Question 1

Which of the following statements expresses a value claim?

Accepted Answer

A)  Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World. 
B)  The market capitalization of Wal-Mart is greater than that of Target. 
C)  The goodness or badness of a human action is determined by its consequences. 
D)  The Yankees are the best team in major league baseball. 
E)  Christo's project in Central Park cost $21 million. 
A)  Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World. 
B)  The market capitalization of Wal-Mart is greater than that of Target. 
C)  The goodness or badness of a human action is determined by its consequences. 
D)  The Yankees are the best team in major league baseball. 
E)  Christo's project in Central Park cost $21 million.

Question 2

In the definition "'Martyr' means a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion" the species term is:

Accepted Answer

A)  Who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion. 
B)  Who willingly suffers death. 
C)  Person. 
D)  Martyr. 
E)  Religion. 
A)  Who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion. 
B)  Who willingly suffers death. 
C)  Person. 
D)  Martyr. 
E)  Religion.

Question 3

Which of the following statements expresses a value claim?

Accepted Answer

A)  Fred inherited a large amount of money from his uncle. 
B)  Jane had lunch with her niece today. 
C)  The tensile strength of steel is greater than that of copper. 
D)  Professor Thompson is a great instructor. 
E)  Among the states, California has the largest number of electoral votes. 
A)  Fred inherited a large amount of money from his uncle. 
B)  Jane had lunch with her niece today. 
C)  The tensile strength of steel is greater than that of copper. 
D)  Professor Thompson is a great instructor. 
E)  Among the states, California has the largest number of electoral votes.

Question 4

Which of the following pairs of terms have the same extension?

Accepted Answer

A)  Red, green. 
B)  Psychologist, psychiatrist. 
C)  Baseball player, shortstop. 
D)  Novel, Moby Dick. 
E)  Vampire, tooth fairy. 
A)  Red, green. 
B)  Psychologist, psychiatrist. 
C)  Baseball player, shortstop. 
D)  Novel, Moby Dick. 
E)  Vampire, tooth fairy.

Question 5

The definition "'Fault' means flaw" is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)  A definition by genus and difference. 
B)  A persuasive definition. 
C)  A synonymous definition. 
D)  An operational definition. 
E)  An extensional definition. 
A)  A definition by genus and difference. 
B)  A persuasive definition. 
C)  A synonymous definition. 
D)  An operational definition. 
E)  An extensional definition.

Question 6

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Royal' means pertaining to royalty" may be criticized as:

Accepted Answer

A)  Negative. 
B)  Failing to indicate the context to which the definiens pertains. 
C)  Being circular. 
D)  Being affective. 
E)  Failing to convey the essential meaning of the word being defined. 
A)  Negative. 
B)  Failing to indicate the context to which the definiens pertains. 
C)  Being circular. 
D)  Being affective. 
E)  Failing to convey the essential meaning of the word being defined.

Question 7

Which of the following statements is ambiguous?

Accepted Answer

A)  Organic foods are increasing in popularity. 
B)  Diabetes is detected by testing blood glucose levels. 
C)  The stolen painting was found by a tree. 
D)  Surfing is impossible if there are no waves. 
E)  Justine earns a high salary at her new job. 
A)  Organic foods are increasing in popularity. 
B)  Diabetes is detected by testing blood glucose levels. 
C)  The stolen painting was found by a tree. 
D)  Surfing is impossible if there are no waves. 
E)  Justine earns a high salary at her new job.

Question 8

Words such as "excessive," "fresh," and "normal" tend to be:

Accepted Answer

A)  Emotive. 
B)  Ambiguous. 
C)  Vague. 
D)  Factual. 
E)  Extensional. 
A)  Emotive. 
B)  Ambiguous. 
C)  Vague. 
D)  Factual. 
E)  Extensional.

Question 9

Which of the following are all denoted by the term "novelist"?

Accepted Answer

A)  Moby Dick, The Scarlet Letter, Gone With the Wind. 
B)  Melville, Hawthorne, Mitchell. 
C)  Love story, horror story, adventure story. 
D)  Creative, literary, imaginative. 
E)  Melville, Moby Dick, adventure story. 
A)  Moby Dick, The Scarlet Letter, Gone With the Wind. 
B)  Melville, Hawthorne, Mitchell. 
C)  Love story, horror story, adventure story. 
D)  Creative, literary, imaginative. 
E)  Melville, Moby Dick, adventure story.

