Reading Strategically

Paired passages may be related by topic or theme. While these texts may differ in terms of purpose, tone, and/or format, they will share a common subject. You may also encounter a paired passage set that contains an opposing argument- where each author takes a different position on the same topic

*Candy, greasy meals, and high-calorie sodas may be banned in U.S elementary and high schools. These regulations are a result of a child nutrition law, passed by the U.S Congress to combat childhood obesity. *Where is the research to show that school meals account for childhood obesity? This is just one more government intrusion into our personal lives. **Both texts discuss the new guidelines in school meals.**

*President Truman's Speech* America should remain united in spite of social obstacles Racial tensions should be used as a catalyst for promoting positive change

*Eleanor Roosevelt's Speech* The International Bill of Rights should be used to reshape the laws of all nations. All nations should adhere to the principles of protecting human freedoms.

Passage 1 The use of mercury amalgam for dental fillings has already been banned in several European nations, and should also be banned in the United States. The mercury contained in amalgam fillings slowly leaches into the mouth and is swallowed. It is then absorbed by the small intestine and accumulates in various body tissues, including the brain, kidney, and liver. This accumulated mercury causes a variety of health problems. In 2001, a study reported that patients with a higher number of amalgam fillings also had higher occurrences of cancer, respiratory disease and diseases of the nervous system. 2* In addition to its health impact, the mercury released from dental amalgam has a number of damaging environmental consequences. Mercury waste produced by dental offices is sometimes directly disposed of into sewage water or landfills. Mercury can leach from landfills into ground water and get into rivers and lakes. It has been estimated, for example, that dental amalgam is the source of 4 percent of the mercury found in the water of Lake Superior. 3* Due to the alarming health and environmental consequences of mercury amalgam, dental fillings should be made from resin composites instead. These composites are already becoming popular due to their cosmetic appeal, so banning mercury amalgam will create no consumer backlash. There are demonstrable advantages (and no disadvantages) to banning mercury dental amalgam in the United States.

*P1 conclusion: ban mercury amalgam *causes health problems (evidence) *study (evidence) *P2 conclusion: also bad for the environment *ex Lake Superior *P3 resin alternative *premise: no objections to changing fillings * claims: all pros, no cons

*Facts *Data or statistics *Examples/Anecdotes *Authority *Causality

*description/questions to ask *objective facts that can be tested or measured/Is the information complete? Is it partial or selectively chosen? *numerical information gathered or sampled/ Do the numbers accurately represent the claim? How were they gathered? *stories to demonstrate the "truth"/ Are the stories true? Are they relevant? *Testimonials from a recognized authority/ Does the person really know the issue? Is s/he a well known person? *Assertions that one thing caused another/ Is one thing really causing the other? Are these two things just related?

3) However, the disposal of mercury amalgam in dental offices absolutely must be regulated. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 40 to 50 percent of the mercury in the wastewater processed at public treatment plants comes from dental amalgam. This inexcusable, especially because devices that remove mercury from wastewater are inexpensive and easy for dental offices to use

3. Which statement best describes the supporting evidence in paragraph 3 of Passage 2? A. It appears convincing at first glance, but no source is cited. B. It is seemingly convincing statistic, but the source is untrustworthy. C. It is an unconvincing statistic from an untrustworthy source. *D. It is a convincing statistic from a reliable source.*

P1) conclusion: ban mercury amalgam P2)claim: health concerns are minimal

4. The focus of both passages is A. groundwater contamination **B. mercury dental amalgam ** C. resin composite filings D. dental health risks

Mixed Practice P1) environmental problems = real; claim: health concerns are minimal P2) premise: people do absorb small amounts; no evidence to support opposite claims; evidence to support own claim

5) The writer of passage 3 would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements? A. Mercury amalgam fillings should be banned because they are unhealthy. **B. Resin composite fillings look better than mercury amalgam fillings when each is used on visible tooth surfaces. ** C. Mercury contamination of public wastewater is an unimportant issue. D. Resin composite fillings are preferable to mercury amalgam in all cases

Passage 1 P1) study (evidence) Passage 2 P3: evidence from EPA

6. Which of the passages has weaker supporting evidence and why? **A. Passage 1 because it cites no sources for the study or the statistics it cites. ** B. Passage 1 because it argues that mercury should be banned in dental fillings. C. Passage 2 because it cites the Environmental Protection Agency as the source of a statistic it cites. D. Passage 2 because it argues that mercury used by dental offices should be better regulated.

1) In 2001, a study reported that patients with a higher number of amalgam fillings also had higher occurrences of cancer, respiratory disease, and diseases of the nervous system.

