Analyzing Arguments – Page 3 of 4

21. Which of the following methods of argument is used in the previous passage?

a specific example that illustrates the speaker.
attacking the beliefs of those who disagree with the speaker.
relying on an analogy to prove the speaker.
displaying statistics that back up the speaker.
comparing different methods of learning.

Option “C” is correct.
The speaker uses analogies to compare crawling with learning arithmetic and reading and to compare walking with using a computer. The speaker is making the point that, in both cases, a child needs to learn one before learning the other.

22. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen the speaker’s argument?

studies showing computers are expensive.
research on the effect of computer games on children.
examples of high school students who use computers improperly.
proof that the cost of computers is coming down.
evidence that using computers makes learning to read difficult.

Option “E” is correct.
This evidence would back up the speaker’s contention that young students should learn the basics before learning computers. Choices a and d, which are both about cost, would have no effect on the argument. Choices b and c are too vague.

23. What is the point at issue between Quinn and Dakota?

whether sixteen-year-olds should be required to take drivers education before being issued a license.
whether schools ought to provide drivers education to fourteen- and fifteen-year-old students.
whether the standards for issuing drivers licenses should become more stringent.
whether sixteen-year-olds are prepared to drive in today.
whether parents are able to do a good job teaching their children to drive.

Option “D” is correct.
The speakers support their arguments in different ways, but both are concerned with whether sixteen-year-olds should continue to be allowed to receive drivers licenses.

24. On what does Quinn rely in making her argument?

statistics
emotion
fairness
anecdotes
actualities

Option “C” is correct.
Quinn discusses the fairness of changing the law and raising the age at which one can receive a driver’s license. Emotion (choice b) may be involved, but the argument relies on the fairness issue.

25. On what does Dakota rely in making her argument?

statistics
emotion
fairness
anecdotes
actualities

Option “E” is correct.
Dakota discusses the actualities of increased traffic and the decline in the teaching of drivers education. She doesn’t use statistics (choice a). Her argument is not emotion filled, which rules out choice b. She doesn’t mention fairness (choice c) and doesn’t tell stories about specific situations (choice d).

26. Yoga has become a very popular type of exercise, but it may not be for everyone. Before you sign yourself up for a yoga class, you need to examine what it is you want from your fitness routine. If you’re looking for a high-energy, fast-paced aerobic workout, a yoga class might not be your best choice.
This paragraph best supports the statement that

yoga is more popular than high-impact aerobics.
before embarking on a new exercise regimen, you should think about your needs and desires.
yoga is changing the world of fitness in major ways.
yoga benefits your body and mind.
most people think that yoga isn’t a rigorous form of exercise.

Option “B” is correct.
The second sentence points out that people should examine what they want from a fitness routine before signing up for a new exercise class. There is no evidence to support choice a. Choice c might sound reasonable due to the fact that the paragraph tells us that yoga has become very popular, but this statement is not supported by the information provided in the paragraph. Choices d and e are also not supported since the paragraph doesn’t tell us whether yoga is good for both body and mind or what people think about it.

27.Human technology developed from the first stone tools about two and a half million years ago. At the beginning, the rate of development was slow. Hundreds of thousands of years passed without much change. Today, new technologies are reported daily on television and in newspapers.
This paragraph best supports the statement that

stone tools were not really technology.
stone tools were in use for two and a half million years.
there is no way to know when stone tools first came into use.
In today’s world, new technologies are constantly being developed.
none of the latest technologies is as significant as the development of stone tools.

Option “D” is correct.
The last sentence states that new technologies are reported daily, and this implies that new technologies are being constantly developed. There is no support for choice a.With regard to choice b, stone tools were first used two and a half million years ago, but they were not neessarily in use all that time. Choice c is clearly wrong since the paragraph states when stone tools first came into use. Although some may agree that choice e is true, the author of the paragraph does not give support for this opinion.

28. Mathematics allows us to expand our consciousness. Mathematics tells us about economic trends, patterns of disease, and the growth of populations. Math is good at exposing the truth, but it can also perpetuate misunderstandings and untruths. Figures have the power to mislead people.
This paragraph best supports the statement that

the study of mathematics is dangerous.
words are more truthful than figures.
the study of mathematics is more important than other disciplines.
the power of numbers is that they cannot lie.
figures are sometimes used to deceive people.

Option “E” is correct.
This answer is clearly stated in the last sentence of the paragraph. Choice a can be ruled out because there is no support to show that studying math is dangerous. Words are not mentioned in the passage, which rules out choice b. Choice d is a contradiction to the information in the passage. There is no support for choice c.

29. In the 1966 Supreme Court decision Miranda v. Arizona, the court held that before the police can obtain statements from a person subjected to an interrogation, the person must be given a Miranda warning. This warning means that a person must be told that he or she has the right to remain silent during the police interrogation. Violation of this right means that any statement that the person makes is not admissible in a court hearing.
This paragraph best supports the statement that

police who do not warn persons of their Miranda rights are guilty of a crime.
a Miranda warning must be given before a police interrogation can begin.
the police may no longer interrogate persons suspected of a crime unless a lawyer is present.
the 1966 Supreme Court decision in Miranda should be reversed.
persons who are interrogated by police should always remain silent until their lawyer comes.

Option “B” is correct.
This answer is clearly supported in the second sentence. Nothing in the paragraph suggests that it is a crime not to give a Miranda warning, so choice a is incorrect. Choice c is also wrong because police may interrogate as long as a warning is given. There is no support given for either choice d or e.

30. During colonial times in America, juries were encouraged to ask questions of the parties in the courtroom. The jurors were, in fact, expected to investigate the facts of the case themselves. If jurors conducted an investigation today, we would throw out the case.
This paragraph best supports the statement that

juries are less important today than they were in colonial times.
jurors today are less interested in court cases than they were in colonial times.
courtrooms today are more efficient than they were in colonial times.
jurors in colonial times were more informed than jurors today.
the jury system in America has changed since colonial times.

Option “E” is correct.
The paragraph focuses on the idea that the jury system is different from what it was in colonial times. There is no support given for choices a, b, and c. Choice d is incorrect because, even though jurors in colonial times were expected to investigate and ask questions, this does not necessarily mean that they were more informed than today’s jurors.

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