Question 10

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Relevant' means not being irrelevant" may be criticized as being:

Accepted Answer

A)  Negative. 
B)  Vague. 
C)  Too broad. 
D)  Ambiguous. 
E)  Too narrow. 
A)  Negative. 
B)  Vague. 
C)  Too broad. 
D)  Ambiguous. 
E)  Too narrow.

Question 11

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Personal' means not being impersonal" may be criticized as:

Accepted Answer

A)  Being figurative. 
B)  Being vague. 
C)  Being affective. 
D)  Being negative. 
E)  Failing to convey the essential meaning of the word being defined. 
A)  Being figurative. 
B)  Being vague. 
C)  Being affective. 
D)  Being negative. 
E)  Failing to convey the essential meaning of the word being defined.

Question 12

The definition "'Whistleblower' means a back-stabbing employee who reveals company secrets to enemies on the outside" is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)  A lexical definition. 
B)  A persuasive definition. 
C)  A demonstrative definition. 
D)  A stipulative definition. 
E)  A precising definition. 
A)  A lexical definition. 
B)  A persuasive definition. 
C)  A demonstrative definition. 
D)  A stipulative definition. 
E)  A precising definition.

Question 13

The definition "'Sports utility vehicle' means an unwieldy pile of vehicular machinery that consumes massive quantities of fuel, emits inordinate amounts of polluting gasses, and is prone to roll over in crashes" is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)  A precising definition. 
B)  A persuasive definition. 
C)  A theoretical definition. 
D)  An automotive definition. 
E)  An operational definition. 
A)  A precising definition. 
B)  A persuasive definition. 
C)  A theoretical definition. 
D)  An automotive definition. 
E)  An operational definition.

Question 14

As a lexical definition, H. L. Mencken's definition "Democracy is the art of running the circus from the monkey cage" may be criticized as:

Accepted Answer

A)  Being too narrow. 
B)  Being circular. 
C)  Being too broad. 
D)  Being negative. 
E)  Being figurative. 
A)  Being too narrow. 
B)  Being circular. 
C)  Being too broad. 
D)  Being negative. 
E)  Being figurative.

Question 15

The definition "'Rationalist' means someone such as Descartes, Leibniz, or Spinoza" is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)  An enumerative definition. 
B)  A definition by subclass. 
C)  A definition by genus and difference. 
D)  An operational definition. 
E)  A demonstrative (ostensive) definition. 
A)  An enumerative definition. 
B)  A definition by subclass. 
C)  A definition by genus and difference. 
D)  An operational definition. 
E)  A demonstrative (ostensive) definition.

Question 16

Which of the following statements is vague?

Accepted Answer

A)  Frank seems a little off these days. 
B)  Gold is more expensive, ounce for ounce, than silver. 
C)  The assailant struck a lumberjack with an ax. 
D)  All of today's cell phones contain microchips. 
E)  Sixty million Americans suffer from insomnia. 
A)  Frank seems a little off these days. 
B)  Gold is more expensive, ounce for ounce, than silver. 
C)  The assailant struck a lumberjack with an ax. 
D)  All of today's cell phones contain microchips. 
E)  Sixty million Americans suffer from insomnia.

Question 17

Which of the following pairs of terms have the same extension?

Accepted Answer

A)  Lexus, Infinity. 
B)  New York, Los Angeles. 
C)  Yard, meter. 
D)  Wolf, wolf weighing less than two thousand pounds. 
E)  Tallest mountain on earth, tallest mountain on Mars. 
A)  Lexus, Infinity. 
B)  New York, Los Angeles. 
C)  Yard, meter. 
D)  Wolf, wolf weighing less than two thousand pounds. 
E)  Tallest mountain on earth, tallest mountain on Mars.

Question 18

The definition "'Gravity' means an attractive force that exists between all material particles and varies inversely with the square of the distance between them" is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)  A demonstrative definition. 
B)  An operational definition. 
C)  An enumerative definition. 
D)  A theoretical definition. 
E)  An etymological definition. 
A)  A demonstrative definition. 
B)  An operational definition. 
C)  An enumerative definition. 
D)  A theoretical definition. 
E)  An etymological definition.

