GRE作文范文 Issue-44

“College students – and people in general – prefer to follow directions rather than to make their own decisions. Therefore, colleges should eliminate as many choices as possible in order to offer students clear direction.”

嘉文博译Sample Essay

While it may be true that there are some college students and people that prefer to live their lives based on the directions of others, most people prefer freedom of choice, particularly when choosing an education and the future paths of their own careers. There are certainly some institutions that can benefit by eliminating as many choices as possible, but on the whole, students and people in general must be given free rein over the choices that they make in order to control their own lives.

The freedom to choose one’s own destiny is a fundamental human right. While it is true that simply because a college eliminates as many choices as possible to give students a clear direction does not deny any individual that freedom (they can always choose another university or choose not to attend university at all), it is still a somewhat disturbing idea that students would actually need such an action to guide them through their university years. It is absurd to think that college students would actually want a reduction in their number of choices in the educational process, particularly at that age where they are just now being allowed to finally make some of their own choices. It is a fundamental part of the normal process of maturation at the age when young adults are finally given the freedom to make choices of their own volition.

Certainly there are some institutions that can benefit from a policy of narrowing the choices for students to give them clear direction. One example would be that of the military training schools, where freedom of choice is secondary in importance to learning to behave in the same manner, no matter what the situation is. Future military personnel must learn how to follow orders in order to ensure the success of the military organization as a whole. For these students, a clear sense of direction and a well-charted path to development is a necessity. The need for regimented training and an ability to follow orders to the letter in a military situation fundamentally requires that the students have fewer options to choose from, even in a university situation.

Additionally, consideration must be given to the fact that giving students or people in general more choices rather than less can be conducive to the development of that person as an individual. With a wider variety of choices, it is more likely that a student can choose exactly the courses that he or she wishes to take in order to reach his or her fullest potential. Narrowing the choices available also narrows the skills that future graduates from that particular university will have. Although having fewer choices can simplify the process of making a decision for students, it also results in more homogeneity of the graduates. As more students are required to pursue the same educational path, the competition among graduates for finding a job will be even tougher, as employers will look upon them as all the same. It is possible that only the best and brightest of these similarly educated graduates will find employment in their areas of education simply because there are too many of them with the same educational backgrounds.

Narrowing a student’s choices is a seemingly simple and relatively harmless way to sharpen his or her focus upon entering college. But the end result of such a policy is to increase competition among college graduates, to create more dependency on others to make choices for them, and to constrain students from making more specialized choices in education to fulfill their goals of self-realization.

参考译文

大学学生——以及普通民众——宁肯听从指令也不愿意自己做出决定。因此，大学应该尽量地取消选择，以便给学生提供清晰的指令。

　　尽管确实有些大学学生和一般民众宁肯按照他人的指令来生活，但是大多数人却喜欢拥有选择的自由，尤其是在选择教育以及他们职业生涯的未来道路时更是如此。确实对有些机构来说取消选择是有益的，但总体而言，学生和普通民众应该拥有选择的自由以便支配他们自己的生活。

　　选择自己的命运是最基本的人权之一。的确，仅仅因为一所大学尽量取消选择以便给学生提供清晰的指令并不意味着剥夺个人选择的自由（他们可以选择另一所大学或选择不上大学），虽然如此，但学生实际上需要这样的行为去指导他们度过大学时光，这却是一个令人甚感不安的观点。同样荒谬的是认为大学生实际上想要在大学教育过程中减少选择的数量，尤其是在他们刚刚被允许做出自己的最终选择这一年龄段上。年轻人最终得到按照自己意愿进行选择的自由，这是成熟过程中不可或缺的一部分。

　　当然，有些机构缩减学生的选择范围并且给学生提供清晰的指令，这会来得更为有利。以军事训练学校为例，这里，从重要性上讲，选择的自由已让位于学会步调一致地行动，无论情况如何均是如此。未来的军事人员必须学会遵从命令，这样才能保证整个军事行动的胜利。对于这类学生，清晰的指令以及明确的成长道路都是必要的。严格统一的训练之需要以及一丝不苟服从命令之能力，在军事环境中本质上要求学生拥有较少的选择余地，甚至大学学习中亦复如此。

