刘文勇GRE写作Argument题库 Day 68

Day 68 A recent study reported that pet owners have longer, healthier lives on average than do people who own no pets

A recent study reported that pet owners have longer, healthier lives on average than do people who own no pets. Specifically, dog owners tend to have a lower incidence of heart disease. In light of these findings, Sherwood Hospital should form a partnership with Sherwood Animal Shelter to institute an adopt-a-dog program. The program would encourage dog ownership for patients recovering from heart disease, which should reduce these patients' chance of experiencing continuing heart problems and also reduce their need for ongoing treatment. As a further benefit, the publicity about the program would encourage more people to adopt pets from the shelter. And that will reduce the incidence of heart disease in the general population.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

五问：

（1）“A recent study reported that pet owners have longer, healthier lives on average than do people who own no pets. Specifically, dog owners tend to have a lower incidence of heart disease”是事实，“Sherwood Hospital should form a partnership with Sherwood Animal Shelter to institute an adopt-a-dog program”是结论，值得反驳吗？

（2）这项研究的样本具有代表性吗 ?文中并没有提供宠物主人的年龄、职业等信息。另外，养狗的人心脏病发病率低，一定是由于养狗的原因吗？是否还有其他因素可以减少心脏病患病的概率？例如：生活习惯健康（不抽烟、酗酒等）、生活工作压力小等因素。该研究并没有排除这样的可能性。

（3）原文提到的调查目的是要论证养宠物尤其是养狗的人心脏病发生率更低，但这是否就意味着养宠物有治疗心脏病的作用？以上两者之间为什么不能简单地画上等号？那些愿意养狗的人是否可能原本就是身体较好、能够照顾小动物同时也不太可能患心脏病的人，所以统计数据才呈现这样的结果？让一个已经患有心脏病的病人再额外养一只狗是否可能起到相反的作用？

（4）这个项目的推出一定会促使更多的人到 shelter去领养宠物吗？人们获取宠物的方式很多，是否可能大家并不愿意通过 shelter，而更愿意通过其他方式获得宠物？例如：去宠物店购买，或者收养流浪狗。

（5）原文是否对这个项目可能覆盖的人数做了估计？我们能否简单地得出结论，认为 general population将会受到影响？难道所有人都喜欢养宠物或者有经济能力及时间、精力去养宠物吗？