作文題目:

The following appeared as a letter to the editor from a Central Plaza store owner.

"Over the past two years, the number of shoppers in Central Plaza has been steadily decreasing while the popularity of skateboarding has increased dramatically. Many Central Plaza store owners believe that the decrease in their business is due to the number of skateboard users in the plaza. There has also been a dramatic increase in the amount of litter and vandalism throughout the plaza. Thus, we recommend that the city prohibit skateboarding in Central Plaza. If skateboarding is prohibited here, we predict that business in Central Plaza will return to its previously high levels."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

題目講解:

【翻譯】

過去兩年中，中心廣場的顧客數量穩步下降與此同時滑板卻急劇增加。很多中心廣場的店主認為顧客數量下滑是由于玩滑板人數的增加。同時整個廣場廢棄物和公物損毀也大大增加。因此，我們建議應該在中心廣場禁止玩滑板。如果禁止的話，我們估計中心廣場的生意將會恢復到以前的水平。

【分析】

論斷：禁止滑冰C廣場能成為人們可以聚會和放松的場所。因為現在C廣場，滑冰的人幾乎是唯一能看到的使用者，而且紙屑垃圾使得廣場很難看。最近的一項對市中心商人的調查，大多數人支持對滑冰的禁止。而且滑冰的人可以去M公園里的場地。 •前提：是滑冰的人把廣場弄得沒有吸引力的。論者沒有提供任何有關人們為什么不愛去廣場的原因，很有可能他把因果關系倒置了，滑冰的人選擇廣場，是因為廣場上沒有人。這樣，沒有滑冰的人，人們也不會去廣場。 •論據：誰說紙屑一定是滑冰的人扔的。 •商人的調查沒有說服力。商人只關心自己的利潤，并不能代表大多數市民。也許他們認為滑冰的人礙事，比如擋住了他們的店面，或者他們想在別的什么地方開一個收費的冰場。 •使用公園里的場地滑冰有可能存在問題。場地是否適合，是否很遠等等。

【提綱】

1.The author unfairly assumes that it is the presence of skateboarders that result in the current situation of the plaza. (confusing the cause and the effect) ★★★★★

2.There may be some negative impacts of allowing skateboarders to use part of Monroe Park. (adv:disadv) ★★★

3.The survey was based only on data from downtown merchants, thus could not be representative of all citizens. (selective sample) ★★★★

The author unfairly assumes that banning skateboarding in Central Plaza would suffice to make the plaza an attractive place. (sufficiency of the solution) ★★★★

The author fails to consider other possible means to regain the plaza’s prosperity. (necessity of the solution) ★★★

Skateboarding may actually be helpful for achieving the city's objective of providing a fun and relaxing place for people to congregate. (adv:disadv) ★★★