Deck 2: Recognizing Arguments

Question 1

Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be. (Thomas á Kempis, The Imitation of Christ)
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) argument
B) report
C) conditional statement
D) explanation
E) illustration

Answer 1

argument

Question 2

Astrology is having a resurgence not only because of mystical trends that ebb and flow over the years, but also because of the superabundance of astrological material easily accessible everywhere. (J.V. Stewart, Astrology: What's Really in the Stars?)
This statement is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) argument; conclusion: There is a superabundance of astrological material everywhere
B) nonargument; explanation
C) argument; conclusion: Astrology is having a resurgence
D) nonargument; report

Answer 2

nonargument; explanation

Question 3

Be not afraid because some time thou must cease to live, but fear to have begun truly to live. (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations)
This quote is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) argument; conclusion: Fear to have begun truly to live
B) nonargument; unsupported assertion
C) nonargument; explanation
D) argument; conclusion: Be not afraid because some time thou must cease to live

Answer 3

nonargument; unsupported assertion

Question 4

People often express the opinion that specific traits of members of certain groups are responsible for their disadvantaged situation. Thus in South Africa it is common for whites to assert that blacks are not ready for full citizenship because they remain childlike and simple. (William Kornblum, Sociology in a Changing World)
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) argument
B) report
C) illustration
D) unsupported assertion
E) explanation

Question 5

In a thoroughly naturalistic universe, it would be hard to see how any of our gestures toward meaning could be efficacious in any way at all. For this reason, the debate about the existence of God is never just an intellectual controversy. (Tom Morris, Philosophy for Dummies)
This passage is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; conditional statement
B) argument; conclusion: The debate about the existence of God is never just an intellectual controversy
C) argument; conclusion: In a thoroughly naturalistic universe, it would be hard to see how any of our gestures toward meaning could be efficacious in any way at all
D) nonargument; explanation

Question 6

"If Aretha had a garden, she would be very proud of it. If Aretha was proud of her garden, she'd throw wonderful parties to show it off. So, if Aretha wanted a garden, she'd throw wonderful parties." These statements exemplify a(n) _____.

A) illustration
B) report
C) chain argument
D) nonargument
E) ought imperative

Question 7

He that makes use of the light and faculties God has given him and seeks sincerely to discover truths by those helps and abilities he has, may have this satisfaction in doing his duty as a rational creature, that, though he should miss truth, he will not miss the reward of it. For he governs his assent right, and places it as he should, who, in any case or matter whatsoever, believes or disbelieves, according as his reason directs him. (John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding)
This passage is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) argument; conclusion: He that makes use of the light and faculties God has given him and seeks sincerely to discover truths by those helps and abilities he has, may have this satisfaction in doing his duty as a rational creature, that, though he should miss truth, he will not miss the reward of it
B) nonargument; unsupported assertion
C) nonargument; explanation
D) nonargument; conditional statement

Question 8

Banning sweets from your household doesn't necessarily mean your child will grow up shunning sugary treats. Just the opposite is true, in fact: In a recent study, children who had just eaten a full meal were put in a room with a table piled with sweets. Even though they weren't hungry, children who were not usually allowed to have such treats gorged on the cakes and cookies, says researcher Leann Birch, Ph.D., professor of human development at Pennsylvania State University of Health and Human Development. Meanwhile, those kids whose parents regularly permitted such sweets in moderation hardly touched them. (Laura Flynn McCarthy, "Six Nutrition Rules Even Smart Moms Don't Know")
This passage is an example of a(n) _____.

A) explanation
B) argument
C) unsupported assertion
D) report
E) conditional statement

Question 9

The standard medical research institutions and journals require placebo-controlled trials because they know that sugar pills yield better results than no pills at all. (Melvin Konner, "Faith Healers")
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) unsupported assertion
B) explanation
C) report
D) argument
E) conditional statement

Question 10

When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. (Edmund Burke, "Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents")
This statement is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) argument; conclusion: Else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle
B) nonargument; explanation
C) argument; conclusion: When bad men combine, the good must associate
D) nonargument; unsupported assertion

Question 11

Rather than really looking at things, people often skimp, fudge, or fake it-think of the detective who doesn't really want to know who committed the crime, just to collect enough evidence to get a conviction, or the academic who is less concerned to find the cause of racial disharmony than to get a large grant for investigating the matter. (Susan Haack, "A Fallibilist among the Skeptics")
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) report
B) illustration
C) argument
D) explanation
E) conditional statement

Question 12

In an explanation, the statement that does the explaining is called the explanans.

