GMAT ARGUMENT类作文范文-96

Topic:

The following appeared in a letter to prospective students from the admissions office at Plateau College.

“Every person who earned an advanced degree in science or engineering from Olympus University last year received numerous offers of excellent jobs. Typically, many graduates of Plateau College have gone on to pursue advanced degrees at Olympus. Therefore, enrolling as an undergraduate at Plateau College is a wise choice for students who wish to ensure success in their careers. ”

Instructions:

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

Sample Essay

In this letter the Plateau College admissions office advises students wishing to ensure success in their careers to enroll at Plateau. In support of this advice the admissions office argues that many Plateau graduates have pursued advanced degrees at Olympus University, and that all students who earned advanced degrees in science or engineering from Olympus received numerous offers of excellent jobs. This argument is unconvincing for several reasons.

To begin with, the argument depends upon the assumption that the Plateau graduates who have pursued advanced degrees at Olympus University did so in science or engineering. Given this it is reasonable to conclude that for these students enrolling at Plateau was a wise choice. However, for students majoring in disciplines other than science or engineering it is inconclusive whether enrolling at Plateau is a good idea or not. For example, it may be the case that for students majoring in philosophy, English, or history Plateau is a poor choice because it has a mediocre program in these areas or because few of its graduates in these disciplines are admitted to Olympus.

Next, the author has failed to indicate how many Plateau graduates who pursued advanced degrees at Olympus actually received them. This information is critical to determining whether Plateau is a wise choice for students planning to attend Olympus. For example, if it turns out that only a small fraction of Plateau graduates who attend Olympus earn advanced degrees, the advice to attend Plateau would be highly dubious.

Finally, the fact that all students who earned advanced degrees in science or engineering from Olympus University last year received numerous offers of excellent jobs is insufficient to warrant the claim that this pattern will continue in the future. Lacking evidence to the contrary, it may be the case that this phenomenon was unique, and was the result of factors other than the fact that these students attended Olympus; for example perhaps a major employer moved into the area or the overall economy was unusually healthy.

In sum, the reasons for enrolling at Plateau offered by the admissions office are inconclusive. To strengthen the argument it would be necessary to show that Plateau graduates in fields other than science and engineering might also benefit from attending Olympus. Furthermore, to properly evaluate the argument, information regarding the percentage of Plateau graduates who received advanced degrees from Olympus would be required.

 

GMAT ARGUMENT类作文范文-97

Topic:

The following appeared in a memorandum sent by a vice-president of the Nadir Company to the company’s human resources department.

“Nadir does not need to adopt the costly ‘family-friendly’ programs that have been proposed, such as part-time work, work at home, and job-sharing. When these programs were made available at the Summit Company, the leader in its industry, only a small percentage of employees participated in them. Rather than adversely affecting our profitability by offering these programs, we should concentrate on offering extensive training that will enable employees to increase their productivity.”

Instructions:

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

Sample Essay

In this memorandum the vice president of Nadir Company recommends against the adoption of 'family-friendly' programs. The author's line of reasoning is that family-friendly programs such as part-time work, work-at-home and job-sharing need not be adopted because Nadir's employees will not widely participate in them. The vice president's recommendation is unconvincing for several reasons.

In the first place, the fact that only a small percentage of Summit Company's employees participated in these programs when they were offered is scant evidence that Nadir's employees will do likewise. To warrant this inference the author must assume that Summit is representative of other companies such as Nadir. Unfortunately, the author has failed to provide evidence for this crucial assumption. For example, if Summit is an emerging high-tech company whose employees are young and unmarried whereas Nadir is an established low-tech company whose employees are middle-aged and married us can expect that the percentage of employees who desire to participate in family-friendly programs would be considerably different. Lacking specific information about the companies in question it is difficult to give much credence to the vice president's position.

In the second place, the vice president has failed to make a case for the contention that the adoption of family-friendly programs will adversely affect Nadir's profitability. On the face of it none of the programs mentioned require capital outlay for new equipment or additional office space. Unless the vice president assumes that employees who participate in such programs are less productive than their full-time counterparts it is difficult to comprehend the line of reasoning that leads to this view.

Finally, the vice president assumes that 'family-friendly' programs will not increase Nadir's productivity. Lacking evidence to the contrary, there is little motivation to accept this assumption as true. In fact, common sense suggests that part-time workers and job sharers would be as productive as, or perhaps more productive than, full-time workers.

In conclusion, the vice president's recommendation against adopting family-friendly programs is not convincing. To strengthen the conclusion it must be shown that Summit is representative of other companies such as Nadir. Additionally, evidence would have to be provided for the assumption that employees who participate in family-friendly programs are less productive than other employees.

 

GMAT ARGUMENT类作文范文-98

Topic:

The following appeared as part of an article in a trade magazine for breweries.

“Magic Hat Brewery recently released the results of a survey of visitors to its tasting room last year. Magic Hat reports that the majority of visitors asked to taste its low-calorie beers. To boost sales, other small breweries should brew low-calorie beers as well. ”

Instructions:

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

Sample Essay

In this article small breweries are urged to brew low-calorie beers in order to boost sales. In support of this recommendation the author cites a survey conducted at Magic Hat Brewery revealing that a majority of visitors to its tasting room asked to taste its low-calorie beers. Presumably, the author's line of reasoning is that since the survey conducted at Magic Hat shows a high level of interest in low-calorie beers, other breweries would be wise to brew low-calorie beers as well. The author's argument is problematic for several reasons.

To begin with, the validity of the survey conducted at Magic Hat Brewery is doubtful. Lacking information about the number of visitors surveyed and the number of respondents, it is impossible to assess the results. For example, if 100 visitors were surveyed but only 20 responded the majority who asked to taste low-calorie beers could be as few as 11 0f the 100 visitors. Obviously, such a result would provide little evidence for the author's recommendation. Because the author offers no evidence that would rule out interpretations such as this, the survey results as stated are insufficient to support the recommendation.

