Exam 1: Basic Concepts

A deductive argument always proceeds from:

An argument that proceeds from knowledge of a cause to a claim about an effect is:

Harnessing the clean, abundant energy of the sun and wind is critical to solving the global warming problem. Technological advances have brought the cost of electricity generated by the wind down by 82 percent since 1981. Solar energy technology has made remarkable progress as new photovoltaic cells have been developed to convert even greater amounts of sunlight directly into electricity. Today the costs of wind and solar power are becoming competitive with dirty coal-fired plants. Sierra Club, "Global Warming Solutions"

In the expression "If North Korea has nuclear weapons, then it poses a threat to world peace," the statement "It poses a threat to world peace" is called the:

Pencil lead is composed of pure carbon, and pencil lead is very cheap. Diamonds, like pencil lead, are composed of pure carbon. Therefore, probably diamonds are very cheap.

Adrian's car has a flat tire. Someone must have slashed it with a knife.

The poster on your neighbor's lawn says "Vote Horton for Sheriff." Therefore, it's clear that Horton would make a great sheriff.

The Director of the National Park Service stated in an interview that vegetation in the parks is seriously threatened by air pollution. Therefore, it must be the case that park vegetation is indeed threatened by air pollution, just as the Director says.

If stun guns are safe, then police officers will use them. Stun guns are not safe. Therefore, police officers will not use them.

Given that n is an integer, it follows that 2n is an even integer.

It's even more important these days that your computer be protected by a firewall. There are criminal elements lurking in the shadows of cyberspace who send out probes to detect unprotected PCs. Once a vulnerable computer is found, these criminals install software that assists them in committing identity theft and fencing stolen IDs. They also defraud online advertisers by using these zombie computers to visit pay-per-click ads.

Apple seeds and cherry pits are poisonous because they contain cyanide compounds. Your body can detoxify small quantities of these compounds, but larger doses can lead to difficulty in breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and kidney failure. Reactions can include coma, convulsions, and death from respiratory arrest. Anne Marie Helmstine, "Your Guide to Chemistry"

The countries of the world today are divided into 2 groups. The more-developed countries, typified by countries in North America and Europe, are those in which population growth is under control and the people enjoy a good standard of living. The less-developed countries, typified by countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, are those in which population growth is out of control and the majority of people live in poverty. Sylvia S. Mader, Human Biology, 4th ed.

PART A Some Americans are blond women, since some Americans are blond, and some Americans are women. Which of the following is a correct symbolization of this argument? a. Some A are B. Some A are BW. Some A are W . $\quad$ b. Some A are W . Some A are B. Some B are W . $\quad$ c. Some A are B . Some B are BW. Some A are BW. d. Some A are B. Some A are W. Some A are BW. $\quad$ e. Some A are BW. Some A are B Some A are W . PART B Which of the following substitutions proves the argument invalid? A) A = apples, B = red, W = fruits. B) A = fruits, B = green, W = apples. C) A = lemons, B = purple, W = fruits. D) A = fruits, B = yellow, W = lemons. E) A = fruits, B = purple, W = lemons.

The loss of arctic ice is accelerating as a result of a form of positive feedback. As arctic ice melts, the arctic icecap reflects fewer rays from the sun. When this happens, more rays are absorbed by the surrounding ocean, which increases its temperature. As the temperature of the ocean rises, more arctic ice melts.

Given that 2x - 1 = 13. It follows that x = 6.

When our nation begins to use torture as a means to an end, we chip away at the values we profess to defend. Little by little and step by step, we coarsen our society. We cheapen ourselves until we become no different than those who commit acts of terror. At that point, what shall we make of ourselves? Joseph Neri, Letter to the Editor

Which of the following is a sufficient condition for being a bird?

Cultural anthropology is the study of all aspects of human behavior. It could reasonably be argued that cultural anthropology began with Aristotle, or even earlier. But for practical purposes, the beginnings of cultural anthropology are found in the nineteenth century. This was the century when Europeans became increasingly aware of what they termed "primitive societies" in Africa and Asia. Robert Jurmain, et al., Essentials of Physical Anthropology, 2^nd ed.

All terrorist leaders are secluded megalomaniacs. No secluded megalomaniacs are lovers of humanity. Therefore, no terrorist leaders are lovers of humanity.