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BIK3023 READING NURSYITRAFAIZ BT AHMAD FAUZIGROUP UPSI01 (A112PJJ) D20102041898

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SEMESTER 3 SESI 2011/2012

BIK 3023

READING SKILLS

ASSIGNMENT TITLE

GROUP

UPSI01(A112PJJ)

PREPARED BY

NAME ID NO./ MATRICS NO. TELEPHONE NO.

NURSYITRAFAIZ BINTI AHMAD FAUZI770224085770 /D20102041898

0194225575

NAMA TUTOR E-LEARNING: DR HJH AZIZAH BINTI ATAN @ ABDULLAH

TARIKH SERAH: 20TH APRIL 2012 (FRIDAY)

Assignment 2 - Evaluating Arguments in Article Analysis (20%)

SCORING

1 ASSIGNMENT 1

2 ASSIGNMENT 2

3 E FORUM

TOTAL

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No. Content Page

1.0 Text A 3

1.1 Questions for Text A 5

2.0 Text B 7

2.1 Questions for Text B 9

3.0 Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer 12

4.0 Bibliography 14

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Text A

Writing articles about weight loss / health is one of my biggest hobbies.Health is a really important aspect on real life to succeed with our dreams.

Disadvantages of Herbal Medicine

Medicines made from various natural herbs have been popular from time immemorial with the

native folks of many countries as an alternative form of treatment. Herbal or traditional

medicines are made from various plants and plant extracts. Sometimes, fungal and bee products,

minerals, shells and specific animal parts are also used in the preparation of herbal medicines.

Many substances found in plants are useful in treating human ailments. Among them arearomatic substances, phenols and their oxygen-substituted derivatives like tannins. Secondary

metabolites like alkaloids serve as defense mechanism against microorganisms and insects.

Many herbs used by us while cooking have useful medicinal compounds.

Many people prefer herbal medications rather than the regular ones while treating various

physical problems. From treating acne and prostate to treating insomnia and depression, the

benefits of herbal medications have been immense. In many cases, medical science had backed

the use of herbal medicine to treat specific conditions. However, like any other forms of

treatment, herbal medicine also has quite a few disadvantages. Often, the trouble caused by some

herbal medicine can boil down to the specific herb in question. In fact, many herbal remedies

have proved themselves from time to time.

Any form of herbal medicine takes some time to act. One has to have immense patience while

undergoing herbal treatment. Various ingredients go into the preparation of herbal medicine. One

has to be sure that none of the ingredients would cause allergic reactions. Many herbal remedies

have negative side effects. Most of these side effects take months to appear. Since governments

do not regulate the industry of herbal medicine, there is no chance of any quality control during

the manufacturing of the herbal supplements. It is absolutely necessary to find a renowned
http://www.articledoctor.com/medicine/disadvantages-of-herbal-medicine-2305

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practitioner of herbal medicine.

Regular medicines are still the best bet during serious or sudden illness or injury. Herbal

medicine cannot treat serious injuries like a broken leg. Nor can it heal appendicitis or heart

attacks effectively as no diagnostic tests or surgery is involved in it. Often self-dosing of various

herbs leads to serious risks among users. Though one can argue that such a thing can occur with

regular medicines as well, it should be remembered that those packages have specific

instructions regarding dosage. This is entirely absent with herbal medications. Herbs harvested in

the wild are risky. Incorrect identification of the required herb can even lead to poisoning.

Herbal medications often interact with regular medicines. The herbs that are used to treat anxiety

like Valerian and St. John's Wort can interact with antidepressants. It is best to consult one's

doctor before going for any alternative treatment while on regular medicines. Sometimes, people

start using herbal medications without checking what exactly is leading to the physical symptom

they are suffering from. Regular medications may have been useful in such cases of wrong

diagnosis.

The disadvantages of herbal medications depend on the user as well. People need to know what

they are taking, what purpose would it serve and what would be the side effects of such amedication. It is essential to remember that though herbs are often effective they are not a

panacea for all kinds of diseases.

End of Article A

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Text ABased on the selected texts, write responses to these questions.

1. What is the issue being discussed? What was the author's purpose in writing this text?

What was the author trying to accomplish?

The author of this article is expressing her opinions regarding the use of herbal medicine

within the social community recently as for her it could have adverse the effects for the

other users. The writer somehow agreed that herbal medicine is useful in treating human

ailments but still emphasis that regular medicine is by far the best option to treat serious

illness or injury such as a broken leg. From the article I could say that the author tried to

persuade the herbal medicine practitioners to think twice if they intended to carry on with

their medical routine.

2. Who is the intended audience? What is the author trying to persuade the audience to

believe or do?

