GRE写作：Argument 精选真题范文（第53讲）

　　在上一讲(第52讲)中，我们讲到Argument任务中的【混淆/偷换概念】问题。这一讲，我们看【它因】问题。

　　当然，我们首先要回顾一下【它因】的逻辑模型(参见第49、50两讲)。

　　【它因】问题：

　　1. 关键词：可能没有固定关键词，注意辨别因果关系即可。

　　2. 逻辑：通常说来，作者先陈述某个行为、措施、事件、事物特点等作为A，然后陈述一个结果性的B，或者先陈述了一个结果性的B，然后补充说明了在此之前发生的A或存在A。总之，作者认为是B的A原因。

　　3. 诊断：A可能不是B的仅有原因，甚至根本就不是原因，因为B的原因可能有众多。

　　4. 结果：作者建立的因果关系中，原因部分存在它因，因果关系不一定成立。

　　我们以下面的这篇passage为例，尤其关注高亮的那句话：

　　"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, there is clearly a call for the government to strive to reduce the number of serious injuries from bicycle accidents by launching an education program that concentrates on the factors other than helmet use that are necessary for bicycle safety."

　　很显然，作者把【事故数量增长的原因】归结为【骑行者带了头盔就会自认安全从而胡来】。

　　基于我们上面梳理出的【它因】问题的模型，我们就会去分析【事故数量增长的其它原因】。

　　具体怎么说(怎么写作)呢?老师的示范如下：

　　There may be a number of contributors, other than the purported contributor by the author, to the increased number of accidents. For example, there may be an increased volume of traffic or complicated traffic condition that renders bicycling less safe and more prone to accidents.

　　我们再看另一篇passage，通过黄色高亮的那句话找出【它因】问题：

　　"To reverse a decline in listener numbers, our owners have decided that WWAC must change from its current rock-music format. The decline has occurred despite population growth in our listening area, but that growth has resulted mainly from people moving here after their retirement. We must make listeners of these new residents. We could switch to a music format tailored to their tastes, but a continuing decline in local sales of recorded music suggests limited interest in music. Instead, we should change to a news and talk format, a form of radio that is increasingly popular in our area."

　　作者把【听众人数的下降】归结为【rock-music不再受欢迎】。

　　基于我们上面梳理出的【它因】问题的模型，我们就会去分析【听众人数的下降的其它原因】。

　　如何针对这个点进行分析性写作?老师的示范如下：

　　Additional evidence is needed so as to attribute the decline in the listenership to the rock music format. Since the causation is unevidenced in the passage and may be circumstantial, there may be other causes for the decline, such as WWAC’s poor choice of specific rock musicians or specific work, or the radio station’s unpopular host. In other words, to make the proposed change legitimate, the author should have provided evidence to rule out those other reasons and thus make the rock format itself the exclusive reason.

　　至此，我们可以简单总结一下针对【它因】的分析：写作时，思路和措辞的核心在于描述因果关系，尤其是着重“其它”和“原因”，比如第1个示范段落里的“other than”和“contributors”，以及第二个示范段落里的“other”和“causes”。

　　大家还需要更多的例子去学习【它因】问题的分析方法、写作结构、措辞技巧。

　　我们在这一轮逐个扫描“十大常见逻辑漏洞”之后再更进一步、逐个透析。