GRE Argument Essay Step-by-step Guide an

The following appeared in an editorial in a local newspaper.

"Commuters complain that increased rush-hour traffic on Blue Highway between the suburbs and the city center has doubled their commuting time. The favored proposal of the motorists ‘lobby is to widen the highway, adding an additional lane of traffic.

Opponents note that last year's addition of a lane to the nearby Green Highway was followed by a worsening of traffic jams on it. Their suggested alternative proposal is adding a bicycle lane to Blue Highway. Many area residents are keen bicyclists. Bicycle lane would encourage them to use bicycles to commute, it is argued, thereby reducing rush-hour traffic."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

以下内容出现在当地一家报纸的社论中。

“通勤者抱怨说，郊区和市中心之间的蓝色高速公路高峰时段交通量增加，使他们的通勤时间增加了一倍。驾车者游说团最喜欢的建议是拓宽高速公路，增加一条额外的交通车道。

反对者指出，去年在附近的绿色高速公路上增加了一条车道，但随后交通拥堵却加剧了。 他们建议的替代方案是在蓝色高速公路上增加一条自行车道。 许多地区的居民都热衷于骑自行车。 有人认为，自行车道将鼓励他们使用自行车上下班，从而减少高峰时段的交通。”

写一份回复，讨论需要回答哪些问题才能确定建议及其所依据的论点是否合理。 请务必解释这些问题的答案将如何帮助评估建议。

In the editorial from the local newspaper, it is stated that opponents of the motorists ‘lobby’s plan to add another lane to Blue Highway have instead advocated that a bicycle lane be constructed in order to alleviate the highway's traffic issues. The opponents have come to this conclusion based on the issues faced by Green Highway last year as well as the keen interest in bicycling of the area's local residents. However, before this recommendation can be properly evaluated, three questions must be answered.

当地报纸的社论称，驾车者游说团计划在蓝色高速公路上增设一条车道的计划的反对者转而主张修建一条自行车道，以缓解高速公路的交通问题。 反对者基于去年绿色公路面临的问题以及该地区当地居民对骑自行车的浓厚兴趣得出了这一结论。 然而，在正确评估此建议之前，必须回答三个问题。

First of all, are Green Highway and Blue Highway roughly comparable? In other words, can circumstances from one highway be used to make generalizations and predictions about the other? It is possible that Green Highway and Blue Highway are not similar at all-perhaps Green Highway runs through residential neighborhoods, whereas Blue Highway is located mostly in rural, unpopulated sections of the city. Further, there is a possibility that the quality of the highways is markedly different, with Green Highway's roads falling apart and Blue Highway's in pristine condition. If either of these scenarios has merit, then conclusion drawn in the original argument is significantly weakened.

首先，绿色公路和蓝色公路大致可比吗？ 换句话说，一条高速公路的情况是否可以用来对另一条高速公路进行概括和预测？ 绿色高速公路和蓝色高速公路可能根本不相似——也许绿色高速公路穿过居民区，而蓝色高速公路主要位于城市的农村、无人居住的地区。 此外，高速公路的质量可能存在显着差异，绿色高速公路的道路已经支离破碎，而蓝色高速公路的道路仍处于原始状态。 如果这两种情况中的任何一种都有道理，那么原始论证中得出的结论就会被大大削弱。

Secondly, do a majority of the area residents interested in biking live within biking distance of their places of employment? The opponents in the argument prematurely assume that many of the residents in the town will bike to work in the morning rather than drive their cars. However, this might not be the case. Perhaps the average distance from home to work is over 15 miles, and that's why many of the residents are essentially obligated to take the highway-even if they don't want to. In an ideal world, they might choose to bike to work, but if the reality is such that they cannot do so due to the logistics of their situations, then only one form of transportation (the car via the highway) is possible. If the above is true, then the argument does not hold water.

其次，大多数对骑自行车感兴趣的地区居民是否居住在其工作地点的骑车距离范围内？ 争论中的反对者过早地认为该镇的许多居民早上会骑自行车上班而不是开车。 然而，情况可能并非如此。 也许从家到工作地点的平均距离超过 15 英里，这就是为什么许多居民基本上有义务走高速公路——即使他们不愿意。 在理想的情况下，他们可能会选择骑自行车上班，但如果现实情况是由于他们的情况而无法这样做，那么只有一种交通方式（通过高速公路的汽车）是可能的。 如果上述情况属实，那么这个论点就站不住脚。

In conclusion, the argument, as it stands now, is considerably flawed due to its reliance on several unwarranted assumptions. If the author is able to answer the three questions above and offer more evidence (perhaps in the form of a systematic research study),then it will be possible to fully evaluate the viability of the proposed recommendation to add a bike lane to Blue Highway.

总之，目前的论点由于依赖于几个没有根据的假设而存在很大的缺陷。 如果作者能够回答上述三个问题并提供更多证据（也许以系统研究的形式），那么就有可能充分评估所提议的在蓝色高速公路上添加自行车道的建议的可行性。