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  3. The following appeared in a health magazine published in Corpora. "Medical experts say that only one-quarter of Corpora’s citize

The following appeared in a health magazine published in Corpora. "Medical experts say that only one-quarter of Corpora’s citize

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问题 The following appeared in a health magazine published in Corpora.
"Medical experts say that only one-quarter of Corpora’s citizens meet the current standards for adequate physical fitness, even though twenty years ago, one-half of all of Corpora’s citizens met the standards as then defined. But these experts are mistaken when they suggest that spending too much time using computers has caused a decline in fitness. Since overall fitness levels are highest in regions of Corpora where levels of computer ownership are also highest, it is clear that using computers has not made citizens less physically fit. Instead, as shown by this year’s unusually low expenditures on fitness-related products and services, the recent decline in the economy is most likely the cause, and fitness levels will improve when the economy does."
Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.
选项
答案The magazine article concerns itself with a common worry in this day and age: health. It makes an intriguing connection, that of fitness and economic status, but engages it too many clear logical fallacies and fails to present enough factual evidence to be a truly compelling argument. The article itself is discussing the fitness level of Corpora’s citizens, saying that half as many citizens meet the health standards today as did twenty years ago; standing alone, it is persuasive evidence that helps the article’s argument. It is the article’s own words that undercuts its efficacy. By clarifying that there are "current standards" and "standards as then defined,"the writer questions his or her own connection without acknowledging the possible repercussions of that change, thereby assuming that the standards are similar enough for the difference to remain relevant. If that assumption is incorrect, that is, if the standards twenty years ago are drastically different than those today, it is possible that there has been no change in the citizens’fitness at all. It could just be that fitness standards have become more exacting and the citizens are failing to measure up the way they did before, under the more accepting fitness standards. If this were true, the article’s entire purpose would be undermined. There would be no change in fitness levels at all, and therefore no cause for concern. This is a major flaw in the argument and should be at least acknowledged by the author, perhaps improved upon by defining the fitness standards, in order to improve the argument as a whole. The author of this article also makes a tragic assumption by supposing a correlation between high rates of computer ownership and computer usage. The author argues that areas with high computer ownership are also highly fit, and therefore computer usage cannot result in lower fitness. That statement relies on the assumption that a home has multiple computers because the people in that home are using the computer. It is entirely possible that those homes are the wealthiest homes and own multiple computers, but no one in the home uses the computer. Similarly, someone in a poor neighborhood could not own a computer at all but still use a computer for a great portion of their day at a job and/or library. High ownership rates do not necessarily correlate to usage, and therefore the author cannot logically argue that the relationship between ownership and fitness automatically precludes a correlation between usage and fitness. The above assumption has even deeper implications. As discussed, the homes with high ownership rates could very well, and even most likely, be the wealthiest homes in Corpora; therefore, the homes with the lowest rates could be the most poverty-stricken. Consequently, the high fitness levels in the high ownership areas may have nothing to do with their computer usage, for which we have no data, or their computer ownership, which we have no proof they own, but everything to do with their wealth and subsequent access to private trainers and gyms. If this were true, it could help strengthen the conclusion of the article’s original argument by taking it on a slightly different, albeit still economy-concerned, course. It would nonetheless render the entire article’s actual argument false and therefore pointless. As evidenced, the article engages in three major assumptions, both stated and understated, which do a great deal of work in the author’s argument as a whole. That is, if the assumptions prove true. The reasoning relies on data that isn’t provided and correlations that may not necessarily exist. For that reason, the article fails to successfully defend its conclusion. If just one of these assumptions were to prove wrong, the entire point of the article would be thrown into question, and it is entirely possible that all three assumptions could be wrong. The author would have to get a great deal more data and add lengthy explanations of the standards upon which the article relies before the article could have any hope of standing successfully on its own.
解析 This outstanding response clearly addresses the specific task directions and presents a cogent, insightful analysis by specifically detailing the erroneous assumptions of the argument and what the implications of those assumptions are on the argument. For example, the writer points out that the argument’s author accepts the different health standards "without acknowledging the possible repercussions of that change[over time], thereby assuming that the standards are similar enough for the difference to remain relevant. If that assumption is incorrect, that is, if the standards twenty years ago are drastically different than those today, it is possible that there has been no change in the citizens’ fitness at all. If this were true, the articles entire purpose would be undermined." Similarly, the writer examines the arguments other points and concludes "If just one of these assumptions were to prove wrong, the entire point of the article would be thrown into question, and it is entirely possible that all three assumptions could be wrong." Throughout the response, the writer exhibits superior facility and fluency, as this example attests: "High ownership rates do not necessarily correlate to usage, and therefore the author cannot logically argue that the relationship between ownership and fitness automatically precludes a correlation between usage and fitness." The response does contain a few typos and minor errors, but these do not detract from its overall fluency, precise diction, and varied syntax. Because of its compelling and insightful development and fluent and precise language, this response fits all of the bullet points for a score of 6.
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