This article is attentively written to those who are preferably using the herbal medicines

as their alternative medicine. It is obvious that the writer has made it clear upon her views

on the use of herbal medicine which is more on the negative side. She had given several

facts and opinions upon her subject of writing. She had also expressed her thought about

the severity that herbal medicine practitioners have to face when they are having it.

3. What evidence is used to support the argument of the text? What types of support are

presented by the author? Types of support refer to the kind of evidence the author uses to

back up his/her main arguments. Support can include research findings, case studies,

personal experience or observation, examples, facts, comparisons, and expert testimony

or opinion.

To support her writing, the author entirely uses her own personal opinions and thoughts.She has enlisted nearly six or more disadvantages if ones use herbal medicine instead of

modern medicine. The author states that it is time consuming for the herbal medicine to

provide effectiveness where the users have to be very patient while undergoing the

treatment process. Other than that, the user might have to play with their own death as it

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can lead to serious ailments cause by allergic reaction or mistaken of identification while

harvested them in the wild. However, I have to state here that her article is quite

compelling because she seemed very confident with every detail that she had written.

Thus, as a reader, I found this article is quite trustworthy.

4. Is the argument complete? An argument is complete when the author presents adequate

support and addresses opposing sides of the argument. Do you think the author is biased?

Explain.

I would have to say that the argument is basically complete. She has successfully delivers

her supports and able to address the opposing sides of the argument relatively good.

However, I personally think that if she able to support her comments and opinions with

true facts and good references, they would make her writing much more valid. The author

tries to make her writing invisibly bias as she brought up some goodness of herbal

medicines, but could not truly cover it as many statements in her article incline towards

the advantages of having use of regular or modern medicine.

5. Respond to the text from your own personal viewpoint as an individual reader. How

much does the text agree with your personal point of view and what you consider right

and wrong? Why or why not? What new information did you learn from it? Did you likeor enjoy the text, and (most importantly) why or why not?

From my personal point of view, I have to state that I dis agree with the authors opinions

and comments. It seemed that she have not done fully exploration about the use of herbal

medicine as a good writer should. She has to take knowledge that herbal medicine has a

great bound with traditional medical practice which has a long great history like China

and India. China is believed to have a long history as stated in a website: Traditional

Chinese Medicine has been around for thousands of years. Although the first recorded

history of TCM dates back over 2,000 years, it is believed that the origins of TCM go

back more than 5,000 years. Until today, Chinese herbal medicines have become one of

the most trusted alternative treatment and medicine. However, I did gain some good

information about herbal medicine which had never crossed my mind before when the

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author mentioned about how it could be very hazardous when picking the wrong herbal in

wild which means that only people who mastered about the types of herbal plants could

do it. Anyway, personally I think that the text would be more enjoyable if the author had

added on some facts for every excuse of disadvantages of herbal medicine she had

written in the text to strengthen each content.

Article B

Author: Reshma Jirage

Writing is not just a profession for me, but it's an interesting hobby. I have completed B. Sc. and

D.M.L.T. and I am from science field, I like to write on various topics such as business, health,beauty, tourism etc. For me, writing is a unique way to gain complete knowledge.

Interests and Hobbies :Other than writing, my hobbies include reading books and novels. I also love traveling whichgives me a golden opportunity to explore the beauty of nature.

Source: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-herbal-medicine.html

Benefits of Herbal MedicineHerbal medicine is a form of alternative treatment that includes a use of different plants and plantextracts. It is one of the effective and safe treatment options, used to treat various ailments. Read on toknow more about the benefits of herbal medicine.

Herbal medicine, also known as alternative medicine, is used to prevent and treat various ailments. It isalso known as phytotherapy, herbalism, botanical medicine, medical herbalism or medicinal botany. Abasic system of herbal medicine includes Ayurvedic herbalism, traditional Chinese herbalism andWestern herbalism. Various herbs are known for having amazing medicinal properties. Herbal medicineis one of the oldest forms of health care. Use of herbs has been practiced for several centuries to cure a

number of illnesses. Herbal medicines can be taken in the form of tablets,extracts, teas, essential oils or ointments.

Herbs having Medicinal Properties

In nature, there are a huge variety of herbs, having medicinal properties and
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-herbal-medicine.htmlhttp://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-herbal-medicine.htmlhttp://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-herbal-medicine.htmlhttp://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-herbal-medicine.html

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they are used to prepare the herbal medicines. They can be used directly in the form of extracts or tea,or used to produce the drugs. Several herbs consist of powerful ingredients, which are helpful to cure anumber of health problems. They can be used safely, without causing any side effects. Some of thecommonly used herbs are American ginseng, bee pollen, astragalus, cat's claw, black cohosh, bladderwrack, chamomile, feverfew, damiana, dong quai, flaxseed, ginger, garlic, ginkgo biloba, grape seed,green tea, licorice, muira puama, saw palmetto, suma, schizandra, tea tree, turmeric, soy isoflavones,white willow, etc.

