Quiz 1 Review

To justify a conclusion, you need to persuade someone.

False

The purpose of an argument is to present some kind of reason for its conclusion.

True

The word "too" in "too small" introduces an evaluation.

True

Japan is bigger than Israel. China is much bigger than Israel. Therefore, Japan is not bigger than China. A. An argument that is neither valid nor sound. B. An argument that is valid but not sound. C. An argument that is both valid and sound. D. Not an argument.

A. An argument that is neither valid nor sound.

Choose to indicate the best way to complete the following sentence. An argument can be sound (in the technical sense used in this course) when: A. Its premises and conclusion are both true B. Its premises and conclusion are both false C. Its premises are false, and its conclusion is true D. Its premises are true, and its conclusion is false E. More than one of the above (that is, a sound argument can have more than one of these combinations of truth values.)

A. Its premises and conclusion are both true

Consider this passage by Ben Selznik: "The drinking age is not set by the federal government; it is set by the states. Currently, each state has its law set at 21. However, this figure neither necessarily reflects research and careful consideration nor appeals to constituents. Instead, it reflects the fact that drinking age became tied to highway funds somewhere along the way. Because of this, were a state to lower their drinking age, they would also have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds from the government. This hand-tying is asinine. If the drinking age is a state decision, it should be made by states independently of funds for highways. Before any progress can be made, lawmakers must sever this illogical connection." Is the italicized word "Because" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

A. Premise marker

In Questions 27 and 28, indicate which of the following is a single suppressed premise that is sufficient to make each of the following arguments valid. You ought not to eat dessert, because it will ruin your diet. A. You ought not to eat anything that will ruin your diet. B. Desserts taste good. C. You to eat healthy foods that are on your diet. D. You need to go on a diet.

A. You ought not to eat anything that will ruin your diet.

Consider this passage by Ben Selznik: "A fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges where alcohol can be easily obtained.... [C]olleges know full well that underage drinking exists. Students know that they are drinking underage and therefore illegally. And yet, the game continues with colleges trying to make sure that no alcohol-related tragedies occur. This game isn't the fault of colleges, nor is it the fault of students. Instead, it is the fault of our law, which classifies part of this college-age set as "underage" and the rest as "of age." When it comes to colleges, our law simply doesn't reflect reality. It must therefore be changed." Is the italicized word "therefore" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

B. Conclusion marker

Which of the following reconstructions best captures the argument in this passage from Ben Selznik, "Make it 18" (see above for context): A fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges where alcohol can be easily obtained.... When it comes to colleges, our [drinking age] law simply doesn't reflect reality. It must therefore be changed. A. (1) A fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges. (2) Alcohol can be easily obtained in colleges. (3) Our drinking-age law does not reflect reality. —————————— ∴ (3) Our drinking-age law must be changed. (from 1-2) B. (1) A fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges. (2) Alcohol can be easily obtained in colleges. (3) If a fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges, and alcohol can be easily obtained in colleges, then our drinking-age law does not reflect reality in colleges. —————————— ∴ (4) Our drinking-age law does not reflect reality in colleges. (from 1-3) —————————— ∴ (5) Our drinking-age law must be changed. (from 4) C. (1) A fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges. (2) Alcohol can be easily obtained in colleges. (3) If a fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges, and alcohol can be easily obtained in colleges, then our drinking-age law does not reflect reality in colleges. —————————— ∴ (4) Our drinking-age law does not reflect reality in colleges. (from 1-3) (5) If a law does not reflect reality in an area that includes a fair portion of the people to whom it applies, then it must be changed. —————————— ∴ (6) Our drinking-age law must be changed. (from 1, 4, and 5) D. (1) A fair portion of alcohol drinkers are between the ages of 18 and 21. (2) A fair proportion of people between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges. —————————— ∴ (3) A fair portion of alcohol drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges. (from 1-2) (4) Alcohol can be easily obtained in colleges. (5) These are realities in colleges. (6) If a fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges, and alcohol can be easily obtained in colleges, then our drinking-age law does not reflect reality in colleges. —————————— ∴ (7) Our drinking-age law does not reflect reality in colleges. (from 3-6) (8) If a law does not reflect reality in colleges, then it must be changed. (9) If a law forbids common behavior by a fair portion of the people to whom it applies, then it must be changed. —————————— ∴ (10) Our drinking-age law must be changed. (from 1, 7, 8, and 9)

C

Consider this passage by Ben Selznik: "A fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges where alcohol can be easily obtained.... [C]olleges know full well that underage drinking exists. Students know that they are drinking underage and therefore illegally. And yet, the game continues with colleges trying to make sure that no alcohol-related tragedies occur. This game isn't the fault of colleges, nor is it the fault of students. Instead, it is the fault of our law, which classifies part of this college-age set as "underage" and the rest as "of age." When it comes to colleges, our law simply doesn't reflect reality. It must therefore be changed." Is the italicized word "simply" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

