Writing and Rhetoric Practice Questions
Course Introduction
Writing and Rhetoric explores the principles and practices of effective written communication, emphasizing critical thinking, persuasive techniques, and audience awareness. Students will develop skills in analyzing, constructing, and revising arguments across a variety of genres and contexts. The course introduces rhetorical concepts such as ethos, pathos, and logos, and encourages students to produce clear, coherent, and purposeful writing for academic and public audiences while reflecting on their own writing processes.
Recommended Textbook
Critical Thinking A Users Manual 1st Edition by
Debra Jackson
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10 Chapters
215 Verified Questions
215 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: Recognizing Arguments
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20 Verified Questions
20 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) We should hire a new member for our department because our workload has significantly increased in the past three months, and the existing staff cannot keep up.
A) Argument
B) Explanation
C) Neither an argument nor an explanation
Answer: A
Q2) I hope that the H1N1 flu vaccine will prevent a major outbreak of the disease this season.
A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
Answer: B
Q3) Students should major in economics; they will be in great demand when the economy recovers.
A) Argument
B) Explanation
C) Neither an argument nor an explanation
Answer: A
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Analyzing Arguments
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The governor has decided to cut funding to the state universities because he is much more concerned about locking up drug offenders than he is about educating the younger generation.
Answer: This passage contains an explanation. The explanandum is that the governor has decided to cut funding to the state universities. The explanans is that the governor is much more concerned about locking up drug offenders than he is about educating the younger generation.
Q2) Using your cell phone while driving is against the law, and I know you don't want to be slapped with a fine.
Answer: P1: Using your cell phone while driving is against the law. P2: You don't want to be fined for using your cell phone while driving. \(\therefore\) You should not use your cell phone while driving.
Issue: Whether you should use your cell phone while driving
Q3) Families should not be allowed to have more than two children. The food supply cannot accommodate more population growth.
Answer: P: The food supply cannot accommodate more population growth. \(\therefore\) Families should not be allowed to have more than two children.
Issue: Whether families should be allowed to have more than two children
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Chapter 3: Diagramming Arguments
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25 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Leakage of fluid from the site of a spinal tap can lead to severe headache, and for this reason, the patient is asked to remain lying down for 8 to 24 hours after the procedure to minimize the leakage of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) from the puncture site.
-Gerard Tortora, Principles of Human Anatomy
Answer: This passage from Gerard Tortora's Principles of Human Anatomy contains an explanation. The explanandum is that the patient is asked to remain lying down for 8 to 24 hours after a spinal tap to minimize the leakage of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) from the puncture site. The explanans is that leakage of fluid from the site of a spinal tap can lead to severe headache.
Q2) If the economy doesn't improve soon, there will be large scale unemployment within the next few months. Because it won't improve soon, many people will be out of work by the end of the year. As a result, expect a bleak Christmas.
Answer: 1. If the economy doesn't improve soon, there will be large scale unemployment within the next few months. Because 2. it won't improve soon, 3. many people will be out of work by the end of the year. As a result, 4. expect a bleak Christmas. 4. You should expect a bleak Christmas.
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5
Chapter 4: Detecting Fallacies
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15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Chinese government should encourage freedom of speech, because doing so would be a good idea.
A) begging the question
B) appeal to ignorance
C) appeal to illegitimate authority
D) ad hominem
E) strawman
F) red herring
G) no fallacy committed
Q2) Cell phones will probably replace the traditional phones throughout the world for they allow for access anywhere, not just at home. As a consequence, you would be wise to begin investing in cell phone manufacturers. At least, that's my advice.
Q3) Like their Cretan predecessors, the Greeks were less conscious of the tomb than the Egyptians. They have left us a number of bronze statuettes, which are highly esteemed. But their painting-an art on which their writers assure us they lavished great skill-is almost totally lost. One reason for this is that, unlike the Egyptians, Minoans, and Mycenaeans, who painted only murals, the Greeks painted mainly on wooden panels that have perished over time. -Sister Wendy Beckett, The Story of Painting
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Chapter 5: Preparing to Evaluate Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Learning to think critically is like learning to play the piano. Given that you have to practice a lot to be good at playing the piano, you must practice a lot to be a critical thinker.
A) categorical argument
B) truth-functional argument
C) analogical argument
D) inductive generalization
E) causal argument
Q2) Even though we have landed a probe on Venus, it has never shown that life doesn't exist on that planet. Therefore, it's correct to conclude that life exists on Venus.
Q3) Since every lawyer is a college graduate, and since every college graduate has taken logical reasoning courses, we know that all lawyers have taken logical reasoning courses.
A) categorical argument
B) truth-functional argument
C) analogical argument
D) inductive generalization
E) causal argument
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7
Chapter 6: Evaluating Categorical Arguments
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Some sports cars are red.
