GMAT考试写作指导：Argument范文七六

　　14. Two years ago Nova High School began to use interactive computer instruction in

　　three academic subjects. The school dropout rate declined immediately and last years

　　graduates have reported some impressive achievements in college. In future budgets the

　　school board should use a greater portion of the available funds to buy more computers,

　　and the schools in the district should adopt interactive computer instruction throughout

　　the curriculum.

　　Sample Essay 1:

　　The argument that the school board should buy more computers and adopt

　　interactive computer instruction is not entirely logically convincing, since it ignores

　　certain crucial assumptions.

　　First, the argument assumes that the decline of school dropout and the

　　achievements of last years graduates results from the adoption of interactive computer

　　instruction. However, there are several reasons why this might not be true. For example,

　　achievements could have been made in other subjects than the ones with interactive

　　computer instruction. Or last years graduates might not have been given the interactive

　　computer instruction. Or the decline of the rate of dropout could be attributed to stricter

　　discipline applied last year.

　　Second, even supposing the Nova High Schools decline of the dropout and last

　　years graduates achievements benefit directly from the usage of interactive computer

　　instruction, the success of the instruction in one school may not ensure the success in

　　other schools. If it does not suit other schools, the instruction will not work.

　　Finally, even if the decline of the rate of dropout and the achievements of the last

　　years graduates are the direct results of the interactive computer instruction, we still do

　　not know whether the school can afford to apply the instruction on all the subjects or to

　　all the students. If the school does not have sufficient fund and has to cut budgets on

　　other projects such as the library, the quality of the schools education will also

　　compromise.

　　Thus, the argument is not completely sound. The evidence in support of the

　　conclusion that the dropout rate declined and last years graduates made impressive

　　achievements does little to prove the conclusion-that other schools should use a greater

　　portion of their funds to apply the instruction-since it does not address the assumptions I

　　have already raised. Ultimately, the argument might have been strengthened by making

　　it clear that the decline of the dropout rate and the achievements of the graduates are the

　　direct results of interactive computer instruction, that the instruction is also applicable to

　　other schools in the district, and that the instruction is affordable to all the schools in the

　　district.

　　Sample Essay 2:

　　The editorial recommends that the school board of Nova High spend a greater

　　portion of available funds on the purchase of additional computers and adopt interactive

　　computer instruction throughout the curriculum. Two reasons are offered in support of

　　this recommendation. First, the introduction of interactive computer instruction in three

　　academic subjects was immediately followed by a decline in the school dropout rate.

　　Second, last years graduates experienced impressive achievements in college. This

　　argument is unconvincing for two reasons.

　　To begin with, this argument is a classic instance of after this, therefore because

　　of this reasoning. The mere fact that the introduction of interactive computer

　　instruction preceded the impressive performance of recent graduates and the decline in

　　the dropout rate is insufficient to conclude that it was the cause of these events. Many

　　other factors could bring about these same results. For example, the school may have

　　implemented counseling and training programs that better meet the needs of students

　　who might otherwise leave school to take jobs. In addition, the school may have

　　introduced programs to better prepare students for college.

　　Secondly, the author assumes that the impressive achievements of last years

　　graduates bear some relation to the introduction of interactive computer instruction at

　　Nova High. However, no evidence is offered to support this assumption. Lacking

　　evidence that links the achievements of the recent graduates to the interactive

　　instruction, it is presumptuous to suggest that the computer instruction was in some way

　　responsible for the students impressive performance.

　　In conclusion, the recommendation that Nova High spend a greater portion of

　　available funds on the purchase of additional computers and adopt interactive computer

　　instruction throughout the curriculum is ill-founded. To strengthen this recommendation

　　the author would have to demonstrate that the decline in the dropout rate and the

　　impressive performance of recent graduates came about as a result of the use of

　　computer-interactive instruction. All that has been shown so far is a correlation between