Ephedra is an appetite suppressant. It is used to treat asthma or bronchitis. Echinacea helps strengthenimmune system and protects from flu and common cold. Feverfew is used to prevent migraineheadache and also helps manage allergies, rheumatic disease and arthritis. Kava-kava is used to treatstress, anxiety and restlessness. Ginkgo increases oxygenation and blood circulation and helps improvememory and concentration. Valerian is a muscle relaxant and a mild sedative and helps deal withinsomnia. Ginger decreases and prevents vertigo, nausea and vomiting.

Benefits of Herbal Medicine

Various herbs can be used to treat various minor and major health problems such as common cold,sleep disorder, allergy, weight loss, digestive problems, hair and skin problems, anxiety disorder, heartproblems, respiratory problems, hypertension, diabetes, etc. Various parts of plants such as stems,leaves, seeds, barks and roots are used to prepare the herbal medicine. Some of the important benefitsof herbal medicine are given below.

A number of herbs such as Indian Kino, bitter melon, gurmar, garlic, onion, fenugreek, blueberry leaves,

ginkgo biloba, cinnamon, goat's rue can be effectively used to control the blood sugar levels and to dealwith diabetes. These drugs enhance the secretion of insulin, which is needed to control the blood sugarlevels.

You may suffer from various types of allergies such as food allergy, insect stings, pollen, dust mites ormedicine. The herbs such as nettle, quercetin, butterbur, astragalus and ephedra are used to treatdifferent types of allergies. These herbs are anti-histamine and they possess anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They can be also used to treat various skin problems such as acne, psoriasisand eczema.

Herbal medicines can be effectively used for body's natural detoxification process. The herbs such asPlantago Psyllium seed, Rhubarb Juice powder, aloe vera, alfalfa juice, chlorella, carrot concentrate andgarlic can be used to cleanse the colon, improve digestion and food absorption and boost your immunesystem. Some digestive disorders such as colitis, indigestion, peptic ulcers and irritable bowel syndromecan be cured using the herbs.

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Problems related to blood circulation and heart such as high blood pressure, angina, varicose ulcers,varicose veins, etc. can be successfully treated using the herbs such as hawthorn, garlic, ginkgo, ginger,capsicum and motherwort. Hawthorn lowers blood pressure, dilates blood vessels and strengthens theheart. Garlic is very effective to treat coronary artery disease as well as decreases serum cholesterollevels. Ginkgo biloba can be effectively used to treat cerebrovascular disease.

Herbal medicines can be used for weight loss and reduce obesity, which is the cause of many healthproblems. Herbs used for weight loss are categorized as appetite suppressants, cathartics, stimulantsand diuretics. Commonly used herbs for weight loss are burdock root, chickweed, fennel, flax seed,nettle, kola nut, phyllium, alfalfa, senna, hawthorn, etc. These herbs help weight loss as well as improveoverall health. By Reshma Jirage

End of Article B

Text B Based on the selected texts, write responses to these questions.

1. What is the issue being discussed? What was the author's purpose in writing this text?

What was the author trying to accomplish?

The author is trying to pursue her opinion against the benefits of using the herbal

medicine in curing serious ailment or injury. This article has shown that the author has a

huge interest towards herbal medicine even though she has a science education

background. From the writing, she had exposed the greatness of herbal medicines by

given various types of herbal plants that can be used to treat serious sickness like

problems related to blood circulation and heart such as high blood pressure and cardiac

diseases. So, it is obvious that the author is persuading the readers to switch into using the

herbal medicine rather than modern medicine as their alternative treatment.

2. Who is the intended audience? What is the author trying to persuade the audience to

believe or do?

The author of this article had conveyed the information of the goodness of herbal

medicines in a very brief way and straight forward. So, this article is clearly suitable and

likely dedicated to all types of readers who wanted to know how herbal medicines could

be used in medical treatment instead of relying totally on modern medicines. She had
http://www.buzzle.com/authors.asp?author=16689http://www.buzzle.com/authors.asp?author=16689http://www.buzzle.com/authors.asp?author=16689http://www.buzzle.com/authors.asp?author=16689

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listed many examples of herbs that can be used to cure even severe ailments and her

writing is really convincing.

