就一道已经讨论过的LSAT题再发问版主和大牛们

aeroplane

LSAT 1－4
If the artificial is not better than the natural, to what end are all the arts of life? To dig, to plow, to build, to wear clothes—all are direct violations of the injunction to follow nature.
17. Which one of the following is an assumption made by the author of the passage?
(A) The arts of life have no useful end.
(B) The artificial is not better than the natural.
(C) Digging, plowing, building, and wearing clothes are better than nature.
(D) The injunction to follow nature should not be violated.
(E) The arts of life are indirect means of following nature.

按：版主整理出来的解释——原文的论述中有个gap,也可以看成是概念的跳跃. 原文的结论是以问题的形式提出来的, 既作者认为arts of life证明artificial can be better than natural. 逻辑关系是:digging...都是artificial, 所以arts of life中, artificial can be better than natural. 这里的gap是:digging等一定要better than natural, 才能做为论据. 我再举个例子说明这类题型:都说一班的学生比二班的聪明,可是张学友怎么就比一班的王胖子聪明呢?assumption就是张学友是二班的.这个gap不填上就没有结论了.
我觉得很清楚——逻辑关系上，但是题干那句话我还是读不懂
to what end are all the arts of life？到底是什么意思，我认为是做这道题的关键。
查了字典，end可能与本题相关的解释有三种：
1）Something toward which one strives; a goal.
目的朝着一个事物努力；目标
See: intention

2）A result; an outcome.
结果；后果

3）The ultimate extent; the very limit:
极限；最大限度：
the end of one's patience.
耐心的极限

我觉得用哪个解释都不太明确原句的本意，可能是因为它是个省略后的问句的关系吧，各位大牛版主们，谁能具体的解释下end这个词和这句话呢？

dorbear

这里 End 是 "Purpose"　的含义；如果看一下同一题干的另外一个问题选项（B）,你就清楚了。

If the artificial is not better than the natural, to what end are all the arts of life? To dig, to plow, to build, to wear clothes—all are direct violations of the injunction  to follow nature.

If the author's argument were challenged on the grounds that the construction of buildings has adverse effects on the natural environment, which of the following replies might the author use to respond to the challenge logically?
(A) There are human activities, such as making music, that are environmentally harmless.

(B) Harming the environment is not an end, or purpose, of the arts of life.

(C) The construction could involve the use of natural, not artificial, materials.
(D) Constructing buildings is not an "art of life."
(E) Even if the natural environment is disturbed by the construction of buildings, it is improved for human use.