GMAT考试写作指导：Argument范文四一

　　29. This speaker argues that farmers who invested in organic farming equipment

　　should resume synthetic farming because it is financially unwise to continue organic

　　farming. The speaker cites studies showing that farmers who switched to organic

　　farming last year had tower crop yields. Based on these studies, the speaker concludes

　　that the relatively inexpensive investment in organic farming equipment cannot justify

　　continuing to farm organically. The speaker also claims that continuing to farm

　　organically is financially unwise because it is motivated by environmental, not

　　economic, concerns. The argument suffers from three problems.

　　One problem with this reasoning involves the vague comparative claim that

　　farmers who switched to organic farming fast year had lower crop yields. We are not

　　informed whether the survey compared last years organic crop yields with yields from

　　previous years or with those from synthetic farms. Moreover, the author provides no

　　evidence about how the survey was conducted. Lacking more information about the

　　survey, we cannot accept the speakers conclusion.

　　Secondly, the speaker assumes that the low crop yields for first-time organic

　　farmers last year are representative of crop yields for organic farmers overall. However,

　　more experienced organic farmers might have had much better crop yields last year.

　　Also, the first-time organic farmers might improve their own crop yields in future years.

　　Moreover, last years yield may have been unusually low due to poor weather or other

　　factors, and thus not indicative of future yields.

　　Finally, in asserting that organic farming is financially unwise because it is

　　motivated by environmental instead of economic concerns, the speaker unfairly assumes

　　that a practice cannot be both environmentally and economically beneficial. It is

　　possible that, in the long run, practices that help protect the environment will also result

　　in greater economic benefits. For instance, organic farming methods may better protect

　　soil from depletion of the elements that contribute to healthy crops, providing an

　　economic benefit in the long run.

　　In conclusion, the speakers argument is poorly supported and is short-sighted. To

　　better evaluate the argument, we would need more information about the how the

　　survey was conducted, especially about the comparison the survey makes. To strengthen

　　the argument, the speaker must present evidence that last years crop yields from first-

　　time organic farmers are representative of yields among organic farms in general. The

　　author must also provide evidence that environmentally sound practices cannot be

　　economically beneficial as well.