7. Which of the statements in Passage 1 is an example of faulty reasoning? A. Resin composites are already gaining in popularity. B. The use of mercury dental amalgam has already been banned in several European nations. C. The mercury released from dental amalgam has damaging environmental consequences. **D. Mercury that accumulates in body tissues causes a variety of health problems.**

P4 ev: admin's efforts: Truman pointed out several examples of his administration's efforts to make such improvements, including the 1946 appointment of the President's Committee on Civil Rights and the request that Congress pass legislation to extend basic civil rights to people living in both Guam and American Samoa. Additionally, the President cited the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, chaired by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and the committee's efforts to prepare the

8. President Truman mentioned the United Nations Commission on Human Rights during his speech to the NAACP in order to show A. how civil rights legislation worked outside in the United States ** B. his general support of civil rights in the United States and abroad. ** C. how the United States had learned valuable civil rights lessons from other countries. D. his belief that the United States had civil rights policies that should be adopted by other countries.

P9) the Soviet Union and other Soviet satellite states, abstained from a vote of acceptance of the bill. Drawing the audience's attention to these nations, (Roosevelt described the difficulties in deciding upon universal definitions for the bill's conception of democracy. She drew) out the comparison between the United (States and the Soviet Union and spoke about the two government's divergent approaches to and uses of power, citing the media in each country as examples)

9. What approach did Eleanor Roosevelt take to encourage acceptance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? A. She suggested that nations in disagreement with her stance be removed from the commission. B. She warned of the problems that would occur if all nations had different civil rights policies within their borders. **C. She acknowledged the difficulty of convincing different nations to agree on common ideas of democracy and power.** D. She compared the abstaining nations with the voting nations and suggested that the differences between them were insignificant.

You may also encounter a paired passage set that contains an opposing argument- where each author takes a different on the same topic. Authors may reach different conclusions because they cite different evidence or use the same evidence to support different underlying assumptions.

Author 1: The developement of new "clean coal" technologies will reduce coal's environmental impact. These new technologies purify exhaust gases as coal burns (web scrubbers) and prevent the formation of harmful emissions in the first place (low-NOx burners). Author 1 focuses on the environmental impact of burning coal. Author 2: "Clean coal" amounts to just an advertising slogan. Don't be fooled by claims about new technologies making coal a clean-burning fuel. The hazards to our environment start well before that. Author 2 focuses on the environmental effects prior to burning.

For an argument to be valid, or convincing, it must be supported by relevant and provable evidence.

Be cautious of faulty reasoning, or arguments that rely upon: *emotional appeals (fear, pity, etc.) *popular opinion *confusing two related factors for cause/effect

In paragraph 3, the author of Passage 1 states that "banning mercury amalgam will create no consumer backlash." Which of the following is an assumption the author of Passage 1 makes about consumers?

Consumers have no other reason, such as cost or durability, to prefer mercury amalgam to composite fillings.

What is the main argument of Passage 1?

Mercury amalgam fillings should be banned because they are unhealthy and bad for the environment.

1) On June 29, 1947, the thirty-third president of the United States, Harry S. Truman, addressed the 38th Annual Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In a speech calling for civil rights and human freedom, Truman described the efforts his administration had initiated as well as his hopes for the future. 2) Opening with a determined tone, Truman urged Americans to work together to repair racial schisms. He suggested that the country had reached a turning point— that for the first time in its history, America was ready and willing to guarantee freedom and equality to all its citizens. He continued with an assertion that the government should protect and provide for all its peoples. According to the president, all Americans should possess decent homes, adequate medical care, worthwhile employment, and the right to a fair trial. 3) Truman did not paint a one-sided naïve picture, though. At the heart of his speech was a sobering depiction of the social situation facing the nation during its post-World War II era, which included a discussion of disheartening issues ranging from racially motivated insults and intimidation to mob violence. However, he did not dwell on these grim topics but instead cited the issues as fuel for promoting change. 4) After observing the complexities in expanding and improving federal laws, Truman pointed out several examples of his administration's efforts to make such improvements, including the 1946 appointment of the President's Committee on Civil Rights and the request that Congress pass legislation to extend basic civil rights to people living in both Guam and American Samoa. Additionally, the President cited the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, chaired by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and the committee's efforts to prepare the the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 5) Truman concluded his speech by invoking words Abraham Lincoln had written in 1862. The sixteenth president had called for the nation to remain united—despite class or conditional barriers—not only for itself but for future generations.

P1 Truman addresses NAACP P2 Truman: Am. should repair racial schisms premise: Am. ready claim: gov't should protect all P3 evidence: issues in nation P4 evidence: admin efforts authority: UN and E. Roosevelt P5 authority: quoting Lincoln's call for united nation

Passage 2 1) In recent years, uneducated consumers have expressed a growing fear of the mercury commonly found in dental fillings. The environmental impact of mercury is serious, and the release of mercury into the environment must be better controlled. However, the health risks associated with mercury amalgam fillings are minimal. 2) It is well known that people who have mercury amalgam fillings absorb small amounts of mercury. However, most of this mercury excreted in the urine. To date, no convincing scientific study has demonstrated that mercury absorbed from dental fillings causes any serious health problem. Because mercury amalgam fillings tend to last longer than resin composite fillings, amalgam is preferable for use whenever there is no cosmetic need for a tooth-colored filling. 3) However, the disposal of mercury amalgam in dental offices absolutely must be regulated. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 40 to 50 percent of the mercury in the wastewater processed at public treatment plants comes from dental amalgam. This inexcusable, especially because devices that remove mercury from wastewater are inexpensive and easy for dental offices to use. While mercury amalgam should remain available because it is more durable than composites, every dental office must have a device to remove mercury from wastewater.

