Critical Thinking Final Exam MJC
a
What is the central question for the utilitarian ethical perspective? Select one: a. Which choice provides the greatest benefit for the most people? b. Which option creates the outcome that is most fair to all people involved? c. Which option lets you act in accordance with traits you feel are virtuous? d. Which choice respects the rights of the individual?
b
What role does an enthymeme play in ethical reasoning Select one: a. It is true for all people at all times. b. It provides an implied moral claim. c. It explains the speaker's moral dilemma. d. It is the stated moral argument.
d
What type of language issue does the following scenario demonstrate? You are hanging out after band practice. You have your saxophone beside you, your MP3player in your hand, and a bluetooth speaker next to you. Someone asks you to "play" some music. a. syntactic ambiguity b. form and intent at odds c. vagueness d. semantic ambiguity
a
Which ethical perspective is based on the principle that everyone should be treated fairly? Select one: a. justice-based ethics b. ethical relativism c. rights-based ethics d. virtue-based ethics
b
Which word game does the following example BEST illustrate? "I wish I could just let my kids play games on the iPad all day like you do." a. euphemism b. innuendo c. proof surrogate d. dysphemism
c
All of the following are causes of ethnocentrism except: a. assuming that your own worldview and beliefs are always right. b. making assumptions about people based on a culture they identify with. c. seeking to understand how people's culture can impact their viewpoints. d. drawing conclusions about cultures just because they're different from yours.
a
Giving into groupthink detracts from critical thinking and may result in all of the following except: a. wanting your beliefs to be your own, not just opinions that others have handed to you. b. running the risk of losing your sense of self and living someone else's life. c. making a major life decision to align with the people around you, rather than deciding for yourself. d. fearing your friends will reject you if you disagree with the group.
d
The current in an electrical circuit is directly proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance (I=V/R). The resistance in a circuit is doubled. Therefore, the current is cut in half. This is an example of what type of argument? a. inference b. inductive c. implication d. deductive
b
Which of the following BEST defines moral principles? Select one: a. arguable statements proclaiming that an action is wrong b. standards of right and wrong accepted by an individual or group c. lessons learned at the end of a story or experience d. careful thought and reasoning about right and wrong
d
You're looking for information about another country that has recently been in the news for violating human rights. Although you'll use a variety of sources in your paper, where would you probably find the MOST neutral coverage of the country in question? a. a personal blog of one of the activists in the country b. an article in a magazine for human rights c. a human rights watch website d. an article in a U.S. newspaper
d
After class, a student says, "Even though it's only the first day, I can tell this is going to be a boring course." To correct this fallacious thinking, the student could do all of the following except? a. talk to the professor or other students who have previously finished the course and then re-evaluate b. attend several classes and then re-evaluate c. examine the textbook and then re-evaluate d. drop this class and sign-up to take the course with a different professor
c
"If you aren't sure what career you should pursue, just follow your heart. You'll do fine." What is the unstated assumption in this enthymeme? a. You should get help from a Career Counselor in A-B Tech's Student Services. b. You are a person who does fine. c. All persons who follow their heart do fine and figure out the right career for themselves d. You are a person who follows your heart.
c
All of the following could be a negative consequence of a seemingly positive stereotype, "African Americans are good at basketball," except: a. The stereotype overlooks all the practice hours it takes to be good at a sport. b. While it compliments their physical abilities, it undermines their potential for higher level cognition. As in, if they are good at basketball, they can't be the best in math or science. c. The stereotype motivates African American players to practice more to be good. d. When those with African American backgrounds aren't good at basketball and feel like they can't live up to the expectation.
d
To broaden your cross-cultural perspective all of the following approaches would be helpful except: a. Directly ask someone from a different culture about their perspective, being mindful that this is only one person's experience. They cannot speak for the whole culture. b. Participate in professional development training that can fill in the gaps of your knowledge and understanding of a different culture. c. Make a guess that is based on what would be important to you if you were in their shoes, with the awareness that you are likely wrong. d. Ask yourself, what is important to you, what do you think and care about.