3. What evidence is used to support the argument of the text? What types of support are

presented by the author? Types of support refer to the kind of evidence the author uses to

back up his/her main arguments. Support can include research findings, case studies,

personal experience or observation, examples, facts, comparisons, and expert testimony

or opinion.

Ironically the author of this article hasnt come out with better supportive information

about using herbal medicines. It is because; the writing hasnt given any concrete fact to

support the author opinions against herbal medicines except her own personal

information that she gathered herself without any reference given. When reading her

article, the readers like to have to make an extra effort on finding the truth about what had

been reported by the author. This will definitely makes the readers losing their intention

towards the article. Other than that, the author should have given several illustrations of

the herbals she introduced within her writing because they will give a better presentation

of the article.

4. Is the argument complete? An argument is complete when the author presents adequatesupport and addresses opposing sides of the argument. Do you think the author is biased?

Explain.

For me the argument within the text is not totally complete. The author is clearly unable

to present adequate supports as there is no significant comparison been made between the

using of herbal medicines against the modern medicines in this world. Thus, I could say

the author had somehow failed to create a concrete argument of the benefits of using

herbal medicine. From her writing, I also discovered the author had not been much bias

because she does not clearly state that people should only use herbal medicine for health

treatment but she likely more encouraging the readers to try other alternative safer way to

boost healthiness.

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5. Respond to the text from your own personal viewpoint as an individual reader. How

much does the text agree with your personal point of view and what you consider right

and wrong? Why or why not? What new information did you learn from it? Did you like

or enjoy the text, and (most importantly) why or why not?

First, I really have to admit that this article is really good for those who are seeking

alternative ways of getting treatments for some serious illness. And honestly, I personally

prefer to use herbal medicines as there are no synthetic chemicals being used to produce

them compared to modern medicines. Modern medicines as we know could be very

harmful if being use in reckless way and would cause death as well. However, the author

seemed to forget that she should have included firm evidence based on concrete data to

show that these herbal medicines could be the best way to cure dangerous diseases and

ailments. With that kind of data, it would surely strengthen her article. Nevertheless, this

article has provided me a sufficient knowledge of herbal medicine but it would be much

helpful if pictures of some herbals were also included in the article. So, the readers could

have known their appearance and identify any difference with other types of plants. By

far, I actually enjoy reading the article because it has widened my knowledge about types

of herbs I can use to proven my health. The author had briefly explained the uses of many

herbs and how they work on our body. This essential information provided is certainly

useful if anything unfortunate happens when modern medicine is beyond reach.

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Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer

Disadvantages of Herbal Medicine http://www.articledoctor.com/medicine/disadvantages

-of-herbal-medicine-2305

Benefits of Herbal Medicinehttp://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-herbal-

medicine.html

SIMILARITIES

Herbal medicine had been used for centuries to treat human serious

ailments and diseases. Herbal medicine is made of various plants and plants extract. Many people prefer to use herbal medications.

DIFFERENCES Herbal medicine is one of

the best types of medications.

Has been practiced forseveral centuries to cure anumber of illnesses.

Perspectives of the usedof herbal medicine

Herbal medicine is only analternative form of treatment.

Herbal remedies havedeveloped from time totime and gettingimprovised but still havecertain deficiency.

Herbs are often effectivebut they are not a panacea

for all kinds of diseases.

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In many cases, medical

science had backed the use

of herbal medicine to treat

specific treatments.

Effects of herbal

medicine on modern

treatment

People still have preferable

method of nowadays

medication especially for

The benefits and the

disadvantages of herbal

medicine

Any form of herbal

medicine takes time to act.

Could cause allergic

reactions.

No quality control during

the manufacturing of the

herbal supplements.

Incorrect identification

while harvested in wild

could lead to poisoning.

Herbal medications often

interact with regular

medicines.

Herbal medicines can be

effectively used for body's

natural detoxification

process.

Can be also used to treat

various skin problems.

Herbal medicines can be

used for weight loss and

reduce obesity.

Also used to treat different

types of allergies.

Successfully treated

problems related to blood

circulation and heart.

Time durations for the

use of herbal medicine

taking effects

Usually have quite a shortperiod to show the effects.

Take some times to showreactions.

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Bibliographyhttp://www.articledoctor.com/medicine/disadvantages-of-herbal-medicine-2305

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-herbal-medicine.html
http://www.articledoctor.com/medicine/disadvantages-of-herbal-medicine-2305http://www.articledoctor.com/medicine/disadvantages-of-herbal-medicine-2305http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-herbal-medicine.htmlhttp://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-herbal-medicine.htmlhttp://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-herbal-medicine.htmlhttp://www.articledoctor.com/medicine/disadvantages-of-herbal-medicine-2305

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