gre话题作文

　　In a study of reading habits of Leeville citizens conducted by the University of Leeville, most respondents said they preferred literary classics as reading material. However, a follow-up study conducted by the same researchers found that the type of book most frequently checked out of each of the public libraries in Leeville was the mystery novel. Therefore, it can be concluded that the respondents in the first study had misrepresented their reading habits.

　　This argument is based on two separate surveys of the citizens of Leeville, conducted by the University of Leeville. In the first survey, most respondents said that their preferred reading material was literary classics. A follow-up study by the same researchers found that mystery novels were the most frequently checked out books from each of the public libraries in Leeville. The arguer concludes that the respondents in the first study therefore misrepresented their own reading habits. This argument does not follow the facts and is therefore unconvincing due to several flaws in logic.

　　First of all, it is possible that none of the citizens who responded to the first survey were participants in the second survey. Statistically speaking, it is entirely possible that the first survey contained a greater majority of literary classics readers than are present in the general population of Leeville. The difference in the first study and the study of the books that were actually checked o...

　　Topic

　　The Trash-Site Safety Council has recently conducted a statewide study of possible harmful effects of garbage sites on the health of people living near the sites. A total of five sites and 300 people were examined. The study revealed, on average, only a small statistical correlation between the proximity of homes to garbage sites and the incidence of unexplained rashes among people living in these homes. Furthermore, although it is true that people living near the largest trash sites had a slightly higher incidence of the rashes, there was otherwise no correlation between the size of the garbage sites and people’s health. Therefore, the council is pleased to announce that the current system of garbage sites does not pose a significant health hazard. We see no need to restrict the size of such sites in our state or to place any restrictions on the number of homes built near the sites.

　　Sample Essay

　　In this argument, the council comes to the conclusion that the current system of garbage sites does not pose a significant health hazard and that therefore, there is no need to restrict the size of the garbage sites or the number of homes built near the site. To support this conclusion, the council cites a study of five garbage sites and three hundred people that showed only a small correlation between the closeness of the homes to the sites and the incidence of unexplained rashes among those people living there. Additio...

　　Topic

　　The following is a letter to the editor of the Atticus City newspaper

　　"Former Mayor Durant owes an apology to the city of Atticus. Both the damage to the River Bridge, which connects Atticus to Hartley, and the traffic problems we have long experienced on the bridge were actually caused 20 years ago by Durant. After all, he is the one who approved the construction of the bridge. If he had approved a wider and better-designed bridge, on which approximately the same amount of public money would have been spent, none of the damage or problems would have occurred. Instead, the River Bridge has deteriorated far more rapidly over the past 20 years than has the much longer Derby Bridge up the river. Even though the winters have been severe in the past several years, this is no excuse for the negligence and wastefulness of Durant."

　　Sample Essay

　　The author of this letter concludes in his or her argument that former Mayor Durant should apologize to the city of Atticus because he is at fault for damage that has occurred over a twenty-year time span to the River Bridge. The author also blames Mayor Durant for long-time traffic problems on the bridge, stating that Durant actually caused these problems twenty years before because he approved the construction of the bridge and did not approve a wider and better-designed bridge. The arguer may have a personal vendetta against Mayor Durant but the elements stated in the argum...

　　Topic 　　The following is a letter to the editor of an environmental magazine

　　"The decline in the numbers of amphibians worldwide clearlyindicates the global pollution of water and air. Two studies ofamphibians in Yosemite National Park in California confirm myconclusion. In 1915 there were seven species of amphibians in the park,and there were abundant numbers of each species. However, in 1992 therewere only four species of amphibians observed in the park, and thenumbers of each species were drastically reduced. The decline inYosemite has been blamed on the introduction of trout into the park’swaters, which began in 1920 (trout are known to eat amphibian eggs).But the introduction of trout cannot be the real reason for theYosemite decline because it does not explain the worldwide decline."

　　Sample Essay

　　In this argument, the writer of the letter concludes that globalpollution of water and air has caused a decline in the number ofamphibians worldwide. To support his or her conclusion, the writercites the results of two studies, seventy-five years apart, thatpurportedly show that the number of amphibians in one park inCalifornia, Yosemite National Park, have drastically declined.Additionally, the writer casts aside a given reason for the decline,stating that the introduction of trout to the park (who are known toeat amphibian eggs) does not explain the worldwide decline in thenumber of amphibians. This argument defies si...