GRE作文范文 Argument-15

　　GRE作文范文 Argument-15 “The well-being of a society is enhanced when many of its people question authority.” 嘉文博译Sample Essay “A folk remedy* for insomnia, the scent in lavender flowers, has now been proved effective. In a recent study, 30 volunteers with chronic insomnia slept each night for three weeks on lavender-scented pillows in a controlled room where their sleep was monitored. During the first week, volunteers continued to take their usual sleeping medication. They slept soundly but wakened feeling tired. During the second week, the volunteers discontinued their medication. As a result, they slept less soundly than the previous week and felt even more tired. During the third week, the volunteers slept longer and more soundly than in the previous two weeks. This shows that over a short period of time lavender cures insomnia..” (*A folk remedy is usually a plant-based form of treatment common to traditional forms of medicine, ones that developed before the advent of modern medical services and technology.) This arguer states in his or her argument that a recent study has proven that the scent of lavender flowers is an effective remedy for insomnia. To support this conclusion, the arguer cites the study, which tested thirty volunteers over a three-week period in a controlled room where their sleep was monitored. During the first week, the volunteers continued to take their usual sleeping medications and slept well but awoke feeling tired. For the second week, the medication was discontinued and the volunteers slept less soundly and felt even more tired than before. During the third week, the volunteers slept longer and more soundly than before. This conclusion is based on problematic reasoning and fails to convince on any level. First of all, the fact that the study took place in a controlled room makes the study‘s results likely to be different than what would have been found in the volunteers’ home environments. For most people, it is difficult, at least at first, to sleep in a new bed in a different place, thus altering the normal patterns of sleeping and ultimately the results of the study. In addition, a study based on the results of only thirty volunteers over just three weeks is hardly a thorough and convincing study of an entire population. This argument is greatly weakened by both of these problems with the study method. Secondly, the study results showed that for the first week, the subjects slept soundly but wakened feeling tired. This would be expected as medication can force sleep but not the natural type of sleep that is necessary to normally refresh the mind and the body. For the second week, the medication was discontinued with the result being that the volunteers slept less soundly and were even more tired than before. Again, this would be expected as taking away the medication that normally made the volunteers sleepy had interrupted the normal sleep routine. With less sleep, of course the volunteers would feel more tired. For the third week, the study found that the volunteers slept longer and more soundly than they had in the previous two weeks. Rather than attributing this to the lavender scent, the subjects in reality had been tired for the previous two weeks, including one in which they discontinued medication. It would be a natural result for them to sleep well during the third week due to being so tired from the previous two weeks. Additionally, by the third week, the volunteers would be getting familiar with their still relatively new sleeping environment, again helping them to sleep better. With so many possible other causes of better sleep during the third week, it is highly unlikely that the lavender scent had any effect on the volunteers. Because the arguer does not address these other causes, the argument here also fails to convince. In summary, the arguer has used some unconvincing anecdotal evidence to try to show a direct cause and effect relationship between the scent in lavender flowers and a cure for insomnia. To strengthen the argument, evidence must show a direct causal relationship between the lavender scent and its effect on sleep. The study presented as evidence of such a link does not isolate other possible factors that probably led to better sleep for the volunteers, and as such it does not contribute much to the arguer‘s improbable conclusion. (568 words)

　　参考译文

　　作为一种治疗失眠的民间偏方，熏衣草花卉的花香已被证明有其疗效。在近期的一项研究中，有30名志愿者--他们全都患有长期失眠症--在一间控制室内连续三周每晚都枕着有熏衣草花香的枕头就寝。科研人员对他们的睡眠状况进行了全程监测。第一星期，志愿者们继续服用他们平常服用的安眠药。他们睡得很香，但第二天醒来时感觉疲惫。第二周，志愿者们停止服用安眠药，结果是，他们睡得没有上个星期那么香，并觉得更为疲惫。至第三周，志愿者们睡眠的时间比前两个星期更长，且睡得更香。这表明，在一个较短的时间内，熏衣草已治愈了失眠症

　　（注：所谓偏方常指一种基于植物的治疗形式，为传统医疗形式所普遍采用，它们形成于现代医疗服务和技术出现之前。）

　　上述论点的论述者在其论述中陈述道，近期的一项研究已证明，熏衣草花卉的芳香可有效地治愈失眠症。为了支持这一结论，论述者援引了一项研究，该研究对30名志愿者进行了为期三个星期的测验，将受测试者置于一间控制室内，对其睡眠状况进行全程监测。第一周，志愿者们继续服用他们惯常服用的安眠药，睡得很香，但醒来时甚感疲倦。第二周，志愿者们停止用药后，睡得便没有那么香，且感到比以前还要疲倦得多。第三周，志愿者们睡眠的时间较以前长，且睡得香。这一结论基于极成问题的逻辑推理，在任何层面上均无法令人置信。 　 首先，该项 研究是在某一控制室内进行，这一事实就足以使得该项研究的结果可能全然有别于在其家庭环境中进行研究所有可能发现的结果。对于大多数人来说，至少是在初期，是很难在一个全新的环境中的一张全新的床上睡好的，因此，这会改变其正常的睡眠模式，并因而会最终改变研究结果。此外，一项只是基于三十个人为期仅三个星期的研究很难成为一项面向所有人口的全面而有说服力的研究。由于该研究方法中的这二大缺陷，上述论点倍遭削弱。

　　其次，该项研究的结果表明，第一周内，受试者们睡得很香，但醒来时甚感疲倦。这可以被视作意料之中的事，因为药物可强制人们入睡，但这种睡眠不是一种自然的睡眠，不是用来放松身心的一种正常手段。第二周内，药物的使用被停止，其结果是，志愿者们没能睡得那么香，且感到比以前甚至更疲倦。这又是情理之中的事。因为拿走那些通常会使志愿者们感到困倦的药物会打断其惯常的睡眠习性。由于睡得较少，志愿者们当然会感到更为倦乏。至第三周，该项研究发现，志愿者们的睡眠与以前的二周相比时间变长了，且睡得更香了。我们不应将这一点归诸于熏衣草的芳香。实际上，这是由于受试者们二个星期以来已甚感困倦，其中包括停止服用药物的那个星期。由于在第二周中是如此疲倦，因此，他们在第三周中睡得很香应是顺理成章。此外，至第三周，志愿者们已越来越适应了他们仍然相对陌生的睡眠环境，这一点也可以帮助他们睡得更香。由于第三周中志愿者睡眠状况的改善存在着如许多其他的可然性原因，因此，熏衣草的芳香极不可能对志愿者们产生了任何影响。由于论述者没有涉及这些其他的原因，故所持论点在这里再次无法令人信服。

　　概而言之，论述者利用某些缺乏说服力的、轶事趣闻性质的证据，试图来证明在熏衣草花香和医治失眠症之间存在着某种直接的因果关系。若要使其论点更具力度，就必须拿出证据来证明熏衣草的芳香和它对失眠的疗效之间有着直接的因果联系。作为这一联系的证据而摆出的该项研究，没能分离出其他某些有可能致使志愿者们改善其睡眠状况的或然性因素。如此看来，该项研究无法起到太大的作用来支持论述者所提出的那种极不可能的结论。