a
What type of language issue does the following sentence demonstrate? "We should raise taxes on the wealthy." a. vagueness b. semantic ambiguity c. syntactic ambiguity d. form and intent at odds
c
Which concept describes a situation in which there is no obvious right or wrong answer, often because two moral principles are in conflict? Select one: a. an ethical justification b. a moral debate c. a moral dilemma d. an ethical maze
c
Which scenario demonstrates the virtue-based ethical perspective? Select one: a. Sam refuses to take another cupcake because he believes that the cupcake distribution should be equal. b. Sam eats a cupcake because his culture teaches that eating food provided by your host is polite behavior. c. Sam declines to take the last cupcake because he feels that being greedy is not an admirable trait d. Sam brings cupcakes for everyone, rather than just one for the birthday girl, because this produces the most happiness.
b
Which words are an example of emotive language in the following statement? "Make your wardrobe sparkle with this remarkable material (cloud like cushion softness and extreme responsiveness) for a premium experience." a. wardrobe, material, experience b. sparkle, remarkable, cloud like, premium c. wardrobe, sparkle, material d. make, responsiveness, experience
a
Steven has to produce a survey for his class project due tomorrow, although he really wants to go to the local high school football game tonight with his father. Steven decides to hand out a survey at the gate of the football stadium which holds roughly 150,000 fans. He surveys the attendees randomly. The survey reads, "Do you prefer unlucky black cats or loyal dogs?" From his survey results, Steven concludes that most of the local high school football fans people prefer dogs. Steven's results may not be reliable because of which of the following problems with his study? a. manipulative survey question b. biased sample c. missing background information d. small sample size
b
Take a look at the Solve It article on CNBC. Why is this an example of a suspect source? a. It is fake news, fabricated or falsified in some way but presented as factual to help sway. b. It is sponsored content on a legitimate news site. c. It is a news imposter site. It looks like a legitimate newspaper, using a similar web address and graphics. d. The articles are based on satire. It is meant as a parody or joke site.
a
Take a look at the website World News Daily Report. Why is this an example of a suspect source? a. The articles are based on satire. It is meant as a parody or joke site. b. It is a news imposter site. It looks like a legitimate newspaper, using a similar web address and graphics. c. It is fake news, fabricated or falsified in some way but presented as factual to help sway. d. It is sponsored content on a legitimate news site.
d
Aibek was researching a specific variety of barley grain to find out which would provide the best yield on his farm this year. According to some websites the variety in question produces an above average amount of grain, while another website says the variety produces a below average yield. Using the information from the table only, which claim should Aibek believe and why? Website Type Above Average Yield Below Average Yield .com 1 website 5 websites .org 1 website 2 websites .gov 3 websites 1 website .edu 2 websites 0 websites a. Above Average Yield because there is a site of every type that agrees with that finding b. Below Average Yield because commercial sites are the most credible type of site listed c. Below Average Yield because more sites support this finding than the other option d. Above Average Yield because government and educational sites are considered most credible
a
How can ethical perspectives assist you in the process of problem solving? Select one: a. They can help you consider the impact of a decision on everyone involved. b. They can provide you with a clear-cut answer or decision. c. They eliminate alternative points of view or approaches to the problem. d. They eliminate alternative points of view or approaches to the problem.
c
Identify the conclusion from the following argument: At a time when NASA is experimenting with faster, denser light-based communication systems, it's easy to assume radio will fade away. Deep-space communication via radio waves will never go away though because it's straightforward and flat-out works. Just look at all we've learned from paying attention to how the signal varies: the density of the moon, the age of Saturn's rings, the bounds of the solar system. Disturbances in the Cassini probe's transmissions, for instance, helped reveal that Saturn's colorful rings formed much later than the planet itself did—10 million to 100 million years ago, versus 4.5 billion. a. Just look at all we've learned from paying attention to how the signal varies: the density of the moon, the age of Saturn's rings, the bounds of the solar system. b. At a time when NASA is experimenting with faster, denser light-based communication systems, it's easy to assume radio will fade away. c. Deep-space communication via radio waves will never go away though because it's straightforward and flat-out works. d. Disturbances in the Cassini probe's transmissions, for instance, helped reveal that Saturn's colorful rings formed much later than the planet itself did—10 million to 100 million years ago, versus 4.5 billion.
