6月AWA题目分析

The following appeared in a memorandum from the information technology department of a major advertising firm:

“The more efficient a firm’s employees are, the more profitable that firm will be. Improvements in a firm’s information technology hardware and software are a proven way to increase the efficiency of employees who do the majority of their work on computers. Therefore, if our firm invests in the most powerful and advanced information technology available, employee productivity will be maximized. This strategy ensures that every dollar spent on enhanced information technology will help to increase our firm’s profit margins.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.

看到这题写了45分钟也没写出来什么，XDJM有什么可以分享的，怎么详解这个题目？

多谢！

原文中的结论是

invest most powerful and advanced information technology availalbe will maximize productivity-->every dollar spent on enhanced information technology will increase firm's profit margin.

1. 可以指出先进的技术不一定会提高生产率,比如新的技术会需要大量的安装或是培训的时间,员工的生产效率反而会下降.

2. Margin不一定会上升,因为新技术的投入会导致成本的上升,这样margin反而会减少.而且margin的提高和很多因素有关，效率上升未必就能导致margin上升（比如市场的竞争导致销量下降）

3. Improvements in a firm’s information technology hardware and software are a proven way to increase the efficiency of employees 不代表一定要采用most advanced information technology.

我本来看到ARGUMENT题目也偶尔会茫然一下,后来发现内心只要坚守三个字"不一定",就能找出原文的很多漏洞。

谢谢哦

我就是知道错，可言语比较空乏，说不出具体的原因

还有2条

1）即使以上所说的提高效率的一般情况成立，也不能从一般推我们公司适用，反例

2）还有一个assumption，就是strategy能很好的落实，反例

分享考古结果, 本人喜欢做RESEARCH,真高兴发现这么全面的分析.

【题目分析】
    通过对非营利(not-for-profit)组织员工激励因素的分析,文章将员工努力工作动因(greater motivation)归结为某种位公益服务的信念(the belief)。进而,建议赢利组织向非营利组织借鉴经验。原文推理线路(reasoning line)如下:
    ∵ not-for-profit: the belief→greater motivation                   (1)
    又∵ not-for-profit = for-profit                                  (2)
    ∴ for-profit: the belief →motivation and productivity→more profit   (3)
    【寻找错误】
    根据推理线路,可以针对三个推理过程,依次分三个层次来寻找错误:
    (1)非营利组织的因果推理(causality)存疑:非营利组织员工的工作动因可能来自于其他原因,而不只是某种信念。例如,非营利组织中的固定员工也是实行薪酬制的,所以,他们积极工作的众多理由中,当然包括谋生,而且,相对于赚钱盈利而言,赈灾扶贫等花钱的工作还是相对容易的。
    (2)非营利组织与营利组织的可比性(comparability)存疑:即使该汽车制造公司将一部分利润投入公益,仍然不能回避这两种组织存在的固有差异,导致经验不可借鉴。例如,营利组织的员工多为中青年人,生活压力大,需要更多的是利益驱动,来改善生活、养育后代;非营利组织的员工中的志愿者多为老年人或者学生,生活压力较小,需要的是发挥余热或者学习经验。
    (3)营利组织的对未来草率预期(expectation)存疑:即使投资公益能够带来员工工作更加积极主动的结果,进一步认为这样就能提高整体利润水平(overall profit)是没有根据的。因为利润等于收入减成本,而这两个变量从原文中无从得知,所以,有可能因为政府税率的提高,而使得利润降低或持平。
    【题型总结】
    类比题目是GMAT作文 Argument 部分的测试重点,对于类比两方中成功一方,应首先对其经验进行验证;然后,结合双方可能存在的差异,说明即使经验可行,也不能借鉴。
    这道题最后出现的利润(profit)问题,是几乎所有商业题材题目中都出现的一个容易得分的错误,所以,准备好一小段专门针对利润问题的段落,是GMAT作文备考的小窍门。
    2.The following appeared in a memorandum from the information technology department of a major advertising firm:
    “The more efficient a firm’s employees are, the more profitable that firm will be. Improvements in a firm’s information technology hardware and software are a proven way to increase the efficiency of employees who do the majority of their work on computers. Therefore, if our firm invests in the most powerful and advanced information technology available, employee productivity will be maximized. This strategy ensures that every dollar spent on enhanced information technology will help to increase our firm’s profit margins.”
    【题目分析】
    第2题与第1题的出题套路完全相同,只不过,用一般公司的共同经验作为了类比一方,某个特定的广告公司作为类比的另一方。考生可以作为练习题目,参考第1题,进行练习,这里,只给出原文推理线路。
    ∵ other firms: IT improvement → efficiency                        (1)
    又∵ other firms = advertisement firm                              (2)
    ∴ advertisement firm: powerful and advanced IT →productivity → profit (3)
    3. The following appeared in a memorandum to a team developing accounting software for SmartPro Software, Inc.:
    “Currently, more professional accountants use SmartPro accounting software than any other brand. However, in the market for personal accounting software for non-professionals to use in preparing their income tax returns, many of our competitors are outselling us. In surveys, our professional customers repeatedly say that they have chosen SmartPro Software because our most sophisticated software products include more advanced special features than competing brands. Therefore, the most effective way for us to increase sales of our personal accounting software for home users would clearly be to add the advanced special features that our professional software products currently offer.”
    【题目分析】
    第3题与前两道题的出题套路基本相同,只不过,把类比双方都归于一个公司名下。下面,考生可以参考上面两道题的推理线路分析,将下面的推理线路完成。
    ∵ professional users: _______→prefer SmartPro    (1)
    又∵ professional users =_______users                                              (2)
    ∴_______users: add _______→increase sales                (3)
    4. The following appeared in a memorandum from the marketing department of a children’s clothing manufacturer:
    “Our HuggyBunny brand is the bestselling brand of children’s clothing. Parents everywhere recognize the HuggyBunny logo as a mark of quality, and most of our customers show great brand loyalty. Sales reports have shown that parents are more likely to buy children’s clothes with the familiar HuggyBunny brand and logo than otherwise identical clothes without it. Therefore, if we use the HuggyBunny brand name and logo for the new line of clothing for teenagers that our company will soon be introducing, that clothing will sell better than it would if we labeled it with a new brand name and logo.”
    【题目分析】
    第4题与第3题,同出一辙,类比双方——儿童服装和少年服装——都归于一个品牌(HunggyBunny)品牌下,而这两组目标顾客的偏好(preference)实际存在很多差异。
    5. The following appeared in a memorandum from the assistant manager of Pageturner Books:
    “Over the past two years, Pageturner’s profits have decreased by 5 percent, even though we have added a popular café as well as a music section selling CDs and tapes. At the same time, we have experienced an increase in the theft of merchandise. We should therefore follow the example of Thoreau Books, which increased its profits after putting copies of its most frequently stolen books on a high shelf behind the payment counter. By doing likewise with copies of the titles that our staff reported stolen last year, we too can increase profitability.”
    【题目分析】
    这道题仍然是一道类比题目,与前面四道题的区别在于被借鉴经验的成功者——索罗图书(Thoreau Books)出现在题目的后半部分。

