GMAT邏輯中程度副詞的重要性

GMAT邏輯部分平均每道題要在100秒內做完，在這短短的時間當中，最關鍵的是讀什麼呢?當然是論點!論點討論的範圍的重要性已經不言而喻，這裏我們來看看論點的程度的重要性。

(OG)

Rye sown in the fall and plowed into the soil in early spring leaves a residue that is highly effective at controlling broad-leaved weeds, but unfortunately for only about forty-five days. No major agricultural crop matures from seed in as little as forty-five days. Synthetic herbicides, on the other hand, although not any longer-lasting, can be reapplied as the crop grows. Clearly, therefore, for major agricultural crops, plowing rye into the soil can play no part in effective weed control.

The argument is most vulnerable to the objection that it fails to

(A) consider that there might be minor, quick-growing crops that do mature in forty-five days or less

(B) identify any alternative method of weed control that could be used instead of the method it rejects

(C) distinguish among the various kinds of synthetic herbicides

(D) allow for the possibility of combining the two weed-control methods it mentions

(E) allow for the possibility that plants other than rye, handled the same way, might have the same effect

這道題的正確選項是D，很多同學不理解正確選項的思路。本題的關鍵之處在於論點(最後一句)中的play no part是絕對化表達，所以只需要説明plowing rye into the soil有一點作用，即可削弱論點。而如果將論點改為普通的“措施目的型”文章論點“使用新措施可以更有效”，D就能成為正確答案。

下面再看一道難一點的：

(PREP)

Bank depositors in the United States are all financially protected against bank failure because the government insures all individuals' bank deposits. An economist argues that this insurance is partly responsible for the high rate of bank failures, since it removes from depositors any financial incentive to find out whether the bank that holds theirmoney is secure against failure. If depositors were more selective, then banks would need to be secure in order to compete for depositors' money.

The economist's argument makes which of the following assumptions?

(A) Bank failures are caused when big borrowers default on loan repayments.

(B) A significant proportion of depositors maintain accounts at several different banks.

(C) The more a depositor has to deposit, the more careful he or she tends to be in selecting a bank.

(D) The difference in the interest rates paid to depositors by different banks is not a significant factor in bank failures.

(E) Potential depositors are able todetermine which banks are secure against failure.

這道題的正確選項是E，易誤選D選項。文章類型為“果因型”，普通的“果因型”(又稱“現象解釋型”)文章假設題的正確選項思路是“排除他因”，(作為複習：假設題的做題方法是“取非削弱”，對果因型文章則是“取非以後他因削弱”。)可是這道題的正確選項卻不能是“排除他因”，因為文章論點(An economist argues that . . .)中的is partly responsible for是保守表達，已經考慮到了“文章中的原因”和“他因”共存的可能性，這意味着僅僅“排除他因”是不能成為答案的，因為文章並沒有默認原因是唯一的，而是已經客觀地考慮到了“他因”和“文章中的原因”共存的.可能性。在這種情況下，對“排除他因”的選項取非，得到的“他因”就不能削弱文章，從而不能是正確答案。這種情況下唯一可能正確的答案，是要能直接完全否定掉“文章中的原因”的。D選項的思路是“排除他因”，取非以後去掉not，他因interest rate導致bankfailure，並不能完全否定原文中的原因，因而D選項錯誤。E選項直接質疑了“文章中的原因”，從而削弱了論點。

再來一道類似思路的題目：

(GWD3-Q40)

Two centuries ago, Tufe Peninsula became separated form the mainland, isolating on the newly formed Tufe Island a population of Turfil sunflowers. This population’s descendants grow to be, on average, 40 centimeters shorter than Turfil sunflowers found on the mainland. Tufe Island is significantly drier than Tufe Peninsula was. So the current average height of Tufe’s Turfil sunflowers is undoubtedly at least partially attributable to changes in Tufe’s environmental conditions.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

e are no types of vegetation on Tufe Island that are known to benefit fromdry conditions.

e were about as many Turfil sunflowers on Tufe Peninsula two centuries ago as there are on Tufe Island today.

mainland’s environment has not changed in ways that have resulted in Turfil sunflowers on the mainland growing to be 40 centimeters taller than they did two centuries ago.

soil on Tufe Island, unlike that on the mainland, lacks important nutrients that help Turfil sunflowers survive and grow tall in a dry environment.

E. The 40-centimeter height difference between the Turfil sunflowers on Tufe Island and those on the mainland is the only difference between the two populations.

這道題的正確選項是C，我們注意到，這個選項的思路很特別。同上題，因為論點(文章最後一句)當中使用了保守表達at least partially，這道題的正確選項不能是“排除他因”的思路。本題的正確選項C在取非後提出了Tufe Island上的花根本沒有變矮，從而把需要解釋的“果”(或“現象”)都否定掉了，也就更不存在“因”(或“解釋)了。

綜上，我們可以看出，論點的每一個細節都不能放過，論點的重要性不僅體現在其範圍(寬度)還體現在其程度(深度)上。所以——

讀論點!

讀論點!

讀論點!

重要的事情説三遍。