Argument 101

The following appeared in a memo from the president of a company that makes breakfast cereals.
"In a recent study, subjects who ate soybeans at least five times per week had significantly lower cholesterol levels than subjects who ate no soy products. By fortifying our Wheat-O cereal with soy protein, we can increase sales by appealing to additional consumers who are concerned about their health. This new version of Wheat-O should increase company profits and, at the same time, improve the health of our customers."
下述文字摘自某家生产早餐谷类食品的公司总裁的备忘录。
　　“在最近的一份研究中，每周至少吃五次大豆的受试者，其胆固醇含量远低于那些不吃任何大豆产品的受试者。通过用大豆蛋白质来增强我们的Wheat－O早餐食品，我们就可以通过吸引那些关注其健康的额外顾客来提高销售量。这种Wheat-O新产品可望提高公司利润并同时改善我们顾客的健康水平。”

Argument 102

The following appeared in a letter from the mayor of Tudor City.
"After a major airline chose Yorkville as its regional flight hub, the number of businesses in that city almost doubled and local tax revenue increased by 50 percent. In addition, as travel to Yorkville became easier, most respondents to a survey of the country's top executives identified Yorkville as a desirable place to transact business. To secure efficient transportation for Tudor City and stimulate our local economy, we should build a new airport, like the one in Yorkville, that is suitable for a regional flight hub."
下述文字摘自Tudor市长的一封信函。
　　“在一家大航空公司选择Yorkville市作为其地方性航班枢纽之后，该城市的商业量几乎翻了一倍，当地的税收收益也增加了50％。此外，随着去往Yorkville市的飞行变得更为容易，最近对我国高层行政总裁所作的一项调查的大多数受访者表示，有意将Yorkville市作为进行商业交易的一个可取场所。为了给Tudor市带来顺畅的运输并刺激我们当地的经济，我们应该建设一个新机场，一个像Yorkville市那样的机场，能适合于作为一个地方性航班枢纽。”

Argument 103

Blue City Highway had always been notorious for its tight curves and poor roadway visibility, and the accident rate there was generally very high. Last year the highway was redesigned to broaden the curves and improve roadway visibility. Drivers report that they now feel much safer driving on the highway and that the redesign has been a big improvement. But the number of accidents on the highway has not been significantly lower in the six months since the redesign than it was in the six months before the redesign. Therefore, the redesign clearly did not improve the curves and roadway visibility enough to make a difference.
　　“蓝色城市公路一直以其急转弯和低下的路面能见度而臭名昭著，那里的事故发生率普遍很高。去年，该公路重新设计拓宽了弯道，并提高了路面能见度。司机们反映，他们现在在该公路上开车感觉安全多了，这项重新设计确实是一项重大的改进。但是，重新设计以来的6个月中，较之于重新设计前的6个月中，该公路上的事故发生率并没有出现显著的下降。因此，这项新设计显然没能改进弯道状况和路面能见度，不足以带来重大的改观。”

Argument 104

One kind of brain-scanning device is used by doctors to monitor normal as well as abnormal activity in a patient's brain. The device provides precise measurements of blood flow in the brain, a known indicator of how the brain is working. Unfortunately, the device requires patients to remain completely still with their heads in the scanning machine, which makes a very loud noise. Under these uncomfortable conditions, it is doubtful that doctors can get accurate measurements. A new head-mounted device that measures eye movements rather than blood flow and allows patients to move around will undoubtedly provide better brain measurements. Thus, the new head-mounted device should replace the older device at all hospitals and research institutions.
　　“有一种大脑扫描装置被大夫用来监视病人大脑中正常与非正常的活动。该装置能提供有关大脑中血流情况的精确测量，而血流则是一种已知的示踪物，可反映出大脑是如何工作的。不幸的是，该装置要求病人保持绝对的静止，将头置于发生巨大噪声的扫描器中。在这些令人不适的状况下，大夫们能够获得精确的测量是令人怀疑的。一种新的安放在头上的可测量眼睛移动而非血液流动并可允许病人到处活动的装置，无疑将提供更好的大脑测量。因此，这种新型的、安放在头部的装置应该在所有的医院和研究机构替代老式装置。”

Argument 105

The following appeared in a health newsletter.
"According to a recent study, people with many social ties report catching colds less often than do people with few social ties. Consequently, researchers conclude that having an active social life probably helps strengthen the immune system. The researchers note that catching a cold—one of a family of highly contagious viruses—gives the cold-sufferer temporary immunity to that virus in the future, but not to the many other related viruses. Merely being exposed to a new cold virus, however, is not enough for a person to catch a cold, since a strong immune system can successfully fight off some new viruses. Thus, in order to prevent catching a cold, people should strengthen their immune systems by becoming more active socially."
下述文字摘自一份健康时事通讯。
　　“依照一项近期的研究，拥有很多社会关系的人们反映，他们和那些社会关系不多的人相比，不会那么频繁地患上感冒。因此，研究人员得出结论认为，进行一种积极的社会生活可能有助于增强其免疫系统的功能。研究者们指出，患上感冒——极具传染性的病毒中的一种——使感冒患者具备了在未来针对该病毒的短暂免疫力，但对其他许多相关的病毒则不具免疫力。但是，纯粹受到一种新的感冒病毒的影响不足以使一个人患上感冒，因为一个强健的免疫系统能够成功抵御某些新病毒。因此，为了预防感冒，人们应该参与更多的社会活动，从而来增强他们的免疫系统。”

Argument 106

The following editorial appeared in a newspaper in the country of Solaria
"The Eliot Valley region was primarily agricultural twenty years ago. In the past twenty years, however, many computer-chip manufacturers have opened factories there. A recent study found that water pollution in the region was worse than in any other region in the country. Moreover, the computer-chip factories, which use large quantities of water to manufacture the chips, are probably responsible for the low levels of water in the region's lakes and reservoirs. Therefore, if the region's computer-chip makers had limits placed on the amount of water they could use, water quality would improve."
下述论述摘自Solaria国的某份报纸 .
　　“20年前，Eliot流域一带主要是农业性质的。但在过去的20年中，许多电脑芯片制造厂商已在那里开办工厂。最近的一项研究发现，该地区的水污染要糟糕于该国的其他任何地区。此外，电脑芯片厂，由于在制造芯片过程中需要消耗大量的水，可能造成了该地区湖泊和水库的水位下降。因此，如果本地区的电脑芯片制造商们被限制用水，水质无疑能得到提高。"

Argument 107

The following appeared in an editorial in the Seatown newspaper.
"Seatown has a large port exclusively for fishing boats, whose owners pay fees for the upkeep of the docks and for facilities for cleaning engines and repairing nets. In recent years, declining fish populations have decreased fishing revenue and forced many owners to stop fishing altogether. As a result, the port has a high vacancy rate and port managers are considering allowing pleasure boats, including cruise ships and other large vessels, to use the port in order to increase revenue. But allowing pleasure boats into the port would be a mistake, because the fishing boats would be forced out of the port. We should preserve the port for the fishing fleet, which, unlike pleasure boats, contributes to the prosperity of Seatown."
下述文字摘自海城报纸上的一篇社论。
　　“海城拥有一个专门用来停泊渔船的大港口，渔船主人支付费用来维持码头的运行，购买用以清洗机器和补网的设备。近年来，鱼类数量的减少已降低了渔业的收益，迫使许多渔船主人彻底停止了捕鱼。这样一来，港口的空置率很高，港口经营者们正在考虑让游船，包括游艇和其他大型船只使用港口，以便提高收益。但允许游船进入港口将会是个错误，因为渔船会被迫撤出港口。我们应该将港口留给渔船船队，因为它与游船不同，可促进海城的繁荣。”

