Though sucking zinc lozenges has been promoted as a treatment for the common cold, research has revealed no consistent effect. Recently, however, a zinc gel applied nasally has been shown to greatly reduce the duration of colds. Since the gel contains zinc in the same form and concentration as the lozenges, the greater effectiveness of the gel must be due to the fact that cold viruses tend to concentrate in the nose, not the mouth.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?


Experimental subjects who used the zinc gel not only had colds of shorter duration but also had less severe symptoms than did those who used a gel that did not contain zinc.

The mechanism by which zinc affects the viruses that cause the common cold has not been conclusively established.

To make them palatable, zinc lozenges generally contain other ingredients, such as citric acid, that can interfere with the chemical activity of zinc.

No zinc-based cold remedy can have any effect unless it is taken or applied within 48 hours of the initial onset of cold symptoms.

Drug-company researchers experimenting with a nasal spray based on zinc have found that it has much the same effect on colds as the gel does.

考题讲解

情景:吮吸锌含片被推广为治疗普通感冒的方式。现在,研究发现虽然口服锌和鼻喷雾锌类型与浓度都一样,但是鼻喷雾锌比口服锌的治感冒效果好很多,因此,有可能是由于感冒的病毒都集中在鼻子上而不是嘴里

推理:在逻辑上,前提结论中描述的事件是不同的。并且,由于感冒的病毒必须先都集中在鼻子上而不是嘴里,我们才有可能发现鼻喷雾锌比口服锌的治感冒效果好很多。由此可知,推理文段属于果因推理
顺序的因果逻辑:因为感冒的病毒都集中在鼻子上而不是嘴里,所以鼻喷雾锌比口服锌的治感冒效果好很多
(果)前提:鼻喷雾锌比口服锌的治感冒效果好很多
(因)结论:感冒的病毒都集中在鼻子上而不是嘴里

选题方式:果因推理有两个评估方向,简而言之,即,答案选项中要么给出产生“鼻喷雾锌比口服锌的治感冒效果好很多”的另外一个原因,要么讨论“感冒的病毒都集中在鼻子上而不是嘴里”与“鼻喷雾锌比口服锌的治感冒效果好很多”之间的关系。

选项分析:

A选项:对于用鼻喷雾锌的实验样本来说,他们不但比用没有加锌鼻喷雾(估计是对照实验)的人持续感冒的时间短而且还有更少的严重感冒症状。本选项讨论的内容是鼻喷雾本身加锌与不加锌的区别,但是并没有提到“果”中的口服与鼻喷雾的区别,可以排除。

B选项: 锌可以抗感冒的机理已经被完全的建立了。无论机理如何,本论证要求解释的是口服的比鼻喷雾的效果差,可以排除。

C选项:Correct. 为了好吃,口服锌中加了很多可以抑制锌的药理作用的调味品。本选项解释了为什么口服锌没效而鼻喷雾有效。所以可以削弱原文,属于CQ1:说明结果问题

D选项:
除非在感冒症状出现的48小时内用药,否则没有任何一种添加锌的药物可以有效。无论锌有效与否,都没有提及为什么鼻喷雾比口服药更有效。

E选项:
 药物公司发现鼻喷雾的锌和口服的锌对于感冒来说具有一样的效果。如果鼻喷雾中的锌对于感冒更有效,其可以解释为何鼻喷雾锌比口服锌的治感冒效果好很多,可以削弱原文,本选项可以评估原文论证,属于CQ1:说明结果问题。但是题目问的是削弱,本选项是加强选项。

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