作文题目:

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.

题目讲解:

【翻译】

过去两年中，中心广场的顾客数量稳步下降与此同时滑板却急剧增加。很多中心广场的店主认为顾客数量下滑是由于玩滑板人数的增加。同时整个广场废弃物和公物损毁也大大增加。因此，我们建议应该在中心广场禁止玩滑板。如果禁止的话，我们估计中心广场的生意将会恢复到以前的水平。

【分析】

论断：禁止滑冰C广场能成为人们可以聚会和放松的场所。因为现在C广场，滑冰的人几乎是唯一能看到的使用者，而且纸屑垃圾使得广场很难看。最近的一项对市中心商人的调查，大多数人支持对滑冰的禁止。而且滑冰的人可以去M公园里的场地。 •前提：是滑冰的人把广场弄得没有吸引力的。论者没有提供任何有关人们为什么不爱去广场的原因，很有可能他把因果关系倒置了，滑冰的人选择广场，是因为广场上没有人。这样，没有滑冰的人，人们也不会去广场。 •论据：谁说纸屑一定是滑冰的人扔的。 •商人的调查没有说服力。商人只关心自己的利润，并不能代表大多数市民。也许他们认为滑冰的人碍事，比如挡住了他们的店面，或者他们想在别的什么地方开一个收费的冰场。 •使用公园里的场地滑冰有可能存在问题。场地是否适合，是否很远等等。

【提纲】

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) ★★★