Argument 108

The following appeared in a Brenton newspaper.
"The Brenton power plant draws water from Scott's River for its cooling system and releases the warmed water back into the river. The town council recommends that the plant install a more efficient cooling system that uses less water, claiming it will be more environmentally sound. However, in Uptown, where the new system is used, a study found that the complex network of pipes in the new system tends to accumulate algae. The build up of algae can be avoided by scrubbing the pipes, which is costly, or by adding an herbicide to the water in the pipes to prevent algae accumulation. But water containing the herbicide cannot be released back into the river and it is known that low water levels can harm river ecosystems accustomed to higher levels. Therefore, Brenton power plant should continue to use the old cooling system exclusively."
下述文字摘自某份Brenton报纸。
　　“Brenton发电厂从Scott河汲水用于其冷却系统，并将受热的水重新排入河内。市政厅建议该发电厂安装一个更加有效并可减少用水的冷却系统，声称这一系统将更为环保。但是，在已使用了这套新系统的Uptown市，一项研究发现，新系统中复杂的管道网往往会造成水藻的积累。水藻的积聚可通过擦洗管道而得以避免，当然这样做成本昂贵，也可以在管道的水中添加一种杀虫剂而预防水藻的积累。但含有杀虫剂的水不能被重新排入河中，并且，众所周知，水位的下降会损害习惯于高水位的生态系统。因此，Brenton发电厂应该继续只使用旧的冷却系统。”

Argument 109

The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Maple City newspaper.
"Twenty years ago Pine City established strict laws designed to limit the number of new buildings that could be constructed in the city. Since that time the average housing prices in Pine City have increased considerably. Chestnut City, which is about the same size as Pine City, has over the past twenty years experienced an increase in average housing prices similar to Pine City, but Chestnut City never established any laws that limit new building construction. So it is clear that laws limiting new construction have no effect on average housing prices. So if Maple City were to establish strict laws that limit new building construction, these laws will have no effect on average housing prices."
下述文字摘自致《Maple市报》编辑的一封信函。
　　“20年前，Pine市建立了严格的法律，旨在限制可在市内建造的新建筑物的数量。自那时起，Pine市内住房的平均售价已大幅上升。与Pine市的规模大致相同的Chestnut市在过去的20年中经历了与Pine市相似的平均房价的上升，但Chestnut市从没有制定过新建筑物建造的任何法律。因此，显而易见，限制新住房建设的法律对住房的平均售价丝毫没有影响。因此，如果Maple市果真要制定严格的法律来限制新住宅的建设，这些法律将不会对住房的平均售价产生任何的影响。”

Argument 110

The following appeared in a memo from the Principal of Sherwood Junior High School.
"It appears that the lighting in Sherwood High's classrooms, which have large windows but minimal overhead light sources, is impairing student academic performance and teacher morale. Records show that during December and January, the two months with the fewest hours of daylight, attendance rates fall, average daily class participation drops, and grades decline. Teacher resignations are also highest during these months. According to a study of Tundra Vocational School, which experiences entire seasons with little daylight, students' grade point averages increased when Day Glow light bulbs, which mimic sunlight, were installed in classrooms. This study suggests that Sherwood can improve students' academic performance and teachers' morale by using Day Glow light bulbs in winter."
下述文字摘自Sherwood初中校长的一份备忘录。
　　“看来，Sherwood中学的教室照明正在损害学生的学业表现和教员的士气。这些教室设有大窗户，但天花板上仅有微不足道的光源。记录表明，在12月和1月这两个白天光照时间最短的月份中，上课出勤率就会下降，课程的日平均参与程度下降，学习成绩也下降。教员的辞职也在这两个月份达到最高的程度。按照Tundra职业学校（该学校会经历整个季节几乎没有白昼阳光的情况）所作的一项研究，学生的绩点（GPA）随着教室里安装了能模仿阳光的白昼光灯泡而提高。这项研究表明，Sherwood中学通过在冬天使用白昼光灯泡，就能提高学生的学业表现和教员的士气。”

Argument 111

The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of marketing at Dura-Sock, Inc.
"A recent study of Dura-Sock wearers suggests that our company is wasting the money it spends on its patented "Endure" manufacturing process, which ensures that our socks are strong enough to last for two years. Dura-Sock has always advertised its use of the "Endure" process, but the new study shows that the average Dura-Sock customer actually purchases new Dura-Socks every three months. Furthermore, Dura-Sock customers surveyed in our largest market, northeastern United States cities, say that they most value Dura-Sock's stylish appearance and availability in many colors. These findings suggest that Dura-Sock can increase its profits by discontinuing its use of the "Endure" manufacturing process."
下述文字摘自Dura-Sock公司营销副总裁的一份备忘录。
　　“一项对穿戴Dura-Sock公司产品的用户最近所作的研究表明，我们公司花在它拥有专利的‘耐穿’制造工艺上的钱纯属浪费。这项专利可保证我们生产的袜子牢固得足以耐穿两年之久。Dura-Sock公司在广告中一直宣传它采用了‘耐穿’工艺，但该项新研究表明，Dura-Sock产品的普通购买者实际上每三个月就要新购买Dura-Sock的产品。此外，在美国东北部城市我们最大的市场中所调查的顾客，他们均反映，他们最喜欢Dura-Sock产品那种款式新颖的外观以及丰富的颜色。这些调查发现表明，Dura-Sock公司即使停止使用其‘耐穿’制造工艺，也能增加其利润。”

Argument 112

The following proposal was raised at a meeting of the Franklin City 。
"Franklin Airport, which is on a bay, is notorious for flight delays. The airport management wants to build new runways to increase capacity but can only do so by filling in 900 acres of the bay. The Bay Coalition organization objects that filling in the bay will disrupt tidal patterns and harm wildlife. But the airport says that if it is permitted to build its new runways, it will fund the restoration of 1,000 acres of wetlands in areas of the bay that have previously been damaged by industrialization. This plan should be adopted, for it is necessary to reduce the flight delays, and the wetlands restoration part of the plan ensures that the bay's environment will actually be helped rather than hurt."
Council下述建议是在Franklin市政委员会的会议上提出的
　　"位于港湾上的Franklin机场以航班延误而臭名昭著。机场管理层打算建造一条新的跑道来提高空运能力，但要做到这一点，必须填埋900英亩的港湾面积。港湾联盟组织对此持反对态度，认为填埋港湾将会扰乱潮汐模式，危及到野生生命。但机场说，如果它被允许去建造新跑道，它将资助港湾地区此前被工业化所破坏的1000英亩湿地的恢复。这一计划应被采纳，因为它对于减少航班延误来说是十分必要的，并且该计划中的湿地恢复项目可确保港湾的环境将在实际上获益而非受损。"

