time express more concern about healthful eating.

Therefore, the new Captain Seafood restaurant that specializes in seafood should be quite popular and profitable.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

Milk and dairy products are rich in vitamin D and calcium!substances essential for

building and maintaining bones. Many people therefore say that a diet rich in dairy

products can help prevent osteoporosis, a disease that is linked to both environmental and genetic factors and that causes the bones to weaken significantly with age. But a long-term study of a large number of people found that those who consistently

consumed dairy products throughout the years of the study have a higher rate of bone fractures than any other participants in the study. Since bone fractures are

symptomatic of osteoporosis, this study result shows that a diet rich in dairy products may actually increase, rather than decrease, the risk of osteoporosis.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in a health newsletter.

"A ten-year nationwide study of the effectiveness of wearing a helmet while bicycling indicates that ten years ago, approximately 35 percent of all bicyclists reported

wearing helmets, whereas today that number is nearly 80 percent. Another study,

however, suggests that during the same ten-year period, the number of bicycle-related accidents has increased 200 percent. These results demonstrate that bicyclists feel

safer because they are wearing helmets, and they take more risks as a result. Thus, to

reduce the number of serious injuries from bicycle accidents, the government should concentrate more on educating people about bicycle safety and less on encouraging or requiring bicyclists to wear helmets."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following is a letter to the head of the tourism bureau on the island of Tria.

"Erosion of beach sand along the shores of Tria Island is a serious threat to our island and our tourist industry. In order to stop the erosion, we should charge people for

using the beaches. Although this solution may annoy a few tourists in the short term, it will raise money for replenishing the sand. Replenishing the sand, as was done to

protect buildings on the nearby island of Batia, will help protect buildings along our

shores, thereby reducing these buildings' risk of additional damage from severe

storms. And since beaches and buildings in the area will be preserved, Tria's tourist

industry will improve over the long term."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in a memorandum written by the chairperson of the West Egg Town Council.

"Two years ago, consultants predicted that West Egg's landfill, which is used for

garbage disposal, would be completely filled within five years. During the past two

years, however, the town's residents have been recycling twice as much material as

they did in previous years. Next month the amount of recycled material!which

includes paper, plastic, and metal!should further increase, since charges for pickup

of other household garbage will double. Furthermore, over 90 percent of the

respondents to a recent survey said that they would do more recycling in the future. Because of our town's strong commitment to recycling, the available space in our

landfill should last for considerably longer than predicted."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a journal on environmental issues. "Over the past year, the Crust Copper Company (CCC) has purchased over 10,000

square miles of land in the tropical nation of West Fredonia. Mining copper on this

land will inevitably result in pollution and, since West Fredonia is the home of several endangered animal species, in environmental disaster. But such disasters can be

prevented if consumers simply refuse to purchase products that are made with CCC's copper unless the company abandons its mining plans."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following is part of a memorandum from the president of Humana University.

"Last year the number of students who enrolled in online degree programs offered by nearby Omni University increased by 50 percent. During the same year, Omni showed a significant decrease from prior years in expenditures for dormitory and classroom

space, most likely because instruction in the online programs takes place via the

Internet. In contrast, over the past three years, enrollment at Humana University has failed to grow, and the cost of maintaining buildings has increased along with our

budget deficit. To address these problems, Humana University will begin immediately to create and actively promote online degree programs like those at Omni. We predict that instituting these online degree programs will help Humana both increase its total enrollment and solve its budget problems."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are

reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to

evaluate the prediction.

The following appeared in a health magazine published in Corpora. "Medical experts say that only one-quarter of Corpora's citizens meet the current

standards for adequate physical fitness, even though twenty years ago, one-half of all of Corpora's citizens met the standards as then defined. But these experts are mistaken when they suggest that spending too much time using computers has caused a decline in fitness. Since overall fitness levels are highest in regions of Corpora where levels

of computer ownership are also highest, it is clear that using computers has not made citizens less physically fit. Instead, as shown by this year's unusually low

expenditures on fitness-related products and services, the recent decline in the

economy is most likely the cause, and fitness levels will improve when the economy

does."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in a memorandum from the owner of Movies Galore, a chain of movie-rental stores.

"Because of declining profits, we must reduce operating expenses at Movies Galore's ten movie-rental stores. Raising prices is not a good option, since we are famous for

our low prices. Instead, we should reduce our operating hours. Last month our store in downtown Marston reduced its hours by closing at 6:00 p.m. rather than 9:00 p.m. and reduced its overall inventory by no longer stocking any DVD released more than five

years ago. Since we have received very few customer complaints about these new

policies, we should now adopt them at all other Movies Galore stores as our best

strategies for improving profits."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in a magazine article about planning for retirement.

