42. The following appeared in the opinion section of a national newsmagazine.
“To reverse the deterioration¹ of the postal² service, the government should raise the price of postage stamps. This solution will no doubt prove effective, since the price increase will generate larger revenues and will also reduce the volume of mail, thereby³ eliminating the strain on the existing system and contributing to improved morale⁴.”
Discuss how well reasoned... etc.
全国性新闻杂志的意见栏：
为了转变邮政服务退化的状况，政府应该提高邮资邮票的价格。这个解决方法将毫无疑问是有效的。因为价格提升会产生更大的收益而且会减少邮件数量，从而消除目前系统中存在的紧张并有助于提高士气
1价格提高带来的增加和数量减少带来的减少哪个大不是定数
2收益增加并不一定就会提高士气，因为他们的工资很可能是固定工资而不是绩效工资。
3其他方法可能更有效果。例如减低成本，把固定工资改成绩效工资。
 
1，             收入是否会增加？因为volume会减少。
2，             士气与volume的减少是否有关系？很可能工资是fixed salary，不会被其他改变。
3，             是否有其他的办法？比如引进技术，减少成本等等。
 
The author concludes that a postage-stamp price increase is needed to reduce the deterioration of the postal service. The author reasons that raising the price of stamps will accomplish this goal because it will generate more revenue, thereby eliminating the strain on the system. The author further reasons that a price increase will also reduce the volume of mail, thereby improving the morale of postal workers. The reasoning in this argument is problematic in three respects.
The main problem with the argument is the author’s mistaken assumption that eliminating strain on the system and improving employee morale are mutually achievable by way of an increase in stamp prices. A price increase will generate more revenue only if the volume of mail remains⁶ constant or increases. But, if the volume of mail increases or remains constant, worker morale will not be improved. On the other hand, if the price increase reduces the volume of mail, revenues may decrease, and the strain on the system will not be eliminated. Consequently, eliminating the strain on the system and improving the morale of the workers cannot both be achieved by simply raising the price of postage stamps.
Secondly⁷, the author’s conclusion that the proposed price increase is necessary to reduce deterioration of the postal service relies on the assumption that no other action would achieve the same result. However, the author provides no evidence to substantiate⁸ this assumption. It is possible, for example, that careful cost-cutting measures that do not decrease worker morale might achieve the same goal. It is also possible that other revenue-enhancing measures that do not undermine employee morale are available.
Thirdly, the author unfairly assumes that reducing mail volume and increasing revenues will improve employee morale. This is not necessarily the case. It is possible that employee morale is materially improved only by other means, and that additional revenues will not be used in ways that improve morale. It is also possible that a decrease in mail volume will result in a reduction of the size of the labor⁹ force, regardless of revenues, which in turn might undermine morale.
In conclusion, the author’s proposed solution to the problem of the deterioration of the postal service will not work. Raising postage-stamp prices cannot bring about both of the outcomes the author identifies as being necessary to solve the problem. Before we can accept the argument, the author must modify the proposal accordingly and must provide more information about the relationship between employee morale and mail volume.

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