Argument 113

The following was published by a consumer protection agency
"Three years ago, So-Low launched a nationwide ad campaign, focusing heavily on sunny regions and distributing free sunglasses there. But although So-Low sunglasses cost less than higher-priced brands, they block a smaller proportion of the Sun's rays, including the type of rays known to damage the eyes even when the person wearing the sunglasses feels no discomfort. A recent study suggests that So-Low sunglasses can actually increase the risk of damage to people's eyes by creating a false sense of security. The study shows a sharp increase in the incidence of vision problems in the sunny regions over the past three years. These findings suggest that anyone concerned about eye damage from the Sun should avoid So-Low brand and instead either pay for higher-priced brands or wear no sunglasses at all."
下述文字摘自某消费者保护机构出版的某份材料.
　　"三年前，So-Low品牌展开了一场全国性的广告战，广告的焦点集中在日照强烈的地区，并在那些地方免费发放太阳镜。但是，虽然So-Low品牌的太阳镜售价低于价位较高的品牌，它们只能阻隔较少的一部分阳光，包括有一类已知的光线，这种光线即使戴太阳镜的人感觉不到任何不适，也会危害眼睛。最近的一项研究表明，So-Low品牌的太阳镜实际上会增加人们眼睛受损的风险，因为它会制造一种虚假的安全感。该项研究显示，在过去的三年中，那些日照强烈的地区视力问题的发病率显著上升。这些研究结果表明，任何人如果关心太阳对眼睛造成的伤害的话，就应该避免购买So-Low牌的太阳镜，相反，应该去购买售价较高的那些品牌，或者根本不戴任何的太阳镜。"

Argument 114

A recently completed study shows that people dwelling in stairs-only apartment buildings (that is, buildings without elevators) live an average of three years longer than do people who live in buildings with both elevators and stairs. A second study shows that elderly residents of buildings with elevators make, on average, twice as many visits to doctors each year as do elderly residents of buildings without elevators. These findings suggest that even a very moderate amount of daily exercise, such as that required to use the stairs leading to and from one's apartment, can increase people's health and longevity. The findings also suggest that new apartment buildings should be constructed with as few elevators as possible.
“一项近期完成的研究显示，那些居住在仅有楼梯的公寓大楼（即没有电梯的大楼）的人们，其平均奉命要比那些居住在既有楼梯又有电梯的大楼里的居民高出三年。第二项研究显示，带有电梯的大楼的老年居民，每年看大夫的次数要比没有电梯的大楼的居民高出二倍。这些研究发现表明，即使是数量适中的日常锻炼，诸如要求使用楼梯离开住处和返回住处的行走，也能提高人们的健康和寿命。这些研究也表明，新公寓大楼在建造时应尽可能少地安装电梯。”

Argument 115

The following appeared in a clothing industry trade journal in the country of Sartoria.
"A popular fashion magazine recently conducted a survey of consumers' opinions about clothing prices, using prepaid mailing envelopes. Eighty-nine percent of the approximately 20,000 respondnts reported that they were either "dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied" with current clothing prices. The large number of responses indicates that the Sartorian clothing industry is at risk. Given the survey results, clothing manufacturers must find a way to reduce prices in order to keep their existing customers and maintain their businesses."
下述文字摘自Sartoria国的某服装行业的贸易杂志。
　　“一家通俗时尚杂志最近使用预付邮资的信封，就服装价格对消费者的看法进行了调查。在近20，000名受访者中，89％的人反映他们对目前的服装价格‘不满’或‘非常不满’。如此众多数量的回答表明，Sartoria国家的服装行业正面临着风险。鉴于这些调查结果，服装制造商们必须找到一个方法来降低价格，以便能保持现有的客户，并维持其业务运转。”

Argument 116

The following appeared in a memo from Grocery Town's regional manager.
"The new Grocery Town store in Elm City, located near a new residential development, has a 'high-low' pricing policy where average prices are relatively high, but deep discounts are offered on some items in weekly specials. This store has been showing increased profits every month as the nearby residential development gets closer to full capacity. It follows that people prefer a pricing policy where they can find bargains on specific items. Since there is a new residential development planned in Oak City, we should change the pricing policy at all of our Oak City stores from our current 'everyday low prices' policy to a 'high-low' policy. This will increase the profits at all of our stores in Oak City."
下述文字摘自Grocery Town地区经理备忘录。
　　“Elm市内新开设的Grocery Town商店位于一个新住宅开发小区附近，它实施一种‘先高后低’的定价政策，平均价格相对很高，但每周特卖的某些商品实行大额减价。随着附近的这家住宅开发小区接近全部入住，这家商店每月的盈利呈不断上升的态势。据此可以得出结论，人们所喜欢的定价政策，应让人们在某些特定商品上能享受减价优惠。由于Oak市正在规划一个新的住宅开发小区，我们应该在我们Oak市的全部商店内改变定价政策，将我们目前实施的‘每日低价’政策改为‘先高后低’的政策。这将提高我们在Oak市所有商店的利润。”

Argument 117

The following is a memo from the business manager of Valu-Mart stores.
"Over 70 percent of the respondents to a recent survey reported that they are required to take more work home with them from the workplace than they were in the past. Since Valu-Mart has not seen impressive sales in its office-supply departments in the past, we should take advantage of this work-at-home trend by increasing at all Valu-Mart stores the stock of home office machines such as printers, small copy machines, paper shredders, and fax machines. We will also increase stock of office supplies such as paper, pens, and staplers. With these changes, our office-supply departments will become the most profitable component of our stores."
下述文字摘自Valu-Mart商店业务经理的备忘录。
　　“一项近期调查的70％以上的受访者反映，他们现在被要求从工作单位带回家去完成的工作量要比过去多。由于Valu-Mart商店的办公用品供应部在过去从未有过可观的销售表现，我们应该充分利用这一家庭办公的潮流，在所有Valu-Mart商店里增加家庭办公设备的进货，如打印机、小型复印机、碎纸机以及传真机。我们也应该增加办公用品供应的进货，如纸、笔和订书机等。凭藉这些改变，我们的办公用品供应部将成为我们商店利润最丰厚的部门。”

Argument 118

The following appeared in a newsletter from a national astronomy association.
"Various sources are predicting higher-than-average temperatures across the country next winter, including in Sun City, the traditional location of our yearly winter conference. Higher winter temperatures are sure to result in higher-than-usual tourism in Sun City, a location already known for its attractive beaches and good weather. Hotels will have fewer rooms available, transportation will be more difficult to reserve, and public places such as parks and restaurants will be more crowded. These conditions are likely to significantly reduce attendance at the conference. We should therefore move our conference to a city less popular with winter tourists."
下述文字摘自全国天文协会的时事通讯。
　　“各种资料来源都在预测，明年冬季全国各地将会出现高于平均水平的气温，包括作为我们冬季年会传统地点的太阳城。较高的冬季气温无疑会导致太阳城非同寻常的旅游热潮，因为太阳城早已以其引人入胜的海滩和良好的气候而著称。旅馆中能入住的房间将会数量减少，交通也将更加难以预订，像公园和餐馆等公共场所也将更加拥挤。这些状况都有可能大幅度减少我们学术会议的出席率。因此，我们应该将年会移至一个冬季旅游者较少光顾的城市。”

Argument 119

The following is a letter to the editor of the Waymarsh Times
"Traffic problems here in Waymarsh are obviously reaching record levels. While just three months ago it would take me 15 minutes to get to work, it now takes closer to 25. Waymarsh should follow the example of our neighboring city Gearsville. Last year, Gearsville implemented a policy that rewards people who share rides to work with coupons for free gas. Pollution levels in Gearsville have dropped since the policy was implemented, and several friends who live in Gearsville tell me that their trip to work is quicker than it used to be. With the terrible traffic and high pollution in Waymarsh, we must implement a policy similar to Gearsville's."
下述文字摘自一封致《Waymarsh时代》编辑的信函。
　　"Waymarsh市这里的交通问题正明显趋近历史最高水平。就在3个月前，我路上只需花15分钟就能到单位上班，但现在却要花将近25分钟的时间。Waymarsh应该学习邻市Gearsville的榜样。Gearsville市实施了一项政策，用免费汽油票奖励那些搭车上班的人。自该政策实施以来，Gearville市的污染程度已经下降，我的几个居住在Gearsville市的朋友告诉我，他们上班所花的时间要比过去短。考虑到Waymarsh市可怕的交通和污染问题，我们必须实施一种与Gearville市相似的政策。"

