2017年GRE考试精选填空模拟试题及答案解析(12)

　　60. The following appeared in a letter from a firm providing investment advice for a client.

　　"Most homes in the northeastern United States, where winters are typically cold, have traditionally used oil as their major fuel for heating. Last heating season that region experienced 90 days with below-normal temperatures, and climate forecasters predict that this weather pattern will continue for several more years. Furthermore, many new homes are being built in the region in response to recent population growth. Because of these trends, we predict an increased demand for heating oil and recommend investment in Consolidated Industries, one of whose major business operations is the retail sale of home heating oil."

　　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.

　　解析

　　Step One

　　文章共4句话，各自的核心意思是：

　　1、美国东北部大多数家庭用燃油取暖;

　　2、上个取暖季经历了90天低于常温的气候，以及未来将会持续若干年;

　　3、此外，因为人口增长，许多新的房屋正在被建造;

　　4、所以，我们预测燃油需求会增加以及投资C公司，它的业务之一是销售家庭用燃油。

　　Step Two

　　文章的结构是：

　　1、是背景;

　　2、3推导出4;

　　Step Three

　　寻找逻辑错误

　　a. 数据问题：90天不一定长;

　　b. 论据含糊：专家预测;

　　c. 时间外推：许多新房屋也会用燃油取暖;

　　d. 利润问题：C公司会很好。

　　难点总结

　　本题难点在于：从字面上找到的逻辑错误没法用常规的方式攻击，需要转变思路。然而万变不离其宗，明白逻辑错误的原理，合适很容易解决问题的。GRE留学外语考试