Next, even if the results of the survey accurately reflect a high level of interest in low-calorie beers among Magic Hat's visitors, this may not be true for other breweries. While the survey is suggestive of a widespread interest in low-calorie beers, it is insufficient to establish this general claim because there is no reason to believe that Magic Hat Brewery is representative of other small breweries. For example, if Magic Hat specializes in low-calorie beers, the results of the survey would be highly questionable when applied to small breweries in general. Once again, because the author offers no evidence that would rule out interpretations such as this, the survey results as stated are insufficient to support the recommendation.

Finally, since the author's recommendation is aimed at boosting breweries' sales, it must be shown that visitor interest in tasting low-calorie beers resulted in sales of these beers. No evidence is offered in the argument to support this crucial connection. Thus the author's recommendation cannot be taken seriously.

In conclusion, the survey conducted at Magic Hat Brewery offers little support for the author's recommendation. To strengthen the conclusion the author would have to provide detailed information about the survey that demonstrates its validity Moreover, it would be necessary to show that Magic Hat Brewery was representative of other small breweries and that visitor interest in tasting low-calorie beers resulted in sales of these beers.

 

GMAT ARGUMENT类作文范文-99

Topic:

The following appeared in an editorial from a newspaper serving the town of Saluda.

“The Saluda Consolidated High School offers over 200 different courses from which its students can choose. A much smaller private school down the street offers a basic curriculum of only 80 different courses, but it consistently sends a higher proportion of its graduating seniors on to college than Consolidated does. By eliminating at least half of the courses offered there and focusing on a basic curriculum, we could improve student performance at Consolidated and also save many tax dollars.”

Instructions:

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

Sample Essay

In this editorial the author recommends that Saluda's Consolidated High School eliminate half of its 200 courses and focus primarily on basic curriculum in order to improve student performance and save tax revenues. The author's recommendation is problematic for several reasons.

To begin with, the author assumes that the only relevant difference between Consolidated and the private school is the number of courses offered by each. However, other relevant differences between the schools might account for the difference in the proportion of their graduates who go on to college. For example, the private school's students might be selected from a pool of gifted or exceptional students, or might have to meet rigorous admission standards whereas Consolidator’s students might be drawn from the community at large with little or no qualification for admission.

Next, the author assumes that the proportion of students who go on to college is an overall measure of student performance. While this is a tempting assumption, its truth is by no means obvious. If student excellence is narrowly defined in terms of the student's ability to gain access to college, this assumption is somewhat reasonable. However, given a broader conception of student excellence that takes into account student's ability to learn and apply their knowledge to new situations, it is not obvious that college admission is a reliable indicator of performance. For example, students in non-academic disciplines could conceivably perform at high levels within these disciplines but nevertheless be unable to meet college admission standards.

Finally, the author assumes that savings in tax revenues will result from the reduced costs of funding the paired-down curriculum. This is not necessarily true. For example, it could turn out that both programs serve the same number of students and require the same number of classrooms and teachers.

In conclusion, the author has not made a convincing case for the recommendation to eliminate courses at Consolidated and focus on a basic curriculum. To strengthen the conclusion the author would have to provide evidence that Consolidated and the private school were sufficiently similar to warrant the analogy between them. Moreover, the relationship between student performance and college admission and the mechanism whereby savings in tax revenues would be accomplished would have to be clarified.

 

GMAT ARGUMENT类作文范文-100

Topic:

The following appeared as part of a business plan by the Capital Idea Investment firm.

“Currently more and more books are becoming available in electronic form — either free of charge on the Internet or for a very low price per book on CD-ROM.* People who would not pay bookstore prices will now have access to whatever book they want from their home or work computers. Consequently, literary classics are likely to be read more widely than ever before: 72 percent of those responding to a recent online survey said they would read books in electronic form, and 81 percent said they believed that reading classic works was important. Given this newly developing market, we should invest in E-Classics, a new company that sells electronic versions of literary classics.”

*A CD-ROM is a small portable disc capable of storing relatively large amounts of data that can be read by a computer.

Instructions:

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

Sample Essay

In this article the author concludes that literary classics are likely to be read more widely than ever before .The author's line of reasoning is that the availability of books in electronic form and access of books via the Internet has removed the two major impediments that prevented people from reading literary classics, namely price and convenient access. Since books can be accessed from home or work via computers at little or no cost, the author believes that significant changes in the society will occur. Specifically, the author maintains that access to literary classics will affect the public's taste in reading and will result in a more learned and cultured reading audience. The author's argument is unconvincing for several reasons.

First, the author assumes that price and convenient access are the primary reasons people fail to read literary classics. While this is a tempting assumption, it is obviously true. For example, other reasons, such as lack of interest in these books or awareness of them on the part of the reading public, could equally account for the failure to read them. Consequently, it may turn out that, contrary to the author's expectation, the number of people who read literary classics is unaffected by their increased availability and lower cost.

Second, while it may be the case that access to books at affordable prices has increased as a result of new technology, the author provides no evidence for the assumption that access to literary classics at affordable prices has increased as well. On the face of it, this assumption seems innocuous; however there may be reasons that prevent literary classics from being marketed in the fashion described by the author. For example, the inability to secure the requisite permissions to reproduce these books in electronic form, or the lack of commercial interest in marketing them via the Internet could undermine the author's assumption.

In conclusion, this argument is not convincing. To strengthen the argument the author would have to provide evidence for the assumption that price and accessibility are the main reasons people fail to read literary classics. Additionally, evidence would be required for the assumption that access to literary classics will be increased.

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