　　此处，必须考虑到这样一个事实，即给一个学生或普通人更多的选择会有助于这个人的自身发展。有了广泛选择的机会，学生就更可能选择他/她所想选择的课程，从而充分地拓展他/她的潜力。缩小选择的范围，同时也缩小了这所大学未来毕业生所具有的技能。尽管提供较少的选择可以简化学生的决策过程，但它同时也会产生毕业生较大程度上的同类性。随着更多的学生必须踏上相同的求学道路，毕业生寻找工作时竞争会更趋激烈，因为雇主会认为他们都一样。因为有太多的毕业生受教育的背景相同，因此很可能只有最优秀、最聪明的毕业生才能在他们所受教育的领域中找到工作。

　　缩小学生的选择范围，似乎是学生在踏入大学校门之际突出他们学习重点的一种简单且相对无害的方法。但是，这种政策的最终结果是增加了大学毕业生之间的竞争，使他们更加依赖别人进行选择，并且限制学生在受教育过程中进行更专业化的选择，从而限制了他们的自我实现和自我发展。

 

GRE作文范文 Argument-44

"In the last three quarters of this year, under the leadership of our president, Pat Salvo, our profits have fallen considerably. Thus, we should ask for her resignation in return for a generous severance package. In Pat's place, we should appoint Rosa Winnings. Rosa is currently president of Starlight Jewelry, a company whose profits have increased dramatically over the past several years. Although we will have to pay Rosa twice the salary that Pat has been receiving, it will be well worth it because we can soon expect our profits to increase considerably."

嘉文博译Sample Essay

In this argument, the Human Resources Manager recommends to the board of directors of the Fancy Toy Company that due to a considerable fall in profits over the past three quarters, the current president should be asked to resign and given a generous severance package in return. Additionally, the H.R. Manager states that the current president of Starlight Jewelry should be hired at twice the salary of the current president, but that the added expense will be well worth it because profits could be expected to increase soon because Starlight’s profits have increased dramatically over the past several years under her leadership. This argument is unconvincing as it is based on faulty reasoning and a complete lack of evidence to support its conclusion.

In the first place, the Human Resources Manager makes an outright assumption without providing any evidence whatsoever to support that assumption. He or she assumes that the falling profits of the Fancy Toy Company are the fault of the current president but gives no reason for such an assumption. There are countless other factors that could cause falling profits that are completely out of the president’s control, such as changes in the domestic currency’s exchange rate, a declining economic situation either in the home market or in an important market abroad, or a natural disaster that caused extraordinary expenses for the company, for example. Furthermore, it is possible that the profits may have declined even further without the leadership demonstrated by the current president. Without providing any proof that the falling profits were actually caused by the actions or inactions of the current president, there is no support for the idea of asking her to resign.

Secondly, even assuming that the current president is to blame for the falling profits over the past three quarters, there is no evidence presented that the decline in profits will continue. It is possible that she has corrected her past mistakes and a turnaround has begun in the profitability of the company. A change in the presidency of the company at this point might be more detrimental than helpful to the company. It is further possible that her generous severance package might outweigh any benefits that are gained by replacing her. The H.R. Manager does not provide any evidence whatsoever that the trend in declining profits will continue nor that making a change in the presidency will increase the company’s profitability.

Thirdly, the H.R. Manager proposes to replace the toy company president with the current president of Starlight Jewelry, apparently based solely on the fact that Starlight’s profits have increased dramatically over the past several years. There is no proof offered to suggest that Starlight’s president is in any way responsible for such an increase in its profits. Furthermore, there is no evidence presented that Starlight’s president has any idea of how to run a toy company – the jewelry business is an entirely different industry dealing with a much different target market and totally different products. Additionally, the hiring of Starlight’s president as the Fancy Toy Company president will require a doubling of the salary for that executive position. Any increase in profits would have to be able to overcome a huge increase in the budgeted allocation for the presidential salary. There is no support offered to show that this would be the case.

In summary, this argument is based on mere speculation with absolutely no cause and effect evidence presented to show that the current president is in any way responsible for the toy company’s declining profits. No convincing evidence is offered that she should be asked for her resignation. Furthermore, there is no support for the idea that the current president of Starlight Jewelry is in any way qualified to lead the toy company. This argument should be rejected due to the lack of any supporting evidence that making such a change would increase the company’s overall profits.

