Deck 5: Thinking in College

Question 1

Which is the definition of critical thinking?

A) the act of being critical of someone's opinion
B) the art of negative thinking
C) the thoughtful consideration of information and ideas
D) the practice of disagreeing with someone on principle

Answer 1

C

Question 2

People who do not develop their thinking skills often choose fast thinking, which may lead to

A) decisions that result in conflict.
B) spur-of-the-moment decisions.
C) decisions based on the most compelling evidence.
D) logical, rational decisions.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which is a characteristic of slow thinkers?

A) making judgments based on traditional beliefs
B) discovering new information
C) employing automatic decision making
D) trusting authorities are making good decisions

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Becoming a critical thinker will help you

A) make more informed decisions.
B) make decisions based on your feelings.
C) bypass the need to make decisions.
D) allow others to make decisions for you.

Question 5

Mark is having a hard time analyzing a particularly difficult passage for his advanced literature class. What is the best way for Mark to exercise his critical thinking to complete this assignment?

A) He should take a break and check his e-mail.
B) He should go for a run around campus.
C) He should stop working and try again in a few days.
D) He should ask some classmates to brainstorm with him.

Question 6

Getting feedback from others exercising your critical thinking skills will allow you to

A) identify what you hope is true.
B) find the simplest solution to your problem.
C) practice faster thinking.
D) see possible flaws in your own position.

Question 7

When you come across a statement that you consider interesting or confusing, what is the first thing you should do to exercise critical thinking?

A) Accept it at face value.
B) Ask yourself if you can trust the person making the statement.
C) Ask yourself what it means.
D) Ask who might agree or disagree.

Question 8

When determining whether you can trust people making a particular claim, what should you do?

A) Ask yourself if they have provided enough information to support their claim.
B) Consider the effects of accepting the claim as truth.
C) Determine how the claim relates to concepts you know.
D) Consider if you agree with the statement.

Question 9

In critical thinking, what is considered the main indicator of reasonable, educated people?

A) the ability to review a few high-quality viewpoints
B) the ability to persuade others into believing the claims they make
C) the willingness to change their mind
D) the willingness to change their values

Question 10

When engaging in critical thinking, what should you do next after considering multiple viewpoints and drawing conclusions?

A) Ask questions.
B) Develop your own viewpoint.
C) Challenge your own beliefs.
D) Use fast thinking to make a decision.

Question 11

Which concept is referred to as a calm, reasoned effort to persuade someone of the value of an idea?

A) evidence
B) an assumption
C) fast thinking
D) an argument

Question 12

Erin is confused by her homework, which is to prepare an argument about global warming for class tomorrow. She feels a bit hesitant about this assignment because she does not want to yell at other students in class, but she also doesn't want to lose credit for not completing her homework. What common mistake has Erin made?

A) Erin thinks she has to complete every homework assignment or she will fail.
B) Erin thinks that arguments are a fight rather than persuasion based on reason.
C) Erin thinks that her claim will be too specific.
D) Erin thinks she should discuss only her point of view.

Question 13

Which is NOT a characteristic of an effective argument?

A) making a general claim
B) providing evidence
C) considering a single point of view
D) providing reasons to support a claim

Question 14

Ian is attending a rally about increasing campus safety. During the rally, another student, Caryn, who is running for class president, gets up to speak. Ian has been planning to vote for her opponent, Mike, in the election. What should Ian do as Caryn makes her speech?

A) Assume that her information is biased and inaccurate.
B) Try to predict where her argument is headed and why.
C) Ignore her because he's not planning to vote for her.
D) Disagree with her positions on principle.

Question 15

What should you do if you have evaluated the evidence in support of a claim and are still not certain of its quality?

A) Keep looking for more evidence.
B) Assume that the claim is inaccurate.
C) Continue reevaluating the same evidence until you come to a decision.
D) Disregard the claim altogether.

Question 16

Which statement about an article suggests that it should be used in support of an argument?

A) This article's argument is based on verifiable facts and statistics.
B) This article is based on an emotional appeal.
C) A celebrity wrote this article in favor of a position.
D) This article supports the prevailing opinion.

Question 17

Sophia is having a hard time in her math class this semester. Her math professor has sent a notice to her adviser that she may need to withdraw from the class. Sophia's adviser schedules an appointment to discuss this issue with her. Sophia begins with the argument that her math professor is unfair, that the homework was not related to his lectures, and that he just does not like her. Sophia is demonstrating which logical fallacy?

A) appealing to false authority
B) jumping on the bandwagon
C) assuming something is true
D) Am I in college to prepare for immediate employment?

Question 18

Which of the following statements about the use of logic is FALSE?

