GMAT考试中
英文标志词：boldface, play roles.
读文章方式：首先分析黑体字部分是evidence还是conclusion，然后通过转折词判断evidence和conclusion间的关系。
例1. The use of nets at beach resorts to protect swimming areas from sharks has been criticized by
environmentalists because the nets needlessly kill thousands of marine animals annually. However, environmentalists have recently discovered that an electrified cable buried beneath the periphery of swimming areas causes sharks to swim away while harming neither humans nor marine life. Hence, by installing such cables, resort communities will be able to maintain tourism while satisfying environmentalists’ concerns.
The statement concerning what the environmentalists recently discovered plays which of the
following roles in the argument?
(A) A premise of the argument
(B) The conclusion of a key term in the argument
(C) A clarification of a key term in the argument
(D) A reiteration of the conclusion for the sake of emphasis
(E) A statement of the position that is being argued against
例2. 证据表明：1喝可乐的人中心肌衰退的比例超过常人。这说明：2可乐导致心肌功能衰退。所
以，3可乐不好。但就算证据正确，由于4喝可乐的人往往在喝之前已经是心力衰竭者，所
以不能说明可乐导致心功能衰退。并且5可乐中含有大量微量元素，所以6喝可乐好。7请喝可乐吧!
1、是支持中间结论2(mid conclusion)的evidence;2、是mid conclusion，支持conclusion3;3、是
conclusion， 4和5也是evidence，它们反对2和3，其实是反对1? 2?3的论证(argument,
argument=evidence+conclusion);4、是通过指出A?B本身的错误(类似于flaw)对1?2进行削
弱，而5是通过C?B对2?3进行削弱的。4, 5均支持conclusion6的成立。7和本文的逻辑推导无关，称作suggestion，其位置一般在文章的最后。
例3. 彗星(comet)进入A星球大气层前的颗粒大小没有被观察到。但人们可以根据1comet颗粒上
含有硫磺(sulfa)来推测颗粒大小。Comet颗粒本身一定是不含sulfa的， 2A星球云层含有大量
的sulfa。Comet颗粒必须有足够的大小不被烧光而穿过大气层，才能携带上sulfa。
问题：The boldface in the argument above plays which of the following roles?
A. Both 1 and 2 support the conclusion.
B. 1 support conclusion and 2 support 1.
答案是：A.