gre作文大讲堂：GRE作文范文大全（148）

GRE写作部分将重点考察考生有针对性地对具体考题做出反应的能力，而非要求考生堆砌泛泛的文字。具体说来，这些重点关注的能力包括：1、 清楚有效地阐明复杂观点；2、 用贴切的事理和事例支撑观点；3、考察/验证他人论点及其相关论证；4、支撑一个有针对性的连贯的讨论；5、控制标准书面英语的各个要素。写作部分将联合考察逻辑推理和分析写作两种技能，并且将加大力度引进那些需要考生做出有针对性的回应的考题，降低考生依赖事前准备（如背诵）的材料的可能性。

Another problem with the argument involves the author's dual claim that because of the new

expressway workers from elsewhere in the state will be lured to work in this city's downtown

area and at the same time will choose to live in the suburbs. The author provides no evidence

that the existence of an expressway would suffice to entice people to work in this city's

downtown area. Moreover, the author ignores the possibility that people who might want to

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work in the city's downtown area would generally prefer to live in that area as well. In this case

the expressway would be of no help in attracting qualified workers to this city's downtown area.

A third problem with the argument is that it unfairly assumes that the expressway will result

in a net influx, rather than outflow, of workers to the downtown area. In fact, the expressway

might make it easier for people who currently live and work downtown to commute to jobs in

other areas or even relocate their businesses to outlying areas. Either scenario would serve to

undermine the author's claim that the expressway would provide a boon to the downtown

economy.

Finally, the argument rests on the assumption that funds used to build the expressway and

to create jobs for construction workers cannot be applied to some other program instead---one

that would be even more effective in promoting the health of the downtown economy. Without

identifying and weighing such alternatives, the author cannot defend the conclusion that voters

should approve the expressway project.

In conclusion, the argument is unconvincing as it stands. To strengthen it the author must

provide strong evidence that the expressway would help alleviate shortages of supply and

materials among downtown businesses and manufacturers. The author must also show that

the expressway would in fact result in a net influx of workers who would change jobs because

of the availability of the expressway. Finally, to better evaluate the argument we would need

more information about possible alternatives to the proposal, and whether any such alternative

would be more effective in promoting the health of the downtown economy.

Argument 113

The following appeared in a recommendation from the planning department of the city of

Transopolis.

"Ten years ago, as part of a comprehensive urban renewal program, the city of Transopolis

adapted for industrial use a large area of severely substandard housing near the freeway.

Subsequently, several factories were constructed there, crime rates in the area declined, and

property tax revenues for the entire city increased. To further revitalize the city, we should now

take similar action in a declining residential area on the opposite side of the city. Since some

houses and apartments in existing nearby neighborhoods are currently unoccupied, alternate

housing for those displaced by this action will be readily available." 感谢您阅读《GRE作文范文大全（148） 》一文，查字典出国留学网()编辑部希望本文能帮助到您。GRE写作部分将重点考察考生有针对性地对具体考题做出反应的能力，而非要求考生堆砌泛泛的文字。具体说来，这些重点关注的能力包括：1、 清楚有效地阐明复杂观点；2、 用贴切的事理和事例支撑观点；3、考察/验证他人论点及其相关论证；4、支撑一个有针对性的连贯的讨论；5、控制标准书面英语的各个要素。写作部分将联合考察逻辑推理和分析写作两种技能，并且将加大力度引进那些需要考生做出有针对性的回应的考题，降低考生依赖事前准备（如背诵）的材料的可能性。

The planning department for the city of Transopolis recommends, as part of its urban

renewal plan, that the city convert a certain residential area for industrial use and relocate

residents from that area to nearby unoccupied housing. To support this recommendation, the

planners point out that ten years ago the city converted an area of substandard housing on the

other side of town, near a freeway, for industrial use, and that afterwards that area's crime rate

declined while the city's overall property-tax revenue increased. I fred the recommendation

specious on several grounds.

To begin with, the recommendation relies on two poor assumptions about the effects of the

freeway-area conversion. One such assumption is that the freeway-area conversion caused

the decline in that area's crime rate. The mere fact that the conversion occurred before the

decline does not suffice to prove that the conversion caused the decline. Perhaps the true

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cause was some unrelated development--such as a new city-wide "tough-on-crime" policy or

improvements in police training. Another such assumption is that the increase in overall

property-tax revenue indicates an increase in tax revenue from properties in the freeway area.

Perhaps property-tax revenue from the converted properies remained the same, or even

declined, after the conversion, and that the city's overall property-tax revenue increase was

attributable to properties located elsewhere in the city. For that matter, perhaps the city raised

its property-tax rates shortly after the conversion. In short, without ruling out alternative

explanations for the developments that came after the freeway-area conversion, the planners

cannot convince me that the conversion was responsible for those developments.