Argument 120

The following appeared in a health newsletter.
"A ten-year nationwide study of the effectiveness of wearing a helmet while bicycling indicates that ten years ago, approximately 35 percent of all bicyclists reported wearing helmets, whereas today that number is nearly 80 percent. Another study, however, suggests that during the same ten-year period, the number of accidents caused by bicycling has increased 200 percent. These results demonstrate that bicyclists feel safer because they are wearing helmets and they take more risks as a result. Thus, to reduce the number of serious injuries from bicycle accidents, the government should concentrate more on educating people about bicycle safety and less on encouraging or requiring bicyclists to wear helmets."
下述文字摘自一份健康方面的时事通讯。
　　"一项为期10年的有关骑自行车过程中戴头盔有效性的全国研究表明，10年前，所有自行车骑车者中只有约35％的人称会戴头盔，但现在该数字已上升至近80％。但另一项研究显示，在同一个10年期，骑自行车所造成的事故数量增加了200％。这些结果表明，自行车骑车者觉得，因为他们戴着头盔，所以更为安全，因而就做出更多的冒险举动。因此，为了减少自行车事故中的重伤数量，政府应该将更多的注意力用来就骑车安全对民众展开教育，而非鼓励或要求骑车者戴头盔。"

Argument 121

The following is a memo from the president of Cyberell Computer Comp“any.
"All of our customer-service employees recently attended a two-day retreat during which they received retraining in effective customer service. Subsequently, Cyberell's employee-performance study showed that the retreat benefited new employees—those who have worked with Cyberell for less than two years—far more than it did experienced employees. According to the study, after the retreat new employees were able to handle an average of ten percent more calls per hour, and the total number of customer complaints about new employees decreased, but experienced employees showed little improvement in these areas. Therefore, Cyberell should send only new employees to future retreats and should use the resulting savings to double the length of the retreats so that the retreats will be more likely to yield optimum employee performance.”
下述文字摘自Cyberell计算机公司总裁的备忘录。
　　“我们所有的客户服务员工最近参加了一次为期两天的休整，其间接受了有效客户服务的重新培训。此后，Cyberell公司的员工表现研究显示，该休整培训给新员工——那些在Cyberell公司工作不足两年时间的员工——带来的益处甚于那些熟练员工。按照该项研究，在接受休整培训之后，新员工每小时接听电话的数量提高了10％，顾客对新员工投诉的总数也下降了，但熟练员工在这些方面没有表现出什么改观。因此，Cyberell公司应该在未来的休整中只派新员工参加，并应该将随后节省下来的费用用来将休整的时间增加一倍，这样，这些休整将更可能带来最佳的员工表现。”

Argument 122

The following appeared in the Pine City Gazette.
"Fifteen years ago, Pine City launched an electricity-conservation program that reimbursed residents some of the cost for replacing energy-wasteful motors, home office equipment, and home appliances with energy-efficient ones. For ten years, spending on this program increased annually, and annual total energy consumption declined. But spending on the program began to decline five years ago, and since then Pine City's total electricity consumption has increased sharply. If this increased usage continues, the city will have to build a costly new power plant. Obviously the best way to avoid this expense is to increase reimbursement to residents for replacing energy-wasteful equipment. This will reduce energy usage to the levels of five years ago."
下述文字摘自《Pine市报》。
　　“15年前，Pine市发起了一项节约用电计划，对那些用省电设备来替代浪费用电的电机，家庭办公设备和家用电器的居民，可为其报销某些费用。在10年中，用于这一计划的开支每年有增无减，每年总耗电量也趋下降。但5年前，用于该计划的费用开始下降，但从此以后Pine市的总用电量直线上升。如果这种日趋上升的用电量继续下去的话，本市将不得不去建造一座造价昂贵的新发电厂。显而易见，避免这一庞大开支的最佳途径是对居民替换浪费能源的设备的做法提高补偿力度。这可以将用电量降低到5年前的水平。”

Argument 123

The following appeared in a health newsletter.
"Eating a heavy meal may increase the risk of heart attack. A recent survey of 2,000 people who had had a heart attack revealed that 158 of them said they had eaten a heavy meal within 24 hours before their heart attack, and 25 of them said they had eaten a heavy meal within 2 hours before their heart attack. Eating and digesting food releases hormones into the bloodstream and temporarily increases heart rate and blood pressure slightly. Both of these things put stress on the heart. Therefore, people who are at risk of having a heart attack can lower that risk by not overeating."
下述文字摘自一份关于健康的时事通讯。
　　“吃饭时饮食过量会增加发生心脏病的风险。最近对曾患过心脏病的2000人所作的调查显示，其中有158人说他们曾在心脏病发生之前的24小时内暴饮暴食，有25人说他们在心脏病发生之前的2小时内曾暴饮暴食。吃东西和消化东西会将荷尔蒙释放到血液中，可暂时使心跳速度和血压稍有增加。这两个因素都可以加大心脏病的压力。因此，有心脏病风险的人可以通过避免暴饮暴食而降低这一风险。”

Argument 124

The following is a memo from the business manager of National Daily News.
"To expand the home delivery service of our national newspaper, we should concentrate on the state of Urba rather than on the state of Sylva. First, the population of Sylva is more widely dispersed, which would require us to spend more money to deliver our papers in that area, resulting in less profit per customer. Second, a long-term study of television viewing habits suggests that Sylvans prefer local to national news, since they spend twice as much time viewing local news programs as they do viewing national programs. Finally, because events in Urba receive more coverage in our newspaper than do events in Sylva, we can expect Urbans to be more interested in reading our newspaper."
下述文字摘自《全国每日新闻》业务经理的备忘录。
　　“为了扩大我们全国性报纸的家庭投递服务，我们应该将注意力集中在Urba州，而非Sylva州。首先，Sylva州的人口分布得更为稀疏，这就需要我们花更多的钱在那个地区投递我们的报纸，每个顾客身上的盈利率将会减少。其次，对电视观看习惯所作的一项长期研究表明，Sylvan州的读者爱看当地的而非全国性的新闻，因为他们观看当地新闻节目所花的时间是他们观看全国性新闻的两倍。最后，由于Urba州所发生的事件在我们报纸中获得的报道甚于Sylva州所发生的事件，因此，我们预料Urba州的人会对阅读我们的报纸更感兴趣。”

Argument 125

The following is a recommendation from the president of Appleby College.
"Whereas Appleby College holds class reunions every five years, Edelston College holds annual reunions for all classes, during which Edelston's alumni are treated to banquets, lectures, and student performances, enhancing their loyalty to the college and their willingness to donate money. Edelston College receives most of its alumni donations during or shortly after these reunions. Therefore, the best way for Appleby to increase its alumni donations is to offer similar reunion activities and to have each graduating class hold annual reunions."
下述文字摘自Appleby学院院长的一份建议书。
　　“Appleby学院每5年举办一次班级重聚联谊会。而Edelston学院则为所有的班级举办每年一度的重聚联谊会。在这些联谊会上，Edelston学院的校长被安排参加宴会，讲座以及学生汇演，从而增强了校友们对学校的忠诚度，促使他们更愿意捐款。Edelton学校的大多数校友捐款都是在这些联谊会期间或之后的短期内获得的。因此，Appleby学院增加其校友捐款的最佳途径是去举办类似的联谊活动，让每个毕业班举行每年一度的重聚联谊会。”

