136.
Define “humble” by synonyms, using one synonym that carries a complimentary meaning
and one that carries a derogatory emotive meaning.
Our suggestions:
docile; wimpy.
137.
Define “decayed” by synonyms, using one synonym that carries a complimentary meaning
and one that carries a derogatory emotive meaning.
Our suggestions:
aged; rotted.
138.
Define “intellectual (noun)” by synonyms, using one synonym that carries a complimentary
meaning and one that carries a derogatory emotive meaning.
Our suggestions:
thinker; egghead.
139.
Rank the claims in the following set from general to least vague.
Joanna
a. is left of center in her political views.
b. has voted for the socialist candidate for president in the last four elections.
c. usually doesn’t vote for Republicans.
d. is a liberal.
Decreasingly general: (a) and (d) are about equal, (c) somewhat less vague, then (b).
140.
Rank the claims in the following set from general to least vague.
When Louis returned from his trip, he told me
a. that the airline had lost his bags twice.
b. that it had been a nightmare.
c. that all the clothes except those on his back spent the weekend in Miami and Cleveland
while he was in New Orleans and Detroit.
d. that he had to wear the same clothes for three straight days because of airline foul-ups
with his luggage.
Decreasingly general: (b), (a), (d), (c).
141.
Rank the claims in the following set from general to least vague.
a. I hear a funny noise in my engine.
b. I have an engine problem.
c. When I give it gas, I hear this funny sound in my engine.
d. My engine makes a strange noise sometimes but not at other times.
e. There is an unusual ticking sound in my engine when I accelerate from zero to around
thirty.
Decreasingly general: (b), (a), (d), (c), (e).
142.
Rank the claims in the following set from general to least vague.
a. The students with the most points at the end of the semester will get the best grades.
b. The top 10 percent of the class will receive “A’s”.
c. Everybody whose average is 90 or above will get an A.
d. The class will be graded on a curve.
e. Grading will be relatively tough in this course.
Decreasingly general: (a), (e), (d); (b) and (c) are about equal.
143.
Rank the claims in the following set from general to least vague.
The administration has indicated it would
a. not be satisfied until the problem was solved.
b. propose new legislation to combat the problem.
c. send a bill to Congress during the next session.
d. take the problem under advisement.
Decreasingly general: (d), (a), (b), (c).
144.
Rank the claims in the following set from general to least vague.
a. Smoking is hazardous to your health.
b. Smoking is linked with lung disease.
c. Smoking has been demonstrated to cause lung cancer and emphysema.
d. Smoking is not good for you.
e. Smoking is linked with lung cancer and emphysema.
Decreasingly general: (d), (a), (b), (e), (c).
145.
Rank the claims in the following set from general to least vague.
a. Dennis was a monster all evening.
b. Dennis was well-behaved while the guests were here.
c. Dennis was ill-mannered toward the guests.
d. Dennis threw a tantrum in front of everybody.
Decreasingly general: (a) (and ambiguous, too), (d), (b) and (c) about equal.
146.
Rank the claims in the following set from general to least vague.
a. Whitney was hungry, so she helped herself to more potatoes.
b. “I’m drowning!” she screamed. “Someone help me!”
c. Morgan helped her mother at every opportunity.
d. Derrick discovered he could not lift the box unless someone helped him by lifting one
end.
e. The word “help” has four letters in it.
These are all about equally precise with the exception of (c), which is more vague.
147.
Rank the claims in the following set from general to least vague.
a. His were the most awful, despicable, outrageous crimes that have been committed in
this county in the entire century.
b. He murdered seven innocent people.
c. He shocked the sensibilities of the whole region with his horrible crimes.
d. He was guilty of seven felonies and about nine misdemeanors, including murder and
abuse of the mails.
e. He chopped up seven people and sent their parts to the governor’s office.
Decreasingly general: (c), (a) (a close second), (d), (b), (e).
148.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
Mr. Gardner
a. is a social drinker.
b. is alcohol-dependent.
c. is a heavy imbiber.
d. enjoys tippling.
e. is a drunk.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
149.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
a. He had done some unfortunate deeds in his day.
b. He had on occasion gone astray.
c. He had become morally bankrupt.
d. He had the moral sensibility of a reptile.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
meaning of one’s own remarks. Besides, these can be fun.
150.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
Shirley always had trouble finding clothes that fit because she was
a. so petite.
b. quite small.
c. a runt.
d. diminutive.
e. tiny.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
151.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
a. He was a cautious sort.
b. He was deliberate and heedful of his own safety.
c. He was afraid to take the slightest risk.
d. He was spineless.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
meaning of one’s own remarks. Besides, these can be fun.
152.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
She was
a. well-traveled.
b. tired.
c. exhausted.
d. shopworn.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
meaning of one’s own remarks. Besides, these can be fun.
153.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
a. She occasionally lapsed in her duty toward others.
b. She didn’t care how her actions would negatively affect others.
c. She seized opportunities to cause misfortune to others.
d. She was vicious toward others.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
meaning of one’s own remarks. Besides, these can be fun.
154.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
When he told others what he thought of them, he was
a. honest.
b. blunt.
c. ruthless.
d. rude.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
meaning of one’s own remarks. Besides, these can be fun.
155.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
Luigi is
a. clumsy.
b. like a bull in a china shop.
c. a klutz.
d. not very well coordinated.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
meaning of one’s own remarks. Besides, these can be fun.
156.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
My new roommate
a. talks all the time.
b. loves to talk.
c. is a great talker.
d. hardly ever gives his larynx a rest.
