Chapter-2-supporting-your-ideas

SupportingYourIdeasToanswerthethreequestions:•Whatdoyoumean?•WhyshouldIbelieveyou?•Sowhat?Whatarethesupportingmaterials?Forexample:Topic:TeaWhichstatementdoyoufindmostinteresting?Mostconvincing?GeneralTeaisverypopular.LessGeneralLargequantitiesofteaareconsumedbypeoplearoundtheglobe.SpecificTeaissecondonlytowaterastheworld’smostconsumedbeverage.Moreteaisconsumedeachyearthanallothermanufactureddrinksintheworldputtogether,includingcoffee,chocolate,softdrinks,andalcohol.Totalteaconsumptionis4billionkilogramsannually.﹡Thebasickindsofsupportingmaterials;﹡GeneralprinciplesforusingthemeffectivelyandresponsiblyFocusofthischapter:Type1:ExamplesExample:aspecificcaseusedtoillustrateortorepresentagroupofpeople,ideas,conditions,experiences,orthelike.Examples:briefexamplesextendedexampleshypotheticalexamples①ASpecificcasereferredinpassingtoillustrateapoint.eg:Theexcerptusesittoillustratethemiraculousnatureofrecentadvancesincreatingartificiallimbsforaccidentvictims:BriefExamples:•Changesintechnologyhavemadeitpossiblefordoctorstoworkwondersthatonceseemedimpossible.RogerCharter,forexample,lostbothhisfeetwhentheywerecrushedinatruckaccident.Nowhehasnewfeet---madeofaspringyplasticalloythatduplicatesanormalarch.Notonlycanhewalknormally,buthecanrunandplaysportsagain!②pilingsomecasesoneupontheotheruntilcreatingthedesiredimpressioneg:JapanesebusinessmenhavealreadyappliedConfucianethicsintheirbusinessmanagement,andtheAmericanmilitaryacademy,WestPoint,hastakenSunzi’sTheArtofWarasoneoftheirtextbooks.Intheseyears,thecreamofourculture,suchastraditionalmedicalscienceandmedicine,acupuncture,TaiChi,andpapercutting,haswonpopularityintheworld.Extendedexamples:•Astory,narrative,oranecdotedevelopedatsomelengthtoillustrateapoint.SampleSpeech:TheOlympicSpiritInthehistoryoftheOlympicGames,therehavebeenmanyshiningstars.AmongthemwasaEuropeangirl.Withthelapseoftime,hernamehasfadedfrommemory,yetherunbendingspiritshallneverperish.ItwasshewhohighlightedtheOlympicCreed.Inleadthoughshehadbeen,shestumbledneartheterminusandherlegwasinjured.Competitorspassedbyherfrombehindinsuccessionuntilfinallyonlyherweakandlonelyfigureremainedonthetrack.Doctorscameandofferedtotakeheraway.Yetsherefused.Withtheonlystrengthleftinher,shemanagedtogetupandshuffledfeeblytotheendpointwithdropsofbloodalonghertrail.Butcheersbrokeout.Thoughshefailedintherace,thegirlwonapplausefrompeopleallovertheworld.ItwasshewhoelucidatedtheOlympiccreedofparticipation.Itwasshewhoinstilledperseveranceinourminds.Hypotheticalexamples:•Anexamplethatdescribesanimaginaryorfictitioussituation•Imaginethis:Yourfatherhasbeenstrickenwithseriousheartdisease.Atthehospital,youlearnhehasachancetosurvive---ifhecanreceiveahearttransplant.Buttherearenoheartdonorsavailable.Yourfatherisoneofthe1.5millionChineseeachyearwhoneedanorgantransplantbutcannotgetonebecauseofashortageofdonors.Tipsforusingexamples:•Makeexamplesvividandrichlytextured;•Reinforceexampleswithstatisticsortestimony;Topic:themisuseofpowerfulprescriptionmedicationsintheUnitedStates•AccordingtotheCentersforDiseaseControl,reactionstoprescriptiondrugstake20,000liveseachyearintheU.S.,makingitthesecondleadingcauseofaccidentaldeath,rightbehindautomobileaccidents.“Judgedbyanymeasure,”saysLeonardPaulozzi,amedicalscientistattheCDC.“theprescriptiondrugproblemisacrisisthatissteadilyworsening.”Type2:Statistics(numericaldata)Statistics:•singlestatistics•multiplestatisticsSinglestatistics:•①TodocumentdifferentsavingratesinChinaandtheUnitedStates:“LastyearChina’ssavingratewas54percentofGDP,accordingtoChinaDaily.TheU.S.rate,includinghouseholdsandcorporations,wasamere12percentofGDP.”•②Toillustratethegrowingpopularityofelectricbicycle:“TheAssociatedPressreportsthatChinaproduced22millionelectricbicycleslastyear.Therearenowmorethan70millione-bikesonChineseroads.”MultipleStatistics•Tourismisahugeglobalindustry.AccordingtotheWorldTourismOrganization,lastyeartherewere922millioninternationaltouristarrivals,withtotalreceiptsofalmostU.S.$1trillion.Franceistheleadingtouristnation,with80millionvisitorseachyear.China,with50millionvisitors,isclosinginontheU.S.astheworld’sthirdmostpopulardestination.Tipsforusingstatistics•①Userepresentativestatistics;•②Identifythesourcesofstatistics;•③Usestatisticsfromreliablesources;•④Roundoffcomplicatedstatistics;•⑤Explainstatistics;•⑥Usevisualaidstoclarifystatistics.•①SupposeyouchoosetenpeopleatrandominashoppingmallandaskthemwhethertheyfavororopposeresumingexcavationoftheTerracottaArmyatXi’an.Supposealsothatsixapproveofresumingtheexcavationandfourdonot.•Wouldyouthenbeaccurateinclaimingthat60%ofthepopulationinyourcityfavorsresumingtheexcavation?•②Ratherthansaying“statisticsshow,”or“myfiguresdemonstrate,”tellyouraudiencewhereyougotyourstatistics.•Suchas(ChinaDaily,AssociatedPress,WorldTourismOrganization)•③Whichisthemorereliableestimateofthedangersofusingamobilephonewhiledriving:onefromChinaAssociationforRoadTrafficSafetyoronfromChinaMobile?•WhataboutnutritionalratingsforfastfoodsofferedbyPizzaHutorbyConsumersUnion,ahighlyrespectednonprofitorganiza