"Clearview should be a top choice for anyone seeking a place to retire, because it has spectacular natural beauty and a consistent climate. Another advantage is that housing costs in Clearview have fallen significantly during the past year, and taxes remain

lower than those in neighboring towns. Moreover, Clearview's mayor promises many new programs to improve schools, streets, and public services. And best of all,

retirees in Clearview can also expect excellent health care as they grow older, since

the number of physicians in the area is far greater than the national average." Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following is part of a memorandum from the president of Humana University.

space, most likely because online instruction takes place via the Internet. In contrast, over the past three years, enrollment at Humana University has failed to grow and the cost of maintaining buildings has increased. Thus, to increase enrollment and solve

the problem of budget deficits at Humana University, we should initiate and actively

promote online degree programs like those at Omni."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

An ancient, traditional remedy for insomnia!the scent of 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 electronically. During the first week, volunteers continued to take their usual sleeping medication. They slept soundly but wakened feeling tired. At the beginning of the second week, the volunteers discontinued their sleeping

medication. During that week, 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. Therefore, the study proves that lavender cures

insomnia within a short period of time.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following memorandum is from the business manager of Happy Pancake House

restaurants.

"Butter has now been replaced by margarine in Happy Pancake House restaurants

throughout the southwestern United States. Only about 2 percent of customers have complained, indicating that 98 people out of 100 are happy with the change.

Furthermore, many servers have reported that a number of customers who ask for

butter do not complain when they are given margarine instead. Clearly, either these

customers cannot distinguish butter from margarine or they use the term 'butter' to

refer to either butter or margarine. Thus, to avoid the expense of purchasing butter and to increase profitability, the Happy Pancake House should extend this cost-saving

change to its restaurants in the southeast and northeast as well."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in

order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the

recommendation.

The following appeared in a letter from the owner of the Sunnyside Towers apartment building to its manager.

"One month ago, all the showerheads on the first five floors of Sunnyside Towers

were modified to restrict the water flow to approximately one-third of its original flow. Although actual readings of water usage before and after the adjustment are not yet

available, the change will obviously result in a considerable savings for Sunnyside

Corporation, since the corporation must pay for water each month. Except for a few

complaints about low water pressure, no problems with showers have been reported since the adjustment. Clearly, restricting water flow throughout all the twenty floors

of Sunnyside Towers will increase our profits further."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in

order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the

recommendation.

The following appeared in a health magazine.

"The citizens of Forsythe have adopted more healthful lifestyles. Their responses to a recent survey show that in their eating habits they conform more closely to

government nutritional recommendations than they did ten years ago. Furthermore,

there has been a fourfold increase in sales of food products containing kiran, a

substance that a scientific study has shown reduces cholesterol. This trend is also

evident in reduced sales of sulia, a food that few of the most healthy citizens regularly eat." Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

Humans arrived in the Kaliko Islands about 7,000 years ago, and within 3,000 years

most of the large mammal species that had lived in the forests of the Kaliko Islands

had become extinct. Yet humans cannot have been a factor in the species' extinctions, because there is no evidence that the humans had any significant contact with the

mammals. Further, archaeologists have discovered numerous sites where the bones of fish had been discarded, but they found no such areas containing the bones of large

mammals, so the humans cannot have hunted the mammals. Therefore, some climate change or other environmental factor must have caused the species' extinctions.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in an editorial in a business magazine.

"Although the sales of Whirlwind video games have declined over the past two years, a recent survey of video-game players suggests that this sales trend is about to be

reversed. The survey asked video-game players what features they thought were most important in a video game. According to the survey, players prefer games that provide lifelike graphics, which require the most up-to-date computers. Whirlwind has just

introduced several such games with an extensive advertising campaign directed at

people ten to twenty-five years old, the age-group most likely to play video games. It

follows, then, that the sales of Whirlwind video games are likely to increase

dramatically in the next few months."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of marketing at Dura-Sock, Inc.

"A recent study of our customers suggests that our company is wasting the money it

spends on its patented Endure manufacturing process, which ensures that our socks

are strong enough to last for two years. We have always advertised our use of the Endure process, but the new study shows that despite our socks' durability, our

average customer actually purchases new Dura-Socks every three months.

Furthermore, our customers surveyed in our largest market, northeastern United States cities, say that they most value Dura-Socks' stylish appearance and availability in

many colors. These findings suggest that we can increase our profits by discontinuing use of the Endure manufacturing process."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of marketing at Dura-Sock, Inc.