Argument 126

The following appeared in a health magazine.
"It has long been believed that getting at least eight hours of sleep a night is good for health. But a recent six-year study of adult sleeping habits found that people who reported sleeping eight or more hours a night had a higher rate of certain health problems than did those who reported sleeping seven hours a night. People who reported sleeping five hours a night also had an increased rate of the health problems, but this increase was slight compared to that for people who reported sleeping eight or more hours a night. Clearly, people should try to get seven hours of sleep, and they should worry more about getting too much sleep than too little."
下述文字摘自一本健康杂志。
　　“长期以来，人们相信夜间至少8个小时的睡眠时间有益于身体健康。但近期完成的一项对成年人睡眠习惯所作的为期6年的研究却发现，那些反映每夜睡眠8个或8个以上小时的人，他们某些健康问题的发病率要高于那些每夜睡眠７个小时的人。那些反映每夜只睡５小时的人，他们发生健康问题的比例也较高，但与每夜睡８个小时或８个小时以上的人的情况相比则显得微不足道。显而易见，人们应该尽可能每夜只睡７个小时，并且，他们所应该担忧的不是睡得太少，而是睡得太多。”

Argument 127

The vice president for human resources at Climpson Industries sent the following recommendation to the company's president.
"In an effort to improve our employees' productivity, we should implement electronic monitoring of employees' Internet use from their workstations. Employees who use the Internet from their workstations need to be identified and punished if we are to reduce the number of work hours spent on personal or recreational activities, such as shopping or playing games. By installing software to detect employees' Internet use on company computers, we can prevent employees from wasting time, foster a better work ethic at Climpson, and improve our overall profits."
下述文字摘自Climpson Industries公司人力资源副总裁递交给公司总裁的建议书。
　　"为了提高我们员工的生产效率，我们应该对员工从其智能终端上使用互联网实施电子监测。如果我们想要减少员工们花在诸如购物或玩游戏一类个人或娱乐性活动上的时间，我们就必须找出那些从其智能终端上使用互联网的员工并对其实施惩罚。通过安装能测量出员工是否在公司电脑上使用了互联网的软件，我们就能防止员工浪费时间，在Climpson公司培养起更好的工作伦理，提高我们的总体利润。”

Argument 128

The following appeared in an editorial in the Garden City Gazette.
"To address the parking problems in our downtown business district, it has been proposed that the city increase parking capacity by building a four-story parking garage. However, this project would cost more than it would to improve the downtown pedestrian plaza. Because the pedestrian plaza is an important attraction that draws people to the downtown area, improvements to it will increase business for downtown merchants. The merchants' higher profits will ultimately produce increased tax revenues for the city. Therefore, we should invest in the plaza improvements first and then use the revenues thus generated to pay for the construction of the parking garage."
下述文字摘自《花园城市报》的某篇社论。
　　"为了解决本市繁华商业区的泊车问题，有人提出修建一座4层停车库来扩大停车容量。但这一计划所耗资金会超过用来改造繁华商业区步行广场所需耗费的资金。由于步行广场已成为吸引人们前来繁华商业区的一股重要吸引力，故对它进行改造将为繁华商业区的商家带来更多的商机。而商家更高的盈利最终也会给本市带来更为可观的税收收益。因此，我们应该首先投资进行广场改造，然后用随之而来的收益来支付停车场建设所需的费用。”

Argument 129

The following appeared in the Sherwood Times newspaper.
"A recent study reported that pet owners have longer, healthier lives on average than do people who own no pets. Specifically, dog owners tend to have a lower incidence of heart disease. In light of these findings, Sherwood Hospital should form a partnership with Sherwood Animal Shelter to institute an 'adopt-a-dog' program. The program would encourage dog ownership for patients recovering from heart disease, which will help reduce medical costs by reducing the number of these patients needing ongoing treatment. In addition, the publicity about the program will encourage more people to adopt pets from the shelter, which will reduce the risk of heart disease in the general population."
下述文字摘自《Sherwood时代报》
　　“近期的一项研究显示，那些饲养宠物的居民平均而言要比那些不饲养宠物的居民生活得更为长寿，且更为健康。具体而言，养狗的主人心脏病的发生率相对较低。鉴于这些研究发现，Sherwood医院应该与Sherwood动物收容所建立一种伙伴关系，开始实施一项‘收养一条狗’的计划。该计划旨在鼓励那些正在从心脏病中康复的患者去拥有一条狗，这样就可以通过减少需要接受治疗的患者数量，从而促进医疗费用的降低。此外，围绕着这一计划所展开的宣传将会鼓励更多的人们从收容所中收养宠物，从而减少全体市民心脏病的患病风险。"

Argument 130

The following appeared in the annual report of a chain of stores that sell supplies for do-it-yourself home improvements.
"Current reports indicate that sales of new homes nationwide declined by 9 percent during the past year, while sales of existing homes increased by 16 percent. Thus we can expect that the percentage of homeowners who will be making repairs or improvements to their homes will also increase. In addition, people who buy existing homes will have more money left over after the purchase to spend on home improvements. Finally, people who buy existing homes are more likely to make improvements themselves, as opposed to paying someone else. These factors combined indicate we can expect an increasing demand for products in all our stores nationwide, thus increasing our profits in the coming year."
下述文字摘自某家连锁商店的年度报告，该连锁商店销售自己动手美化家庭用品的供货。
　　“目前的报告表明，全国新住房的销售在去年下降了9％，但既存住房的销售却增加了16％。因此我们预计，进行家居装修的房主的比例也将增加。此外，购买既存住房的人们会在购房之后有更多的节余用来花费在家居美化上。最后，购买现有住房的人更有可能亲自进行家居美化，而不是花钱请人来做。这些因素结合起来，充分表明我们分布在全国各地的商店中，商品的需求量将会上升，因此在来年增加我们的利润。”

Argument 131

The following appeared in an environmental newsletter published in Tria Island
"Its regulations ban dumping and offshore oil drilling within 20 miles of Tria, but fishing is not banned. Currently many fish populations in Tria's waters are declining, a situation blamed on pollution. In contrast, the marine sanctuary on Omni Island has regulations that ban dumping, offshore oil drilling, and fishing within 10 miles of Omni and Omni reports no significant decline in its fish populations. Clearly, the decline in fish populations in Tria's waters is the result of overfishing, not pollution. Therefore, the best way to restore Tria's fish populations and to protect all of Tria's marine
wildlife is to abandon our regulations and adopt those of Omni."
下述文字摘自Tria岛出版的某环保时事通讯。
　　"Tria岛海洋保护区被建立起来，为了保护某些海洋哺乳动物。它的规定禁止倾倒垃圾和在Tria岛20英里的范围内进行近海石油开采，但捕鱼并不列在禁止范围。目前，Tria岛水域中许多鱼类的种群数量正在下降，该情形被归咎于污染。相反，Omni岛的海洋保护区所制定的规则禁止在Omni岛10英里的范围内倾倒垃圾，近海石油开采以及捕鱼，且Omni岛反映没有出现重大鱼类种群数量的下降。显而易见，Tria岛水域中鱼类种群数量的下降是过度捕捞所致，而非污染所致。因此，恢复Tria岛鱼类种群数量以及保护Tria岛所有野生生命的最佳办法是放弃我们的规定而采用Omni岛的规定。”

