标题: argument 24 第一篇，求好心人们往死里拍 [打印本页] 作者: nanaly 时间: 2012-8-5 11:00 标题: argument 24 第一篇，求好心人们往死里拍 题目： 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.
作文开始：
In this argument, the speaker advocate the claim, predicted by some health experts, that residents of Mentia will suffer even fewer headaches in the future. Although several evidences the speaker enumerate to bolster the conclusion might seems reasonable at first glance, However, a close scrutiny about the argument will reveal that several specific question should be answered in order to make the argument to be more cogent and convincing. Initially, the arguer assumes that since salicylate belongs to the aspirin family, it could be used to treat headaches. It is may be entirely possible, however, a remarkable question emerges by asking despite Salicylates are known to be a chemical family member as aspirin, a medicine used to treat headaches, is there any strong evidence to manifest that salicylates could be used to treat headaches with effect?
Since a small chemical modification on chemical structure may cause the thoroughly different pharmacological effect, which means Salicylates may not be efficacious on treating headaches. A analogical example is no further than the case of diamond and graphite. Both of them belong to carbon family, however, the distinctive chemical structure engender such conspicuous gulf on appearance. Only if the speaker could provide credible evidence, proving Salicylates could surely alleviate headaches, it could not be denied to be a cogent evidence to support the claim.
Secondly, in order to discreetly evaluate the claim, there exist some doubts in terms of the twenty-year study which is put forward as a second evidence: whether it is the Salicylates that largely and directly contribute to the ease of headaches?In this argument the speaker assert 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. While, if we take other striking determinants, such as beatifying the environment, changing to a healthier life style or eating habits, all of which could benefit our health, fully into consideration, it could obviously weaken the argument. To make his assurance eloquent, he must provide more specific evidences to consummate his argument. It could be better if the speaker offers us the relative statistics data showing that the significant positive relationship between taking Salicylates and the mitigation of headaches and, of course, the statistics data should from a well-conduct experiment with randomized clinical trial and a sufficient large sample.
Third, Even if the above evidences turn to be valid, serious doubts are threw on the speculation that many companies will use salicylate as favor: how is the prospect of using salicylates as flavor additives for foods? Indeed, salicylates could be used as food spice, but what it is taste? how it is cost? Whether the food adding salicylate will be popular, or worse, the sale of this kind of food will decline? And each kind of food has its own taste, whether the taste of salicylate could conflict with the original food taste? Unfortunately, all of these are unknown and need further investigation and test. And In this argument, the speaker didn’t give any information could be used to answer the above questions either. It could undermine the argument if, for example, the cost of salicylate is too high which will, definitely contribute a higher price, a price most consumers do not likely to accept, or the taste of salicylate is just, unacceptable. Without counting for all these explanations, the arguer couldn’t plausible assert that it’s practical to use salicylate as flavor additives for foods.
To sum up, the argument is far from powerful enough to substantiate that residents of Mentia will suffer even fewer headaches in the future. In order to draw a better conclusion, the arguer should reason more convincingly, cite some evidence that is more persuasive, and take every possible consideration into count.