Exam 2: Language and Rhetoric

Select the fallacy or bad argument technique which occurs in the following argument: There's conclusive evidence that smoking causes cancer. So if you don't smoke, you won't get cancer.

Select the fallacy or bad argument technique which occurs in the following argument: I think my sister's new partner, Frances, will like the gift we have bought her. We're giving her a fishing rod. She lives in Canada and most people who live in Canada live near a river, a lake or an ocean and most people who live near water like to fish.

Select the fallacy or bad argument technique which occurs in the following argument: So the government wants to make carbon offset payments compulsory for all domestic and international air travel. What's the point? That approach alone won't solve global warming.

Select the fallacy or bad argument technique which occurs in the following argument: If it's raining, we can't play tennis outdoors. We can't play tennis outdoors, so it must be raining.

Select the fallacy or bad argument technique which occurs in the following argument: The Social Development Minister says too many people want hand-outs from the government. She can talk! She spent years receiving government assistance.

Select the fallacy or bad argument technique which occurs in the following argument: Of course there's nothing wrong with shouting and swearing at your children and calling them names. They didn't make that illegal yet!

Select the fallacy or bad argument technique which occurs in the following argument: We should preserve marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. If we undercut traditional ideals of marriage by allowing gay people to marry, before you know it we'll be allowing polygamous relationships, and then incestuous ones, and people will end up being able to marry their own brothers and sisters! No gay marriage!

Select the fallacy or bad argument technique which occurs in the following argument: Alice never drank until she left home and went to university, but these days she seems to be a raging alcoholic. There's no doubt about it - university made her into a drunk!

Select the fallacy or bad argument technique which occurs in the following argument: New Zealand is currently experiencing a drought. The drought followed closely on moves to allow gay people to marry. Clearly, this is causing the drought.

Select the fallacy or bad argument technique which occurs in the following argument: Richie McCaw is a great sportsman. When he says Heatorama heat pumps are the best, he must know what he's talking about.

Select the fallacy or bad argument technique which occurs in the following argument: Bullying is everywhere - it can't be totally eliminated. So all this work to construct anti-bullying policies is a waste of everyone's time.