d
Identify which fallacy is used in this statement: "Thoughts are not part of the physical world since thoughts are in their nature non-physical." a. appeal to ignorance b. appeal to emotion c. unqualified authority d. begging the question
c
In which of the following scenarios is the syntactical meaning of the phrase "break it down" used? a. You're at the end of a large gathering and someone tells you to "break it down," meaning they want you to help put away folding chairs and tables. b. In a business presentation, you are asked to "break it down," meaning they want you to share your great business-related concept in detail. c. You work at a construction site and they tell you "break it down," meaning they want you to knock down the building with a wrecking ball. d. On a dance floor, someone call to you to "break it down," meaning they want you to show off some dance moves.
b
Physicists like Lisa Randall, Ed Witten, John Schwarz and Michael Green have been influential in the evolution of string theory. String theory unifies general relativity, which focuses on gravitational forces like planets, galaxies, etc., with quantum mechanics, which focuses on electromagnetic forces like atoms and sub-atomic particles. In string theory, stings are the basic constituents of matter rather than particles. It is the vibration of the strings that produce different particles. String theorists postulate the existence of these strings, not in three-dimensional space and time, but in tiny extra dimensions for mathematical consistency. (Some theories require 10 or 11 dimensions, the first theory required 26.) These extra dimensions are unobservable with current technology. How do the extra dimensions of string theory fail to support the standards of a good explanation? a. by failing to consider alternative explanations for how the world works b. by being non-falsifiable c. by lacking broad scope in its attempt to unify gravity with other fundamental forces d. by being peer-reviewed by physicists like Lisa Randall, Ed Witten, John Schwarz and Michael Green
a
Problem: When a U.S. company hires employees of other cultures whose first language is not English, employees and managers may experience misunderstandings and a decrease in productivity. How can these difficulties be reduced? When generating options, you look at the problem from different perspectives. This could lead to all of the following options except: a. To solve diversity problems, a company may adopt affirmative action policies and hire new positions based solely on race. b. To help with implementation, employers may decide to hire experienced professionals who specialize in workplace diversity, offer training programs to managers, and administer policy changes. c. It could help for companies to hire bilingual employees who can mediate and reduce language and communication barriers. d. To deal with opposition, companies should explain the reasons for diversity and what benefits changes in diversity bring to management and employees.
a
The Vance Monument taskforce sought out community engagement to help them decide what to do about the monument. A member of the NC Sons of Confederate Veterans visited downtown Asheville and carried a Confederate flag hoping to protect the historic statue. He heard protestors who thought the Vance Monument should be dismantled or repurposed by changing the plaque on the obelisk, seeing it as a symbol of racism. He felt personally attacked. What should this man do to combat his emotions so he can think critically about his beliefs? a. Listen with an open mind and be willing to acknowledge the other viewpoint. b. Leave downtown Asheville immediately to avoid hearing anything that challenges his beliefs. c. Start a debate with the protester sitting next to him and prepare his next argument while the protester is presenting her viewpoint. d. Vehemently disagree with the task force speaker during the question and answer period saying, "You can't put modern day values on historical figures and erase history." Then point out that there were black people in the Confederacy who also felt like their home was being attacked by "Yankees" during the Civil War.
d
The chiropractic profession provides management of musculoskeletal disorders for a limited range of conditions. COVID-19 is an acute, sometimes severe, respiratory illness caused by an infectious virus. Some chiropractors have made claims that chiropractic treatment can prevent or impact COVID-19. The rationale for these claims is that spinal manipulation or adjustments can impact the nervous system and thus improve immunity. Why is the quality of this explanation questionable? a. The explanation is a non-falsifiable hypothesis. b. The explanation has a broad scope. c. The explanation lacks internal consistency d. The explanation lacks external consistency.
