Favourite quotes: LEON (movie)

"Is life always this hard, or is it just when you're a kid?"
"Always like this."

LEON

Life is hard, after all, it kills you. The only thing that you can do is to think differently and perceive it as an endowment.

GRE argument essay: Skateboarding in the Central Plaza

The following appeared as a letter to the editor from a Central Plaza store owner.

"Over the past two years, the number of shoppers in Central Plaza has been steadily decreasing while the popularity of skateboarding has increased dramatically. Many Central Plaza store owners believe that the decrease in their business is due to the number of skateboard users in the plaza. There has also been a dramatic increase in the amount of litter and vandalism throughout the plaza. Thus, we recommend that the city prohibit skateboarding in Central Plaza. If skateboarding is prohibited here, we predict that business in Central Plaza will return to its previously high levels."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

While it may seem obvious at first glance that the increase in skateboarding in the Central Plaza is the main reason why the number of shoppers there as well as the whole business decreased, a more thoroughgoing examination should be conducted. General rule of thumb says that there is usually more than only one cause for a situation, not so many things are definite and happen in one to one ratio. There are always more variables involved and more influences. It demonstrates a classical case of improper causation.

Firstly, a situation in the whole district, especially in places that are located near to the Central Plaza, should be taken into account. Chances are that the whole area experience similar problems and it is not only a case for the Central Plaza. Proper inquiries should be made into the matter. Maybe, the municipal government stopped investing funds in the district and as a result the whole area suffers the aforementioned situation. Possibly, the inhabitants of this place became poorer due to inflation and stopped buying in the shops or it might be the case that the Central Plaza became an expensive shopping place with respect to other alternatives.

 

Secondly, a survey should be carried out amidst the shoppers to reveal the main explanation for their actions. The survey should contain questions about their main goal in changing the location along with a new place of destination. It can occur that the shopkeepers found a better place to run their business, for example, a new shopping mall was built in a posh or more prominent part of the city which offered keenly priced shopping area for rent. The general economic situation of the country could have influenced them and they found a better job or simply discovered a better profession that was paid much better.

Thirdly, the skateboard users should be asked why they altered their previous location. It should be made sure that this is the group that causes the vandalism and is belligerent overall. Do they really litter the Central Plaza? Are there sufficient number of baskets? Is the Police active enough in the area? Did the Police take responsibility for the violence in the Central Plaza? Perhaps, more policemen should visit the Central Plaza frequently. Another way to prevent the vandalism is to set up a camera system (CCTV) or video surveillance. Probably, a good solution would be to provide the skateboard users with other places to do their sport, for instance, the municipality government could build the required facilities in parks or in special zones in the city.

In conclusion, in my opinion this problem can be resolved and the current situation can be explained. The municipal government together with shoppers would take concerted action and at least alleviate or mollify the issue. The skateboard users should be granted with a new place, the police may control the Central Plaza regularly and shoppers shall advertise their place extensively. Finally, the writer could have supported his argument with more substantial evidence and render stronger reasons to clarify why there was correlation between increasing the rate of crimes and the number of skateboarding users.

GRE argument essay vocab

Plan your essay:

• There is only one way to write an essay: to plan it.  
• The plan helps to keep you focused.
• Leave the gist or your main message for the crunch, that is the third body paragraph. 
• K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
  

Questions:

• Who conducted the research?
• When was the research conducted?
• Who participated in the study?
• What were the age, gender, profession of the participants?
• What are the relations between the two or more groups?
• Was it an economic or medical study?
• What was the type of the study?
• Where do the participants of the study live?
• Was the research published?
• Was the paper peer-reviewed?
• Is the paper still valid?

Typical paragraph:

1. Describe the fallacy (błędne przekonanie). 
1. Appeal to novelty fallacy - a proposal is claimed to be superior or better solely because it is new or modern
2. Cherry picking fallacy or the sampling assumption (suppressed evidence, incomplete evidence) – act of pointing at individual cases or data that seem to confirm a particular position, while ignoring a significant portion of related cases or data that may contradict that position. The argument assumes the sample is representative.
3. False analogy fallacy - in which the analogy is poorly suited.
4. Hasty generalization fallacy - (fallacy of insufficient statistics, fallacy of insufficient sample, fallacy of the lonely fact, leaping to a conclusion, hasty induction) – basing a broad conclusion on a small sample.
5.  
2. Tell and explain why it is a fallacy.
3. Give examples.

