【GRE写作】Argument 精选真题范文(十四)

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　「Question No. 2」

The following appeared as part of a letter to the editor of a scientific

journal.

"A recent study of eighteen rhesus monkeys provides clues as to the effects

of birth order on an individual's levels of stimulation. The study showed that

in stimulating situations (such as an encounter with an unfamiliar monkey),

firstborn infant monkeys produce up to twice as much of the hormone cortisol,

which primes the body for increased activity levels, as do their younger

siblings. Firstborn humans also produce relatively high levels of cortisol in

stimulating situations (such as the return of a parent after an absence). The

study also found that during pregnancy, first-time mother monkeys had higher

levels of cortisol than did those who had had several offspring."

Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations

that could rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s)

can plausibly account for the facts presented in the argument.

Introduction

The author’s assertion about the effects of birth order on an individual's

levels of stimulation is untenable / questionable / dubious. As a matter of

fact, there are a number of alternative explanations that can also account for

the monkeys’ or humans’ high levels of production of hormone cortisol.

Body

Alternative explanation 1: (常见逻辑疑点：偷换概念：出生顺序和年龄大小不是一个概念)

Instead of birth order, the age of the monkey may be the reason behind the

secretion of hormone cortisol. In other words, when the second-born monkey

reaches the age of the firstborn, it may produce the same level of cortisol in

stimulating situation, and so do the other younger siblings.

Alternative explanation 2: (常见逻辑疑点：样本容量问题)

Second, the author cannot safely generalize from 18 rhesus monkeys

studiedto all monkeys. Since there may be numerous rhesus monkeys, and the

sample pool of 18 of them may be too small to represent the whole species. In

addition, rhesus monkeys are only one particular species of monkeys and only may

not represent other species. 先分析逻辑再总结 At this point, the result of the study may

be explained as that author’s conclusive statement indicates a phenomenon that

happens only on those rhesus monkeys.

Alternative explanation 3 (which actually contains 3 explanations):

(常见逻辑疑点：研究方法—“变量”—问题)

Third, in the study of monkeys, it may be because the unfamiliar money

provoked the firstborn monkey that the firstborn responded with intense

reactions. It is also likely that the unfamiliar money happened to have a smell

or an appearance that the firstborn, as a particular monkey, liked or disliked,

and simulated the firstborn’s intense reaction. In other words, if a younger

sibling also liked or disliked the smell or appearance, he or she would have

responded as intensely as the firstborn. Likewise, in the study of humans, it

may be because of the strong intimacy between the child and the parent or the

child’s strong fear for the parent that the child reacted strongly to the

parent’s return.

Conclusion

The birth order may not be the only plausible explanation for an

individual's levels of stimulation. The author cannot be sure of the causation

he or she proposes unless the aforementioned alternative explanations are ruled

out.