10Criticizing an ArgumentWord下载.docx

10Criticizing an ArgumentWord下载.docx

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✧Readatextcritically

✧Raisequestionsabouttheauthor'

spremises

✧Workoutone'

sownopinionaboutthetext

Weencountermanyissuesaroundus,andwemayhavemanythingstosayabouteachoneofthem.This,however,maynotalwaysbeablessingforstudentwriters.Overwhelmedbymuchrawmaterial,wemayfailtopindowntheissueweshouldaddressbutinsteadonlybringupsomerelatedbutminormatters.Wemaydiscussmanythingsbutstillcannotconvinceanyreaderwhohasanindependentmind.Indeed,themostdifficultthingaboutwritinganargument,asmanystudentsputit,istocomeupwithgoodideas,ideasthatarewortharguingabout.

Inordertomakeasoundresponsetoanotherperson'

sviewpoint,wemust,firstofall,carefullyexaminethisperson'

sopinion.Therefore,criticalreadingbecomescrucialindevelopingagoodargument.Wemayreadforpleasureaswedowithnovels;

wemayreadforinformationaswedowithnewspapers;

andwemayalsoreadforgrammarpatternsandvocabularyassomeofusdointheintensivereadingclass.Criticalreadingisnotanyofthese.Instead,itinvolvesidentifyingtherealopinionwearetoaddressandexaminingthewaythisopinionisbeingsupported.

ThefollowingisataskthatlookslikeanyofthetasksinUnit9.

TASKONE

Readthefollowingspeech—averyfamousone—andwriteanessayinresponsetoit.Pleasedofollowthestepsonebyone,ratherthanpickupapenandstartwritingwithoutmuchcriticalexamination.

DevelopinganArgument

TheCommencementSpeech1You'

llNeverHear2

JacobNeusner3

Wethefacultytakenoprideinoureducationalachievementswithyou.Wehavepreparedyouforaworldthatdoesnotexist,indeed,thatcannotexist.Youhavespentfouryearssupposingthatfailureleavesnorecord.YouhavelearnedatBrownthatwhenyourworkgoespoorly,thepainlesssolutionistodropout.Butstartingnow,intheworldtowhichyougo,failuremarksyou.Confrontingdifficultybyquittingleavesyouchanged.OutsideBrown,quittersarenoheroes.

Withusyoucouldargueaboutwhyyourerrorswerenoterrors,whymediocreworkreallywasexcellent,whyyoucouldtakeprideinroutineandslipshod4presentation.Mostofyou,afterall,canlookbackonhonorformostofwhatyouhavedone.So,heregradescanhavemeantlittleindistinguishingtheexcellentfromtheordinary.Buttomorrow,intheworldtowhichyougo,youhadbestnotdefenderrorsbutlearnfromthem.Youwillbeill-advisedtodemandpraiseforwhatdoesnotdeserveitandabusethosewhodonotgiveit.

Foryearswecreatedanaltogetherforgivingworld,inwhichwhateverslighteffortyougavewasallthatwasdemanded.Whenyoudidnotkeepappointments,wemadenewones.Whenyourworkcameinbeyondthedeadline,wepretendednottocare.

Worsestill,whenyouwereboring,weactedasifyouweresayingsomethingimportant.Whenyouweregarrulous5andtalkedtohearyourselvestalk,welistenedasifitmattered.Whenyoutossedonourdeskswritinguponwhichyouhadnotlabored,wereaditandevenresponded,asthoughyouearnedaresponse.Whenyouweredull,wepretendedyouweresmart.Whenyouwerepredictable,unimaginativeandroutine,welistenedasiftonewandwonderfulthings.Whenyoudemandedafreelunch6,weservedit.Andallthiswhy?

Despiteyourfantasies,itwasnoteventhatwewantedtobelikedbyyou.Itwasthatwedidnotwanttobebothered,andtheeasywayoutwaspretense:

smilesandeasyBs.

Itisconventionaltoquoteinaddressessuchasthese.Letmequotesomeoneyou'

veneverheardof:

Prof.CarterA.Daniel,RutgersUniversity（ChronicleofHigherEducation,May7,1979）:

Collegehasspoiledyoubyreadingpapersthatdon'

tdeservetoberead,listeningtocommentsthatdon'

tdeserveahearing,payingattentioneventothelazy,ill-informedandrude.Wehadtodoit,forthesakeofeducation.Butnobodywillever

1commencementspeech:

speechmadebyaninvitedspeakeratagraduationceremony

2ReprintedfromGuidelines:

aCross-CulturalReading/WritingText,byRuthSpack.NewYork:

St.Martin'

sPress,1990.

3JacobNeusner（1932—）:

ProfessoratBrownUniversityinRhodeIsland,U.S.A.ThisspeechwasoriginallypublishedinBrownUniversity'

scampusnewspaper,DailyHerald,onJune12,1981.

4slipshod:

careless,notexactorthorough

5garrulous:

habituallytalkingtoomuch

6freelunch:

thingsthatappeartobefree.ThephrasecamefromThere’sNoSuchThingasaFreeLunch,titleofabookabouteconomicsinthe1970s.

doitagain.Collegehasdeprivedyouofadequatepreparationforthelast50years.Ithasfailedyoubybeingeasy,free,forgiving,attentive,comfortable,interesting,unchallengingfun.Goodlucktomorr