Question 13

The following passage contains an ought imperative: "Do not drive while taking this medication. Extreme drowsiness may result."

Question 14

The heavily cratered lunar highlands speak to us of an early epoch in the history of the solar system when cratering was much more common than it is today; the present population of interplanetary debris fails by a large factor to account for the abundance of the highland craters. (Carl Sagan, Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science)
This statement is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; report
B) argument; conclusion: The present population of interplanetary debris fails by a large factor to account for the abundance of the highland craters
C) nonargument; explanation
D) argument; conclusion: The heavily cratered lunar highlands speak to us of an early epoch in the history of the solar system when cratering was much more common than it is today

Question 15

Since 1950, almost every top publishing house in the United States has been issuing books that its editors know to be occult garbage. Why? The answer is obvious. Like worthless diet books, they make lots of money. (Martin Gardner, The New Age: Notes of a Fringe Watcher)
This passage is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) argument; conclusion: Since 1950, almost every top publishing house in the United States has been issuing books that its editors know to be occult garbage
B) argument; conclusion: Like worthless diet books, they make lots of money
C) nonargument; explanation
D) nonargument; report

Question 16

The following sentence is an argument: "The dog is barking because the ice cream truck is coming."

Question 17

Do not look directly at the sun. Its ultraviolet (UV) and infrared radiation can be catastrophic-it can literally burn a hole in your retina, leading to blindness. (David H. Levy, "Look for the Solar Eclipse")
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) argument
B) unsupported assertion
C) report
D) conditional statement
E) explanation

Question 18

We can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ; thus the crossing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ's victory and also of Christian baptism. ( The Catechism of the Catholic Church)
This statement is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; illustration
B) nonargument; explanation
C) argument; conclusion: We can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ
D) argument; conclusion: The crossing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ's victory and also of Christian baptism

Question 19

The following sentence is a conditional statement: "If it's past 8:00, then the store will be closed."

Question 20

Mahatma Gandhi walked barefoot everywhere, to the point that his feet became quite thick and hard. He also was quite a spiritual person. Even when not on a hunger strike, he did not eat much and became quite thin and frail. Furthermore, due to his diet, he ended up with very bad breath. Therefore, he came to be known as a "super callused fragile mystic plagued with halitosis." (Internet joke)
This passage exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) explanation
B) unsupported assertion
C) argument
D) illustration
E) report

Question 21

Dictators win the loyalty of their people because people are anxious to have someone and something in which to believe and to whom they can give loyalty. (Peter J. Gomes, The Good Book)
This statement is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) argument; conclusion: Dictators win the loyalty of their people
B) nonargument; unsupported assertion
C) nonargument; report
D) nonargument; explanation

Question 22

"A student is considered to have passed a grade if he or she acquires a minimum of 50 percent marks in each subject." In this conditional statement, the part "A student is considered to have passed a grade" is the _____.

A) consequent
B) chain argument
C) explanandum
D) explanans
E) antecedent

Question 23

If elections are to be a means of popular control over public policy, voters must be reasonably well informed about policy issues and must hold opinions about them. (Thomas R. Dye and Harmon Ziegler, The Irony of Democracy: An Uncommon Introduction to American Politics, 8th ed.)
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) unsupported assertion
B) explanation
C) argument
D) conditional statement
E) report

Question 24

Because Mars is farther from the Sun than is the Earth, its temperatures are considerably lower. (Carl Sagan, Cosmos)
This statement is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) argument; conclusion: Its temperatures are considerably lower
B) nonargument; report
C) nonargument; explanation
D) argument; conclusion: Mars is farther from the Sun than is the Earth

Question 25

"Whoever wishes to be healthy eats salads. Salads have lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes. Lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes are easy to grow in the backyard. Hence, whoever wishes to be healthy must grow lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes in his or her backyard." These statements exemplify a(n) _____.

