Issue 24: "The arts (painting, music, literature, etc.) reveal the otherwise hidden ideas and impulses of a society."
Position: Artists are apt at revealing the inner world of human beings.
A. The arts aim at depicting the feelings and attitudes of individuals in a society.
B. Paintings and music most vividly embody the spirits and character of a society.
C. By reading literature, we get to know not only the experience of a society, but also the hidden ideas and impulses of the society.
逻辑问题提纲
Argument 4: The following is a letter to the head of the tourism bureau on the island of Tria.
"Erosion of beach sand along the shores of Tria Island is a serious threat to our island and our tourist industry. In order to stop the erosion, we should charge people for using the beaches. Although this solution may annoy a few tourists in the short term, it will reduce the number of people using the beaches and will raise money for replenishing the sand. Replenishing the sand, as was done to protect buildings on the nearby island of Batia, will help protect buildings along our shores, thereby reducing these buildings' risk of additional damage from severe storms. And since the areas along the shore will be more attractive as a result, the beaches will be preserved and the area's tourist industry will improve over the long term."
A. The arguer fails to see the possibility that the tourist industry of Tria Island may decline in the long run as well as in the short run since tourists are most likely to travel to other islands with beaches that do not charge for the use of beaches.
B. Another point worth considering is that the arguer’s conclusion rests on the questionable assumption that replenishing the sand, a method adopted by the nearby island of Batia with success, applies to Tria Island in reducing the rate of erosion and in protecting the buildings along the shores.
Argument 6: The following appeared in the editorial section of a health and fitness magazine.
"In a study of the effects of exercise on longevity, medical researchers tracked 500 middle-aged men over a 20-year period. The subjects represented a variety of occupations in several different parts of the country and responded to an annual survey in which they were asked: How often and how strenuously do you exercise? Of those who responded, the men who reported that they engaged in vigorous outdoor exercise nearly every day lived longer than the men who reported that they exercised mildly only once or twice a week. Given the clear link that this study establishes between longevity
and exercise, doctors should not recommend moderate exercise to their patients but should instead encourage vigorous outdoor exercise on a daily basis."
A. In the absence of the actual number of respondents, the reliability and representativeness of the result of the survey is thrown into doubt.
B. In the second place, the arguer fails to establish the relationship between women’s longevity and exercise; therefore, it seems to be a hasty generalization for the arguer to apply the conclusion, drawn from a study solely about men, to both men and women.
C. Another assumption in short of legitimacy is the false analogy between healthy people who participated in the survey and patients who suffer from certain diseases.
Argument 9: The following is a letter to the editor of a local newspaper.
"As a local merchant, I wish to support the development of a ski resort in the state park north of our township. Along with many other merchants who favor the proposal by Ski the Slopes, Incorporated, I would, of course, experience a growth in my business. But I also know how much more prosperous, not to mention lively and interesting, our community would be if tourism increased. Since the main opposition comes from a few environmentalists* who do not even live in this community, I see no reason to give in to their views. The First National Bank has finally researched the project and agreed to fund it. As a result, I see no reason to delay development of the resort."
Environmentalists are people who advocate the preservation of the natural environment.
A. The local merchant is appealing to false authority by citing the fact that the First National Bank has researched the project and agreed to fund it and therefore the town should develop the ski resort.
B. The local merchant also fails to establish the causal relationship between the growth of tourism and the prosperity, liveliness and interestingness that the town is supposed to enjoy.
C. In addition, it is unconvincing for the local merchant to ignore the opposition of some environmentalists simply because the opponents do not live in the community.
Argument 12: As people grow older, an enzyme known as PEP increasingly breaks down the neuropeptide chemicals involved in learning and memory. But now, researchers have found compounds that prevent PEP from breaking neuropeptides apart. In tests, these compounds almost completely restored lost memory in rats. The use of these compounds should be extended to students who have poor memory and difficulty in concentrating—and therefore serious problems in school performance. Science finally has a solution for problems neither parents nor teachers could solve.
A. In the first place, the arguer fails to provide evidence regarding whether poor memory and difficulty in concentration stem from the same causes for both the young and the old.
B. In the second place, the argument is based on a hasty generalization that the compounds tested on rats can solve all serous problems in students’ performance at school.
Argument 14: A recent study shows that people living on the continent of North America suffer 9 times more chronic fatigue and 31 times more chronic depression than do people living on the continent of Asia. Interestingly, Asians, on average, eat 20 grams of soy per day, whereas North Americans eat virtually none. It turns out that soy contains phytochemicals called isoflavones, which have been found to possess disease-preventing properties. Thus, North Americans should consider eating soy on a regular basis as a way of preventing fatigue and depression.
A. First of all, the arguer fails to establish a causal relationship between Asians’ eating soy per day and a lower percentage of people suffering chronic fatigue and depression in Asia.
B. In addition, the arguer ignores other factors that might explain why a much higher percentage of people in North America suffer chronic fatigue and depression.