Module 6 - Review

 1.

According to the text, which of the following is a characteristic of a trustworthy source?

A) credentialed in topic X

B) interested in topic X

C) unclear about topic X

D) experienced in topic X

Correct Answer:          D

2.

Marius is an authority who frequently appears on television. His employer has made it very clear that there are certain things he cannot say on TV (or else he will lose his job). One could say that Marius is

A) tautological.

B) constrained.

C) critical.

D) unstable.

Correct Answer:          B

3.

"The current trend in the stock market is trendless." This is an example of a

A) observational response.

B) tautological statement.

C) critical response.

D) self-contradictory statement.

Correct Answer:          D

4.

Caryn has already assessed the credibility of the source. As a good critical thinker, what does she need to do next?

A) assess the plausibility of the claim

B) approve the tautological statement

C) reject all possible options

D) remember self-contradictory statements

Correct Answer:          A

5.

What is the definition of tautology?

A) the study of what is taught in the U.S. and why it is taught

B) a way of viewing the world that relies on ambivalence and stereotyping

C) a statement that is necessarily true because of the meaning of the words

D) the practice of using critical thinking to debunk commonly held cultural myths

Correct Answer:          C

6.

Richard read on a blog that the world will end in 2012. As a good critical thinker, Richard should

A) believe the claim and act accordingly.

B) never visit that blog again.

C) approach the claim with a healthy sense of skepticism.

D) consider the author of the blog to be an expert.

Correct Answer:          C

7.

Jason frequently makes claims without supporting reasons. It is probable that he has

A) prophetic powers.

B) tautological sense.

C) ulterior motives.

D) critical sophism.

Correct Answer:          C

8.

Jerome believes that the theory of evolution is just as valid as the theory of creationism. It simply depends on the context in which each is being used. He is a

A) collector.

B) sage.

C) truth-seeker.

D) relativist.

Correct Answer:          D

9.

Josh's colleague frequently makes claims out of context. As a good critical thinker, what should Josh do?

A) believe his colleague and assume he/she is an expert

B) never believe what his colleague says

C) question the plausibility of his colleague's claims

D) patiently answer his colleague's questions

Correct Answer:          C

10.

Micah insists that vaccines cause autism, even though there is no scientific evidence that proves his point. This is an example of a

A) stubborn refusal to abandon a discredited position.

B) healthy skepticism in the face of conflicting information.

C) tautological response to a logical problem.

D) logical response to a loaded statement.

Correct Answer:          A

11.

The statement "we all start off equal in life" is an example of a

A) critical truth.

B) explicit truism.

C) trustworthy comparison.

D) empty tautology.

Correct Answer:          D

12.

Which of the following statements about claims is true?

A) They can be confirmed or disconfirmed.

B) They are always true, especially those by experts.

C) They should be taken at face value.

D) They are never true, no matter who says them.

Correct Answer:          A

13.

"Man is either mortal or he is not." This is an example of a

A) critical observation.

B) self-contradictory statement.

C) tautological statement.

D) logical answer.

Correct Answer:          C

14.

What is a loaded expression?

A) an expression that forces you to make a decision

B) a statement that carries an emotional charge

C) a saying that doesn't add up

D) a response that could be positive or negative

Correct Answer:          B

15.

According to the text, which of the following statements about commercials is true?

A) They can be misleading.

B) They are usually straightforward.

C) They are always completely false.

D) They are only on during the nightly news.

Correct Answer:          A

16.

Kaitlin is five, Josh is eighteen, Mary is twenty-five and Sue is sixty. According to the text, which of these people is most trusting of authorities?

A) Sue

B) Josh

C) Mary

D) Kaitlin

Correct Answer:          D

17.

Marilyn is interviewing potential job candidates. As a good critical thinker, she is wary of candidates who give her

A) resumes without GPAs.

B) claims without reasons.

C) cover letters without photos.

D) heuristics without tautology.

Correct Answer:          B

18.

Sheila's mom tells her that she cannot stay out until midnight, but does not give any reasons to support her statement. According to the text, it can be assumed that

A) Sheila's mom has her daughter's best interests at heart.

B) Sheila's mom is an untrustworthy source.

C) Sheila's mom failed her freshman critical thinking course.

D) Sheila's mom is an expert on discipline.

Correct Answer:          A

19.

According to the text, which of the following statements about Wikipedia is true?

A) Wikipedia should never be used as a source.

B) Good critical thinker’s fact-check Wikipedia entries.

C) All students should use Wikipedia as a source.

D) Wikipedia is owned by the government.

Correct Answer:          B

20.

When evaluating the plausibility of claims, it is important to remain

A) tautological.

B) negative.

C) open-minded.

D) closed-spirited.

Correct Answer:          C

Final Review - Quiz

Part 1 : Take the quiz at: testmoz.com/295993
Part 2 : Take the quiz at: testmoz.com/296095
Part 3 : Take the quiz at: testmoz.com/296561  
Part 4 : Take the quiz at: testmoz.com/297226
Part 5 : Take the quiz at: testmoz.com/297302 
Part 6 : Take the quiz at: testmoz.com/297885 

Module 14 - Reflective Log

For this assignment, review letters to the editor in a recent edition of a newspaper of your choice. Locate a letter that clearly states a position on an ethical issue. For instance, you might choose a letter on a topic such as same-sex marriage, healthcare policy, hate crimes, drug policy, or immigration.
For your submission, write a response to the letter you chose. You should structure your submission as a letter to the editor of the same publication. Explain and evaluate the position stated in the letter using the methods of good reasoning and effective writing that have been discussed in your textbook.