Argument 132

The following appeared in an editorial in the local newspaper of Workville.
"Workers should be allowed to reduce their workload from 40 to 25 or even 20 hours per week because it is clear that people who work part-time instead of full-time have better health and improved morale. One store in Workville, which began allowing its employees to work part-time last year, reports that fewer days of sick leave were taken last year than in previous years. In contrast, the factory in Workville, which does not allow any of its employees to work part-time, had a slight increase in the number of days of sick leave taken last year. In addition, a recent survey reports that most of the store employees stated that they are satisfied with their jobs, while many of the factory employees stated that they are dissatisfied with their jobs."
下述文字摘自Workville市当地报纸的社论。
　　“工人应该被允许将其工作量从每周40小时减少到每周25小时，甚至20小时，因为显而易见，兼职工作而非全职工作的人身体更为健康，士气更为高涨。我们在Workville市的一家商店，去年开始允许其雇员兼职工作，该商店反映，去年病假的天数较以前年份有所下降。相反，不允许任何雇员进行兼职工作的Workville市的那家工厂，去年请病假的天数略有上升。此外，最近的一项调查反映，大多数的商店雇员说，他们对工作甚感满意，而许多工厂雇员则宣称，他们对其工作感到不满意。”

Argument 133

The following is a memo from the principal of Academia High School.
"Academia High School should abolish its after-school performing-arts programs and replace them with computer-technology programs. When nearby Techno High School did so last year, total enrollment in all of its after-school activities remained about the same. Moreover, on entering college, many Techno students chose a major directly related to their after-school activities. On the other hand, last year only 10 percent of Academia's graduating seniors chose performing arts as their major field of study in their first year of college, clearly indicating that most students do not have a strong interest in the performing arts."
下述文字摘自Academia高中校长的备忘录。
　　“Academia高中应该取消其表演艺术课后活动项目，并用计算机技术活动项目将其取而代之。当我们的邻校Techno高中去年这样做了以后，它所有课余活动项目的报名参加总人数大致相同。此外，在进入大学之际，毕业于Techno高中的许多学生选择的专业直接与其课余活动相关。另一方面，去年，Academia高中的毕业生仅有10％的人将表演艺术选作其大学第一年的主要学术领域，这明显表明大多数学生对表演艺术并没有浓厚的兴趣。”

Argument 134

The following was taken from a guide for aspiring writers。
“New writers usually cannot convince large, prestigious publishers that their work is marketable, so they must first publish with smaller, less well-known presses to establish a sales record. But the editors of Mystery Writers Magazine have good news for aspiring writers: the number of mystery novels published in the last two years has grown significantly, and more people read mysteries than any other type of novel. In addition, almost half of the mystery novels published last year were written by first-time novel writers. Since there is apparently an expanding market for mystery novels, all publishers will want to increase the number of mystery novels they publish. Therefore, new writers should write mystery novels to increase their chances for first-time publication with a larger, prestigious company.”
下述文字摘自《新作家指南》。
　　 　　“新作家往往无法让著名的大出版商相信他们的作品具有很大的市场价值，因此，他们不得不首先让规模较小、名气不太大的出版社来出版他们的作品，以建立起某种销售记录。但《志怪作家杂志》的编辑们可以向那些有抱负的作家们宣布一个好消息：在过去的2年中，所出版的志怪小说的数量已出现大幅度增加，越来越多的读者爱读志怪小说，甚于其他任何类型的小说。此外，去年出版的一半以上的志怪小说是由第一次进行小说创作的作家创作的。由于志怪小说的市场明显有拓展的态势，所有出版商都会希望增加他们出版的志怪小说的数量。因此新作家们应该创作志怪小说，以便有更多的机会能在第一次出版作品时就由规模较大、名气很响的出版公司来出版。”

Argument 135

The following is a memorandum from the business manager of WLSS television station.
"Over the past year, our late-night news program has devoted increasingly more time to covering national news and less time to covering weather and local news. During the same time period, most of the complaints we received from viewers were concerned with the station's coverage of weather and local news. In addition, several local businesses that used to run advertisements during our late-night news program have just cancelled their advertising contracts with us. Therefore, in order to attract more viewers to our news programs and to avoid losing any further advertising revenues, we should expand the coverage of weather and local news on all our news programs."
下述文字摘自WLSS电视台业务经理的备忘录。
　　“在过去一年中，我们午夜新闻节目将越来越多的时间用来报道国内新闻，而报道气候和当地新闻的时间则越来越少。在同一时期我们从观众中收到的大多数投诉都是针对本台对气候和当地新闻的报道。此外，有几家过去在我们午夜新闻节目期间做广告的公司，不久前刚取消了与我们签订的广告合约。因此，为了将更多的观众吸引到我们的新闻节目中来，并为了避免任何进一步的广告收益的损失，我们应该在我们所有的新闻节目中加重对气候和当地新闻的报道。”

Argument 136

The following is part of a letter from the Brookfree School Board.
"As part of our new educational reform program, we identified ten schools most in need of immediate improvement. An advisory committee is now recommending that we hire consultants to study further the schools' problems and to propose a plan of action. Only two years ago, however, another group of consultants determined that several schools in our district had problems because their principals were inexperienced. Thus, if we want to see immediate improvement in our schools and save the district the money it would spend on hiring more consultants, we should replace all the principals in the ten worst schools with ten of our most experienced principals in the district."
下述文字摘自Brookfree学校董事会的一封信函。
　　“作为我们新的教育改革计划的一部分，我们确定了最需要马上进行整改的10所学校。一个顾问委员会现在正在提出建议，我们应该雇用咨询专家来进一步研究本校的问题，并提出一项行动计划。但就在2年以前，另一组咨询专家的结论是，我区的几所学校之所以存在问题，是因为这些学校的校长们缺乏经验。因此，如果我们希望我们的学校立刻出现改观，并使我区节省原本用以雇用更多咨询专家的费用，我们应该将10所最糟糕学校中的所有校长予以撤职，代之以本区最有经验的10位校长。”

Argument 137

The following appeared in an editorial in the Mason City newspaper.
"At present, Mason City residents seldom use the nearby Mason River for any kind of recreational activity, even though surveys of the region's residents consistently rank water sports (swimming, fishing, and boating) as a favorite form of recreation. Since there have been complaints about the quality of the water in the river, residents must be avoiding the river because they think that it is not clean enough. But that situation is about to change: the agency responsible for rivers in our region has announced plans to clean up Mason River. Therefore, recreational use of the river is likely to increase, so the Mason City council will need to increase its budget for improvements to the publicly owned lands along the Mason River."
下述文字摘自《Mason市报》的一篇社论.
　　“目前，Mason市居民很少利用附近的Mason河进行任何性质的娱乐活动，尽管对这一地区的居民所作的调查一直将水上运动（游泳，垂钓，划船等）列为一种十分受欢迎的娱乐形式。由于已有人对河水的水质提出投诉，故居民们之所以避免使用这条河，是因为他们认为它不够卫生。但这一情形即将改变，负责本地区河流的机构已宣布了清理Mason河的计划。因此，Mason市政委员会有必要增加其预算，用来完善Mason河沿岸的公共土地。”