"A recent study of our customers suggests that our company is wasting the money it

spends on its patented Endure manufacturing process, which ensures that our socks

are strong enough to last for two years. We have always advertised our use of the

Endure process, but the new study shows that despite our socks' durability, our

average customer actually purchases new Dura-Socks every three months.

Furthermore, our customers surveyed in our largest market, northeastern United States cities, say that they most value Dura-Socks' stylish appearance and availability in

many colors. These findings suggest that we can increase our profits by discontinuing use of the Endure manufacturing process."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The vice president for human resources at Climpson Industries sent the following

recommendation to the company's president.

"In an effort to improve our employees' productivity, we should implement electronic monitoring of employees' Internet use from their workstations. Employees who use

the Internet inappropriately from their workstations need to be identified and punished if we are to reduce the number of work hours spent on personal or recreational

activities, such as shopping or playing games. Installing software on company

computers to detect employees' Internet use is the best way to prevent employees

from wasting time on the job. It will foster a better work ethic at Climpson and

improve our overall profits." Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in a memo from the president of Bower Builders, a company that constructs new homes.

"A nationwide survey reveals that the two most-desired home features are a large

family room and a large, well-appointed kitchen. A number of homes in our area built by our competitor Domus Construction have such features and have sold much faster and at significantly higher prices than the national average. To boost sales and profits, we should increase the size of the family rooms and kitchens in all the homes we

build and should make state-of-the-art kitchens a standard feature. Moreover, our

larger family rooms and kitchens can come at the expense of the dining room, since

many of our recent buyers say they do not need a separate dining room for family

meals."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in a letter from a firm providing investment advice for a

client.

"Most homes in the northeastern United States, where winters are typically cold, have traditionally used oil as their major fuel for heating. Last heating season that region

experienced 90 days with below-normal temperatures, and climate forecasters predict that this weather pattern will continue for several more years. Furthermore, many new homes are being built in the region in response to recent population growth. Because

of these trends, we predict an increased demand for heating oil and recommend

investment in Consolidated Industries, one of whose major business operations is the retail sale of home heating oil."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in an article in the Grandview Beacon. "For many years the city of Grandview has provided annual funding for the

Grandview Symphony. Last year, however, private contributions to the symphony

increased by 200 percent and attendance at the symphony's concerts-in-the-park series doubled. The symphony has also announced an increase in ticket prices for next year. Given such developments, some city commissioners argue that the symphony can

now be fully self-supporting, and they recommend that funding for the symphony be eliminated from next year's budget."

The following appeared in a memo from the director of a large group of hospitals.

"In a laboratory study of liquid antibacterial hand soaps, a concentrated solution of

UltraClean produced a 40 percent greater reduction in the bacteria population than did the liquid hand soaps currently used in our hospitals. During a subsequent test of

UltraClean at our hospital in Workby, that hospital reported significantly fewer cases of patient infection than did any of the other hospitals in our group. Therefore, to

prevent serious patient infections, we should supply UltraClean at all hand-washing

stations throughout our hospital system."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Parkville Daily newspaper.

"Throughout the country last year, as more and more children below the age of nine participated in youth-league sports, over 40,000 of these young players suffered

injuries. When interviewed for a recent study, youth-league soccer players in several major cities also reported psychological pressure exerted by coaches and parents to

win games. Furthermore, education experts say that long practice sessions for these sports take away time that could be used for academic activities. Since the

disadvantages outweigh any advantages, we in Parkville should discontinue organized athletic competition for children under nine."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

Collectors prize the ancient life-size clay statues of human figures made on Kali

Island but have long wondered how Kalinese artists were able to depict bodies with

such realistic precision. Since archaeologists 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 be used only for life-size sculptures. It also

explains why few ancient Kalinese sculpting tools have been found. In light of this

discovery, collectors predict that the life-size sculptures will decrease in value while

the miniatures increase in value.

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are

reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to

evaluate the prediction.

When Stanley Park first opened, it was the largest, most heavily used public park in

town. It is still the largest park, but it is no longer heavily used. Video cameras

mounted in the park's parking lots last month revealed the park's drop in popularity: the recordings showed an average of only 50 cars per day. In contrast, tiny Carlton

Park in the heart of the business district is visited by more than 150 people on a

typical weekday. An obvious difference is that Carlton Park, unlike Stanley Park,

provides ample seating. Thus, if Stanley Park is ever to be as popular with our citizens as Carlton Park, the town will obviously need to provide more benches, thereby

converting some of the unused open areas into spaces suitable for socializing.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in a memo from the owner of a chain of cheese stores located throughout the United States.

