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96.
“The president’s basic problem, in my opinion, is that she is too unemotional. She makes
all her decisions on cold logic and seems to ignore the human dimension. If you don’t
believe me, I offer as proof the way she withdrew her support for her brother-in-law when
he was charged with tax evasion. After that, he couldn’t get elected dog catcher.”
Which of the following best states the primary issue discussed in the passage?
A.
whether the president should have withdrawn support for her brother-in-law
B.
whether you should believe me about the president
C.
whether the president has a serious problem
D.
whether the president is too unemotional
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97.
“With genetically different animals, there’s always the possibility that the results of
experiments are due to variations among animals rather than to whatever is being tested.
Genetically identical research animals would therefore be a boon to research because
scientists could be more confident of their research results.”
Which of the following best states the primary issue discussed in the passage?
A.
B.
whether genetically identical research animals would be a boon to research
C.
whether results of experiments are due to variations among animals or to whatever is
being tested
D.
whether experimentation on animals should continue
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98.
“I think there should be a speed limit for the ‘spandex’ bicycle racers that feel the need to
run those of us that don’t ride or walk as fast off the road and into the bushes in Bidwell
Park. The park is for everyone’s pleasure and enjoyment, and more often than not it is
spoiled by those few who feel they are superior to the rest of us. Approximately eight out
of ten times when my family and I have ridden our bikes through the park at least one of
us has just about been plowed over by one of those egotistical speeders.”—From a letter
to the editor
Which of the following best states the primary issue discussed in the passage?
A.
whether there should be a speed limit for bicycle racers
B.
whether bicycle racers are egotistical
C.
whether the park is for everyone’s pleasure
D.
whether outings to the park are frequently spoiled by bicycle racers
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99.
“The Justice Department recently reported that the Immigration and Naturalization Service
allowed more than 180,000 immigrants to become American citizens just before the last
presidential election without completing background checks. The INS did this in hopes
that most of the new immigrants would vote for Democrats. This political chicanery is an
outrage, and Congress should demand accountability from the responsible officials.”
Which of the following best states the primary issue discussed in the passage?
A.
whether the INS allowed 180,000 immigrants to become American citizens without
completing background checks
B.
whether the INS allowed 180,000 immigrants to become American citizens without
background checks in hopes that the new immigrants would vote for Democrats
C.
whether this political chicanery shows that Congress should demand accountability
from the responsible officials
D.
whether Congress should demand accountability from the responsible officials
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100.
“Should welfare recipients repay the state before they collect their winnings from the
lottery? On the one hand, if you borrow money from somebody and win the lottery with it,
you should repay the loan out of your winnings. But on the other hand, welfare is not a
loan. It is a payment to people to help them improve their lives in the best way they can.”
Which of the following best states the primary issue discussed in the passage?
A.
whether welfare is a loan
B.
whether welfare should be used to play the lottery
C.
whether welfare recipients should repay the state before they collect winnings from the
lottery
D.
whether the fact that welfare is a loan means that welfare recipients should repay the
state before they collect winnings from the lottery
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101.
“The Republicans’ proposal to cut taxes on capital gains (profits from selling real estate,
stocks, and bonds) is not a sop for the wealthy. It is a way to stimulate investment and
ultimately to create jobs. That’s why it is in everyone’s interest to support the proposal.”
Which of the following best states the primary issue discussed in the passage?
A.
whether the proposal is a sop for the wealthy
B.
whether the proposal is a way to stimulate investment and ultimately to create jobs
C.
whether stimulating investment and creating jobs is a good thing
D.
whether it is in everyone’s interest to support the proposal
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True / False Questions
102.
A belief cannot be expressed in a declarative sentence.
FALSE
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103.
When an opinion is expressed in a declarative statement, the result is a claim.
TRUE
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104.
“Tommy has great fashion sense” is an objective claim.
FALSE
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105.
Whether a subjective claim is true or false is independent of whether people think it is true
or false.
FALSE
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106.
“Gina has swag” is a subjective claim.
TRUE
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Multiple Choice Questions
107.
Which of the following is a subjective claim?
A.
Staring at the sun will damage your eyes.
B.
You shouldn’t buy that car because it is ugly.
C.
On a baseball field, the center of the pitcher’s mound is 59 feet from home plate.
D.
Pit vipers can strike a warm-blooded animal even when it is pitch dark.
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108.
Which of the following is a subjective claim?
A.
Leno tells better jokes than Letterman.
B.
Yellow is Jennifer’s favorite color.
C.
Pit vipers can strike a warm-blooded animal even when it is pitch dark.
D.
There is life on Mars.
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109.
Which of the following is an objective claim?
A.
Sailing is the most soothing activity.
B.
Yellow is the most pleasant color to look at.
C.
Jason has great dressing sense.
D.
Driving while drowsy is dangerous.
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110.
Which of the following is an objective claim?
A.
Fallon tells better jokes than Colbert.
B.
Golf is a waste of time.
C.
In 2013 Miguel Cabrera hit the most home runs on a 3–0 count.
D.
Opera would be easier to listen to if they’d leave out the singing.
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True / False Questions
111.
Some opinions are not subjective, because their truth or falsity is independent of what
people think.
TRUE
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Multiple Choice Questions
112.
The first order of business when it comes to thinking critically about an issue is to
A.
determine whether the issue is objective.
B.
determine what, exactly, the issue is.
C.
identify the premise of the issue.
D.
identify the conclusion of the issue.
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True / False Questions
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113.
Identifying the issue is very simple in all real-life situations.
FALSE
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Multiple Choice Questions
114.
Which of the following is true of cognitive biases?
A.
They evaluate conclusions based on evidence.
B.
They help process information accurately.
C.
They interfere with one’s ability to think clearly.
D.
They help people reason objectively.
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115.
The tendency to attach more weight to evidence that supports our viewpoint is known as
A.
confirmation bias.
B.
belief bias.
C.
negativity bias.
D.
availability bias.
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116.
General rules people unconsciously follow in estimating probabilities are known as
A.
subjective claims.
B.
objective claims.
C.
biases.
D.
heuristics.
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117.
Which of the following involves unconsciously assigning a probability to a type of event on
the basis of how often one thinks of events of that type?
A.
Factual claim
B.
In-group bias
C.
Availability heuristic
D.
Obscure issue
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118.
The inclination that people may have to assume that their attitudes and those held by
people around them are shared by society at large is known as
A.
the fundamental attribution error.
B.
the false consensus effect.
C.
negativity bias.
D.
confirmation bias.
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119.
An unconscious tendency to align one’s thinking with that of other people is known as the
A.
bandwagon effect.
B.
availability heuristic.
C.
confirmation bias.
D.
belief bias.
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True / False Questions
120.
The bandwagon effect is potentially a powerful source of cognitive distortion.
TRUE
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Multiple Choice Questions
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121.
The tendency to not appreciate that others’ behavior is as much constrained by events
and circumstances as our own would be if we were in their position is known as the
A.
false consensus effect.
B.
fundamental attribution error.
C.
bandwagon effect.
D.
overconfidence effect.
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