Argument 138

The following report appeared in a memo from the vice president of the Southside Transportation Authority.
"We should abandon our current five-year plan to purchase additional buses to serve the campus of Southside University, because students there are unlikely to use them. Consider the results of the recent campaign sponsored by the Environmental Club at Southside University: in a program on the campus radio station, the club asked students to call in and pledge that they would commute to school by bus instead of by automobile at least one day per week. Only ten percent of the students called in and pledged. In view of the campaign's lack of success, we can assume that the bus service we currently offer will continue to be sufficient to serve the university."
下述报告摘自南区运输署副总裁的备忘录。
　　“我们应该放弃我们目前的5年计划，该计划原本准备购买更多的公交车来为南区大学校园提供服务。之所以应该放弃这一计划，因为那里的学生不太可能使用这些汽车。不妨考虑一下由南区大学环境俱乐部所资助的一项近期宣传运动的结果吧！在校园广播台的一个节目中，该俱乐部要求学生致电给广播台，承诺他们将至少每周中有一天乘坐公共汽车而不是自己驾车前来学校上课。只有10％的学生致电广播台并作出了承诺。鉴于该活动缺乏成功，我们可以假定，我们目前所提供的公共汽车服务将依然可以绰绰有余地为该大学提供服务。”

Argument 139

The following appeared in the editorial section of an educational publication.
"One study at Lee University found that first-semester grades of teenage students who had always attended public, tax-supported schools were slightly lower than the grades of students who had received some home schooling instruction by parents at home, although the grade differences disappeared in the second semester. These results suggest that home schooling is the best way to educate teenage children. Therefore, instead of spending more money on public education, the government should provide financial incentives so that home schooling is an option for more parents. After all, children schooled at home receive more attention, since they are taught by the best possible teacher: a parent who has a high stake in educating them well."
下述文字摘自某教育类出版物的社论部分。
　　“在Lee大学所作的一项研究发现，那些自始至终在公立、有税收支持的学校上学的青少年学生，其第一学期的成绩略低于在家里获得过来自父母的某些家庭教育指导的学生，虽然这种成绩差异在第二个学期宣告消失。这些结果暗示，家庭教育是教育青少年孩子的最佳途径。因此，政府不应该将较多的资金用于公共教育，而应该提供财政刺激，从而使家庭教育成为更多父母们的一种选择。毕竟而言，在家中接受教育的孩子能获得更多的关注，因为他们的教育来自世界上有可能最好的老师——那些绝不会拿子女的教育开玩笑的家长。”

Argument 140

The following appeared in a report of the Committee on Faculty Promotions and Salaries at Elm City University.
"During her seventeen years as a professor of botany, Professor Thomas has proved herself to be well worth her annual salary of $50,000. Her classes are among the largest at the university, demonstrating her popularity among students. Moreover, the money she has brought to the university in research grants has exceeded her salary in each of the last two years. Therefore, in consideration of Professor Thomas' demonstrated teaching and research abilities, we recommend that she receive a $10,000 raise and a promotion to Department Chairperson; without such a raise and promotion, we fear that Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University for another college."
下述文字摘自Elm市立大学教职员工晋升和工资委员会的一份报告。
　　“在其作为一位植物学教授的17年执教生涯中，托马斯教授证明自己绝没有辜负其5万美元的年薪。她所教的那些班级属于全校最大的班，她证明自己深受学生爱戴。此外，在过去的2年中，她以研究经费的形式给本校带来的款项也远远超过所付给她的薪酬。因此，鉴于托马斯教授有口皆碑的教学与科研能力，我们提议她应获得一万美元的加薪，并晋升为系主任。如不给予这样的薪酬浮动和职位晋升，我们深恐托马斯教授将离开Elm市立大学而另谋高就。”

Argument 141

The following appeared in a newsletter distributed at a recent political rally.
"Over the past year, the Consolidated Copper Company (CCC) has purchased over one million square miles of land in the tropical nation of West Fredonia. Mining copper on this land will inevitably result in pollution and environmental disaster, since West Fredonia is home to several endangered animal species. But such disaster can be prevented if consumers simply refuse to purchase products that are made with CCC's copper until the company abandons its mining plans."
下述文字摘自在近期的一次政治集会上散发的一份时事通讯。
　　“去年，联合铜业公司（CCC）在西Fredonia这个热带国家购买了超过100万平方英里的土地。这片土地上的铜矿开采将不可避免导致污染和环境灾难，因为西Fredonia是若干濒危动物物种的所在地。但这样的灾难是可以避免的，只要消费者拒绝购买用CCC公司的铜制造的产品，直到该公司放弃其开采计划。”

Argument 92

"The article entitled 'Eating Iron' in last month's issue of Eating for Health reported that a recent study found a correlation between high levels of iron in the diet and an increased risk of heart disease. Further, it is well established that there is a link between large amounts of red meat in the diet and heart disease, and red meat is high in iron. On the basis of the study and the well-established link between red meat and heart disease, we can conclude that the correlation between high iron levels and heart disease, then, is most probably a function of the correlation between red meat and heart disease."
下述文字摘自Techforce计算机公司人力资源部的建议书。
　　“《健康饮食》上月刊中标题为“食铁”的文章宣布，最近的一项研究发现饮食中铁的高含量与心脏病的高风险之间不无关系。此外，一个不争的事实是，饮食中大量的红色肉类与心脏病有关，而红色肉类富含铁。基于该项研究以及基于红色肉类与心脏病之间的那种众所周知的关系，我们可以得出如下结论，即铁的高含量与心脏病之间的关系那么最有可能是红色肉类与心脏病之间的关系的一个应变量.”

Argument 143

The following appeared as a letter to the editor of a national newspaper.
"Your recent article on corporate downsizing* in the United States is misleading. The article gives the mistaken impression that many competent workers who lost jobs as a result of downsizing face serious economic hardship, often for years, before finding other suitable employment. But this impression is contradicted by a recent report on the United States economy, which found that since 1992 far more jobs have been created than have been eliminated. The report also demonstrates that many of those who lost their jobs have found new employment. Two-thirds of the newly created jobs have been in industries that tend to pay above-average wages, and the vast majority of these jobs are full-time.Downsizing is the process in which corporations deliberately reduce the number of their employees."
下述文字摘自一封致某全国性报纸编辑的信函。
　　“贵报最近刊登的那篇美国公司精简机构的文章具有误导性质。该文给人予一种错误的印象，仿佛许多由于精简机构而丢掉饭碗的合格员工在寻找到其他合适的工作之前都会面对严重的、往往是好几年的经济困难。但这一印象与最近一项有关美国经济的报告有出入，该报告发现，自从1992年以来，新创建的工作岗位远多于所消失的工作岗位。该报告还证明，许多已失去工作的人已经重又找到了新工作。在新创造的就业中，三分之二的工作属于那些倾向于支付高于平均工资的行业。而这些工作中的绝大多数都是全职性质的。”

Argument 144

"According to a poll of 200 charitable organizations, donations of money to nonprofit groups increased by nearly 25 percent last year, though not all charities gained equally. Religious groups gained the most (30 percent), followed by environmental groups (23 percent), whereas educational institutions experienced only a very small increase in donations (3 percent). This poll indicates that more people are willing and able to give money to charities but that funding for education is not a priority for most people. These differences in donation rates must result from the perception that educational institutions are less in need of donations than are other kinds of institutions."
　　“依据一项对200多个慈善组织进行的民意测验，向非盈利团体的捐款去年增加了近25％，尽管并非所有的慈善机构受益相同。宗教团体获益最多，为30％，其次为环保团体，为23％，而教育机构所得捐款仅有微乎其微的增加，为3％。这一民意测验表明，越来越多的人愿意并且有能力向慈善组织捐款，但资助教育尚未成为大多数人的头等大事。这些捐款在比例方面的差异源自这样一种看法，即教育机构并不像其他性质的机构那样需要人们的捐助。”

