新GRE作文真题满分范文讲解剖析之失眠症

GRE作文考试最大的特点，便是GRE题库的公开，所有GRE考试中可能会出现的作文题目，都已经事先公布在ETS的GRE官网上。尽管考题公开透明，但庞大的题量，对于想要做好充分准备的考生来说，仍然算得上是巨大的挑战。为了方便广大考生准备GRE作文，小站为大家整理了针对题库中ARGUMENT类文章题目的满分范文，包含详细的逐段讲解和满分要素剖析，相信能给大家提供一些帮助。

Arg-50

An ancient, traditional remedy for insomnia—the scent of lavender flowers—has now been proved effective. In a recent study, 30 volunteers with chronic insomnia slept each night for three weeks on lavender-scented pillows in a controlled room where their sleep was monitored electronically. During the first week, volunteers continued to take their usual sleeping medication. They slept soundly but wakened feeling tired. At the beginning of the second week, the volunteers discontinued their sleeping medication. During that week, they slept less soundly than the previous week and felt even more tired. During the third week, the volunteers slept longer and more soundly than in the previous two weeks. Therefore, the study proves that lavender cures insomnia within a short period of time.

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.

满分范文赏析

The speaker concludes that lavender provides an effective cure for insomnia. To support this conclusion the speaker cites a three-week experiment in which researchers monitored a controlled group. The speaker's account of the experiment reveals several critical problems.

【此段结构】

本段采用了标准的Argument开头段结构，即：C – E - F的开头结构，首句概括原文的C(Conclusion)。接下来的一句话概括了原文为了支持他的结论所引用的E(Evidence)。最后尾句中给出开头段到正文段的过渡句，指出原文在逻辑上存在F(Flaw)。

【此段功能】

本段作为Argument开头段，具体功能就在发起攻击。首先，概括原文的结论：lavender对治疗失眠症很有效。接下来分别列举了原文为了支持这个结论引用的证据：一个三周的对比调查，论据的归纳用于铺垫出正文段的具体攻击。最后点出原文存在逻辑错误，引出后面的分析。

To begin with, the fact that subjects slept more soundly and awakened less tired the first week than the second demonstrates only that the subjects' sleep medications were somewhat effective yet it proves nothing about the effectiveness of lavender.

【此段结构】

本段采用了标准的Argument正文段结构，即：概括第一个逻辑错误的错误类型和原文犯错位置，接下来给出合理的理由和他因来反驳原文。

【此段功能】

本段作为正文第一段，攻击文章犯的主要逻辑错误：因果类错误。作者认为调查中提到的“睡得更好更香”只能反映lavender对睡眠效果好坏的作用，不能反映其对“入睡情况”的作用。

Another problem involves the speaker's account of the experiment's third week, during which the speaker reports only that the subjects slept longer and more soundly than in the previous two weeks. There are other factors that could have contributed to the third week's results. Perhaps the subjects were simply making up for sleep they lost the previous week when they discontinued their regular medication. In short, without ruling out other explanations for the third week's results, the speaker cannot confidently identify what caused the subjects to sleep longer and more soundly that week.

【此段结构】

本段采用了标准的Argument正文段结构，即：概括第二个逻辑错误的错误类型和原文犯错位置，接下来给出合理的理由和他因来反驳原文。

【此段功能】

本段作为正文第二段，攻击文章犯的主要逻辑错误：因果类错误(忽略他因)。原文中提到实验中第三周实验参与者睡得比前两周好，作者认为这一论据存在漏洞。进一步，作者提出可能造成这种结果的其他原因，例如，实验参与者在第三周补充了前两周缺失的睡眠。在没有忽略其他因素的前提下，作者不能对第三周的实验结果下结论。

Two final problems with the argument involve the experimental process. The experiment's results are reliable only if all other factors that might affect sleep patterns remained constant during the three-week period, and if the number of experimental subjects is statistically significant. Without a clearer understanding of the experiment's methodology, one should likely not base any conclusion on such results.