"For many years all the stores in our chain have stocked a wide variety of both

domestic and imported cheeses. Last year, however, all of the five best-selling

cheeses at our newest store were domestic cheddar cheeses from Wisconsin.

Furthermore, a recent survey by Cheeses of the World magazine indicates an

increasing preference for domestic cheeses among its subscribers. Since our company

can reduce expenses by limiting inventory, the best way to improve profits in all of our stores is to discontinue stocking many of our varieties of imported cheese and

concentrate primarily on domestic cheeses."

recommendation.

The following appeared as part of a business plan developed by the manager of the

Rialto Movie Theater.

"Despite its downtown location, the Rialto Movie Theater, a local institution for five decades, must make big changes or close its doors forever. It should follow the

example of the new Apex Theater in the mall outside of town. When the Apex opened last year, it featured a video arcade, plush carpeting and seats, and a state-of-the-art sound system. Furthermore, in a recent survey, over 85 percent of respondents

reported that the high price of newly released movies prevents them from going to the movies more than five times per year. Thus, if the Rialto intends to hold on to its share of a decreasing pool of moviegoers, it must offer the same features as Apex." Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

A recent study reported that pet owners have longer, healthier lives on average than do people who own no pets. Specifically, dog owners tend to have a lower incidence of heart disease. In light of these findings, Sherwood Hospital should form a

partnership with Sherwood Animal Shelter to institute an adopt-a-dog program. The program would encourage dog ownership for patients recovering from heart disease, which should reduce these patients' chance of experiencing continuing heart problems and also reduce their need for ongoing treatment. As a further benefit, the publicity about the program would encourage more people to adopt pets from the shelter. And that will reduce the incidence of heart disease in the general population.

"Ten years ago our company had two new office buildings constructed as regional headquarters for two regions. The buildings were erected by different construction companies!Alpha and Zeta. Although the two buildings had identical floor plans, the building constructed by Zeta cost 30 percent more to build. However, that building's expenses for maintenance last year were only half those of Alpha's. In addition, the energy consumption of the Zeta building has been lower than that of the Alpha

building every year since its construction. Given these data, plus the fact that Zeta has a stable workforce with little employee turnover, we recommend using Zeta rather than Alpha for our new building project, even though Alpha's bid promises lower construction costs."

The following appeared in a memo from a vice president of a large, highly diversified

company.

"Ten years ago our company had two new office buildings constructed as regional

headquarters for two regions. The buildings were erected by different construction

companies!Alpha and Zeta. Although the two buildings had identical floor plans, the building constructed by Zeta cost 30 percent more to build. However, that building's

expenses for maintenance last year were only half those of Alpha's. Furthermore, the energy consumption of the Zeta building has been lower than that of the Alpha

building every year since its construction. Such data indicate that we should use Zeta rather than Alpha for our contemplated new building project, even though Alpha's bid promises lower construction costs."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following is a letter to the editor of the Waymarsh Times.

"Traffic here in Waymarsh is becoming a problem. Although just three years ago a

state traffic survey showed that the typical driving commuter took 20 minutes to get to

work, the commute now takes closer to 40 minutes, according to the survey just completed. Members of the town council already have suggested more road building

to address the problem, but as well as being expensive, the new construction will

surely disrupt some of our residential neighborhoods. It would be better to follow the example of the nearby city of Garville. Last year Garville implemented a policy that

rewards people who share rides to work, giving them coupons for free gas. Pollution levels in Garville have dropped since the policy was implemented, and people from

Garville tell me that commuting times have fallen considerably. There is no reason

why a policy like Garville's shouldn't work equally well in Waymarsh."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared as a letter to the editor of a national newspaper.

"Your recent article on corporate downsizing* in Elthyria maintains that the majority of competent workers who have lost jobs as a result of downsizing face serious

economic hardship, often for years, before finding other suitable employment. But

this claim is undermined by a recent report on the Elthyrian economy, which found

that since 1999 far more jobs have been created than have been eliminated, bringing the unemployment rate in Elthyria to its lowest level in decades. Moreover, two-thirds of these newly created jobs have been in industries that tend to pay above-average

wages, and the vast majority of these jobs are full-time."

*Downsizing is the process whereby corporations deliberately make themselves

smaller, reducing the number of their employees.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared on the Mozart School of Music Web site.

"The Mozart School of Music should be the first choice for parents considering

enrolling their child in music lessons. First of all, the Mozart School welcomes

youngsters at all ability and age levels; there is no audition to attend the school.