c
Which of the following situations could MOST clearly lead to biased study results? a. An A-B Tech dean would like to get student feedback about their perception of teachers providing assignments that meet course learning objectives. She collects feedback from a random sample of 1,000 curriculum students out of the almost 10,000 students. b. The Genographic Project was a collaboration between National Geographic, IBM and the Waitt Foundation. They collected DNA samples from indigenous populations in over 140 different countries around the world. Their intention was to map the ancestry and use this information to speculate human migration patterns. c. New Salvo, the lobbying group for the natural-sugar industry funded a study by Duke University researchers which found many adverse effects from the consumption of Splenda (sucralose an artificial sweetener.) d. The U.S. Department of Energy funded research on the relative permeability for offshore enhanced oil recovery.
d
Your town is considering a proposal to increase the meals tax to provide more funding for local schools. Which of these actions BEST illustrates step 5, which involves exploring other points of view? a. The city council looks at data showing local restaurant food sales and meals taxes collected over the past five years. b. A community member argues that local schools could get more funding from the state lottery. c. A restaurant owner points out that an increase in the meals tax could lead to a decrease in restaurant revenue. d. A politician meets with a group that is trying to persuade her to change her stance on increasing the meals tax
d
ABC News reported in 2008 that "Airborne will pay $23.3. million to settle a class action lawsuit over false advertising. Legal battles beginning in 2006 called into question the product's claim as a "miracle cold buster." But a February 2006 investigation by ABC's "Good Morning America" found Airborne might not work as advertised. Advertising instructed users to "take it at the first sign of a cold symptom or before entering crowded, potentially germ-infested environments." The investigation revealed that Airborne's clinical trial was conducted by just two people in the absence of a clinic or scientists." Which of the following characteristics would be a sign that Airborne may have been relying on pseudoscience? a. provided the explanation after the fact b. failed to consider alternatives c. not open to the possibility of error d. bypassed peer review before reporting widely
d
Darth Vader in Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith told Obi-Wan Kenobi "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy." Obi-Wan replies, "Only a Sith deals in absolutes," then immediately attacks. To try to help Darth Vader avoid such faulty logic as this either-or fallacy, and perhaps avoid the fight and return to the good side, an alternative approach to Obi-Wans' reply could be to have him say: a. "Attacking me is a bad idea. I have the high-ground Anakin. First you attack me, then you get hurt, then you can't keep up the work on the Star Destroyers and take over." b. "Anakin, how do you think Palpatine survived to be able to hide out on Exegol, the Sith homeworld, and watch over the construction of a massive, deadly fleet of upgraded Star Destroyers? c. "I too am a Sith. If you want the galaxy to support you and the Jedi to back you, then you should not attack. d. "The Dark Side is present in all who use the force. Jedi and Sith have become similar."
c
Jagvi is a consultant for social media influencers. She suggests that the influencers don't worry about getting a specific number of followers on Instagram. Instead, she wants them to think about who they want to connect with and why. This will allow the influencers to reach the audience they want and prepare topics and content that will interest them. When Jagvi recommends catering information to the actual people the influencers want to attract to increase the number of followers, which habit of critical thinking is she suggesting they use to get the results they want? a. actively seek out information b. thoughtfully analyze information c. set thoughtful goals d. consider other ideas and perspectives with an open mind
c
Eric worked in a private reference laboratory and sometimes the quality controls would be out of range, thus invalid. He would first question the controls and make fresh ones. If the controls failed again, the machine would then be questioned. At this point he would recalibrate the machine. After recalibration controls would pass and he could continue to run tests on patient samples. Which habit of critical thinking did Eric use to get the quality controls back in range? a. set thoughtful goals b. examine your assumptions, beliefs, and opinions c. thoughtfully analyze information d. consider other ideas and perspectives with an open mind
c
Jamal argued in his debate class that use of tobacco products has risen since e-cigarettes were introduced. He cited data from the national Youth Tobacco Survey showing that from 2011 to 2012, electronic cigarette use increased significantly among middle school (0.6% to 1.1%) and high school (1.5% to 2.8%) students. What could negatively affect the credibility of the cited information? a. authority b. bias or lack of objectivity c. recency d. identification of sources
d
Kim is trying to get into the vet tech program at A-B Tech this year. A chemistry class is required for the vet program. Due to her work, the only classes that fit into her schedule are on line classes. Kim wrote, "I will have to do labs online which is the main thing I am worried about. Unlike having a teacher that can see you and tell you before you make a mistake doing labs, online means you will have to figure out almost everything on your own. I am also the type of learner that is better when everything is hands on, I tend to lose focus easily when I am sitting in front of a computer for hours. I am also paying my own way through school so if I am not able to pass, I will lose over $1,000." Which question BEST represents the main problem Kim is trying to solve? a. Should I pick up extra shifts at work to pay for the school b. Should I take a semester off to avoid taking chemistry online? c. How do I balance my work and school schedule? d. How can I be successful taking an online class?