C. Assuring term

Indicate the main function of the term or phrase that is italicized in the following passages (Questions 15 - 26). More than one letter might be acceptable, but you should specify only one main function. Consider this passage by Martin Esslin: "One of the most important positive features of services under public control is their ability to provide planned, high-quality viewing alternatives. The BBC, for example, has two television channels, BBC 1 and BBC 2. The program planning on these two networks is closely coordinated so that highly popular material on one channel is regularly paired with more specialized or demanding fare on the other. And though the percentage of the audience that tunes in to the challenging programming may be small, the scale of magnitude operative in the mass media is such that even a small percentage of the viewing audience represents a very large number of people indeed." Is the italicized word "indeed" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

C. Assuring term

For Questions 10 and 11, choose the best possible answer to indicate the function of each type of term. A(n) ___ term is used to mark a response to a possible objection. A. Guarding term B. Evaluative term C. Discounting term D. Assuring term

C. Discounting term

A(n) ___ term indicates that something violates or meets some standards. A. Discounting term B. Guarding term C. Evaluative term D. Assuring term

C. Evaluative term

Consider this passage by Ben Selznik: "A fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges where alcohol can be easily obtained.... [C]olleges know full well that underage drinking exists. Students know that they are drinking underage and therefore illegally. And yet, the game continues with colleges trying to make sure that no alcohol-related tragedies occur. This game isn't the fault of colleges, nor is it the fault of students. Instead, it is the fault of our law, which classifies part of this college-age set as "underage" and the rest as "of age." When it comes to colleges, our law simply doesn't reflect reality. It must therefore be changed." Is the italicized word "fair portion" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

D. Guarding term

Indicate which of the proposed reconstructions best captures the argument quoted in questions 29 and 30. Which of the following reconstructions best captures the argument in this passage from Ben Selznik, "Make it 18" (see above for context): ... Currently, each state has its law set at 21. [This] reflects the fact that drinking age became tied to highway funds somewhere along the way. Because of this, were a state to lower their drinking age, they would also have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds from the government." A. (1) Each state sets its drinking age at 21. (2) Drinking age became tied to highway funds somewhere along the way. —————————— ∴ (3) Were a state to lower their drinking age, they would also have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds from the government. (from 1-2) B. (1) Drinking age became tied to highway funds somewhere along the way. (2) Were a state to lower their drinking age, they would also have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds from the government. —————————— ∴ (3) Each state sets its drinking age at 21. (from 1-2) C. (1) Drinking age became tied to highway funds somewhere along the way. (2) When drinking age is tied to highway funds, then, if a state lowers its drinking age below 21, then it will lose federal highway funds. —————————— ∴ (3) If a state lowers its drinking age below 21, then it will lose federal highway funds. (from 1-2) (4) If a state loses federal highway funds, then it would have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds. —————————— ∴ (5) If a state lowers its drinking age below 21, then it would have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds. (from 3-4) —————————— ∴ (6) States do not lower their drinking age below 21. (from 5) —————————— ∴ (7) Each state sets its drinking age at 21. (from 6) D. (1) Drinking age became tied to highway funds somewhere along the way. (2) When drinking age is tied to highway funds, then, if a state lowers its drinking age below 21, then it will lose federal highway funds. —————————— ∴ (3) If a state lowers its drinking age below 21, then it will lose federal highway funds. (from 1-2) (4) If a state loses federal highway funds, then it would have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds. —————————— ∴ (5) If a state lowers its drinking age below 21, then it would have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds. (from 3-4) (6) States do not do what will make them have to significantly raise taxes. —————————— ∴ (7) States do not lower their drinking age below 21. (from 5-6) (8) If states do not lower their drinking age below 21, then they set their drinking age at 21. —————————— ∴ (9) States set their drinking age at 21. (from 7-8)

D.

Choose the best possible option to indicate whether each statement in Questions 13 and 14 is: (In assessing soundness, you may assume commonly known facts.) Japan is bigger than Israel. Japan is not bigger than China. Therefore, China is bigger than Israel. A. An argument that is neither valid nor sound B. Not an argument C. An argument that is valid but not sound D. An argument that is both valid and sound

D. An argument that is both valid and sound

In Questions 27 and 28, indicate which of the following is a single suppressed premise that is sufficient to make each of the following arguments valid. All criminals have tattoos, so Gizelle is not a criminal. A. Most people with tattoos are criminals. B. Only criminals have tattoos. C. Gizelle has a tattoo. D. Gizelle does not have a tattoo.

