【简介】感谢网友“雕龙文库”参与投稿，这里小编给大家分享一些，方便大家学习。
ARGUMENT新题
1.The following appeared in a memorandum from the head of a human resources department at a major automobile manufacturing company to the companys managers:
Studies have found that employees of not-for-profit organizations and charities are often more highly motivated than employees of for-profit corporations to perform well at work when their performance is not being monitored or evaluated. Interviews with employees of not-for-profit organizations suggest that the reason for their greater motivation is the belief that their work helps to improve society. Because they believe in the importance of their work, they have personal reasons to perform well, even when no financial reward is present. Thus, if our corporation began donating a significant portion of its profits to humanitarian causes, our employees motivation and productivity would increase substantially and our overall profits would increase as well.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
2. The following appeared in an editorial from a magazine produced by an organization dedicated to environmental protection:
In order to effectively reduce the amount of environmental damage that industrial manufacturing plants cause, those who manage the plants must be aware of the specific amount and types of damage caused by each of their various manufacturing processes. However, few corporations have enough financial incentive to monitor this information. In order to guarantee that corporations reduce the damage caused by their plants, the federal government should require every corporation to produce detailed annual reports on the environmental impact of their manufacturing process, and the government should impose stiff financial penalties for failure to produce these reports.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
3. The following appeared in a memorandum from the information technology department of a major advertising firm:
The more efficient a firms employees are, the more profitable that firm will be. Improvements in a firms information technology hardware and software are a proven way to increase the efficiency of employees who do the majority of their work on computers. Therefore, if our firm invests in the most powerful and advanced information technology available, employee productivity will be maximized. This strategy ensures that every dollar spent on enhanced information technology will help to increase our firms profit margins.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
4. The following appeared in a memorandum from the CEO of a consumer electronics manufacturing firm to the head of the companys human resources department, who is responsible for hiring new employees:
Eight years ago, our firms profits were increasing with each new employee we added. We discovered that each employee had the skills and motivation to generate more revenue for the firm than his or her salary cost us.
However, for the past two years, our profit margin has been falling, even though we have continued to add employees. Thus, our newer employees are not generating enough revenue to justify their salaries. We must not be hiring new employees with the same level of skills and motivation as those we used to attract. Clearly, then, failures in the human resources department account for our falling profits.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
5. The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper:
The tragic crash of a medical helicopter last week points up a situation that needs to be addressed. The medical helicopter industry supposedly has more stringent guidelines for training pilots and maintaining equipment than do most other airline industries, but these guidelines do not appear to be working: statistics reveal that the rate of medical-helicopter accidents is much higher than the rate of accidents for non-medical helicopters or commercial airliners.
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.
6. The following appeared in a letter from a part-owner of a small retail clothing chain to her business partner:
Commercial real estate prices have been rising steadily in the Sandida Heights neighborhood for several years, while the prices in the adjacent neighborhood of Palm Grove have remained the same. It seems obvious, then, that a retail space in Sandida Heights must now be much more expensive than a similar space in Palm Grove, which was not the case several years ago. So, it appears that retail spaces in Sandida Heights are now overpriced relative to those in Palm Grove. Therefore, it would be in our financial interest to purchase a retail space in Palm Grove rather than in Sandida Heights.
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.
7. The following appeared as part of an article in a daily newspaper:
The computerized onboard warning system that will be installed in commercial airliners will virtually solve the problem of midair plane collisions. One planes warning system can receive signals from anothers transponder―a radio set that signals a planes course―in order to determine the likelihood of a collision and recommend evasive action.
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.