Second, the school offers instruction in nearly all musical instruments as well a wide

range of styles and genres from classical to rock. Third, the faculty includes some of

the most distinguished musicians in the area. Finally, many Mozart graduates have

gone on to become well-known and highly paid professional musicians." Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the

argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The president of Grove College has recommended that the college abandon its

century-old tradition of all-female education and begin admitting men. Pointing to

other all-female colleges that experienced an increase in applications after adopting

coeducation, the president argues that coeducation would lead to a significant increase in applications and enrollment. However, the director of the alumnae association

opposes the plan. Arguing that all-female education is essential to the very identity of the college, the director cites annual surveys of incoming students in which these

students say that the school's all-female status was the primary reason they selected Grove. The director also points to a survey of Grove alumnae in which a majority of

respondents strongly favored keeping the college all female.

The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a Batavia newspaper.

"The department of agriculture in Batavia reports that the number of dairy farms

throughout the country is now 25 percent greater than it was 10 years ago. During this same time period, however, the price of milk at the local Excello Food Market has

increased from $1.50 to over $3.00 per gallon. To prevent farmers from continuing to receive excessive profits on an apparently increased supply of milk, the Batavia

government should begin to regulate retail milk prices. Such regulation is necessary to ensure fair prices for consumers."

recommendation.

The following appeared in a newsletter offering advice to investors.

"Over 80 percent of the respondents to a recent survey indicated a desire to reduce

their intake of foods containing fats and cholesterol, and today low-fat products abound in many

food stores. Since many of the food products currently marketed by

Old Dairy Industries are high in fat and cholesterol, the company's sales are likely to diminish greatly and company profits will no doubt decrease. We therefore advise Old Dairy stockholders to sell their shares, and other investors not to purchase stock in this company."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the advice and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the advice.

The following recommendation appeared in a memo from the mayor of the town of Hopewell.

"Two years ago, the nearby town of Ocean View built a new municipal golf course and resort hotel. During the past two years, tourism in Ocean View has increased, new businesses have opened there, and Ocean View's tax revenues have risen by 30 percent. Therefore, the best way to improve Hopewell's economy!and generate additional tax revenues!is to build a golf course and resort hotel similar to those in Ocean View."

The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of a food distribution company with food storage warehouses in several cities.

"Recently, we signed a contract with the Fly-Away Pest Control Company to provide pest control services at our fast-food warehouse in Palm City, but last month we

discovered that over $20,000 worth of food there had been destroyed by pest damage. Meanwhile, the Buzzoff Pest Control Company, which we have used for many years, continued to service our warehouse in Wintervale, and last month only $10,000 worth of the food stored there had been destroyed by pest damage. Even though the price charged by Fly-Away is considerably lower, our best means of saving money is to return to Buzzoff for all our pest control services."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

Since those issues of Newsbeat magazine that featured political news on their front cover were the poorest-selling issues over the past three years, the publisher of

Newsbeat has recommended that the magazine curtail its emphasis on politics to focus more exclusively on economics and personal finance. She points to a recent survey of readers of general interest magazines that indicates greater reader interest in economic issues than in political ones. Newsbeat's editor, however, opposes the proposed shift in editorial policy, pointing out that very few magazines offer extensive political coverage anymore.

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in

order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

The following is taken from a memo from the advertising director of the Super Screen Movie Production Company.

"According to a recent report from our marketing department, during the past year,

fewer people attended Super Screen-produced movies than in any other year. And yet the percentage of positive reviews by movie reviewers about specific Super Screen

movies actually increased during the past year. Clearly, the contents of these reviews are not reaching enough of our prospective viewers. Thus, the problem lies not with the quality of our movies but with the public's lack of awareness that movies of good quality are available. Super Screen should therefore allocate a greater share of its

budget next year to reaching the public through advertising."

The following appeared in a business magazine.

"As a result of numerous complaints of dizziness and nausea on the part of consumers of Promofoods tuna, the company requested that eight million cans of its tuna be

returned for testing. Promofoods concluded that the canned tuna did not, after all,

pose a health risk. This conclusion is based on tests performed on samples of the

recalled cans by chemists from Promofoods; the chemists found that of the eight food chemicals most commonly blamed for causing symptoms of dizziness and nausea,

five were not found in any of the tested cans. The chemists did find small amounts of the three remaining suspected chemicals but pointed out that these occur naturally in

all canned foods."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be addressed in order to decide whether the conclusion and the argument on which it is based are

reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to the questions would help to

evaluate the conclusion.

The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of marketing at

Dura-Socks, Inc.

"A recent study of Dura-Socks customers suggests that our company is wasting the

money it spends on its patented Endure manufacturing process, which ensures that our socks are strong enough to last for two years. We have always advertised our use of

the Endure process, but the new study shows that despite the socks' durability, our

customers, on average, actually purchase new Dura-Socks every three months.