A) Attacking the person is an appropriate approach.
B) When you beg, you offer no evidence.
C) Citing authorities can offer valuable support for an argument.
D) You should avoid making hasty generalizations.

Question 19

"Please let me take your shift this weekend. If I don't work enough hours, I won't be able to pay my rent!" This statement is an example of which type of faulty reasoning?

A) hasty generalization
B) jumping on a bandwagon
C) attacking the person
D) begging

Question 20

Which fallacy refers to making a claim based on the opinion of someone lacking expertise?

A) making a hasty generalization
B) attacking the person
C) appealing to a false authority
D) engaging in begging

Question 21

Which fallacy refers to believing widely accepted truths?

A) jumping on the bandwagon
B) falling victim to a false cause
C) a slippery slope argument
D) appealing to a false authority

Question 22

When you assume that something is true because it hasn't been proven false, what are you engaging in?

A) a logical fallacy
B) critical thinking
C) an argument
D) slow thinking

Question 23

What is an example of falling victim to a false cause?

A) believing that the sun will rise every morning because it has always done so in the past
B) believing that a rooster's call causes the sun to rise because the sun rises when the rooster crows
C) believing that the earth revolves around the sun because scientific data indicates that this is the case
D) believing that the sun is going to burn out because a charismatic person said that it would

Question 24

"If I let you take a day off, then everyone will want to take a day off, and before long I'll be the only one here!" is an example of which type of faulty reasoning?

A) hasty generalization
B) appealing to false authority
C) slippery slope
D) jumping on a bandwagon

Question 25

Which level of Bloom's taxonomy is the highest and is defined as combining concepts and theories to form new, unique ideas?

A) applying
B) analyzing
C) creating
D) understanding

Question 26

When you make judgments and decisions about the value of new information, you are demonstrating which level of Bloom's taxonomy?

A) evaluating
B) understanding
C) creating
D) analyzing

Question 27

Which describes the analyzing level of Bloom's taxonomy?

A) applying abstract information to practical situations
B) breaking down information into parts so you can understand its structure
C) being able to restate in your own words what the ideas mean
D) being able to recall ideas and information

Question 28

Lina is used to having math homework with questions that she knows how to solve because her instructor went over them in class. This week, her instructor explained how to solve several problems in class, but the homework questions are different. They do, however, require that she use the same skills and formulas her instructor covered in class. What level of Bloom's taxonomy does Lina's homework address?

A) understanding
B) remembering
C) evaluating
D) applying

Question 29

Which level of Bloom's taxonomy requires the highest level of critical thinking?

A) creating
B) analyzing
C) understanding
D) evaluating

Question 30

Which skill is associated with the remembering level of Bloom's taxonomy?

A) explaining a concept in your own words
B) recalling a dictionary definition
C) writing about a concept using practical examples
D) hypothesizing new outcomes regarding a concept

Question 31

Fast thinking is characterized by conscious attention as well as making rational decisions.

Question 32

In college, you will primarily be called on to receive knowledge rather than construct it.

Question 33

When employers say they want workers who can find reliable information, analyze it, organize it, draw conclusions from it, and present it convincingly to others, they are seeking individuals who are critical thinkers.

Question 34

Creative brainstorming and group discussions discourage original thinking.

Question 35

Questions like "Can this idea be interpreted in more than one way" are representative of the first step of critical thinking.

Question 36

Being a good critical thinker means considering many different viewpoints or opinions.

Question 37

A strong argument appeals most to your emotions.

Question 38

It is important to listen to both sides of an argument before making up your mind.

Question 39

In Bloom's taxonomy, understanding includes appraising, arguing, defending, and supporting.

Question 40

In Bloom's taxonomy, analyzing includes categorizing, comparing, contrasting, and questioning.

Question 41

Explain how fast thinking differs from slow thinking.

Question 42

Explain the value of collaboration.

Question 43

Identify a newsworthy item that is clearly polarizing U.S. citizens, such as how the government has responded to a recent national disaster or a political issue, such as health care reform. If you were asked to take a position on the issue you've chosen, what steps would you take to be sure you exercise critical thinking and avoid fault reasoning?

Question 44

Why are arguments central to academic study, work, and life in general?

Question 45

When is it important to examine assumptions more thoughtfully, and why?

Question 46

List a few of the questions that you should ask when evaluating evidence to present in favor of an argument to the class.

Question 47

Create an example of a jumping on the bandwagon logical fallacy. Explain why this is a good example of this logical fallacy.

Question 48

Consider a time when you or someone you know made an argument based on faulty reasoning. Describe the argument you made, including any logical fallacies involved, and explain what you could have done differently to think critically about the information.

Question 49

Pick a topic or subject area that you have learned about in the past. Explain an example of how you demonstrated the Bloom's level of remembering in that subject.