Ch2 Complete Test Bank Claims, Reasons, And Arguments

Chapter 2: Claims, Reasons, and Arguments

Multiple Choice

(Correct answers are marked with an asterisk.)

1. An assertion that something is or is not the case is…

a. A conclusion

b. A statement

c. An argument

d. An attitude

2. The systematic evaluation or formulation of beliefs by rational standards is known as…

a. Explanatory hypotheses

b. Traditional beliefs

c. Creative thinking

d. Critical thinking

3. The following sentence is a statement…

a. You are here for a reason.

b. Turn that music off.

c. Stop doing that.

d. Is this guy for real?

4. A statement (or statements) supposedly providing reasons for accepting another statement is known as…

a. A conclusion

b. A premise

c. A statement

d. An argument

5. The statements given in support of another statement are called the…

a. Assertions

b. Premises

c. Answers

d. Conclusion

6. This process of reasoning from a premise or premises to a conclusion based on those premises is called …

a. Hypothetical

b. Premise

c. Inference

d. Judgment

7. Words that frequently accompany arguments and signal that a premise or conclusion is present are known as…

a. Indicator words

b. Premises

c. Indicator verbs

d. Argument components

8. Probably the best advice for anyone trying to uncover or dissect arguments is…

a. Find the premises first

b. Paraphrase the argument

c. Determine the truth of premises

d. Find the conclusion first

9. When you show why or how something is the way it is, you are…

a. Stating an argument

b. Offering an explanation

c. Showing that a statement cannot be proved

d. Showing that a statement is in dispute

10. Persuading people to agree with you is not the same thing as …

a. Influencing them

b. Presenting them with a good argument

c. Changing their minds

d. Swaying them

11. An argument intended to provide logically conclusive support for its conclusion is …

a. Inductive

b. Analogical

c. Deductive

d. Invalid

12. An argument intended to provide probable support for its conclusion is…

a. Deductive

b. Inductive

c. Strong

d. Invalid

13. A deductive argument that succeeds in providing logically conclusive support is said to be…

a. Cogent

b. Strong

c. Valid

d. Persuasive

14. In most extended argumentative passages…

a. Premises and conclusions make up a large portion of the total wordage

b. Premises and conclusions make up only a small portion of the total wordage

c. Premises and conclusions are usually clearly labeled

d. Premises and conclusions are equal in number

15. A central goal of higher education is to enable students to…

a. Justify preconceived notions

b. Avoid questioning cultural beliefs

c. Discard strongly held ideas

d. Think critically and carefully for themselves

16. The kind of inference with this form—Phenomenon Q, E provides the best explanation for Q, therefore, it is probable that E is true—is known as …

a. Inference to the best explanation

b. Deductive argument

c. Analogical argument

d. Scientific reasoning

17. The criterion of adequacy that says all things being equal, the best explanation is the one that fits best with what is already known or established is called. …

a. Simplicity

b. Fruitfulness

c. Consistency

d. Conservatism

18. A massive amount of persuasive writing contains …

a. No words

b. No opinions

c. No arguments

d. No views

19. The first step in evaluating arguments embedded in extended passages is to…

a. Study the text until you thoroughly understand it.

b. Identify the speaker

c. Find the nonarguments

d. Identify the premises

20. When we reason that two or more things are similar in several ways, therefore, they are probably similar in one further way, we are using…

a. Deductive logic

b. Analogical induction

c. Inference to the best explanation

d. Enumerative induction

Short Answer/Short Essay

1. What is an argument and how does it differ from a simple statement of belief?

2. What is the difference between Arguing 1 and Arguing 2?

3. According to Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, how can you win every argument?

4. What are three premise indicator words? Conclusion indicator words?

5. What is the best advice for anyone trying to uncover or dissect arguments?