A) report
B) illustration
C) explanation
D) unsupported assertion
E) chain argument

Question 26

I believe in the United States of America as a Government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect Union one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. (William Tyler Page, "The American's Creed," quoted in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 12^th ed.)
This statement is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; report
B) nonargument; conditional statement
C) nonargument; illustration
D) nonargument; unsupported assertion

Question 27

It is very easy for Pope John Paul II to urge Catholics to attend Sunday mass, especially in Rome, where one can be surrounded by hundreds of priests. Out here in the real world there is a serious shortage of male priests; those who remain increasingly preside over lackluster liturgies. This situation could be alleviated by allowing married priests into active ministry and by the Catholic Church's recognition of female priests. (Mary Louise Hartman, Letter to the Editor, New York Times)
This passage is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) argument; conclusion: The Catholic Church should recognize female priests and allow married priests into active ministry
B) nonargument; report
C) nonargument; unsupported assertion
D) nonargument; explanation

Question 28

The California Psychological Inventory (CPI) was initially developed and first published by Harrison Gough in 1957. Thirty years later Gough revised his inventory by adding several new scales and revamping or eliminating a number of dated, sexist, or difficult to read items. The current version of the CPI contains 462 true-false items designed to measure various facets of the normal personality. It is intended to be used with both adolescents and adults to predict how individuals will behave and react in a variety of interpersonal situations. (Kevin R. Murphy and Charles O. Davidshofer, Psychological Testing: Principles and Applications, 4^th ed.)
This passage exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) explanation
B) report
C) argument
D) illustration
E) unsupported assertion

Question 29

Simple distinctions come all too easily. Frequently we open the way for later puzzlement by restricting the options we take to be available. So, for example, in contrasting science and religion, we often operate with a simple pair of categories. On one side there is science, proof, and certainty; on the other, religion, conjecture, and faith. (Philip Kitcher, Abusing Science: The Case Against Creationism)
This passage is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; conditional statement
B) nonargument; illustration
C) argument; conclusion: For example, in contrasting science and religion, we often operate with a simple pair of categories
D) argument; conclusion: Simple distinctions come all too easily

Question 30

Because narcotics are highly addictive and potentially harmful, they are usually either regulated by prescription or banned outright. (Robert J. Sternberg, Pathways to Psychology)
This statement is an example of a(n) _____.

A) conditional statement
B) argument
C) illustration
D) explanation
E) unsupported assertion

Question 31

I don't think that Americans have the right to fly other countries' flags, I really don't. If this isn't illegal, it should be. If they want to fly another flag, let them go to live in that country. It offends me very, very much. (From a newspaper call-in column)
This passage exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) report
B) unsupported assertion
C) illustration
D) argument
E) explanation

Question 32

According to Plato, the very essence of time is changing but the very essence of knowledge is unchanging. What is true is always true. Therefore, whatever is relative and always changing cannot be true. (Douglas J. Soccio, Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy, 3^rd ed.)
This passage exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) argument
B) explanation
C) conditional statement
D) unsupported assertion
E) report

Question 33

This is for the person who wrote in the SAYSO column that George Bush is a breath of fresh air. I think he is an airhead. (From a newspaper call-in column)
This statement is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; unsupported assertion
B) argument; conclusion: I think he is an airhead
C) nonargument; report
D) nonargument; explanation

Question 34

Indicator words provide clues that premises or conclusions are being offered.

Question 35

A statement can sometimes be expressed as a phrase or an incomplete clause, rather than as a complete declarative sentence.

Question 36

The following sentence is a statement: "Text me if you have trouble downloading the file."

