GMAT考试写作指导：Issue写作范文七九

　　79. This first part of this statement means that interpersonal―or social―skills can be

　　marketed as part of a bundle of assets that one might tout to a prospective client,

　　customer, or especially employer. Presumably, the extent and value of these skills can

　　be gauged by ones previous experience with clients and customers or at jobs requiring

　　a significant amount of teamwork and cooperation among workers―as measured by

　　factors such as ones tenure in such a job and letters of reference from supervisors.

　　While this claim seems plausable in the abstract, it ignores critical valuation problems.

　　Furthermore, the claim that the ability to deal with people exceeds the value of all other

　　commodities is an overgeneralization, since relative values depend on particular

　　circumstances.

　　The first problem with this claim is that it is far more difficult to quantify the

　　value of interpersonal skills, or other human qualities, than the value of commodities

　　such as coffee or sugar, which can be measured, weighed, or otherwise examined prior

　　to purchase. To a large extent, the ability to work with people is a quality whose true

　　value can be determined only after it is purchased, then tried and tested for a period of

　　time. Additionally, its value may vary depending on the idiosyncrasies of the job. For

　　example, a technically-oriented programmer or researcher might function well with a

　　team of like-minded workers, yet have trouble dealing with management or marketing

　　personnel.

　　The second problem with this claim is that it overgeneralizes in asserting that the

　　ability to work with people is worth more than any other commodity. The relative

　　value of this ability depends on the peculiarities of the job. In some jobs, especially

　　sales, ambition and tenacity are more valuable. In other areas, such as research and

　　development, technical skills and specific knowledge are paramount. Moreover, in some

　　businesses, such as mining or oil-drilling, the value of raw materials and capital

　　equipment might be far more important a commodity than the social skills, or most

　　other skills, of employees―depending on the economic circumstances.

　　In sum, the ability to deal with people is purchasable only to a limited extent,

　　since its full value cannot be determined prior to purchase. Moreover, its full value

　　depends on the organizational unit as well as the nature of the business.