Module 14 - Discussion

Think about the last time you wrote an essay for a college course. What was your method? How did you prepare? What steps did you take to organize your ideas? Did any strategies help you accomplish the actual writing of the essay? Did you make multiple drafts of your essay? For this discussion post, clearly explain your method of writing so that others might follow your process. If you think that you could have made a better effort, explain what steps you could have taken to improve.
When you have finished, review your classmates' posts. Reply to the post that contains a tip or strategy you might find useful and explain how you might apply it.

Module 14 - Review

1.

Maria received a D on her first college essay. What would the authors of this textbook tell her?

A) Keep practicing and your writing skills will improve.

B) It is not likely that you will become an effective writer.

C) Use spellcheck next time and you will get an A.

D) Try putting your thesis in the middle of the essay next time.

Correct Answer:               A

2.

Karen is experienced with giving corporate presentations. What piece of advice would she give a junior colleague regarding his upcoming presentation?

A) Plagiarism is fine as long as you don't get caught.

B) Headings and subheadings usually confuse the audience.

C) State your thesis early on in the presentation.

D) Parenthetical expressions help clarify your ideas.

Correct Answer:               C

3.

________ communicates meaning, passion, and intensity.

A) Telepathy

B) Anonymity

C) Reason

D) Voice

Correct Answer:               D

4.

Karl is drafting a summary of his argument in support of socialized medicine. He is in what phase of writing an effective essay?

A) editing

B) prewriting

C) rewriting

D) writing

Correct Answer:               D

5.

According to the text, to be a good writer, one must

A) take an advanced writing class.

B) always use MLA style.

C) only cite recognizable sources.

D) think like an effective writer.

Correct Answer:               D

6.

Anna asks herself, "Which of the three primary arguments for changing the voting age to 16 should I explain first in order to engage and convince my audience?" She is

A) formulating a strategy.

B) not thinking about it correctly.

C) thinking tactically.

D) unclear about her purpose.

Correct Answer:               C

7.

What is the purpose of persuasive writing?

A) to avoid logical reasoning

B) to circumvent a solution

C) to make the author's case

D) to evaluate an argument's soundness

Correct Answer:               C

8.

You have been assigned to write an essay for your history course. Which of the following is an example of a piece of advice the authors of the text would give you?

A) Reserve judgment about your topic until you have thoroughly researched it.

B) Ask your professor to come up with your thesis statement for you.

C) Write it as if you were writing a letter to a friend.

D) Only read one or two sources while conducting your research.

Correct Answer:               A

9.

Jeff has been asked to write an article for an academic journal. He doesn't know all of the specifics, but he can start to imagine what the final version should be like based on

A) tactics.

B) heuristics.

C) strategy.

D) context.

Correct Answer:               D

10.

Matt teaches a first-year writing course at the local college. What does he tell his students about finding sources?

A) Read through source material before formulating your thesis.

B) The best sources come from Google searches.

C) Never use Google to search for sources.

D) Most sources out there are credible.

Correct Answer:               A

11.

Jeanne teaches writing courses at a local college. Over the years, she's come to discover that

A) mechanics are more important than voice.

B) not all strong critical thinkers are effective writers.

C) you can never have too many thesis statements.

D) effective writers are born, not made.

Correct Answer:               B

12.

Eve has been searching for credible sources online. What is one of the criteria she should use to weed out less credible sources?

A) Can the source be found on Google?

B) Is the article in MLA format?

C) Is the source unbiased?

D) Is the source general enough?

Correct Answer:               C

13.

What is one of the questions an effective writer asks?

A) How can I obscure the information?

B) Who is the intended audience?

C) How can I write this in the shortest amount of time?

D) Should I use a pencil and paper or the computer?

Correct Answer:               B

14.

After reading the first chapter of a book, Jolene asks herself, "How does the background of the author influence her perspective?" What is Jolene in the process of doing?

A) editing the manuscript

B) identifying the author's voice

C) writing a draft

D) formatting the chapter

Correct Answer:               B

15.

Which of the following is one of the four elements of a rhetorical situation?

A) a specific mode of communication

B) an undefined audience

C) a deductive reasoning process

D) an absent author

Correct Answer:               A

16.

Jason wants to write an essay on abortion. He's not quite sure what he wants to communicate. What piece of advice would the authors of this textbook give him?

A) You don't always need a purpose to write something.

B) Don't write if you don't know why you're writing it.

C) Good grammar is more important than communication anyways.

D) It's your audience's job to figure out why you've written something.

Correct Answer:               B

17.

Marlene asks herself, "How will I convince my audience that marijuana should be legalized?" What does this say about Marlene's writing skills?

A) She does not have a strong voice.

B) She is a poor writer.

C) She is not confident in her abilities.

D) She is a purposeful writer.

Correct Answer:               D

18.

Caroline wants to connect with her audience. Of the choices listed below, what is the most important thing she can do to accomplish this?

A) Answer her audience's questions before they ask them.

B) Use extremely elevated language to impress them.

C) Appeal to her audience's core values.

D) Publish an unedited version of her book.

Correct Answer:               C

 

19.

As an effective writer, Jillian knows that her work should typically

A) revolve around one main idea or purpose.

B) prioritize voice over audience.

C) have 5 or more claims.

D) abandon tactics for heuristics.

Correct Answer:               A

20.

The rubric for evaluating effective argumentation helps us evaluate the ________ of the author's case.

A) marketability

B) applicability

C) conduciveness

D) effectiveness

Correct Answer:               D