Intorduction:

• However, this argument seems specious on several grounds.

Reasoning:

• The argument does not present enough evidence in support of the claim that ...
• ... is inversely related to ...
• ... is positively related to ...
• Allegedly, ... (przypuszczalnie: Allegedly, the number of skateboarders is positively related to the amount of litter and vandalism in the area.)
• The argument states that there is a causal relationship between ...
• A recent study shows that ...
• It might indeed be the case that ...
• However, the conclusion cannot be drawn automatically from the presented facts. 
• The argument overlooks other factors that could contribute to ...
• Firstly, in order to determine the true cause of the decline in ....  it is necessary to ...
• It is by no means certain that ...
• The writer posits that ... but ...
• As a result, ...
• As a matter of fact, ...
• In fact, ...
• The argument should be supported with further studies.
• In general, ...; On the whole, ...
• That being said, ...
• The author has concluded the argument too hastily without considering all these possibilities. 
• The second point that the author has raised is that ...
• Hence, the argument seems very unconvincing.
• Hence, the argument cannot be concluded without all the information.
• ..., that is (to say), ... - said when you want to give further details or be more exact about something: I'll meet you in the city, that is (to say), I will if the trains are running 
   

Common words & synonyms:

• and: along with, together with, as well as,
• However, ...; On the other hand, ...; 
• Moreover, Furthermore, In addition, Besides, 
• instead of == in lieu of
• flawed agruments - błędne argumenty
• fallacy - błędne rozumowanie
• cogent - przekonujący

Summary:

• In conclusion, ...
• All in all, ...
• In summary, ... 
• Hence, ...

 

GRE writing - issue task: Scandals

Scandals are useful because they focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

Scandals occur in many places from schools through companies to governments. The word scandal itself indicates a negative thing and something that should not have happened. In my opinion, by definition, a scandal brings only unnecessary and harmful consequences and it is rather very hard to find any positive or useful aspects of it. This is often the case that we are distracted by scandals and our attention is drawn from vital issues. Thus, in my view scandals are not useful and should be eschewed.

First of all, it is worth considering a few scandals that took place in recent years. The one that stuck to my mind was Bill Clinton's sex scandal (or so called Monica Lewinsky scandal) which ensued many debates in the United States. Indeed, Bill Clinton's private misconduct drew attention of many Americans. Although the nature of this affair was not strictly political, many politicians were engaged in it in lieu of taking care of more important cases that more meaningful influence on the whole nation. As a matter of fact, probably teachers or preachers who harangue about proper behaviour and faithfulness would not have been able to show in a more expressive way what would be consequences of such misconduct. Anyway, this showed to other politicians that they should avoid such issues and conduct their private life prudently. Moreover, citizens no longer want to put their trust in politician who were involved in scandals.

In many scandals, there is shocking information which can arouse our emotions for a short time. Nowadays, even small issues are called scandals by media. We are bombarded with new heinous news and sometimes we come to the level of saturation. Some can say that thanks to these events our lives are more interesting and full of excitement but, to my mind, the proper and effective way of life is a stable development based on moral conduct and righteous deeds.

There were many scandals regarding racism in the United States and many of them ended up with more tensions between people and a lot of regret. On the other hand, most people remember the speech by Martin Luter King: “I have a dream ...”. This was a very powerful and unforgettable message that influenced many human beings and altered the race relations for better.

Conclusively, in my opinions sandals are rather useless and should be prevented. We can introduce new laws and rules which can make sure that nothing improper will be overlooked or evaded. There should be harsh consequences and nobody would be able to eschew them. The main purpose is to achieve transparency. Furthermore, we should listen to our great leaders, speakers and reformers who have crucial messages for us that can boost our lives and make them truly invaluable.

GRE essay: The following is a memorandum from the business manager of a television station.

The following is a memorandum from the business manager of a television station.

"Over the past year, our late-night news program has devoted increased time to national news and less time to weather and local news. During this period, most of the complaints received from viewers were concerned with our station's coverage of weather and local news. In addition, local businesses that used to advertise during our late-night news program have canceled their advertising contracts with us. Therefore, in order to attract more viewers to our news programs and to avoid losing any further advertising revenues, we should expand our coverage of weather and local news on all our news programs."