Question 37

Besides thinking and writing, most of my effort has involved reading materials new to me. As a consequence, the citations I provide are primarily to sources I have read recently. (Kent Greenawalt, <>Law and Objectivity)
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) explanation
B) unsupported assertion
C) argument
D) conditional statement
E) illustration

Question 38

Let's get this straight now. Guns, evil. Abortion, good. Restrictions on gun ownership. Federal protection of abortion clinics and abortionists. Register your guns, but you don't have to tell your parents or the father you're having an abortion. A relative handful of kids tragically get killed because a few people went beserk or played with their daddy's gun; but thousands of kids are killed every year by abortion. Guns evil? Abortion good? There is something really, really wrong going on here. (From a newspaper call-in column)
This passage is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; conditional statement
B) nonargument; unsupported assertion
C) argument; conclusion: Guns are good and abortion is evil
D) argument; conclusion; There is something really, really wrong here

Question 39

I would like to voice my opinion on what pet shops should sell. Cats, dogs, birds, fish are OK, but rodents, reptiles should not be caged and should remain in their own environment. I think that they should do something to stop them from profiting on these creatures. (From a newspaper call-in column)
This passage is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) argument; conclusion: They should do something to stop them from profiting on these creatures
B) argument; conclusion: Cats, dogs, birds, fish are OK, but rodents, reptiles should not be caged and should remain in their own environment
C) nonargument; explanation
D) nonargument; unsupported assertion

Question 40

If miracles are not possible, then they cannot be actual. (Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli, Handbook of Christian Apologetics)
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) report
B) explanation
C) conditional statement
D) unsupported assertion
E) argument

Question 41

In the statement "I haven't been to Disney World since I was a kid," the word since functions as a premise indicator.

Question 42

Although it is high time to deal with agriculture's contribution to water pollution, the damage is very uneven in scope and severity; it tends to occur where farming is extensive and fresh water resources are vulnerable. Thus, blanket regulations would be unwise. (David E. Ervin, "Shaping a Smarter Environmental Policy for Farming")
This passage is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; illustration
B) argument; conclusion: It tends to occur where farming is extensive and fresh water resources are vulnerable
C) argument; conclusion: Blanket regulations would be unwise
D) nonargument; explanation

Question 43

The caller says, "Why would I go out in the cold and watch the Veteran's Day Parade when the media lets us watch it from our warm homes? Because they went out into worse than cold for you and me. They went out into war, death, fighting, guns, unspeakable conditions, and yes, while they were cold and wet a lot of times." (From a newspaper call-in column)
This passage is an example of a(n) _____.

A) report
B) explanation
C) conditional statement
D) unsupported assertion
E) argument

Question 44

The following example contains an argument: "My wife's towel is wet. Therefore, she must have already taken a shower this morning."

Question 45

The following sentence is an argument: "Washington is nicknamed 'The Evergreen State' because it sounds better than 'The Incessant Nagging Drizzle State.'" (Dave Barry, Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need)

Question 46

"The polar ice caps are melting because of global warming." In this statement, the part "The polar ice caps are melting" is the _____.

A) antecedent
B) chain argument
C) consequent
D) explanans
E) explanandum

Question 47

Many arguments contain no indicator words at all.

Question 48

I worry that to promote science as all fun and larky and easy is to store up trouble for the future. Real science can be hard (well, challenging to give it a more positive spin) but, like classical literature or playing the violin, worth the struggle. If children are lured into science, or any other worthwhile occupation, by the promise of easy fun, what are they going to do when they finally have to confront the reality? (Richard Dawkins, Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion, and the Appetite for Wonder)
This passage is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; report
B) nonargument; explanation
C) argument; conclusion: By promoting science as all fun and larky and easy we may be storing up trouble for the future
D) argument; conclusion: Real science can be hard, but is worth the struggle

Question 49

The following sentence is an argument: "Experts in any field learn new things faster than novices do, because their rich, highly accessible background knowledge gives them a greater variety of means for capturing the new ideas." (E. D. Hirsch, Jr., The Schools We Deserve-And Why We Don't Have Them)

Question 50

About a century and a half ago, Matthew Arnold found in the withdrawing ocean tide a metaphor for the retreat of religious faith, and heard in the water's sound "the note of sadness." It would be wonderful to find in the laws of nature a plan prepared by a concerned creator in which human beings played some special role. I find sadness in doubting that we will. (Steven Weinberg, Dreams of a Final Theory)
This passage is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; explanation
B) argument; conclusion: I find sadness in doubting that we will
C) argument; conclusion: It would be wonderful to find in the laws of nature a plan prepared by a concerned creator in which human beings played some special role
D) nonargument; unsupported assertion

Question 51

The following sentence is an argument: "No money spent on a good book can ever be wasted: somehow, sometime, somewhere that book will be read, if not by you, then by your children or your friends." (Clifton Fadiman, The Lifetime Reading Plan)

Question 52

Ought imperatives are statements.

