GRE作文新增的argument题目(2)c

the following appeared in a newsletter on dental health.

"a recent research study reported the experience of dentists whose patients had, over a period of five years, regularly used flux dental floss as part of their dental hygiene routine. the report indicates that these dentists had 50 percent fewer cases of gum disease than did dentists whose patients did not use flux regularly. in addition, most of the flux users who were surveyed by their dentists agreed that flux's mint flavor would encourage people to floss more often. thus, even though flux may cost more than other brands of floss, it is clearly a worthwhile investment for those who want to be assured of healthy teeth and gums."

the following appeared in a letter to the editor of the shady village newspaper.

"commuters are complaining that the rush hour traffic on blue highway between shady village and bright city has doubled their commuting time. some commuters have asked that an additional traffic lane be built, but the recent creation of such a lane on nearby green highway apparently attracted more commuters, judging from the fact that rush-hour traffic jams actually increased there this past winter. to reduce rush-hour traffic on blue highway, a bicycle lane should be added instead of a traffic lane. this approach will succeed because many citizens of shady village are avid bicyclists; 75 percent of respondents to a recent questionnaire distributed there said they would like to bicycle more hours per week than they currently do."

collectors prize the ancient life-size clay statues of human figures made on kali island but have long wondered how the kalinese artists were able to depict bodies with such realistic precision. since archeologists have recently discovered molds of human heads and hands on kali, we can now conclude that the ancient kalinese artists used molds of actual bodies, not sculpting tools and techniques, to create these statues. this discovery explains why kalinese miniature statues were abstract and entirely different in style: molds could only be used for life-size sculptures. it also explains why few ancient kalinese sculpting tools have been found. in light of this development, collectors should expect the life-size sculptures to decrease in value and the miniatures to increase in value.

the following appeared in a newsletter on nutrition and health.

"although the multimineral zorba pill was designed as a simple dietary supplement, a study of first-time ulcer patients who took zorba suggests that zorba actually helps prevent ulcers. the study showed that only 25 percent of those ulcer patients who took zorba under a doctor's direction developed new ulcers, compared to a 75 percent recurrence rate among ulcer patients who did not take zorba. clearly, then, zorba will be highly effective in preventing recurrent ulcers and if health experts inform the general public of this fact, many first-time ulcers can be prevented as well."

the following appeared in an article from a popular newsmagazine.

"in 1888 a stone was unearthed in northern wisconsin with an inscription in an old scandinavian alphabet and bearing the date 1362. scandinavians were not, however, exploring or emigrating to northern wisconsin in the fourteenth century. recent analysis proves, in fact, that the stone had been buried in the spot where it was found for no more than 100 years. moreover, the community near the discovery site was home to a group of people who had formed a club to study medieval scandinavian culture—a period that includes the fourteenth century. the stone, therefore, is not a genuine artifact of medieval scandinavian culture inscribed in the fourteenth century but most likely a hoax perpetrated by the group."

the following appeared in an article in the health section of a newspaper.

"according to the available medical records, the six worst worldwide fluepidemics during the past 300 years occurred in 1729, 1830, 1918, 1957, 1968, and 1977. these were all years with heavy sunspot activity—that is, years when the earth received significantly more solar energy than in normal years. people at particular risk for the flu should therefore avoid prolonged exposure to the sun."