8. The following appeared in a presentation by the chief production manager of a machine parts manufacturing company at a management meeting:
Our factory in Cookville is our most advanced and efficient. It is capable of producing ten drill bits for each dollar of production costs, whereas none of our other factories can produce more than seven drill bits per dollar of production costs. Therefore, we can reduce our overall drill bit production costs by devoting the Cookville factory entirely to drill bit production. Since reducing the production costs of individual machine parts is the only way to achieve our larger goal of reducing our overall production costs, dedicating the Cookville factory entirely to drill bit production and shifting all other machine part production to our other factories will help us to attain that larger goal.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
9.The following appeared in a memorandum to a team developing accounting software for SmartPro Software, Inc.:
Currently, more professional accountants use SmartPro accounting software than any other brand. However, in the market for personal accounting software for non-professionals to use in preparing their income tax returns, many of our competitors are outselling us. In surveys, our professional customers repeatedly say that they have chosen SmartPro Software because our most sophisticated software products include more advanced special features than competing brands. Therefore, the most effective way for us to increase sales of our personal accounting software for home users would clearly be to add the advanced special features that our professional software products currently offer.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
10. The following appeared in a memorandum from the marketing department of a childrens clothing manufacturer:
Our HuggyBunny brand is the bestselling brand of childrens clothing. Parents everywhere recognize the HuggyBunny logo as a mark of quality, and most of our customers show great brand loyalty. Sales reports have shown that parents are more likely to buy childrens clothes with the familiar HuggyBunny brand and logo than otherwise identical clothes without it. Therefore, if we use the HuggyBunny brand name and logo for the new line of clothing for teenagers that our company will soon be introducing, that clothing will sell better than it would if we labeled it with a new brand name and logo.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
11.The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a local newspaper:
Our city councils neglect of the impoverished Railroad Flats neighborhood has left businesses with little incentive to locate there. Building a new professional football stadium in the neighborhood would solve this problem. Thousands
of football fans would travel to the area to see games, and they would buy from local merchants, encouraging new businesses to open. So our city council should move quickly to fund the construction of a professional football stadium in Railroad Flats in order to help the neighborhood develop a thriving economy.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
12.The following appeared in a research paper written for an introductory economics course:
For the past century, an increase in the number of residential building permits issued per month in a particular region has been a reliable indicator of coming improvements to that regions economy. If the monthly number of residential building permits issued rises consistently for a few months, the local unemployment rate almost always falls and economic production increases. This well-established connection reveals an effective method by which a regional government can end a local economic downturn: relax regulations governing all construction so that many more building permits can be issued.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
ARGUMENT新题
1.The following appeared in a memorandum from the head of a human resources department at a major automobile manufacturing company to the companys managers:
Studies have found that employees of not-for-profit organizations and charities are often more highly motivated than employees of for-profit corporations to perform well at work when their performance is not being monitored or evaluated. Interviews with employees of not-for-profit organizations suggest that the reason for their greater motivation is the belief that their work helps to improve society. Because they believe in the importance of their work, they have personal reasons to perform well, even when no financial reward is present. Thus, if our corporation began donating a significant portion of its profits to humanitarian causes, our employees motivation and productivity would increase substantially and our overall profits would increase as well.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
2. The following appeared in an editorial from a magazine produced by an organization dedicated to environmental protection:
In order to effectively reduce the amount of environmental damage that industrial manufacturing plants cause, those who manage the plants must be aware of the specific amount and types of damage caused by each of their various manufacturing processes. However, few corporations have enough financial incentive to monitor this information. In order to guarantee that corporations reduce the damage caused by their plants, the federal government should require every corporation to produce detailed annual reports on the environmental impact of their manufacturing process, and the government should impose stiff financial penalties for failure to produce these reports.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
3. The following appeared in a memorandum from the information technology department of a major advertising firm:
The more efficient a firms employees are, the more profitable that firm will be. Improvements in a firms information technology hardware and software are a proven way to increase the efficiency of employees who do the majority of their work on computers. Therefore, if our firm invests in the most powerful and advanced information technology available, employee productivity will be maximized. This strategy ensures that every dollar spent on enhanced information technology will help to increase our firms profit margins.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
4. The following appeared in a memorandum from the CEO of a consumer electronics manufacturing firm to the head of the companys human resources department, who is responsible for hiring new employees:
Eight years ago, our firms profits were increasing with each new employee we added. We discovered that each employee had the skills and motivation to generate more revenue for the firm than his or her salary cost us.