d
Kim is trying to get into the vet tech program at A-B Tech this year. A chemistry class is required for the vet program. Due to her work, the only classes that fit into her schedule are online classes. Kim wrote, "I will have to do labs online which is the main thing I am worried about. Unlike having a teacher that can see you and tell you before you make a mistake doing labs, online means you will have to figure out almost everything on your own. I am also the type of learner that is better when everything is hands on, I tend to lose focus easily when I am sitting in front of a computer for hours. I am also paying my own way through school so if I am not able to pass, I will lose over $1,000." All of the following options/solutions could work with Kim's boundaries/limitations above except: a. Create a study group with classmates, or find a study partner, where they can work together using Zoom. b. Contact the instructor though email anytime she has questions about course content or how to do the lab work or find a tutor that can help her better understand the material. c. Pick up double shifts at work during the break and then reduce the number of hours she works when class starts. That way she can afford the class, but also have more time for school. d. Take the semester off so she can work full time and wait until Covid has cooled down a little so she can take the chemistry class in person.
b
Miguel wants to be a certified mechanic. He just started a new job as a technician. He doesn't have a car and relies on friends to get to and from work. There are other techs who have been working there for some time who want to become certified mechanics too. In order to decide who to promote to a certified mechanic, the employer needs to know who can be trusted to get to work on time, make few mistakes, and has the knowledge necessary based on the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) test. The ASE test is expensive. All of the following are subproblems Miguel is faced with that need to be considered when defining and analyzing the problem except: a. When does Miguel study for the ASE test? b. What steps can Miguel take to become a certified mechanic where he works? c. How can Miguel save up money for the ASE test? d. What back-up plan can Miguel have if his friend is running late or can't make take him to work?
d
Miguel wants to be a certified mechanic. He just started a new job as a technician. He doesn't have a car and relies on friends to get to and from work. There are other techs who have been working there for some time who want to become certified mechanics too. In order to decide who to promote to a certified mechanic, the employer needs to know who can be trusted to get to work on time, make few mistakes, and has the knowledge necessary based on the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) test. The ASE test is expensive. The following information is needed for the employer to decide who to promote to be a certified mechanic, except: a. How many times was Miguel late to work or absent compared to the other techs? b. How many mistakes has Miguel made that were noticed and reported compared to the other techs? c. What is Miguel's ASE test score compared to the other techs? d. How long has Miguel work there compared to the other techs?
d
Read the wikipedia entry for ABCNews.com.co (the link has been taken down). Why is this an example of a suspect source? a. It is fake news, fabricated or falsified in some way but presented as factual. b. The articles are based on satire. It is meant as a parody or joke site. c. It is sponsored content on a legitimate news site. d. It is a news imposter site. It looks like a legitimate newspaper, using a similar web address and graphics.
a
What is one criticism of the ethical relativist position? Select one: a. There may be disagreement over standards of right and wrong within a single culture. b. There can be disagreement over which human rights are established and definitive. c. There may be disagreement over standards of fairness and equality in a given situation. d. There can be disagreement over which traits should be considered admirable and virtuous.
