GRE作文范例6

Topic

ThefollowingisalettertotheeditoroftheAtticusCitynewspaper

"FormerMayorDurantowesanapologytothecityofAtticus.Boththedamageto theRiverBridge,whichconnectsAtticustoHartley,andthetrafficproblemsweh avelongexperiencedonthebridgewereactuallycaused20yearsagobyDurant.Aft erall,heistheonewhoapprovedtheconstructionofthebridge.Ifhehadapproved awiderandbetter-designedbridge,onwhichapproximatelythesameamountofpub licmoneywouldhavebeenspent,noneofthedamageorproblemswouldhaveoccurred .Instead,theRiverBridgehasdeterioratedfarmorerapidlyoverthepast20year sthanhasthemuchlongerDerbyBridgeuptheriver.Eventhoughthewintershavebe ensevereinthepastseveralyears,thisisnoexcuseforthenegligenceandwastef ulnessofDurant."

SampleEssay

TheauthorofthisletterconcludesinhisorherargumentthatformerMayorDu rantshouldapologizetothecityofAtticusbecauseheisatfaultfordamagethath asoccurredoveratwenty-yeartimespantotheRiverBridge.Theauthoralsoblame sMayorDurantforlong-timetrafficproblemsonthebridge,statingthatDuranta ctuallycausedtheseproblemstwentyyearsbeforebecauseheapprovedtheconstr uctionofthebridgeanddidnotapproveawiderandbetter-designedbridge.Thear guermayhaveapersonalvendettaagainstMayorDurantbuttheelementsstatedint heargumentdonotsupportsuchanaccusation.

Firstofall,theauthorsquarelyplacesblameonMayorDurantforthesimplea ctofapprovingtheconstructionofthebridge.Thereisnoevidencepresentedtha tmerelyapprovingthebuildingofthebridgehadanythingwhatsoevertodowithth edamagethathasoccurredorthetrafficproblemsonthebridge.Itisentirelypos siblethatMr.Durantsimplyapprovedtheideaofconstructingthebridgeandnott hedesignofthebridgeorthecontractorthatbuiltit.Simplyapprovingtheconst ructionofthebridgedoesnotinandofitselfcausedamagetothatbridgeoranyres ultingtrafficproblems.

Inaddition,thearguerconcludesthatifMayorDuranthadapprovedawideran dbetter-designedbridgethattherewouldbenodamageortrafficproblems,anarg umentforwhichthereisnobasisofproofoffered.Itisawell-knownfactthatbrid

gesaresubjecttodeterioration,particularlyoveraperiodoftwentyyears,nom atterhowwelldesignedtheymaybe.Theauthoralsofailstoofferanysupportinge videncetoshowthatamoredurablebridgewithfewertrafficproblemscouldhaveb eenbuiltforapproximatelythesameamountofpublicmoney.Itseemslikelythata widerbridgewouldhavemoredamageproblemsratherthanfewer,andprobablywoul dhavecostmoreaswell,whetherpublicorprivatefundswereused.

Furthermore,thearguermentionsthattheRiverBridgehasdeterioratedmuc hmorerapidlythanthemuchlongerDerbyBridgeuptheriver.Thisgroundlessargu mentfailstotakeintoaccountotherpossiblereasonsforthediscrepancyinthed eteriorationofthetwobridgessuchastrafficloads,locationandotherenviron mentalvariables.ItispossiblethattheDerbyBridgewasmuchmoreprotectedfro mtheelementsandrarelyusedbyheavytrucktraffic,forexample.Theauthorgive snobasisforadirectcomparisonbetweenthetwobridgesotherthanhisorherpers onalopinion.

Finally,theletterwriterreferstothe"negligenceandwastefulness"ofMa yorDurant.Theonlyactioncitedbytheauthoristheapprovalofthebridgeinthef irstplace,whichprovesneitherneglectnorwastingofanything.Thesentenceit selfcontainsanonsequitur-firstlydiscussingtheseverewintersofthepastse veralyears,andthenaccusingMr.Durantofwasteandneglect.Thisaccusationis unwarrantedaswellasunsupportedintheauthor’sargument.

Insummary,theauthorsimplymakesgroundlessaccusationswithoutprovidi nganyrealsupportforhisorherargument.Tomaketheargumentconvincing,theau thorwouldhavetoprovideevidencethatMayorDurantapprovedafaultybridgedes ignoranunqualifiedconstructioncompanythatcausedthebridge’sdamageandt rafficproblems.Theauthorshouldhavealsoprovidedsupportingdetailsthatsh owthatthedamagetothebridgeisoutoftheordinaryanddirectlycausedbyMayorD urant’sdecisionto useinadequateconstructionmaterialsorapoordesign.Wit houtmoresupport,theauthor’spointofviewisunconvincingandnotwellreason ed.

(605words)

参考译文

下述文字乃一封致《Atticus都市报》的信函：

"前市长Durant应向全体Atticus市民道歉。无论是将Atticus市和Hartley 市连结起来的跨河大桥所遭到的毁坏，还是我们在大桥上长期以来所经历的交通