Furthermore, customers surveyed in our largest market!northeastern United States

cities!say that they most value Dura-Socks' stylish appearance and availability in

many colors. These findings suggest that we can increase our profits by discontinuing

use of the Endure manufacturing process."

The following is a letter to the editor of an environmental magazine.

"In 1975 a wildlife census found that there were seven species of amphibians in Xanadu National Park, with abundant numbers of each species. However, in 2002 only four species of amphibians were observed in the park, and the numbers of each species were drastically reduced. There has been a substantial decline in the numbers of amphibians worldwide, and global pollution of water and air is clearly implicated. The decline of amphibians in Xanadu National Park, however, almost certainly has a different cause: in 1975, trout!which are known to eat amphibian eggs!were introduced into the park."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

The following is a letter to the editor of an environmental magazine.

"Two studies of amphibians in Xanadu National Park confirm a significant decline in the numbers of amphibians. In 1975 there were seven species of amphibians in the park, and there were abundant numbers of each species. However, in 2002 only four species of amphibians were observed in the park, and the numbers of each species were drastically reduced. One proposed explanation is that the decline was caused by the introduction of trout into the park's waters, which began in 1975. (Trout are known to eat amphibian eggs.)"

In a study of the reading habits of Waymarsh citizens conducted by the University of Waymarsh, most respondents said that they preferred literary classics as reading material. However, a second study conducted by the same researchers found that the type of book most frequently checked out of each of the public libraries in Waymarsh was the mystery novel. Therefore, it can be concluded that the respondents in the first study had misrepresented their reading habits.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

The following appeared in a memo at XYZ company.

"When XYZ lays off employees, it pays Delany Personnel Firm to offer those

employees assistance in creating r"sum"s and developing interviewing skills, if they so desire. Laid-off employees have benefited greatly from Delany's services: last year

those who used Delany found jobs much more quickly than did those who did not. Recently, it has been proposed that we use the less expensive Walsh Personnel Firm in place of Delany. This would be a mistake because eight years ago, when XYZ was using Walsh, only half of the workers we laid off at that time found jobs within a year. Moreover, Delany is clearly superior, as evidenced by its bigger staff and larger number of branch offices. After all, last year Delany's clients took an average of six months to find jobs, whereas Walsh's clients took nine."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

In a study of the reading habits of Waymarsh citizens conducted by the University of Waymarsh, most respondents said they preferred literary classics as reading material. However, a second study conducted by the same researchers found that the type of book most frequently checked out of each of the public libraries in Waymarsh was the mystery novel. Therefore, it can be concluded that the respondents in the first study had misrepresented their reading preferences.

The following appeared in a memorandum written by the vice president of Health Naturally, a small but expanding chain of stores selling health food and other health-related products.

"Our previous experience has been that our stores are most profitable in areas where residents are highly concerned with leading healthy lives. We should therefore build one of our new stores in Plainsville, which clearly has many such residents.

Plainsville merchants report that sales of running shoes and exercise equipment are at all-time highs. The local health club, which nearly closed five years ago due to lack of business, has more members than ever, and the weight-training and aerobics classes are always full. We can even anticipate a new generation of customers: Plainsville's schoolchildren are required to participate in a program called Fitness for Life, which emphasizes the benefits of regular exercise at an early age."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

The following appeared in a memo at XYZ company.

"When XYZ lays off employees, it pays Delany Personnel Firm to offer those

employees assistance in creating r"sum"s and developing interviewing skills, if they so desire. Laid-off employees have benefited greatly from Delany's services: last year those who used Delany found jobs much more quickly than did those who did not. Recently, it has been proposed that we use the less expensive Walsh Personnel Firm in place of Delany. This would be a mistake because eight years ago, when XYZ was using Walsh, only half of the workers we laid off at that time found jobs within a year.

Moreover, Delany is clearly superior, as evidenced by its bigger staff and larger number of branch offices. After all, last year Delany's clients took an average of six

months to find jobs, whereas Walsh's clients took nine."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in a memorandum written by the vice president of Health

Naturally, a small but expanding chain of stores selling health food and other

health-related products.

