The Analyzing an Argument Task is the second task of the writing section, which is the first part of the GRE General Test.

　　官方福利：

　　http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/argument/pool

　　The Analyzing an Argument Task is a 30-minute task. There is no required length.

　　「Question No. 21」

　　A question of this task consists of two parts:

　　The following appeared in an article written by Dr. Karp, an anthropologist.

　　The brief passage / argument:

　　“Twenty years ago, Dr. Field, a noted anthropologist, visited the island of Tertia and concluded from his observations that children in Tertia were reared by an entire village rather than by their own biological parents. However, my (Teacher’s note: Dr. Karp’s)recent interviews with children living in the group of islands that includes Tertia show that these children spend much more time talking about their biological parents than about other adults in the village. This research of mine proves that Dr. Field’s conclusion about Tertian village culture is invalid and thus that the observation-centered approach to studying cultures is invalid as well. The interview-centered method that my team of graduate students is currently using in Tertia will establish a much more accurate understanding of child-rearing traditions there and in other island cultures.”

　　* A writer should read the argument and find out logical flaws – where the logic does not add up or make sense.

　　The instructions：

　　Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

　　* A writer should write an analytical essay in response to the specific requirement of the instructions – evidence.

　　Introduction

　　略

　　Body

　　逻辑点思路： Although the two studies have drawn two different conclusions, both conclusions may be right. This is because the twenty years is a long time during which the island’s child-rearing practice has changed. 答题时不能直接写逻辑思路，因为没有应对指令核心(evidence)答题。

　　应对指令答题，即从evidence的角度分析的写法：A crucial piece ofevidence whose addition to the argument would affect the logic is that the island’s child-rearing practice has changed during the twenty years between the two studies. 为了完成写作(而不是写成简答题，需要一些“肥肉”，即完善话语逻辑的内容) As a matter of fact, twenty years is a long time during which the change may happen. 然后，批判作者： Since the author omits to consider this possibility, it is unfair to negate Dr. Field’s conclusion.

　　逻辑点思路： The interview-centered approach may have a critical flaw that many of the questions asked may lead the interviewees to spend much time talking about their biological parents although they were not raised by the biological parents. 答题时不能直接写逻辑思路，因为没有应对指令核心(evidence)答题。

　　应对指令答题，即从evidence的角度分析的写法： The interview-centered approach may have a critical flaw that many of the questions asked may lead the interviewees to spend much time talking about their biological parents although they were not raised by the biological parents. 如果不想把成形的思路破坏或者浪费，可以用补充性的话语去回应指令要求： If it is the case of Dr. Karp’s interviews, as there is no evidence to rule out the possibility, it is not Dr. Field’s conclusion, drawn from observation, but the conclusion drawn from the interviews that is invalid.

　　逻辑点思路：Even if the interviews had no aforementioned flaw, Dr. Karp’s study may have another problem that those children who spent much time talking about their biological parents were not from the island of Tertia but from the other islands, since Dr. Karp’s study was beyond the island of Tertia and, instead, about a group of islands.

　　应对指令答题，即从evidence的角度分析的写法：

　　There may be evidence that those children who spent much time talking about their biological parents were not from the island of Tertia but from the other islands. 为了完成写作(而不是写成简答题，需要一些“肥肉”，即完善话语逻辑的内容) This is a strong piece of evidence, since participants of Dr. Karp’s study are not limited to children from the island of Tertia and, instead, are from a group of islands in which Tertia is only one source. Meanwhile, it is likely that the participants were predominantly those children plus some Tertian children who are Tertia’s exceptions. 然后，批判作者： In other words, children from the other islands may be reared by their biological parents, whereas the overall of Tertian children are not.

　　当然，每个题不只3个逻辑疑点，目前只以三个点为例疏通写作过程。

　　理解evidence类型的指令，是理解assumptions类型和questions类型的基础。

　　Conclusion

　　略