新GRE ARGUMENT题库――带编号

1、WovenbasketscharacterizedbyaparticulardistinctivepatternhavepreviouslybeenfoundonlyintheimmediatevicinityoftheprehistoricvillageofPaleaandthereforewerebelievedtohavebeenmadeonlybythePaleanpeople.Recently,however,archaeologistsdiscoveredsuchaPaleanbasketinLithos,anancientvillageacrosstheBrimRiverfromPalea.TheBrimRiverisverydeepandbroad,andsotheancientPaleanscouldhavecrosseditonlybyboat,andnoPaleanboatshavebeenfound.Thusitfollowsthattheso-calledPaleanbasketswerenotuniquelyPalean.Writearesponseinwhichyoudiscusswhatspecificevidenceisneededtoevaluatetheargumentandexplainhowtheevidencewouldweakenorstrengthentheargument.2、Thefollowingappearedaspartofalettertotheeditorofascientificjournal.Arecentstudyofeighteenrhesusmonkeysprovidescluesastotheeffectsofbirthorderonanindividual'slevelsofstimulation.Thestudyshowedthatinstimulatingsituations(suchasanencounterwithanunfamiliarmonkey),firstborninfantmonkeysproduceuptotwiceasmuchofthehormonecortisol,whichprimesthebodyforincreasedactivitylevels,asdotheiryoungersiblings.Firstbornhumansalsoproducerelativelyhighlevelsofcortisolinstimulatingsituations(suchasthereturnofaparentafteranabsence).Thestudyalsofoundthatduringpregnancy,first-timemothermonkeyshadhigherlevelsofcortisolthandidthosewhohadhadseveraloffspring.Writearesponseinwhichyoudiscussoneormorealternativeexplanationsthatcouldrivaltheproposedexplanationandexplainhowyourexplanation(s)canplausiblyaccountforthefactspresentedintheargument.3、ThefollowingappearedasalettertotheeditorfromaCentralPlazastoreowner.Overthepasttwoyears,thenumberofshoppersinCentralPlazahasbeensteadilydecreasingwhilethepopularityofskateboardinghasincreaseddramatically.ManyCentralPlazastoreownersbelievethatthedecreaseintheirbusinessisduetothenumberofskateboardusersintheplaza.Therehasalsobeenadramaticincreaseintheamountoflitterandvandalismthroughouttheplaza.Thus,werecommendthatthecityprohibitskateboardinginCentralPlaza.Ifskateboardingisprohibitedhere,wepredictthatbusinessinCentralPlazawillreturntoitspreviouslyhighlevels.Writearesponseinwhichyoudiscusswhatquestionswouldneedtobeansweredinordertodecidewhethertherecommendationislikelytohavethepredictedresult.Besuretoexplainhowtheanswerstothesequestionswouldhelptoevaluatetherecommendation.4、Thefollowingappearedinaletterfromahomeownertoafriend.Ofthetwoleadingrealestatefirmsinourtown—AdamsRealtyandFitchRealty—AdamsRealtyisclearlysuperior.Adamshas40realestateagents;incontrast,Fitchhas25,manyofwhomworkonlypart-time.Moreover,Adams'revenuelastyearwastwiceashighasthatofFitchandincludedhomesalesthataveraged$168,000,comparedtoFitch's$144,000.HomeslistedwithAdamssellfasteraswell:tenyearsagoIlistedmyhomewithFitch,andittookmorethanfourmonthstosell;lastyear,whenIsoldanotherhome,IlisteditwithAdams,andittookonlyonemonth.Thus,ifyouwanttosellyourhomequicklyandatagoodprice,youshoulduseAdamsRealty.Writearesponseinwhichyouexaminethestatedand/orunstatedassumptionsoftheargument.Besuretoexplainhowtheargumentdependsontheseassumptionsandwhattheimplicationsarefortheargumentiftheassumptionsproveunwarranted.5、ThefollowingappearedinalettertotheeditoroftheBalmerIslandGazette.OnBalmerIsland,wheremopedsserveasapopularformoftransportation,thepopulationincreasesto100,000duringthesummermonths.Toreducethenumberofaccidentsinvolvingmopedsandpedestrians,thetowncouncilofBalmerIslandshouldlimitthenumberofmopedsrentedbytheisland'smopedrentalcompaniesfrom50perdayto25perdayduringthesummerseason.Bylimitingthenumberofrentals,thetowncouncilwillattainthe50percentannualreductioninmopedaccidentsthatwasachievedlastyearontheneighboringislandofSeaville,whenSeaville'stowncouncilenforcedsimilarlimitsonmopedrentals.Writearesponseinwhichyoudiscusswhatquestionswouldneedtobeansweredinordertodecidewhethertherecommendationislikelytohavethepredictedresult.Besuretoexplainhowtheanswerstothesequestionswouldhelptoevaluatetherecommendation.6、ArcticdeerliveonislandsinCanada'sarcticregions.Theysearchforfoodbymovingovericefromislandtoislandduringthecourseoftheyear.Theirhabitatislimitedtoareaswarmenoughtosustaintheplantsonwhichtheyfeedandcoldenough,atleastsomeoftheyear,fortheicetocovertheseaseparatingtheislands,allowingthedeertotraveloverit.Unfortunately,accordingtoreportsfromlocalhunters,thedeerpopulationsaredeclining.Sincethesereportscoincidewithrecentglobalwarmingtrendsthathavecausedtheseaicetomelt,wecanconcludethatthepurporteddeclineindeerpopulationsistheresultofthedeer'sbeingunabletofollowtheirage-oldmigrationpatternsacrossthefrozensea.Writearesponseinwhichyoudiscusswhatspecificevidenceisneededtoevaluatetheargumentandexplainhowtheevidencewouldweakenorstrengthentheargument.7、ThefollowingisarecommendationfromtheBoardofDirectorsofMonarchBooks.WerecommendthatMonarchBooksopenacaféinitsstore.Monarch,havingbeeninbusinessatthesamelocationformorethantwentyyears,hasalargecustomerbasebecauseitisknownforitswideselectionofbooksonallsubjects.Clearly,openingthecaféwouldattractmorecustomers.Spacecouldbemadeforthecafébydiscontinuingthechildren'sbooksection,whichwillprobablybecomelesspopula