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.

While the argument may seem to be correct at fist glance it is rather too vague to be fully accepted. There are a few fallacies and lack of information which do not allow us to agree with this argument. A more specific evidence as well as more accurate data are needed.

Firstly, the exact time allocation for national news, local news and weather is not given. We do not know whether the time increase for national news was really significant or if it was maybe only a matter of a few seconds. Moreover, a scrutiny should be carried out to find out in which moment during the year an increased number of complaints of time devoted to local news was substantially greater.

Secondly, we do not know the nature of the complaints. It could have been the case the the viewers did not complain about the duration of the local news and weather information, but their concerns pertained mainly to the quality of the news. Maybe previous reporters who prepared the local and weather news have resigned and new reporters are trying to catch up on the former quality. Furthermore, it could have happened that money invested in the local and weather news was not enough to deliver top-notch level of information. It is possible that most of the local population work in the agriculture and they may require extended and precise information about weather conditions.

Thirdly, local businesses could have resigned from the advertisement during the late-night news program due to a difficult situation on the market and chances are they started seeking for other ways of advertisement that would be of a low price. We do not know the cardinal reason for this situation. It could also have been the case that they found a better place for their advertisement. Nowadays, many companies migrate with their adverts from TV programs to the internet. Ad companies, such as Google of Facebook, offer keenly priced services that are customized for clients and able to match companies with potential customers with a high level of accuracy. Besides, the local news could have given information which were against the local businesses and maybe undermined their reputation. Contrary, the local news could have promoted companies from other states or countries which was a contradiction to the advertisements. Probably, the best solution would be to carry out a survey among the local businesses to reveal the main aspect that caused their resignation and at the same time find out what whould attract them to put their advertisements in the late-night news program once again.

Hence, proably the most valuable evidence would be to precisely specify the main reason why the local businesses canceled their advertising contracts in the late-night news program in the television station and determine the nature of the complaints. To take into account its future situation, the television station should consider in a thoroughgoing way how to improve their programs and attract more companies to advertise during the programs, especially the news programs.

Another example of this essay can be found here:  
http://greessayaday.blogspot.com/2013/08/powerprep-essays.html

GRE issue task writing: A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.

A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.

There are many educational systems in the world and we can easily find pros and cons for each of them. However, we should search for the best possible educational system which can shape and educate noble people. This is a challenge, but it is worth taking. Generally, according to many different studies on education, we can notice a trend which indicates that the most customized and individual approaches to each and every student generate the best effects. Thus, I do not agree with the statement that a nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.

First of all, it is recommended considering advantages and disadvantages of such an approach. The standardized approach can be honed on and after years of iterations such a national curriculum can be excellent and impeccable. On the other hand, each student is different and usually one size does not fit all. Having the same national curriculum for every student is like requiring the same school uniform size for every student. Children live in diverse environments and a student from a rural part of a country probably would be more directed towards different subjects than a student living in a big city. Hence, the program in schools should be adjusted to every student so that it could reveal a student's talents and assist him or her in pursuing a career in a specific field or niche.

Let me consider this problem from an economical point of view. The same national curriculum is a relatively keenly priced solution for the reason that we can summon the best teachers and specialists in a given country, then allot a time of few months for them to prepare initial version of such a curriculum and finally the program could be iteratively improved every year. This solution would be of interest for poor and developing countries that can not afford to spend massive amount of money on education. Conversely, a program that would be adjusted to every student would be very expensive and probably only affluent countries would be able to accept such a solution. In my humble opinion, it would be a great investment and without any doubts this approach would benefit not only students but the whole society as people would be educated in a better way and perhaps would be able to find their passions faster. At the same time, the latter solution requires a plethora of resources. Undoubtedly, some students would have to travel from their home town to other places in a country to match them with proper schools and teachers. It would be more cumbersome to compare students and schools. However, this additional struggle would pay off abundantly.