参考译文
下述文字摘自人力资源经理致新奇玩具公司董事会的一份提案

　　"在本年度的过去三个季度中，在公司总裁Pat Salvo领导下，我们的利润已发生严重下滑。因此，我们应请求她辞职，以换取一份丰厚的一揽子离职福利。我们将任命Rosa Winnings来取代她的位置。Rosa 女士现任星光珠宝公司的总裁，她所领导的公司在过去的几年内利润取得了戏剧性的增长。虽然我们将不得不向Rosa女士支付高出Pat薪水两倍的工资，但这将非常值得，因为我们可以预期我们的利润不日将大幅度攀升。"

　　在以上论述中，人力资源经理向新奇玩具公司的董事会提议，由于在过去三个季度中利润大幅度下降，目前任职的总裁应被请求辞职，以换取一份丰厚的一揽子离职福利。此外，这位人力资源经理称，星光珠宝公司现任总裁应该受到聘用，薪酬为公司目前总裁薪水的两倍，但薪酬中所增加的那部分酬金将会非常值得，因为由于星光珠宝公司的利润在其领导下在过去几年中取得了戏剧性的增长，故新奇玩具公司的利润增长也指日可待。这一论述无法令人置信，因为它基于漏洞百出的逻辑推理，完全缺乏证据来支持其结论。

　　 首先，人力资源经理只是在作出一种绝对的假设，而没能提供任何证据来支持这一假设。这位经理假定，新奇玩具公司的利润下滑应归咎于现任总裁，但却没有提供作出这一假设的任何理由。可能存在着无数个其他因素导致盈利能力下降，而这些因素却完全超出了这位总裁的驾御能力，例如国内货币汇率的波动，出现在国内市场或某一重要的国外市场日益不景气的经济形势，以及使公司背上沉重开支的一场自然灾害等。此外，要是没有现任总裁所展现出来的领导才干的话，公司的利润有可能早就出现了甚至更为严重的滑坡。由于没有提供任何证据来证明利润下降实际上是由现任总裁的作为或不作为所引起的，故没有任何依据来证明请求她辞职这一想法的合理性。

　　第二，即使我们假设在过去三个季度中利润的下降确应归咎于公司现任总裁，但人力资源经理并没有列举出任何证据来证明利润下降将会持续进行下去。公司现任总裁有可能已经纠正了她过去的失误，公司有可能已开始扭亏为盈。在此时此刻更换公司总裁人选对公司来说可能有百害而无一利。情况更有可能是，她所能获得的那份丰厚的一揽子离职福利会远远超过将其取而代之所能带来的任何益处。这位人力资源经理没能提供任何证据来证明利润下降的趋势将会继续下去，也没能证明总裁人选的更换将增加公司的利润。

　　第三，人力资源经理提议用星光珠宝公司的现任总裁来替代玩具公司的总裁。显然，这位经理所依据的仅仅只是这样一个事实，即星光珠宝公司的利润在过去几年中呈戏剧性的增长。论述者没有提供任何证据来表明这种利润的增长在任何方面应归功于星光珠宝公司的总裁。此外，也没有列举出任何证据来证明星光珠宝公司的总裁关于如何来经营一家玩具公司会有哪些具体的设想。珠宝生意是一种截然不同的行业，所处理的是迥然不同的市场以及全然不同的产品。除此之外，聘用星光珠宝公司的总裁来担任新奇玩具公司的总裁，将不得不为这一行政职位支付两倍的薪酬。任何利润增长应必须能够克服用以支付新总裁薪酬的预算拔款方面的巨额增长。但论述者没有提供任何依据来证明情况将会如此。

　　归纳而言，该项论述基于纯粹的主观臆测，绝没有列举出任何具有因果意义的证据来证明现任总裁在任何方面必须对玩具公司利润下降进行负责。也没有任何令人信服的证据被摆出来，用以证明她应被要求辞职。此外，没有任何依据可佐证这样一种看法，即星光珠宝公司的现任总裁在任何方面有资格去领导该玩具公司。该项论述应予摈弃，因为缺乏任何佐证性证据来证明，作出这样一种人事变更可增加该公司的总体利润。

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