D. Gizelle does not have a tattoo.

Indicate the main function of the term or phrase that is italicized in the following passages (Questions 15 - 26). More than one letter might be acceptable, but you should specify only one main function. Consider this passage by Martin Esslin: "One of the most important positive features of services under public control is their ability to provide planned, high-quality viewing alternatives. The BBC, for example, has two television channels, BBC 1 and BBC 2. The program planning on these two networks is closely coordinated so that highly popular material on one channel is regularly paired with more specialized or demanding fare on the other. And though the percentage of the audience that tunes in to the challenging programming may be small, the scale of magnitude operative in the mass media is such that even a small percentage of the viewing audience represents a very large number of people indeed." Is the italicized word "may" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

D. Guarding term

Consider this passage by Ben Selznik: "A fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges where alcohol can be easily obtained.... [C]olleges know full well that underage drinking exists. Students know that they are drinking underage and therefore illegally. And yet, the game continues with colleges trying to make sure that no alcohol-related tragedies occur. This game isn't the fault of colleges, nor is it the fault of students. Instead, it is the fault of our law, which classifies part of this college-age set as "underage" and the rest as "of age." When it comes to colleges, our law simply doesn't reflect reality. It must therefore be changed." Is the italicized word "yet" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

E. Discounting term

Consider this passage by Ben Selznik: "The drinking age is not set by the federal government; it is set by the states. Currently, each state has its law set at 21. However, this figure neither necessarily reflects research and careful consideration nor appeals to constituents. Instead, it reflects the fact that drinking age became tied to highway funds somewhere along the way. Because of this, were a state to lower their drinking age, they would also have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds from the government. This hand-tying is asinine. If the drinking age is a state decision, it should be made by states independently of funds for highways. Before any progress can be made, lawmakers must sever this illogical connection." Is the italicized word "However" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

E. Discounting term

Indicate the main function of the term or phrase that is italicized in the following passages (Questions 15 - 26). More than one letter might be acceptable, but you should specify only one main function. Consider this passage by Martin Esslin: "One of the most important positive features of services under public control is their ability to provide planned, high-quality viewing alternatives. The BBC, for example, has two television channels, BBC 1 and BBC 2. The program planning on these two networks is closely coordinated so that highly popular material on one channel is regularly paired with more specialized or demanding fare on the other. And though the percentage of the audience that tunes in to the challenging programming may be small, the scale of magnitude operative in the mass media is such that even a small percentage of the viewing audience represents a very large number of people indeed." Is the italicized word "though" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

E. Discounting term

Indicate the main function of the term or phrase that is italicized in the following passages (Questions 15 - 26). More than one letter might be acceptable, but you should specify only one main function. Consider this passage by Martin Esslin: "One of the most important positive features of services under public control is their ability to provide planned, high-quality viewing alternatives. The BBC, for example, has two television channels, BBC 1 and BBC 2. The program planning on these two networks is closely coordinated so that highly popular material on one channel is regularly paired with more specialized or demanding fare on the other. And though the percentage of the audience that tunes in to the challenging programming may be small, the scale of magnitude operative in the mass media is such that even a small percentage of the viewing audience represents a very large number of people indeed." Is the italicized word "high-quality" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

F. Positive evaluative term

"Therefore" is a premise marker.

False

All arguments successfully justify or explain their conclusions.

False

Every argument has more than one premise.

False

Consider this passage by Ben Selznik: "The drinking age is not set by the federal government; it is set by the states. Currently, each state has its law set at 21. However, this figure neither necessarily reflects research and careful consideration nor appeals to constituents. Instead, it reflects the fact that drinking age became tied to highway funds somewhere along the way. Because of this, were a state to lower their drinking age, they would also have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds from the government. This hand-tying is asinine. If the drinking age is a state decision, it should be made by states independently of funds for highways. Before any progress can be made, lawmakers must sever this illogical connection." Is the italicized word "asinine" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

G. Negative evaluative term

Consider this passage by Ben Selznik: "The drinking age is not set by the federal government; it is set by the states. Currently, each state has its law set at 21. However, this figure neither necessarily reflects research and careful consideration nor appeals to constituents. Instead, it reflects the fact that drinking age became tied to highway funds somewhere along the way. Because of this, were a state to lower their drinking age, they would also have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds from the government. This hand-tying is asinine. If the drinking age is a state decision, it should be made by states independently of funds for highways. Before any progress can be made, lawmakers must sever this illogical connection." Is the italicized word "If" being used as: A. Premise marker B. Conclusion marker C. Assuring term D. Guarding term E. Discounting term F. Positive evaluative term G. Negative evaluative term H. None of the above

H. None of the above

All conclusions are made up of (or expressed in) language of some kind

True

If a word in a sentence can be replaced by a conclusion marker without significantly changing the meaning of the sentence, then the word is used as a conclusion marker in that sentence.

True

Language is arbitrary in some respects.

True