157.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
a. The Raiders gave the ball game away.
b. All the breaks went against the Raiders.
c. The Raiders couldn’t buy a piece of good luck.
d. The Raiders were having a bad day.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
meaning of one’s own remarks. Besides, these can be fun.
158.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
That novel you gave me to read
a. put me to sleep.
b. was dull.
c. wasn’t as interesting as most things I’ve read lately.
d. was tedious work to trudge through.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
meaning of one’s own remarks. Besides, these can be fun.
159.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning, and why
do some choices seem meaner than others?
a. I’ve never been fond of bowling.
b. Bowling bores me to death.
c. I’d rather read the phone book than bowl.
d. On the pleasure scale, bowling ranks alongside pulling ticks off a dog.
It’s ironic that a touch of humor (ridicule, really) can make a remark more vicious. Can
understanding how many positive and negative ways there are to say essentially the same
thing help you learn to control the emotive meaning of your own remarks?
160.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
Professor Henderson’s class
a. doesn’t require much studying.
b. is a gut.
c. is easy.
d. doesn’t require a prefrontal cortex to pass.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
161.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
He’ll never make a good wide receiver because
a. he has trouble holding onto the ball.
b. he has bricks for hands.
c. he can’t catch.
d. no self-respecting football would like to be in his hands.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
meaning of one’s own remarks. Besides, these can be fun.
162.
Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning?
a. Conversation is not Daryll’s forte.
b. Daryll descends from simple folk, you know, “people of the earth.”
c. Daryll is not very clever.
d. Daryll would lose a duel of wits with a gum ball machine.
These are easy to answer; the point is to consider how many positive and negative ways
there are to say essentially the same thing, and then to learn to control the emotive
meaning of one’s own remarks. Besides, these can be fun.
163.
Arrange the lettered items below in order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning.
Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these
problems. We’ve said (a) = (b) when (a) and (b) seem equally favorable to us.
Karl’s diet really took the pounds off; he looks really
a. slender.
b. thin.
c. svelte.
d. trim.
(b), (a), (c) = (d)
164.
Arrange the lettered items below in the order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning.
Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these
problems. We’ve said (a) = (b) when (a) and (b) seem equally favorable to us.
What a thing to wake up to each morning! All you hear are birds
a. chirping.
b. cheeping.
c. chattering.
d. screeching.
165.
Arrange the lettered items below in order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning.
Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these
problems. We’ve said (a) = (b) when (a) and (b) seem equally favorable to us.
a. Danielle sings beautifully.
b. Danielle has an excellent ear for pitch, a wide range, perfect timbre, and fine phrasing.
c. Danielle sings like an angel.
d. Danielle is a competent singer
(d), (b), (a), (c). A flattering comparison or metaphor (or an unflattering one, for that
matter) is often a stronger way of saying something than the simple use of adjectives.
166.
Arrange the lettered items below in order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning.
Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these
problems. We’ve said (a) = (b) when (a) and (b) seem equally favorable to us.
Personally, I find Harold very
a. agreeable.
b. congenial.
c. manageable.
d. submissive.
e. flexible.
f. yielding.
167.
Arrange the lettered items below in order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning.
Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these
problems. We’ve said (a) = (b) when (a) and (b) seem equally favorable to us.
In my view, Mrs. Tuttle might be described as
a. innocent.
b. childlike.
c. guileless.
d. simple.
e. artless.
f. naive.
(d), (e), (f), (b), (a), (c)
168.
Arrange the lettered items below in order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning.
Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these
problems. We’ve said (a) = (b) when (a) and (b) seem equally favorable to us.
The house the new architect designed for the Washingtons is
a. unique.
b. like nothing I’ve ever seen.
169.
Arrange the lettered items below in order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning.
Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these
problems. We’ve said (a) = (b) when (a) and (b) seem equally favorable to us.
Kim
a. reads all the time.
b. is a voracious reader.
c. is extremely well-read.
d. is a bookworm.
(d), (a), (b), (c)
170.
Arrange the lettered items below in order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning.
Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these
problems. We’ve said (a) = (b) when (a) and (b) seem equally favorable to us.
Lytton is quite rich, but then, he is
a. frugal.
b. stingy.
c. thrifty.
d. miserly.
e. greedy.
171.
Arrange the lettered items below in order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning.
Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these
problems. We’ve said (a) = (b) when (a) and (b) seem equally favorable to us.
I’ve known Hawthorne for twenty years, and you’re right, he’s
a. domineering.
b. masterful.
c. lordly.
d. overbearing.
e. dictatorial.
f. bossy.
(e), (d) = (f), (a), (c), (b)
172.
Arrange the lettered items below in order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning.
Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these
problems. We’ve said (a) = (b) when (a) and (b) seem equally favorable to us.
The paper you turned in last week was
a. mediocre.
b. fine.
c. competent.
d. adequate.
e. quite good.
(a), (d), (c), (e), (b). The last two are so close that one’s tone of voice makes more
difference than the choice of word.
173.
Identify any unnecessary and potentially offensive references to gender, race, or other
features in the following passage and, as necessary, rewrite the passage in neutral
language.
Mike O’Neill and his wife, Karen, arrived at the party at eight o’clock.
174.
Identify any unnecessary and potentially offensive references to gender, race, or other
features in the following passage and, as necessary, rewrite the passage in neutral
language.
The job of lineman is the hardest job in the telephone company. Those guys get called out
in all kinds of weather.
People who work out on the lines have the hardest jobs in the telephone company. They
get called out in all kinds of weather.
175.
Identify any unnecessary and potentially offensive references to gender, race, or other
features in the following passage and, as necessary, rewrite the passage in neutral
language.
The Speaker of the House gave a pretty good speech, but he did not answer any questions
afterward.
No changes required.