GMAT考试写作指导：Argument范文四五

　　25. The author concludes that City L has good schools, affordable housing, friendly

　　people, flourishing arts and a safe environment. To support this claim the author cites an

　　annual survey that ranks cities according to quality of life. Two years ago City L was

　　listed 14th in this survey. As it stands this argument is unconvincing.

　　First, the author fails to indicate what individual characteristics of cities were used

　　as criteria for the ranking. To the extent that the criteria used in the survey were the

　　same as the features listed by the author in the conclusion, the conclusion would b

　　warranted. On the other hand, if the survey employed entirely different criteria―for

　　example, outdoor recreational opportunities or educational achievement levels of adult

　　residents―then the authors conclusion would be wholly unwarranted.

　　Secondly, the author provides no indication of how each characteristic was

　　weighted in the ranking. For example, City L may have far and away the most

　　flourishing arts scene among the cities surveyed, but it may have poor schools,

　　unfriendly people, and an unsafe environment. The extent to which the survey

　　accurately reflects City Ls overall quality of life in this case would depend largely on

　　the relative weight placed on the arts as a factor affecting quality of life.

　　Thirdly, the author fails to indicate how many cities were included in the survey.

　　Th more cities included in the survey, the stronger the argument―and vice versa. For

　　example, if 2,000 cities were surveyed, then City L would rank in the top one percent in

　　terms of quality of life. On the other hand, if only 14 cities were surveyed then City L

　　would rank last.

　　Finally, the authors conclusion depends on the questionable assumption that the

　　conditions listed by the author have remained unchanged in City L since the survey was

　　conducted two years ago. Admittedly, had ten years elapsed the argument would be

　　even weaker. Yet two years is sufficient time for a significant change in the overall

　　economy, the citys fiscal policies, its financial condition, or its political climate. Any of

　　these factors can affect the quality of schools, the extent to which art is flourishing, or

　　the cost of housing.

　　In conclusion, the author does not adequately support the conclusion. To

　　strengthen the argument, the author must show that the criteria used in the survey were

　　the same as the features listed in the conclusion and were weighted in a way that does

　　not distort the picture in City L. To better assess the argument, we would also need more

　　information about the cities included in the survey, as well as what changes in City L

　　have occurred during the past two years.