GRE寫作官方題庫高頻ARGUMENT題目滿分范文分享：chain of stores selling health food

　　Nature’s Way, a chain of stores selling health food and other health-related products, is opening its next franchise in the town of Plainesville. The store should prove to be very successful: Nature’s Way franchises tend to be most profitable in areas where residents lead healthy lives, and clearly Plainesville is such an area. Plainesville merchants report that sales of running shoes and exercise clothing are at all-time highs. The local health club has more members than ever, and the weight training and aerobics classes are always full. Finally, Plainesville’s schoolchildren represent a new generation of potential customers: these schoolchildren are required to participate in a fitness-for-life program, which emphasizes the benefits of regular exercise at an early age.

　　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.

　　【滿分范文賞析】

　　In this memo the vice president of Nature’s Way (NW), a chain of stores selling health food and health-related products, recommends opening a store in Plainesville. To support this recommendation the vice president cites the following facts about Plainesville: (1) sales of exercise shoes and clothing are at all-time highs; (2) membership at the local health club has peaked; and (3) the city’s schoolchildren are required to participate in a fitness program. Close scrutiny illuminates the fact that the assumptions lend little credible support to the recommendation.

　　【本段結(jié)構(gòu)】本段采用了標準的Argument開頭段結(jié)構(gòu)，即C—A—F的開頭結(jié)構(gòu)。段落首先概括原文的Conclusion，接下來概括原文為支持其結(jié)論所引用的一系列Assumption，最后給出開頭段到正文段的過渡句，指出原文的Flaw，即其Assumption不能為其結(jié)論提供可靠的支持。

　　【本段功能】本段作為Argument開頭段，具體功能就在于發(fā)起攻擊并概括原文的結(jié)論，即NW應(yīng)在Plainesville開店。本段接下來分布列舉了原文中NW的副總裁為支持其結(jié)論所引用的事實：(1)鍛煉鞋和服裝的銷售量空前的高;(2)當?shù)亟∩砭銟凡康臅T數(shù)達到最高點;(3)該市的學童被要求參加一個健康計劃。這些信息的歸納為正文段中即將進行的具體攻擊作鋪墊。

　　Let’s first examine the assumptions that strong sales of exercise apparel indicated that Plainesville residents would be interested in NW’s products, or even that these residents are interested in exercising. Consider the possibility that exercise apparel could be in fashion. Perhaps exercise apparel is inexpensive compared to other types of clothing. For that matter, perhaps the stronger-than-usual sales are due to increasing sales to tourists. In short, without a conclusive market analysis, the vice president fails to provide a link between the sales of exercise clothing and the projected sales revenue of a new franchise. Therefore, a conclusion based on this particular assumption, that Plainesville residents would be interested in health food based on the sales of a particular style of clothes, is entirely undependable.

　　【本段結(jié)構(gòu)】本段采用了標準的Argument正文段結(jié)構(gòu)，即：概括第一個邏輯錯誤的錯誤類型和其在原文中出現(xiàn)的位置，接下來給出合理的理由和他因來反駁原文。

　　【本段功能】本段作為正文第一段，攻擊原文中出現(xiàn)的第一個重要邏輯錯誤——因果類錯誤。原文的因果鏈條如下：

　　P鎮(zhèn)運動服飾銷量高——P鎮(zhèn)居民對健身感興趣——P鎮(zhèn)居民對NW的健康食品感興趣。

　　這一因果鏈并不成立。首先，并不能推出，造成的原因也有可能是運動服的價錢便宜，或是旅游業(yè)帶動等等。其次，即便成立，也不一定說明居民對NW健康食品感興趣。因此還需要提供具體的市場調(diào)查等證據(jù)來表明成立。

　　Let’s examine this assumption a little more in depth.The rate of membership at the local health club is little indication that NW will be “very successful” in Plainesville. It is possible that club members in thePlainesvillearea are nowhere near the anticipated site for the NW store. Perhaps the club’s primary appeal isn’t even health related. Maybe it is a social site attracting members only as a meeting place. Besides, the actual number of members was never mentioned. Even if the club’s members would patronize a NW store, these members might be insufficient in number to ensure a profit for the store.

　　【本段結(jié)構(gòu)】本段采用了標準的Argument正文段結(jié)構(gòu)，即：概括第三個邏輯錯誤的錯誤類型和其在原文中出現(xiàn)的位置，接下來給出合理的理由和他因來反駁原文。

　　【本段功能】本段作為正文第三段，攻擊原文中出現(xiàn)的第三個重要邏輯錯誤——因果類錯誤。本段對上面提到的假設(shè)作進一步分析，并指出：當?shù)亟∩砭銟凡康臅T數(shù)并不能預(yù)示NW將在Plainesville“非常成功”。例如，Plainesville地區(qū)的俱樂部會員可能離NW預(yù)期開店的地方很遠，俱樂部的主要吸引力可能與健康無關(guān)，而只是一個為會員們提供集會地點的社交場所。另外，原文中也從未提及俱樂部會員的具體數(shù)目。即使俱樂部的會員們會光顧NW的商店，這些會員們在數(shù)量上也可能并不足以保證商店盈利。

　　Now, let’s attend the assumption that a mandatory fitness program inPlainesville’s schools somehow indicates that a franchise would be very successful there. Without a market analysis, we cannot determine the spending power of this demographic, nor can we determine their ability to affect overall household buying habits. Besides, mandatory participation is no indication of genuine interest in health, fitness or related products.

　　【本段結(jié)構(gòu)】本段采用了標準的Argument正文段結(jié)構(gòu)，即：概括第四個邏輯錯誤的錯誤類型和其在原文中出現(xiàn)的位置，接下來給出合理的理由和他因來反駁原文。

　　【本段功能】本段作為正文第四段，攻擊原文中出現(xiàn)的第四個重要邏輯錯誤——因果類錯誤。原文假設(shè)在Plainesville的學校中開設(shè)的一個強制性的健康計劃將以某種方式預(yù)示著NW的商店將會非常成功。如果沒有一個市場分析，我們不能確定該地區(qū)人們的購買力，也不能確定他們影響全部住戶購買習慣的能力。另外，強制性的參與也并不能體現(xiàn)出對于健康或相關(guān)產(chǎn)品的真實興趣。

　　In sum, the recommendation of the vice president relies on unproven assumptions, whichrender the argument unconvincing. To bolster argument and validate the recommendation, the vice president must provide clearerconnections between the argument and the assumptions upon which it is based.

　　【本段結(jié)構(gòu)】本段采用了標準的Argument結(jié)尾段結(jié)構(gòu)，即C—S的結(jié)尾結(jié)構(gòu)。段落首先再次重申原文站不住腳的Conclusion，接下來給出可以增強原文說服力的合理的Suggestion，包括原文作者需要進一步提供的證據(jù)和信息等。

　　【本段功能】本段作為Argument結(jié)尾段，具體功能即為總結(jié)歸納+提出建議。段落首先再次重申強調(diào)Argument作者的論證不合理，接下來給出合理的建議：副總裁必須對Argument和其所基于的Assumption之間提供更清晰的關(guān)聯(lián)。