b
Which of the following is a component of an amoral statement? Select one: a. a fact that can also have a moral dimension b. a truth or fact that is neither good nor bad c. a claim that goes against conventional morality d. a claim about what is ethical behavior in a given situation
c
Which of the following sentences is vague? a. There was a calculus exam given today in Mr. Magoo's class. b. 89.9% of the students passed the math exam. c. Trevor is a poor student and didn't do well. d. Trevor failed the calculus exam with a grade of 45 out of 100
d
Which of the following statements contains a red herring? a. "I have a right to free speech so I can say what I want, and you shouldn't try to stop me." b. "People who eat oatmeal have healthy hearts." c. "Since the students have no questions concerning the topics discussed in class, the students are ready for a test." d. "When you start saying things to me like I need to eat healthier or get more exercise, that says to me that you think I'm fat. I like me, and I like the way I look, and more people should have better self-esteem."
b
Which statement MOST clearly identifies the source of the evidence referenced? a. The latest U.S. health data shows that 1.8 million fewer U.S. youth are currently using e-cigarettes compared to last year. b. In the fall of 2020, FDA and CDC released findings from the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey showing that 1.8 million fewer U.S. youth are currently using e-cigarettes compared to last year. c. Many students say that fewer of them and their friends are using e-cigarettes compared to last year. d. Experts suggest that 1.8 million fewer U.S. youth are currently using e-cigarettes compared to last year.
a
Which statement would qualify as an ethical claim? Select one: a. Switching to a vegan diet is the moral thing to do. b. Vegan diets are higher in important vitamins and nutrients c. Vegan diets are not as appealing as diets that include meat. d. Following a vegan diet is an expensive choice.
a
Which type of evidence does the following statement BEST represent? "Returning to normal will require about 80% of the population to get inoculated against Covid-19." a. data and statistics b. expert testimony c. anecdotal d. eyewitness testimony
c
Which type of evidence does the following statement BEST represent? Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, speaking at a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing said, "So if we can get the overwhelming proportion of the population vaccinated by let's say the end of the second, the beginning of the third quarter - by the time we get into mid-fall of 2021, we can be approaching some level or normality." a. data and statistics b. anecdotal c. expert testimony d. eyewitness testimony
a
Which word game does the following example BEST illustrate? "I'm feeling under the weather." a. euphemism b. dysphemism c. proof surrogate d. innuendo
b
Which words are an example of emotive language in the following excerpt? "I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice." Martin Luther King, Jr. a. dream, slaves and slave-owners, sit b. dream, brotherhood, sweltering, oasis c. hills, former, slave-owners, sit d. red, sons, injustice Feedback
a
You have a coding assignment that is due. You put in 200 lines of code and think it's all good, but the system tells you there is a mistake. You double check your work and re-enter the code. Again, the system tells you there is a mistake. You know you are right, and you burst into tears. After pulling yourself together, using critical thinking, what would a good next step be to resolve the issue? a. Take screen shots and email the instructor, asking them to review the program for errors. b. Complain to your friends c. Hope your future grades are good enough to pull up your course average. d. Email the instructor and say you felt you did a great job.
a
You're writing a paper about the impact of insufficient physical activity and are looking for some recent research studies about the associated health risks. Which kind of source would be MOST useful and credible? a. an academic article from a medical journal b. an exercise equipment company's webpage featuring sponsored research studies c. a website written by staff writers and some medical professionals, like WebMD d. the personal blog of a doctor
b
Your friend is visiting from Japan. You agree to meet him at an Italian restaurant, and he shows up 10 minutes late. He brings roses, he loudly slurps the Minestrone soup, and then wants to split the check. You think he is being very rude, and you question having him come visit. You might change your mind if you knew any of the following statements to be true, except: a. In many Asian cultures, slurping is a sign you appreciate the food. b. In Japan, people are very punctual. In general, they arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of time. c. In Italy, mums and roses are funeral flowers. d. In Japan it's quite common to split checks amongst friends or even on a date.