Question 19

The definition "'Rest' means (1) the repose of sleep, (2) an interval of silence between notes, (3) a period of inactivity" is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)  A theoretical definition. 
B)  A lexical definition. 
C)  A precising definition. 
D)  A stipulative definition. 
E)  An enumerative definition. 
A)  A theoretical definition. 
B)  A lexical definition. 
C)  A precising definition. 
D)  A stipulative definition. 
E)  An enumerative definition.

Question 20

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Cello' means a stringed musical instrument" may be criticized as:

Accepted Answer

A)  Being ambiguous. 
B)  Being obscure. 
C)  Being too narrow. 
D)  Being negative. 
E)  Being too broad. 
A)  Being ambiguous. 
B)  Being obscure. 
C)  Being too narrow. 
D)  Being negative. 
E)  Being too broad.

Which of the following statements expresses a value claim?

In the definition "'Martyr' means a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion" the species term is:

Which of the following statements expresses a value claim?

Which of the following pairs of terms have the same extension?

The definition "'Fault' means flaw" is an example of:

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Royal' means pertaining to royalty" may be criticized as:

Which of the following statements is ambiguous?

Words such as "excessive," "fresh," and "normal" tend to be:

Which of the following are all denoted by the term "novelist"?

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Relevant' means not being irrelevant" may be criticized as being:

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Personal' means not being impersonal" may be criticized as:

The definition "'Whistleblower' means a back-stabbing employee who reveals company secrets to enemies on the outside" is an example of:

The definition "'Sports utility vehicle' means an unwieldy pile of vehicular machinery that consumes massive quantities of fuel, emits inordinate amounts of polluting gasses, and is prone to roll over in crashes" is an example of:

As a lexical definition, H. L. Mencken's definition "Democracy is the art of running the circus from the monkey cage" may be criticized as:

The definition "'Rationalist' means someone such as Descartes, Leibniz, or Spinoza" is an example of:

Which of the following statements is vague?

Which of the following pairs of terms have the same extension?

The definition "'Gravity' means an attractive force that exists between all material particles and varies inversely with the square of the distance between them" is an example of:

The definition "'Rest' means (1) the repose of sleep, (2) an interval of silence between notes, (3) a period of inactivity" is an example of:

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Cello' means a stringed musical instrument" may be criticized as:

Basic Concepts

Informal Fallacies

Categorical Propositions

Categorical Syllogisms

Propositional Logic

Natural Deduction in Propositional Logic

Predicate Logic

Analogy and Legal and Moral Reasoning

Causality and Mills Methods

Probability

Statistical Reasoning

Hypotheticalscientific Reasoning

Science and Superstition

Filters

Exam 2: Language: Meaning and Definition

Which of the following statements expresses a value claim?

In the definition "'Martyr' means a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion" the species term is:

Which of the following statements expresses a value claim?

Which of the following pairs of terms have the same extension?

The definition "'Fault' means flaw" is an example of:

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Royal' means pertaining to royalty" may be criticized as:

Which of the following statements is ambiguous?

Words such as "excessive," "fresh," and "normal" tend to be:

Which of the following are all denoted by the term "novelist"?

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Relevant' means not being irrelevant" may be criticized as being:

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Personal' means not being impersonal" may be criticized as:

The definition "'Whistleblower' means a back-stabbing employee who reveals company secrets to enemies on the outside" is an example of:

The definition "'Sports utility vehicle' means an unwieldy pile of vehicular machinery that consumes massive quantities of fuel, emits inordinate amounts of polluting gasses, and is prone to roll over in crashes" is an example of:

As a lexical definition, H. L. Mencken's definition "Democracy is the art of running the circus from the monkey cage" may be criticized as:

The definition "'Rationalist' means someone such as Descartes, Leibniz, or Spinoza" is an example of:

Which of the following statements is vague?

Which of the following pairs of terms have the same extension?

The definition "'Gravity' means an attractive force that exists between all material particles and varies inversely with the square of the distance between them" is an example of:

The definition "'Rest' means (1) the repose of sleep, (2) an interval of silence between notes, (3) a period of inactivity" is an example of:

As a lexical definition, the definition "'Cello' means a stringed musical instrument" may be criticized as:

Basic Concepts

Informal Fallacies

Categorical Propositions

Categorical Syllogisms

Propositional Logic

Natural Deduction in Propositional Logic

Predicate Logic

Analogy and Legal and Moral Reasoning

Causality and Mills Methods

Probability

Statistical Reasoning

Hypotheticalscientific Reasoning

Science and Superstition

Filters