Question 53

In part because of his scientific accomplishments, at least dimly grasped by the public; in part because of his courageous positions on social issues; and in part because of his benign personality, Einstein was admired and revered throughout the world. (Carl Sagan, Broca's Brain)
This passage exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) illustration
B) explanation
C) unsupported assertion
D) argument
E) report

Question 54

A good deal of conduct that is ethically immoral is not criminal. For example, there are many situations where one has a moral duty to save another's life where it can be done with little danger or inconvenience or expense, but failure to take action to do so is not usually criminal. (Wayne R. LaFave and Austin W. Scott, Handbook on Criminal Law)
This passage exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) unsupported assertion
B) illustration
C) report
D) argument
E) conditional statement

Question 55

The following sentence is a statement: "Marijuana should be legalized."

Question 56

The minority population of the public schools is growing because the minority population of the United States is growing. (Arthea J. S. Reed and Verna E. Bergemann, In the Classroom: An Introduction to Education)
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) unsupported assertion
B) report
C) explanation
D) conditional statement
E) argument

Question 57

Medieval painting had presented life as an allegory; the Renaissance preferred realism. The Medieval painters posed their figures frontally, impersonally; the Renaissance developed psychological characterization and the art of portraiture. Medieval painting dealt in stereotypes; the Renaissance concerned itself with individuals. Space in medieval painting was organized in a succession of planes over which the eye traveled as over a series of episodes. The Renaissance created unified space and the simultaneous seeing of the whole. It discovered landscape, created the illusion of distance, and opened up endless vistas upon the physical loveliness of the world. (Joseph Machlis and Kristine Forney, The Enjoyment of Music: An Introduction to Perceptive Listening)
This passage exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) conditional statement
B) argument
C) unsupported assertion
D) report
E) illustration

Question 58

"Elizabeth II is the reigning queen of England." According to the _____, this statement is an explanation and not an argument.

A) common-knowledge test
B) author's intent test
C) principle of charity test
D) past-event test

Question 59

"What time is it?" is an example of a statement.

Question 60

If it be true Christianity to dive with a passionate charity into the darkest recesses of misery and vice, to irrigate every quarter of the earth with the fertilizing stream of an almost boundless benevolence, and to include all the sections of humanity in the circle of an intense and efficacious sympathy; if it be true Christianity to destroy or weaken the barriers which had separated class from class and nation from nation, to free war from its harshest elements, and to make a consciousness of essential equality and of genuine fraternity dominate over all accidental differences; if it be, above all, true Christianity to cultivate a love of truth for its own sake, a spirit of candour and of tolerance towards those with whom we differ-if these be the marks of a true and healthy Christianity, then never since the days of the Apostles has it been so vigorous as at present. (W. E. H. Lecky, History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe)
This passage exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) explanation
B) report
C) conditional statement
D) argument
E) unsupported assertion

Question 61

A rhetorical question is a sentence that has the grammatical form of a question but is meant to be understood as a statement.

Question 62

A single grammatical sentence may be used to express more than one statement.

Question 63

An argument is a claim put forward and defended with reasons.

Question 64

Every argument consists of at least two statements.

Question 65

A NATO aircraft bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade because the military command mistakenly believed it was a headquarters for a Yugoslav arms agency. ("NATO Says It Thought Embassy Was Weapons Depot," New York Times)
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) unsupported assertion
B) explanation
C) conditional statement
D) report
E) argument

Question 66

"Juno likes chips, and Juno likes soccer. Juno eats chips while watching soccer on television. Juno's favorite soccer team often loses. Hence, Juno's favorite team loses because she likes chips." These statements exemplify a(n) _____.