Argument 145

A new study collected data that shows that people who snore are more likely to gain weight than are people who do not snore. It is well known that many people who snore also stop breathing frequently during the night for a few seconds, a condition called sleep apnea. The interruption of breathing wakes the person—often so briefly that the waking goes unnoticed—and can leave the person too tired during the day to exercise. Anyone who snores, therefore, should try to eat less than the average person and to exercise more.
　　一项新研究所收集到的数据表明，那些睡觉时打鼾的人比那些不打鼾的人更有可能增加体重。众所周知，许多打鼾的人夜间睡觉过程中也会停止呼吸几秒钟，这种状况被称为睡眠时呼吸暂停。呼吸的停顿会使睡眠者醒来，但苏醒的时间是如此之短，以致于它几乎不为人们所注意。呼吸的停顿还会使人极为疲倦，白天懒得从事体育锻炼。因此，任何睡眠时打鼾的人应该比常人吃较少的食物，并应从事更多的体育锻炼。

Argument 146

The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper.
"The librarians in our town's school system have reported that the number of trips that our students make to their school library on a voluntary basis has decreased significantly in recent years. For example, the average seventh-grade student visited the school library five times last year, but four of those visits were part of required classroom activities. This shows that our students are reading less than in the past. To address this problem, our town needs to improve the atmosphere of the libraries so that they will be comfortable places in which to work. If students view the libraries as uncomfortable, then they are unlikely to want to spend much time there."
下述文字摘自某地方报纸的社论部分。
　　“本镇教育系统中的图书馆管理人员报告说，我们的学生主动去图书馆的数量在最近几年中大幅减少。例如，去年，一般的七年级学生只去过学校图书馆5次，但这5次中有4次是老师所要求的课堂活动的一部分。这表明我们的学生要比过去读书更少。为了解决这一问题，本镇应该改善图书馆的气氛，这样，图书馆将会有舒适的场所供人进行读书。如果学生认为图书馆不舒适，那么，他们是不会愿意在那儿花太多时间的。”

Argument 147

The following appeared in an editorial in a business magazine.
"Although the sales of Whirlwind video games have declined over the past two years, a recent survey of video-game players suggests that this sales trend is about to be reversed. The survey asked video-game players what features they thought were most important in a video game. According to the survey, players prefer games that provide lifelike graphics, which require the most up-to-date computers. Whirlwind has just introduced several such games with an extensive advertising campaign directed at people 10 to 25 years old, the age-group most likely to play video games. It follows, then, that the sales of Whirlwind video games are likely to increase dramatically in the next few months."
下述文字摘自某商业杂志的社论
　　尽管在过去的2年中Whirlwind电视游戏的销售呈下降趋势，但对电视游戏玩家所作的一次近期调查表明，这一销售势头将被扭转。该项调查询问电视游戏的玩家们，他们认为电视游戏中最重要的特征是什么。按照这项调查，玩家们所喜爱的游戏应能提供逼真的图像，而要做到这一点则需要最先进的电脑。Whirlwind电视游戏刚引进了几款这样的游戏，并面向最有可能玩电脑游戏的10岁至25岁的群体发起了声势浩大的广告攻势。因此，顺理成章的是，在未来的几个月中，Whirlwind电视游戏的销售可能会出现戏剧性的增长。”

Argument 148

The following appeared in the editorial section of Monroetown's local newspaper.
"Mayor Brown was recently re-elected by a clear majority of 52 percent of Monroetown's voters. Her re-election, however, does not show that most people in our town favored Mayor Brown's proposal for tax reduction over that of her opponent, Mr. Greene, who proposed raising taxes to improve education. It has been shown that voters nationwide tend to re-elect people already in office, regardless of candidates' proposals. In fact, a local survey after the election showed most people in Monroetown disagreed with Mayor Brown's proposal. Clearly most people in Monroetown favor improving education and therefore approve of Mr. Greene's proposal despite the fact that they did not vote for him."
下述文字摘自梦露镇地方报纸的社论。
　　“最近，布朗市长在梦露镇清晰无误的52％多数选民的支持下再次当选连任。但是，她的连任并非表明本镇大多数人拥护布朗市长所提出的减税计划，而反对其竞争对手Greene先生所提出的提高税收以改善教育的计划。有迹象显示，全国选民倾向于再次选举那些早已当政的人们，而对其所提计划漠不关心。事实上，选举之后的一项当地调查表明，梦露镇的大多数人并不同意布朗市长的计划。显而易见，梦露镇的大多数人尽管没有选举Greene先生为市长，但他们还是拥护改善教育的，并因此也是支持Greene先生的计划的。”

Argument 149

The following is a memorandum from the director of personnel to the president of Get-Away Airlines.
"Since our mechanics are responsible for inspecting and maintaining our aircraft, Get-Away Airlines should pay to send them to the Quality-Care Seminar, a two-week seminar on proper maintenance procedures. I recommend this seminar because it is likely to be a wise investment, given that the automobile racing industry recently reported that the performance of its maintenance crews improved markedly after their crews had attended the seminar. These maintenance crews perform many of the same functions as do our mechanics, including refueling and repairing engines. The money we spend on sending our staff to the seminar will inevitably lead to improved maintenance and thus to greater customer satisfaction along with greater profits for our airline."
下述内容为Get-away航空公司人事主任向总裁呈上的备忘录中的一段文字。
　　“既然我们的机师负责检查和维修我们的飞机，Get-Away航空公司应该出钱让他们参加“关心质量”培训班，一种为期一周的讲授正确保养程序的培训班。我之所以推荐这一培训班，因为这有可能是一项甚为英明的投资，其依据是赛车行业最近称，其维修保养小组参加该培训班之后，其技术水准显著改观。这些维修小组所从事的许多职责与我们的机师相同，包括补充燃料和修理引擎。我们花钱将我们的员工送去参加该培训班，必将导致维修水准的提高，从而在为本公司带来更多经济效益的同时获得更高的客户满意度。”

Argument 150

The following is a letter to the editor of an environmental magazine.
"The decline in the numbers of amphibians worldwide clearly indicates the global pollution of water and air. Two studies of amphibians in Yosemite National Park in California confirm my conclusion. In 1915 there were seven species of amphibians in the park, and there were abundant numbers of each species. However, in 1992 there were only four species of amphibians observed in the park, and the numbers of each species were drastically reduced. The decline in Yosemite has been blamed on the introduction of trout into the park's waters, which began in 1920 (trout are known to eat amphibian eggs). But the introduction of trout cannot be the real reason for the Yosemite decline because it does not explain the worldwide decline."
下述文字摘自一封致某环保杂志编辑的信函：
　　“全球两栖动物数量的减少明显标志着全球性水与大气的污染。对加利福尼亚州约塞米蒂国家公园内两栖动物所作的两项研究可证实我的这一结论。1915年公园内有七个物种的两栖动物，每一物种都拥有丰富的种群数量。然而，1992年，在公园内所能观察到的两栖动物物种仅为四类，且每一物种的种群数量已骤然下降。约塞米蒂公园动物数量减少被归咎于始于1920年的将鲑鱼引入公园水域的做法(众所周知，鲑鱼喜食两栖动物所产的卵)。但鲑鱼的引入不可能成为约塞米蒂公园动物数量减少的真正原因，因为它无法来解释全球范围内的动物数量减少。”

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