However, for the past two years, our profit margin has been falling, even though we have continued to add employees. Thus, our newer employees are not generating enough revenue to justify their salaries. We must not be hiring new employees with the same level of skills and motivation as those we used to attract. Clearly, then, failures in the human resources department account for our falling profits.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
5. The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper:
The tragic crash of a medical helicopter last week points up a situation that needs to be addressed. The medical helicopter industry supposedly has more stringent guidelines for training pilots and maintaining equipment than do most other airline industries, but these guidelines do not appear to be working: statistics reveal that the rate of medical-helicopter accidents is much higher than the rate of accidents for non-medical helicopters or commercial airliners.
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.
6. The following appeared in a letter from a part-owner of a small retail clothing chain to her business partner:
Commercial real estate prices have been rising steadily in the Sandida Heights neighborhood for several years, while the prices in the adjacent neighborhood of Palm Grove have remained the same. It seems obvious, then, that a retail space in Sandida Heights must now be much more expensive than a similar space in Palm Grove, which was not the case several years ago. So, it appears that retail spaces in Sandida Heights are now overpriced relative to those in Palm Grove. Therefore, it would be in our financial interest to purchase a retail space in Palm Grove rather than in Sandida Heights.
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.
7. The following appeared as part of an article in a daily newspaper:
The computerized onboard warning system that will be installed in commercial airliners will virtually solve the problem of midair plane collisions. One planes warning system can receive signals from anothers transponder―a radio set that signals a planes course―in order to determine the likelihood of a collision and recommend evasive action.
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.
8. The following appeared in a presentation by the chief production manager of a machine parts manufacturing company at a management meeting:
Our factory in Cookville is our most advanced and efficient. It is capable of producing ten drill bits for each dollar of production costs, whereas none of our other factories can produce more than seven drill bits per dollar of production costs. Therefore, we can reduce our overall drill bit production costs by devoting the Cookville factory entirely to drill bit production. Since reducing the production costs of individual machine parts is the only way to achieve our larger goal of reducing our overall production costs, dedicating the Cookville factory entirely to drill bit production and shifting all other machine part production to our other factories will help us to attain that larger goal.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
9.The following appeared in a memorandum to a team developing accounting software for SmartPro Software, Inc.:
Currently, more professional accountants use SmartPro accounting software than any other brand. However, in the market for personal accounting software for non-professionals to use in preparing their income tax returns, many of our competitors are outselling us. In surveys, our professional customers repeatedly say that they have chosen SmartPro Software because our most sophisticated software products include more advanced special features than competing brands. Therefore, the most effective way for us to increase sales of our personal accounting software for home users would clearly be to add the advanced special features that our professional software products currently offer.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
10. The following appeared in a memorandum from the marketing department of a childrens clothing manufacturer:
Our HuggyBunny brand is the bestselling brand of childrens clothing. Parents everywhere recognize the HuggyBunny logo as a mark of quality, and most of our customers show great brand loyalty. Sales reports have shown that parents are more likely to buy childrens clothes with the familiar HuggyBunny brand and logo than otherwise identical clothes without it. Therefore, if we use the HuggyBunny brand name and logo for the new line of clothing for teenagers that our company will soon be introducing, that clothing will sell better than it would if we labeled it with a new brand name and logo.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
11.The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a local newspaper:
Our city councils neglect of the impoverished Railroad Flats neighborhood has left businesses with little incentive to locate there. Building a new professional football stadium in the neighborhood would solve this problem. Thousands
of football fans would travel to the area to see games, and they would buy from local merchants, encouraging new businesses to open. So our city council should move quickly to fund the construction of a professional football stadium in Railroad Flats in order to help the neighborhood develop a thriving economy.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
12.The following appeared in a research paper written for an introductory economics course:
For the past century, an increase in the number of residential building permits issued per month in a particular region has been a reliable indicator of coming improvements to that regions economy. If the monthly number of residential building permits issued rises consistently for a few months, the local unemployment rate almost always falls and economic production increases. This well-established connection reveals an effective method by which a regional government can end a local economic downturn: relax regulations governing all construction so that many more building permits can be issued.
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