"Our previous experience has been that our stores are most profitable in areas where residents are highly concerned with leading healthy lives. We should therefore build

one of our new stores in Plainsville, which clearly has many such residents.

schoolchildren are required to participate in a program called Fitness for Life, which

emphasizes the benefits of regular exercise at an early age."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

Three years ago, because of flooding at the Western Palean Wildlife Preserve, 100

lions and 100 western gazelles were moved to the East Palean Preserve, an area that is home to most of the same species that are found in the western preserve, though in larger numbers, and to the eastern gazelle, a close relative of the western gazelle. The only difference in climate is that the eastern preserve typically has slightly less

rainfall. Unfortunately, after three years in the eastern preserve, the imported western gazelle population has been virtually eliminated. Since the slight reduction in rainfall cannot be the cause of the virtual elimination of western gazelle, their disappearance must have been caused by the larger number of predators in the eastern preserve.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

Workers in the small town of Leeville take fewer sick days than workers in the large city of Masonton, 50 miles away. Moreover, relative to population size, the diagnosis of stress-related illness is proportionally much lower in Leeville than in Masonton.

According to the Leeville Chamber of Commerce, these facts can be attributed to the health benefits of the relatively relaxed pace of life in Leeville.

Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly

account for the facts presented in the argument.

The following appeared in a memorandum from the manager of WWAC radio station. "WWAC must change from its current rock-music format because the number of

listeners has been declining, even though the population in our listening area has been growing. The population growth has resulted mainly from people moving to our area after their retirement, and we must make listeners of these new residents. But they

seem to have limited interest in music: several local stores selling recorded music

have recently closed. Therefore, just changing to another kind of music is not going to increase our audience. Instead, we should adopt a news-and-talk format, a form of

radio that is increasingly popular in our area."

The vice president of human resources at Climpson Industries sent the following

recommendation to the company's president.

"A recent national survey found that the majority of workers with access to the

Internet at work had used company computers for personal or recreational activities, such as banking or playing games. In an effort to improve our employees' productivity, we should implement electronic monitoring of employees' Internet use from their

workstations. Using electronic monitoring software is the best way to reduce the

number of hours Climpson employees spend on personal or recreational activities. We predict that installing software to monitor employees' Internet use will allow us to

prevent employees from wasting time, thereby increasing productivity and improving overall profits."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in

order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to

evaluate the prediction.

The following appeared in a memo from the new vice president of Sartorian, a

company that manufactures men's clothing.

"Five years ago, at a time when we had difficulty obtaining reliable supplies of

high-quality wool fabric, we discontinued production of our popular alpaca overcoat. Now that we have a new fabric supplier, we should resume production. Given the

outcry from our customers when we discontinued this product and the fact that none of our competitors offers a comparable product, we can expect pent-up consumer

demand for our alpaca coats. This demand and the overall increase in clothing prices will make Sartorian's alpaca overcoats more profitable than ever before."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following appeared in a memo from the new vice president of Sartorian, a

company that manufactures men's clothing.

"Five years ago, at a time when we had difficulty obtaining reliable supplies of

high-quality wool fabric, we discontinued production of our popular alpaca overcoat. Now that we have a new fabric supplier, we should resume production. Given the

outcry from our customers when we discontinued this product and the fact that none of our competitors offers a comparable product, we can expect pent-up consumer

demand for our alpaca coats. Due to this demand and the overall increase in clothing prices, we can predict that Sartorian's alpaca overcoats will be more profitable than

ever before."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are

reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to

evaluate the prediction.

The following appeared in an e-mail sent by the marketing director of the Classical

Shakespeare Theatre of Bardville. "Over the past ten years, there has been a 20 percent decline in the size of the average

audience at Classical Shakespeare Theatre productions. In spite of increased

advertising, we are attracting fewer and fewer people to our shows, causing our

profits to decrease significantly. We must take action to attract new audience

members. The best way to do so is by instituting a 'Shakespeare in the Park' program this summer. Two years ago the nearby Avon Repertory Company started a 'Free

Plays in the Park' program, and its profits have increased 10 percent since then. If we start a 'Shakespeare in the Park' program, we can predict that our profits will increase, too."

recommendation.

The following is a recommendation from the business manager of Monarch Books.

"Since its opening in Collegeville twenty years ago, Monarch Books has developed a

large customer base due to its reader-friendly atmosphere and wide selection of books on all subjects. Last month, Book and Bean, a combination bookstore and coffee shop, announced its intention to open a Collegeville store. Monarch Books should open its own in-store caf" in the space currently devoted to children's books. Given recent

national census data indicating a significant decline in the percentage of the

population under age ten, sales of children's books are likely to decline. By replacing its children's books section with a caf", Monarch Books can increase profits and ward off competition from Book and Bean."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following is a recommendation from the business manager of Monarch Books.

"Since its opening in Collegeville twenty years ago, Monarch Books has developed a

national census data indicating a significant decline in the percentage of the

population under age ten, sales of children's books are likely to decline. By replacing its children's books section with a caf", Monarch Books can increase profits and ward

off competition from Book and Bean."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following was written as a part of an application for a small-business loan by a

group of developers in the city of Monroe.