P1) environmental problems = real claim: health concerns are minimal P2) premise: people do absorb small amounts no evidence to support opposite claims evidence to support own claim p3) premise: disposal should be regulated evidence from EPA conclusion: mercury = ok in fillings, not in wastewater

Article 2: A Discussion of Eleanor Roosevelt's 1948 Speech on Human Rights 6) In 1948, during Eleanor Roosevelt's tenure as chairman of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, she gave a speech, "The Struggle for Human Rights," at the Sorbonne in Paris, France 7) She began her speech by informing her audience that her purpose was to talk with them about the preservation of human freedom. Throughout the course of her talk, she tackled several topics, including the commission's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the difficulties she and the members of the United Nations faced during the drafting process. 8) In the speech, the former First Lady outlined the two components of the International Bill of Rights. The first part, Roosevelt explained, served as a declaration of the basic human rights that any individual is entitled to no matter where he or she lives. The second part, unfinished during the time she spoke, was a covenant on human rights that would be presented to every nation, the bill would be used as a reference to reshape any national laws that did not conform to the bill's principles. It was intended that, once ratified by each nation, the bill would be used as a reference to reshape any national laws that did not conform to the bill's principles. 9) At the time of Roosevelt's speech, the bill's declaration had been approved by most of the United Nation's member countries. However, four nations, including the Soviet Union and other Soviet satellite states, abstained from a vote of acceptance of the bill. Drawing the audience's attention to these nations, Roosevelt described the difficulties in deciding upon universal definitions for the bill's conception of democracy. She drew out the comparison between the United States and the Soviet Union and spoke about the two government's divergent approaches to and uses of power, citing the media in each country as examples. While stating that the U.S. government did not punish expressions of any political viewpoints in its newspapers, Roosevelt suggested that the government in the USSR would close down any papers that criticized its political philosophy. 10) She concluded her speech by repeating a call to action from the opening statement of an assembly. Roosevelt passionately encouraged unity from the delegates and asked that they overwhelmingly approve the Declaration of Human Rights.

P6) E. Roosevelt's speech P7) claim = preservation of human freedom is impt P8) two components of Int'l Bill of Rights intention P) P9 reality anecdotal evidence of difficulties R's ex: media premise: USSR does punish political expressions P10) argument: approve the bill

In the past few years, the majority of state governments have passed laws making it illegal to send text messages while driving. These laws are clearly a good decision for which legislators should be praised. Drivers are 23 times more likely to have accidents while texting than they are while driving undistracted. It is common sense that the government has a responsibility to protect its citizens from the recklessness of a careless few. What is the author's argument about anti-texting laws?

The author claims that laws restricting texting while driving are a good idea. CLUES: "These laws are clearly a good decision"

What evidence is given in support of the author's argument?

The author states "Drivers are 23 times more likely to have accidents while texting than they are while driving undistracted." Or. The author provides evidence that drivers have more accidents while texting as evidence for why the laws prohibiting sending texts while driving are good.

On the GED test, you may be represented with a set of paired passages, two passages which share a set of questions . These passages will be related by topic or theme. In addition to questions that ask about each passage separately, you may be asked to synthesize information between the two passage; specifically, you should determine: *what both passages have in common. *what both authors would agree upon *a source of disagreement between the authors *how pieces of one argument (evidence, claim, assumption) support or weaken the argument in the other passage. Not all questions in a paired passage set ask about both passages. Some questions ask about one passage or the other. To keep information straight between the two passages: 1. Read the first passage; answer questions that only ask about the first passage. 2. Read the second passage; answer questions that only ask about the second passage. 3. Answer questions that ask you to synthesize information from both passage. As you passage map, pay close attention to the author's argument and point-of-view.

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identifying claims

an authors conclusion, sometimes called a claim, is a statement indicating the conclusion the author wants the reader to take away from the text. Claims are directly stated in the passage and supported with evidence.

Evidence

describes the facts, reasons, or statistics that the author uses to convince the reader that his or her claim should be believed. Evidence provides support for the argument.

premise

of an argument is something that the author believes to be true, otherwise the argument would be illogical. While an author may clearly state the premise, you may also be asked to identify any assumptions - the unstated link in the authors thought process

Article 1: A Summary of Harry S. Truman's 1947 Speech on Civil Rights Eleanor Roosevelt speaks with President Harry S. Truman in May of 1951. She is reporting on her work as a delegate of the United Nations Human Rights Commission

speech summary 1947 E. Roosevelt (1951) -> friendly?

a conclusion or claim

the point the author is trying to make

premises

unstated assumptions that must be true in order for the argument to be logical

evidence

which is