The following appeared in a letter from a part-owner of a small retail clothing chain to her business partner:
“Commercial real estate prices have been rising steadily in the Sandida Heights neighborhood for several years, while the prices in the adjacent neighborhood of Palm Grove have remained the same. It seems obvious, then, that a retail space in Sandida Heights must now be much more expensive than a similar space in Palm Grove, which was not the case several years ago. So, it appears that retail spaces in Sandida Heights are now overpriced relative to those in Palm Grove. Therefore, it would be in our financial interest to purchase a retail space in Palm Grove rather than in Sandida Heights.”
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.

很感谢NN的分享，另外还有一道题，应该怎么去理解呢？

我只写出一点，就是原先的价格不知道，不一定前者比后者高了，可能还没后者高，其他就写不出来了

Gigi11同学,我把你建议的作文模拟写了一下,仅供参考.

The following appeared in a letter from a part-owner of a small retail clothing chain to her business partner:
“Commercial real estate prices have been rising steadily in the Sandida Heights neighborhood for several years, while the prices in the adjacent neighborhood of Palm Grove have remained the same. It seems obvious, then, that a retail space in Sandida Heights must now be much more expensive than a similar space in Palm Grove, which was not the case several years ago. So, it appears that retail spaces in Sandida Heights are now overpriced relative to those in Palm Grove. Therefore, it would be in our financial interest to purchase a retail space in Palm Grove rather than in Sandida Heights.”
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.

In this arguments, the speakers outlined the current situational fact of that the real estate price in the Sandida Heights have been increased while the purchasing prices are kept same in the adjacent neighborhood place of Palm Grove. What is the better way to make financial interest via real estate purchase? Based on the factual situation listed in the case, the speaker resolutely asserts that the optimal way to attain the financial interest is to purchase a retail space in Palm Grove rather than in Sandida Hights where the real estate price is high.  In my view, this argument is fraught with vague backups and it is insufficient as it stands because it stands on three unwarranted assumptions.

The first unwarranted assumption is that the current unchanged purchasing price cannot be served as the persuasive reason to come to conclusion of that it would be more financially gained to purchase real estate in Palm Grove rather than Sandida. Our common sense tells us that the commercial price level of where the real estate space is located is the incommensurable basis to judge on the price. In other words, people are often inclined to look the external environment in which the real estate space located in rather than only evaluate the real estate space itself.  Of course, the same level real estate properties of which one is situated  along the river bank  and another one is situated in the overcrowded downtown area will be labeled the different  price .

The second faulty assumption is obvious that the price of the real estate space  cannot be served as the exclusive factor in this basis.   Without wiping out the other alternatives in assessing the real estate space, we cannot come to the sound judgment about the price in Palm is more financially gained than the counterpart one in Sandida.  Sure is there are many others commensurable factors can influence the real estate space such as the location of the property, the surrounding environments and cultural atmosphere in the community where the real estate is situated, as well as how the peripheral  sceneries. Those are all comparatively important in evaluating the financial interest of purchasing the living space. Thus, the current price unchanged cannot be the competitive edge in giving market price evaluation.

Last but not least, the low price today cannot ensure the price tomorrow unchanged as the market shifts so fast in market place.
    We have right to think that the low price in Palm perhaps because the better bank supporting system offered in the local government than the Sandida. The bank loaning condition may be more encouraged to individuals to purchase real space with the supportive service like better loan conditions than what offered in Sandida’s bank.  …..

In conclusion, this argument is unacceptable. To strengthen this assumptions , the speaker need to provide evidence about what other alternative in assessing real estate may impact on the price, what other possible different supporting systems offered in the  different locations , as well as how other market situational factors may influence the price changes.