Even if the evidence turns out to substantiate the two foregoing assumptions, the

recommendation further assumes that the proposed conversion would carry the same results

as the freeway-area conversion. Yet key differences between the two areas might undermine

the analogy. For example, perhaps the properties surrounding the ones converted in the

freeway area were not residential. Common sense informs me that crimes such as burglary

and robbery are less likely in areas where few people reside. Since at least some nearby

housing is available for residents displaced by the proposed conversion, this conversion might

not result in any significant decline in the area's crime rate. At the same time, unless

unoccupied nearby housing can accommodate all displaced residents, the conversion might

create a homelessness problem, thereby undermining the city's objectives.

Finally, the recommendation assumes that all conditions bearing on whether residential

to-industrial conversions would help renew Transopolis have remained unchanged over the

past ten years--and will continue unchanged in the foreseeable future. Yet, perhaps

Transopolis had more and better housing for displaced residents ten years ago than today. Or

perhaps Transopolis would have more trouble finding occupants for additional industrial

buildings today than it did ten years ago. Indeed, a myriad of factors---including the reg4onal

and national economy, demographic shifts, and political influences--might explain why an

urban-renewal program that had a Salutary impact on Transopolis' crime rate and property-tax

revenues in the past might nevertheless not revitalize the city today, or in the future.

In sum, the planners' recommendation is largely unfounded. To bolster it they must provide

clear evidence that the freeway-area conversion contributed to the decline in that area's crime

rate and to the city's overall property-tax revenue increase. To better assess the argument I

would need to know what other changes have occurred in the city that might explain those

developments. Finally, to better assess the proposed plan's chances of success I would need

to compare the circumstances surrounding the decline in the area slated for conversion with

the decline in the freeway area prior to its conversion. 感谢您阅读《GRE作文范文大全（148） 》一文，查字典出国留学网()编辑部希望本文能帮助到您。GRE写作部分将重点考察考生有针对性地对具体考题做出反应的能力，而非要求考生堆砌泛泛的文字。具体说来，这些重点关注的能力包括：1、 清楚有效地阐明复杂观点；2、 用贴切的事理和事例支撑观点；3、考察/验证他人论点及其相关论证；4、支撑一个有针对性的连贯的讨论；5、控制标准书面英语的各个要素。写作部分将联合考察逻辑推理和分析写作两种技能，并且将加大力度引进那些需要考生做出有针对性的回应的考题，降低考生依赖事前准备（如背诵）的材料的可能性。

Argument 114

The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a local newspaper.

"The members of the town school board should not be reelected because they are not

concerned about promoting high-quality education in the arts in our local schools. For example,

student participation in the high school drama club has been declining steadily, and this year

the school board refused to renew the contract of the drama director, even though he had

received many awards for his original plays. Meanwhile, over $300,000 of the high school

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budget goes to athletic programs, and the head football coach is now the highest-paid member

of the teaching staff."

This editorial argues that the town's school board members are unconcerned about

promoting high-quality arts education in local schools, and therefore should not be reelected.

To support this argument the editorial's author points out that student participation in

high-school drama programs has been declining steadily, and that the board recently refused

to renew the high-school drama director's contract, despite the fact that he has written several

award-winning plays. The author also cites the fact that $300,000 of the high school budget is

allotted to athletic programs, and that the head football coach is the highest paid teacher. This

argument is unpersuasive for a variety of reasons.

First and foremost, the editorial indicates neither how long the current board members have

occupied their board positions nor the scope of their authority. Perhaps they are new members

and the facts that the editorial cites are attributable to events and decisions occurring before

the current board members assumed their positions. If so, and if the current board either has

not had adequate opportunity or does not have adequate authority to reverse these

developments, then any claim regarding their level of concern about arts education is

unjustifiable--at least based on the evidence cited.

Even assuming adequate authority and tenure on the part of the current board members,

they are not necessarily responsible for the declining student participation in drama programs.

The decline might be due to some other factor. For instance, perhaps students generally

dislike the current drama director. If so, then the board's refusal to renew his contract would

indicate that the board is attempting to reverse the decline, and that the board is in fact

concerned about facilitating arts education.

As for the fact that $300,000 is devoted to athletic programs, the editorial does not indicate

the school's total budget. It is entirely possible that $300,000 accounts for a small portion of

that budget compared to the amount budgeted for the arts. If so, and if the current school

board is at least partly responsible for the current budget, these facts would cast considerable

doubt on the editorial's claim that the board is unconcerned about promoting arts education.

Admittedly, the fact that the head football coach is the highest paid teacher provides some

support for the editorial's claim assuming that the current board members are at least

partially responsible for that salary. However, this fact in itself is insufficient to show that the

board members are unconcerned about promoting arts education. Perhaps the football coach

carries additional duties that warrant the high salary; in fact, perhaps he also teaches drama or

music. Or perhaps his salary is high simply because he has been a teaching-staff member

longer than nearly any other local school teacher. 感谢您阅读《GRE作文范文大全（148） 》一文，查字典出国留学网()编辑部希望本文能帮助到您。