Deck 2: Analyzing Arguments

Question 1

"The killing of an innocent person is immoral.Therefore, abortion is immoral." The unstated proposition in this argument is:

A)murder is illegal
B)innocent people have no rights
C)abortion kills innocent persons
D)abortion is legal in the United States

Answer 1

abortion kills innocent persons

Question 2

"Torture treats the victim as merely a means to an end.Therefore, it is immoral." The unstated proposition in this argument is:

A)torture is useful for getting information out of people
B)the United States sanctions the use of torture
C)treating a person as merely a means to an end is immoral
D)none of the above

Answer 2

treating a person as merely a means to an end is immoral

Question 3

(1) Workers are often exposed to contamination in the workplace and are not warned of the dangers of this exposure.(2) For instance, asbestos workers were not told for many years of the dangers of contracting asbestosis.(3) And farm workers are often misled about the dangers of insecticides and fertilizers.(4) Tougher legisla tion should be enacted in order to insure the safety of all workers."
Which sentence is the conclusion?

A)sentence (1)
B)sentence (2)
C)sentence (3)
D)sentence (4)

Answer 3

sentence (4)

Question 4

(1) The prince greeted a small crowd of well-wishers outside his palace yesterday.(2) He pointed out several architectural features of the building that historians have found interesting.(3) Apparently, there are several aspects of the building that are not typical of the time it was built, and (4) the prince clearly enjoyed having the opportunity to share his knowledge with such an apprecia-tive audience."

A)sentence (1)
B)sentence (2)
C)sentence (3)
D)sentence (4)
E)there is no conclusion

Question 5

(1) Lawns need constant maintenance, so (2) busy people should hire someone to take care of them.(3) I like a nicely kept lawn." Which sentence is the conclusion?

A)sentence (1)
B)sentence (2)
C)sentence (3)
D)there is no conclusion

Question 6

(1) Computer processor speeds double every eighteen months, so business computers should be replaced every three years or so.(2) This amazing fact has been true since personal computers entered the marketplace.(3) So, these four-year-old computers on our desks ought to be replaced." Which is true about this argument?

A)(1) and (2) independently support (3)
B)(1) and (2) jointly support (3)
C)(2) and (3) independently support (1)
D)(2) and (3) jointly support (1)

Question 7

(1) It has come to my attention that the staff has turned my free-meal policy into a considerable expense to the restaurant.(2) For example, though our lobster purchases have risen dramatically, our sales of lobster dinners have remained flat.(3) We are going to have to charge employees a percentage of the price of the meals they eat at work.(4) After all, who wouldn't give themselves the best of everything for free?
" How does sentence (4) function in this passage?

A)it is a conclusion in the form of a question
B)it is a premise that works jointly with (1) and (2)
C)it is really a premise that independently provides some support for (3)
D)it is a rhetorical question with no logical force in the passage

Question 8

(1) I'll tell you why the mayor decided to modify the city's curbs for wheelchair users.(2) First, the city has a moral obligation to do so.(3) Second, since there are more voters in wheelchairs than ever before, they will be more likely to vote for the mayor in the next election if he makes life easier for them." What is true of this passage?

A)sentences (2) and (3) support the truth of (1)
B)sentences (1) (2) and (3) deductively support an unstated conclusion
C)sentences (2) and (3) explain (1)
D)sentence (1) explains (2) and (3)

Question 9

(1) Skinner's utopian society ought to be rejected.(2) The sort of society Skinner proposes in Walden Two is a non-competitive, lifeless society that lacks creativity and imagination.(3) It also lacks the conditions that make for festivity and fantasy, two significant human traits.(4) The type of society that Skinner proposes would turn people into robots." Which sentence expresses the conclusion of the argument?

A)(1)
B)(2)
C)(3)
D)(4)

Question 10

Brainteasers are valuable activities because:

A)they develop reasoning skills
B)they reveal the complexities of life
C)they waste time
D)none of the above

Question 11

Paraphrasing an argument allows us to see more clearly the logical relations between
the statements in the argument.

Question 12

Retrograde analysis is the use of spatial relations to map the structure of an argument.

Question 13

In logic, the term "matrix" refers to virtual reality.

Question 14

In a complex interwoven argument, "premise" and "conclusion" can be relative
terms.

Question 15

In analyzing an argument one must ignore authorial intent.

Question 16

Matching:

-To clarify the relations between the premises and conclusion in an argument, it is often helpful to ________ or diagram them.

A)analyze
B)paraphrase
C)deduce

Question 17

Matching:

-Often, problems of reasoning can be solved by the use of a(n) __________.

A)deduction
B)induction
C)matrix

Question 18

Matching:

-Diagramming involves laying out an argument in ____________________.

A)one-dimensional spatial relations
B)two-dimensional spatial relations
C)three- dimensional spatial relations

Question 19

Matching:

-Retrograde analysis involves reasoning from what now exists to consider what would be the case in the _________.

A)past
B)future
C)present

Question 20

Matching:

-Problems of reasoning are interesting and effective ways to _____________.

A)develop reasoning skills
B)pass the time
C)drive you crazy