如果 CR 是你的弱项，如果你对 CR 发怵，那就请你关注【逻辑入门】系列。无论你是考 GMAT 还是 LSAT，CR 都是关键一项。攻克 CR 是你考试成功的一个必要条件。而且掌握了 CR，你的英文写作也会变得条理分明，论据充分，结论恰到好处。但我这个系列有个前提：大部分只用英文。因为我的体会是：如果 CR 想考高分，你就得 Read, think, and analyze in English.本文是第一篇argument。
What is an argument?
An argument in logic is a set of one or more meaningful declarative sentences (or "propositions") known as the premises with another sentence known as the conclusion. Therefore, each argument has at least two components: 1) a piece of evidence or proposition, officially called a “premise,” and 2) a conclusion.
Consider the following two statements:
1)Ming Li is smart.
2)Ming Li went to Peking University.
Each statement by itself is simply a claim or an assertion. Can you combine them together to form an argument?
One answer might be:
Ming Li is smart because he went to Peking University.
The red part of the answer is the conclusion; the blue part of the answer is the premise. These color codes will be the convention I use to label premise and conclusion through out the series.
A premise supports a conclusion. Most argument are not bullet-proof. That is: the evidence provided does not PROVE the conclusion reached beyond a shadow of a doubt. A premise is just an evidence, one reason to shed some positive light on the conclusion, one piece of information which makes the conclusion more likely. In CR, all premises given in the stimulus are considered true. In the above example, we should not doubt whether Ming went to Peking University or not. However, we can analyze the argument by focusing on the logic which connects the premise and the conclusion in an argument.
Indicators
How to tell which statement is a premise or a conclusion in an argument? A quick way is to find indicators such as because, since, for, as, considering, whereas, and on the grounds that, which signal to the reader that a premise is coming! In the example above, Ming Li is smart because he went to Peking University, he went to Peking University is the premise since this statement follows the word because.
A second way to form an argument using exactly the same statements is:
Because Ming Li is smart, he went to Peking University.
This is a totally different argument from the first one in that the premise and the conclusion switch their places. Ming Li is smart is now the premise.
These two examples show that the order, in which each statement shows up in an argument, is less important than the logical relationship shown in the argument when deciphering which is the premise and which is the conclusion. Use the indicators to help you march through the puzzle in the beginning. The indicators for a conclusion might include: thus, therefore, accordingly, hence, in this way, consequently, and as a result.
What if there is no indicator in the argument?
In case you cannot find an indicator for premise/conclusion, you have to understand what the aruthor is trying to say and ask yourself which part is the conclusion and which part is the premise to support the conclusion. Consider the following example:
Every milk product from Three Deers must be recalled. These products contain melamine which could lead to renal failure.
Which one is the conclusion? Which one is the premise? Most likely you would say that the 1st sentence is the conclusion and the 2nd sentence is the premise.
Every milk product from Three Deers must be recalled. These products contain melamine which could lead to renal failure.
If in doubt, 1) simply connect the two sentences using the word because; and 2) see which one of the resulting arguments makes more sense:
1) Every milk product from Three Deers must be recalled because these products contain melamine which could lead to renal failure.
2) Becasue every milk product from Three Deers must be recalled, these products contain melamine which could lead to renal failure.
In CR test, if you can locate the premise and the conclusion of an argument, you have 50% chance of getting the right answer in the end. Train your eyes and brains to identify the conclusion of an argument quickly and precisely. Make sure your first step of a long march to the victory gets off on the right foot.
-
GMAT逻辑考察的主要内容要点整理
GMAT逻辑要点考察是GMAT逻辑考试题的一部分。接下来小编就来给大家介绍一下GMAT逻辑要点考察，希望对考生备考GMAT逻辑考试有所帮助。
- 认清GMAT逻辑试题中的关键词
- GMAT逻辑例题分析
- GMAT逻辑weaken题解题方法
- GMAT逻辑support题解题方法