"Jazz music is extremely popular in the city of Monroe: over 100,000 people attended Monroe's annual jazz festival last summer, and the highest-rated radio program in

Monroe is 'Jazz Nightly,' which airs every weeknight. Also, a number of well-known

jazz musicians own homes in Monroe. Nevertheless, the nearest jazz club is over an

hour away. Given the popularity of jazz in Monroe and a recent nationwide study

indicating that the typical jazz fan spends close to $1,000 per year on jazz

entertainment, a jazz music club in Monroe would be tremendously profitable."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

There is now evidence that the relaxed pace of life in small towns promotes better

health and greater longevity than does the hectic pace of life in big cities. Businesses in the small town of Leeville report fewer days of sick leave taken by individual

workers than do businesses in the nearby large city of Masonton. Furthermore,

Leeville has only one physician for its one thousand residents, but in Masonton the

proportion of physicians to residents is five times as high. Finally, the average age of

Leeville residents is significantly higher than that of Masonton residents. These

findings suggest that people seeking longer and healthier lives should consider

moving to small communities.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and

what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following was written as a part of an application for a small-business loan by a

group of developers in the city of Monroe. "Jazz music is extremely popular in the city of Monroe: over 100,000 people attended

Monroe's annual jazz festival last summer, and the highest-rated radio program in

Monroe is 'Jazz Nightly,' which airs every weeknight. Also, a number of well-known

jazz musicians own homes in Monroe. Nevertheless, the nearest jazz club is over an

hour away. Given the popularity of jazz in Monroe and a recent nationwide study

indicating that the typical jazz fan spends close to $1,000 per year on jazz

entertainment, we predict that our new jazz music club in Monroe will be a

tremendously profitable enterprise."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are

reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to

evaluate the prediction.

There is now evidence that the relaxed pace of life in small towns promotes better

health and greater longevity than does the hectic pace of life in big cities. Businesses in the small town of Leeville report fewer days of sick leave taken by individual

workers than do businesses in the nearby large city of Masonton. Furthermore,

Leeville has only one physician for its one thousand residents, but in Masonton the

proportion of physicians to residents is five times as high. Finally, the average age of

Leeville residents is significantly higher than that of Masonton residents. These

findings suggest that the relaxed pace of life in Leeville allows residents to live longer, healthier lives.

Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly

account for the facts presented in the argument.

The following appeared in a memo from a vice president of a manufacturing

company.

"During the past year, workers at our newly opened factory reported 30 percent more on-the-job accidents than workers at nearby Panoply Industries. Panoply produces

products very similar to those produced at our factory, but its work shifts are one hour shorter than ours. Experts say that fatigue and sleep deprivation among workers are significant contributing factors in many on-the-job accidents. Panoply's superior

safety record can therefore be attributed to its shorter work shifts, which allow its

employees to get adequate amounts of rest." Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could

rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly

account for the facts presented in the argument.

The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of Butler Manufacturing. "During the past year, workers at Butler Manufacturing reported 30 percent more

on-the-job accidents than workers at nearby Panoply Industries, where the work shifts are one hour shorter than ours. A recent government study reports that fatigue and

sleep deprivation among workers are significant contributing factors in many

on-the-job accidents. If we shorten each of our work shifts by one hour, we can

improve Butler Manufacturing's safety record by ensuring that our employees are

adequately rested."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate

the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the

argument.

The following appeared in a memo from the Board of Directors of Butler

Manufacturing.

"During the past year, workers at Butler Manufacturing reported 30 percent more

on-the-job accidents than workers at nearby Panoply Industries, where the work shifts are one hour shorter than ours. A recent government study reports that fatigue and

sleep deprivation among workers are significant contributing factors in many

on-the-job accidents. Therefore, we recommend that Butler Manufacturing shorten

each of its work shifts by one hour. Shorter shifts will allow Butler to improve its

safety record by ensuring that its employees are adequately rested."

recommendation.

The following appeared in a memo from the business manager of a chain of cheese

stores located throughout the United States.

"For many years all the stores in our chain have stocked a wide variety of both

domestic and imported cheeses. Last year, however, all of the five best-selling cheeses at our newest store were domestic cheddar cheeses from Wisconsin.

Furthermore, a recent survey by Cheeses of the World magazine indicates an

increasing preference for domestic cheeses among its subscribers. Since our company can reduce expenses by limiting inventory, the best way to improve profits in all of

our stores is to discontinue stocking many of our varieties of imported cheese and