A) chain argument
B) report
C) ought imperative
D) nonargument
E) illustration

Question 67

Official world table tennis championships were first held in 1926 under the auspices of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF; founded in 1926). Women's doubles competition was added in 1929 and women's team competition in 1934. In 1980 the ITTF first sponsored a men's World Cup competition for the top 16 ranking players; it has been held annually since then. ("Sporting Record: Table Tennis," The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th ed.)
This passage is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; explanation
B) argument; conclusion: It has been held annually since then
C) nonargument; unsupported assertion
D) nonargument; report

Question 68

There can be no defense of eating flesh in terms of satisfying nutritional needs, since it has been established beyond doubt that we could satisfy our need for protein and other essential nutrients far more efficiently with a diet that replaced animal flesh by soy beans, or products derived from soy beans, and other high-protein vegetable products. (Peter Singer, Animal Liberation)
This statement is made up of a(n) _____ and a(n) _____.

A) nonargument; explanation
B) argument; conclusion: There can be no defense of eating flesh in terms of satisfying nutritional needs
C) argument; conclusion: It has been established beyond doubt that we could satisfy our need for protein and other essential nutrients far more efficiently with a diet that replaced animal flesh by soy beans, or products derived from soy beans, and other high-protein vegetable products
D) nonargument; unsupported assertion

Question 69

If the play of the world is produced and directed by an omnipotent and omniscient God, does it not follow that every evil that is perpetuated is God's doing? (Carl Sagan, Broca's Brain)
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) conditional statement
B) argument
C) explanation
D) illustration
E) report

Question 70

Since, because, and for are common premise indicators.

Question 71

Large-scale reductions in class size will likely lower the average quality of teachers: first, because to hire additional teachers school districts must reach into the lower-quality segment of the teacher pool; and, second, because a given budget will be spread among a higher number of teachers, thereby limiting potential increases in teacher salaries. (Jane Hannaway and Robert I. Lerman, Letter to the Editor, The New Republic)
This passage exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) conditional statement
B) explanation
C) unsupported assertion
D) report
E) argument

Question 72

If we want our children to possess the traits of character we most admire, we need to teach them what those traits are and why they deserve both admiration and allegiance. (William J. Bennett, The Book of Virtues)
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) unsupported assertion
B) explanation
C) conditional statement
D) report
E) argument

Question 73

Human life means to me the life of beings for whom the leisured activities of thought, art, literature, conversation are the end, and the preservation and propagation of life merely the means. That is why education seems to me so important: it actualizes the potential for leisure, if you like for amateurishness, which is man's prerogative. (C. S. Lewis, Rehabilitations and Other Essays)
This passage exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) explanation
B) conditional statement
C) argument
D) report
E) unsupported assertion

Question 74

"Myra is often late for appointments because she is lazy." In this statement, the part "she is lazy" is the _____.

A) chain argument
B) explanandum
C) antecedent
D) explanans
E) consequent

Question 75

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of. (Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac)
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) explanation
B) argument
C) report
D) unsupported assertion
E) illustration

Question 76

The following sentence is a statement: "Who let the dogs out?"

Question 77

There are two statements in the sentence "Roses are red and violets are blue."

Question 78

For six months after Pearl Harbor, nearly everything in the Pacific went Japan's way. Britain's supposedly impregnable colony at Singapore fell easily. American naval garrisons in the Philippines and on Guam and Wake Islands were overwhelmed, and American and Filipino armies were forced to surrender at Bataan and Corregidor in the Philippines. Other Japanese forces steamed southward to menace Australia. Then the tide turned. (John M. Murrin, et. al., Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People, 2nd ed.)
This passage exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) conditional statement
B) argument
C) unsupported assertion
D) explanation
E) report

Question 79

If personal life is doomed to irreversible destruction, so are all the fruits of human creativity, whether material or spiritual, and it does not matter how long we, or our performances, may last. (Leszek Kolakowski, Religion)
This statement exemplifies a(n) _____.

A) unsupported assertion
B) argument
C) illustration
D) report
E) conditional statement

Question 80

Premises are statements in an argument offered as evidence or reasons in support of another statement.