Statement & Conclusion

On what does Dakota rely in making her argument?

A:

statistics

B:

emotion

C:

fairness

D:

anecdotes

Answer: E

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).

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On what does Quinn rely in making her argument?

A:

statistics

B:

emotion

C:

fairness

D:

anecdotes

Answer: C

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.

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What is the point at issue between Quinn and Dakota?

A:

whether sixteen-year-olds should be required to take drivers education before being issued a license

B:

whether schools ought to provide drivers education to fourteen- and fifteen-year-old students

C:

whether the standards for issuing drivers licenses should become more stringent

D:

whether sixteen-year-olds are prepared to drive in today's traffic conditions

Answer: D

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.

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

A:

a specific example that illustrates the speaker's point

B:

attacking the beliefs of those who disagree with the speaker

C:

relying on an analogy to prove the speaker's point

D:

displaying statistics that back up the speaker's point

Answer: C

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.

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Which of the following, if true, would strengthen the speaker's argument?

A:

studies showing computers are expensive

B:

research on the effect of computer games on children

C:

examples of high school students who use computers improperly

D:

proof that the cost of computers is coming down

Answer: E

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.

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Questions for: Analyzing Arguments