GMAT考试写作指导：Argument范文八六

　　4. In response to a coincidence between calling revenues and delays in

　　manufacturing, the report recommends replacing the manager of the purchasing

　　department. The grounds for this action are twofold. First, the delays are traced to poor

　　planning in purchasing metals. Second, the purchasing managers lack of knowledge of

　　the properties of metals is thought to be the cause of the poor planning. It is further

　　recommended that the position of the purchasing manager be filled by a scientist from

　　the research division and that the current purchasing manager be reassigned to the sales

　　department. In support of this latter recommendation, the report states that the current

　　purchasing managers background in general business, psychology, and sociology equip

　　him for this new assignment. The recommendations advanced in the report are

　　questionable for two reasons.

　　To begin with, the report fails to establish a causal connection between the falling

　　revenues of the company and the delays in manufacturing. The mere fact that falling

　　revenues coincide with delays in manufacturing is insufficient to conclude that the

　　delays caused the decline in revenue. Without compelling evidence to support the causal

　　connection between these two events, the reports recommendations are not worthy of

　　consideration.

　　Second, a central assumption of the report is that knowledge of the properties of

　　metals is necessary for planning in purchasing metals. No evidence is stated in the

　　report to support this crucial assumption. Moreover, it is not obvious that such

　　knowledge would be required to perform this task. Since planning is essentially a

　　logistical function, it is doubtful that in-depth knowledge of the properties of metals

　　would be helpful in accomplishing this task.

　　In conclusion, this is a weak argument. To strengthen the recommendation that the

　　manager of the purchasing department be replaced, the author would have to

　　demonstrate that the falling revenues were a result of the delays in manufacturing.

　　Additionally, the author would have to show that knowledge of the properties of metals

　　is a prerequisite for planning in purchasing metals.