Personally, I find the national curriculum sufficiently good up to the point of 12 years old. Every person has to master basic skills such as writing and reading. After this period, I was able to find my niche and pick and choose books that were of value for me. It was a pity that my school did not provide individual path of teaching and sometimes I was forced to learn things that were of no value for me, instead of pursuing my passions. The first time when this limitations were really removed was the time when I left my high school and entered university that offered a flexible plan. I could have selected the subjects in which I was really interested. Nonetheless, it was a bit too late.

All in all, there are pros and cons for the same national curriculum for students before they enter college. Nevertheless, my final opinion is that it is much better approach to provide each student with tailor-made curriculum. This could help them find their real passions faster and hone on them. My personal experience, social issues and even economical benefits confirm this solution.

Other essays on this topic can be found here: http://greessayaday.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-nation-should-require-all-of-its.html

GRE analytical wirting - analyze an argument: A recent study of eighteen rhesus monkeys provides clues as to the effects of birth order on an individual's levels of stimulation.

The following appeared as part of a letter to the editor of a scientific journal.

"A recent study of eighteen rhesus monkeys provides clues as to the effects of birth order on an individual's levels of stimulation. The study showed that in stimulating situations (such as an encounter with an unfamiliar monkey), firstborn infant monkeys produce up to twice as much of the hormone cortisol, which primes the body for increased activity levels, as do their younger siblings. Firstborn humans also produce relatively high levels of cortisol in stimulating situations (such as the return of a parent after an absence). The study also found that during pregnancy, first-time mother monkeys had higher levels of cortisol than did those who had had several offspring."

Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly account for the facts presented in the argument.

While the reasoning of this letter may seem correct at first glance, there are some unwarranted assumptions that should be considered and there are lacks of proper correlation between the two main facts. The individual's level of stimulation can be a result of not only a birth order, but also other factors. The author of the letter concentrated only on a birth order and did not take into consideration other possibilities of these effects. Furthermore, what has been concluded for monkeys’ does not demonstrates that humans must possess the same characteristics.

Firstly, the wording of this letter should be taken into account. We cannot find an exact information when the study was carried out and the term 'recent' is rather vague and maybe the research is already obsolete. The author did not inform readers about the selection process of the monkeys. The chances are that this type of effect is common only for this specific group of monkeys and can be a result of an environment in which these very rhesus monkeys were nurtured. The question should be asked how the researchers made sure that the unfamiliar monkey was not met beforehand. Another question worth asking is how the stimulating situations were chosen. The conclusion was based on a sample size of eighteen monkeys. This was not justified why this number of monkeys was sufficient. A sample size is generally a large number and should contain a wide variety of individuals. Moreover, it wan not specified how many of the eighteen monkeys were parents, first born or younger siblings.

Secondly, we can argue that there are other reasons of the increased level of the hormone cortisol. Generally, probably this consequence can appear whenever there is a stimulating situations, especially the one that has to be handled for the first time. It could have happened that during the experiment the oldest sibling was always of a different sex than the unfamiliar monkey. It could have altered the first-born monkey reaction and, for instance, if it had been a male monkey it could have reacted more passionately for the unknown female monkey than its younger sister. We can call this a sex-oriented result.

Thirdly, we do not know all the simulating situations that were checked in case of firt-born humans. The example given with a parent coming back after a long absence can also analysed in terms of sex differences. For example, a reaction of an older daughter can be passionate, whereas a reaction of her younger brother can be even apathetic. The upbringing of children can also be influential for such feedbacks. Perhaps, a mother could have read slushy stories to her first-born, while a father could have read stories about valiant and almost unemotional knights to his younger children. This kind of conditioning could have influenced the following children's reactions to simulating situations.

The last issue to be considered pertains to first-time mothers. The higher level of cortisol could have been caused by conditions in which the monkey was kept or the type of food which was given to her. Maybe, the mother with several offspring were kept in much better or worse conditions. At the same time, an elder mother with several children could have produced more cortisol as a result of her awareness of being too old to be able to deliver health children.

Hence, the birth order may be relevant to some extent in the stimulation level of individuals. However, there may be certain other factors that are more relevant than the birth order such as those discussed above. Further studies and a larger population data maybe more convincing for that matter. The study was concentrated only on one type of causation and there are a few fallacies and inaccuracies in the argument. The author should have provided us with more information about the research process and give more cogent arguments for his or her theory.