Q2) School buses are the only vehicles exempt from seatbelt laws. So, a few private vehicles are not exempt from seatbelt laws.
Q3) Denzel is an Academy Award winner, and all Academy Award winners are comedians.
Q4) Since a few pizzas are Italian foods, and some Italian foods are expensive, a few pizzas are expensive.
Q5) The bill should be paid by whoever bought the item.
Q6) Not every six-year old knows how to tie his or her shoes.
Q7) Only students are allowed access to the recreation center.
Q8) Some sweet potatoes are roots since a few sweet potatoes are tubers.
Q9) If you want to be a nursing major, then you must take an anatomy class.
Q10) All P are M
Some S are M
Some S are P
Q11) No P are M
All S are M
No S are P
Q12) Shakira is a singer. Page 8
Q13) Whenever the phone rings the dog barks.
Q14) Because Felicia is musical, she will be good at mathematics.
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Chapter 7: Evaluating Truth-Functional Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) \( \begin{array}{l}A \vee(B \supset C) \\ \frac{B \cdot C}{\therefore A}\end{array} \)
Q2) Peter Singer argues that meat consumption is unethical, and he's right. This is because meat consumption is ethical only if animals are treated humanely, and our current food industry does not treat animals humanely.
Q3) \( \begin{array}{l}(\mathrm{A} \cdot \mathrm{B}) \supset \mathrm{C} \\ \sim \underline{\mathrm{A} \vee \sim \mathrm{B}} \\ \therefore \mathrm{C}\end{array} \)
A) modus ponens
B) modus tollens
C) denying the antecedent
D) affirming the consequent
Q4) Your health insurance isn't good. Given that you won't receive good health care unless you have good health care insurance, that means that you will not get good health care.
Q5) P \(\sqsupset\) S J \(\sqsupset\) S \(\therefore\) P \(\sqsupset\) J
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Chapter 8: Evaluating Analogical Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Start wearing your bicycle helmet! You would never consider riding in a car without a seatbelt, and riding a bicycle without a helmet is like riding in a car without a seatbelt. Both put your life a risk. Moreover, both are illegal.
Q2) Both physicians and school teachers can change people's entire lives. Given that teachers may be paid according to how well their students learn what is being taught, physicians may be paid according to how well their patients do after receiving treatment.
Q3) The quick responses and fast thinking required for video game proficiency are like the responses and thinking required for flying a stealth fighter.
Q4) Which analogical argument is stronger?
A) Walnuts, hickory nuts, and pecans are high in protein. Consequently, almonds are probably high in protein.
B) Walnuts are high in protein. Consequently, almonds are probably high in protein.
Q5) Portugal is a lot like Spain. Since the decriminalization of drugs in Portugal has resulted in a decline of drug use among youth, the decriminalization of drugs in Spain will also decrease drug use among youth.
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Chapter 9: Evaluating Inductive Generalizations
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which inductive generalization is stronger?
A) Clearly, mining is becoming less dangerous in the United States. A team of researchers from the Association of Mine Operators surveyed over 50 mine workers union officials, and the vast majority said that there had been fewer safety violations and fewer accidents in the last five years than in the five preceding years.
B) Clearly, mining is becoming less dangerous in the United States. A team of researchers from the Association of Mine Operators surveyed over 50 owners of independent mining companies, and the vast majority said that they had fewer safety violations and fewer accidents in the last five years than in the five preceding years.
Q2) I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there.-Herb Caen
Q3) House Republicans have been arguing that entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare need to be reduced by up to 10%. But is depriving our elderly of all government assistance really what we want to do? I don't think so. These are the people who have sacrificed for us, their children, and they deserve better in their old age.
Q4) The food at Albertson's is really expensive. Yesterday my husband bought a small pack of pork chops and three baking potatoes, and it came to almost ten dollars.
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Page 12
Chapter 10: Evaluating Causal Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which causal argument is stronger?
A) There's at least one good thing coming from widespread unemployment. More people are taking college courses. A study of college attendance in twelve counties with the lowest employment numbers showed that each had large enrollment numbers for the last two semesters. This is the only possible cause common to all twelve counties, since they had different income levels, different percentages of high school graduates, and different rates of previous college attendance.
B) There's at least one good thing coming from widespread unemployment. More people are taking college courses. A study of college attendance in twelve counties with the lowest employment numbers showed that each had large enrollment numbers for the last two semesters. This is the only possible cause common to all twelve counties.
Q2) Painting the Golden Gate Bridge is an ongoing job because the salt air from the ocean rusts and corrodes the steel components.-goldengatebridge.org
Q3) It's clear that Egyptian plain clothes police provocateurs caused the violence in Tahrir Square since the violence in the square resulted from Egyptian police not in uniform.
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