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Chapter 03 Test I
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INSTRUCTIONS: Select the best answer for each argument.
1. Even though Jackie is not very bright, she always gets good grades. Therefore, she couldn’t possibly have cheated on
the last test.
a. Accident.
b. Tu quoque (you, too).
c. Red herring.
d. Missing the point.
e. No fallacy.
2. Bertha argues that vitamins and special food supplements are a waste of money. But only yesterday Bertha was seen in
a health food store, and her friends report that she takes vitamins every day. Obviously Bertha’s argument is crazy.
a. Tu quoque (you, too).
b. No fallacy.
c. Argument against the person, abusive.
d. Appeal to unqualified authority.
e. Weak analogy.
3. Ginger, I saw you outside the opera house the other night. Tell me, why don’t you enjoy ordinary musical events, like
normal people do?
a. Begging the question.
b. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
c. Appeal to ignorance.
d. No fallacy.
e. Complex question.
4. Republicans are clearly better able to run the country because they’re more experienced in handling money.
a. Slippery slope.
b. Hasty generalization.
c. Begging the question.
d. Missing the point.
e. No fallacy.
5. Jackson and Sean are sixteen-year-olds with similar interests. Jackson loves the latest Nintendo video game. Therefore,
probably Sean would love it, too.
a. Weak analogy.
b. False cause.
c. No fallacy.
d. Division.
e. Accident.
6. Senator Smith, I know you will support the oil drilling bill before the committee, because if you don’t, I’ll make a huge
contribution to your opponent in the next election.
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a. Red herring.
b. Appeal to force.
c. No fallacy.
d. Straw man.
e. Argument against the person, abusive.
7. Paul Derrick, president of Big Tex Oil Co., says that we should open up all coastal waters of the U.S. to oil drilling. He
promises that not a speck of pollution will result. Given Derrick’s expertise in these matters, it follows that we should
open up these waters immediately.
a. False cause.
b. Begging the question.
c. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
d. Appeal to unqualified authority.
e. No fallacy.
8. This carton contains heavy cream. Therefore, it weighs more than that identically sized carton of ordinary cream.
a. Accident.
b. Equivocation.
c. Amphiboly.
d. No fallacy.
e. Composition.
9. Ferguson’s argument in favor of deregulating the banking system isn’t worth a hoot. Consider this: Ferguson is a banker
himself, and if banks are deregulated, he will earn millions.
a. Red herring.
b. No fallacy.
c. Straw man.
d. Tu quoque (you, too).
e. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
10. Frances, since you studied chemistry last year, you should know the answer to this. Is calcium a metal or a nonmetal?
a. False dichotomy.
b. Appeal to unqualified authority.
c. No fallacy.
d. Complex question.
e. Begging the question.
11. For the past several years, every time that Ruben has suffered a bout of sneezing, he has come down with a cold.
Therefore, to prevent colds in the future, Ruben must constantly suppress the urge to sneeze.
a. False cause.
b. Equivocation.
c. Slippery slope.
d. Suppressed evidence.
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e. No fallacy.
12. People have the right to use their own property as they choose. Therefore, since Julian is the sole owner of this plot of
land, he can use it as a site for a hydrogen bomb factory.
a. Division.
b. Missing the point.
c. No fallacy.
d. Accident.
e. Hasty generalization.
13. We don’t dare allow the public school teachers to have another week of summer vacation. If we do, then the police
will want the same thing. Then it will be the firemen, park rangers, highway patrol, social service workers, highway
personnel, and motor vehicle workers. In the end, everyone will be working less for the same amount of money.
a. Slippery slope.
b. No fallacy.
c. Argument against the person, abusive.
d. Weak analogy.
e. Red herring.
14. Never in the past two hundred years have tourists been able to book a flight to the moon. Therefore, it is unlikely that
tourists will be able to book a flight to the moon in the next two hundred years.
a. Accident.
b. Hasty generalization.
c. No fallacy.
d. Composition.
e. Suppressed evidence.
15. This custard pudding is sweet. Therefore, every spoonful of this custard pudding is sweet.
a. False cause.
b. No fallacy.
c. Division.
d. Appeal to ignorance.
e. Composition.
16. Adrian argues that it should be illegal for private individuals to carry concealed weapons. Obviously Adrian wants to
abolish gun ownership altogether. Just go out and confiscate all the guns. That’s what Adrian wants. Well, the Second
Amendment gives us the right to bear arms, so Adrian’s argument is ridiculous.
a. Red herring.
b. Appeal to pity.
c. Straw man.
d. No fallacy.
e. Argument against the person, abusive.
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17. Nobody has ever proved that Ouija boards can’t be used to predict the future. It therefore follows that they can be used
for this purpose.
a. Hasty generalization.
b. Missing the point.
c. Appeal to unqualified authority.
d. No fallacy.
e. Appeal to ignorance.
18. Fred’s argument in favor of lowering the gasoline tax is totally absurd. Fred is a complete loser who has never held a
responsible job, and in his darker moments he abuses animals and torments small children.
a. Begging the question.
b. No fallacy.
c. Suppressed evidence.
d. Argument against the person, abusive.
e. False dichotomy.
19. Tim has lost money at the roulette wheel for the last five nights. Therefore, it is extremely likely that he will win
tonight.
a. Slippery slope.
b. False cause.
c. No fallacy.
d. Complex question.
e. Weak analogy.
20. Ted argues that CEOs should be prevented from selling stock they own in their own companies for ten years. But did
you hear that Ted recently broke up with his girlfriend? They carried on a torrid affair for two years, and when she got
pregnant, he dumped her. Enough of that. Let’s move on to something important.
a. Red herring.
b. Tu quoque (you, too).
c. No fallacy.
d. Straw man.
e. Accident.
21. Professional sports figures are not the clean, upright types people take them to be. Just look at Tiger Woods. He
betrayed his lovely wife by engaging in extramarital affairs with several different women.
a. Weak analogy.
b. No fallacy.
c. Hasty generalization.
d. Composition.
e. Accident.
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22. Either you pay my tuition to Stanford or I’ll be doomed to a life of mediocrity. I’m sure you don’t want that.
a. Appeal to the people.
b. Appeal to ignorance.
c. No fallacy.
d. Appeal to unqualified authority.
e. False dichotomy.
23. A person of your status will surely want to buy a Lexus. Owning a Lexus is the ultimate expression of cultural
refinement, exquisite taste, and financial success.
a. Appeal to ignorance.
b. Red herring.
c. Straw man.
d. Appeal to the people.
e. No fallacy.
24. Professor Friedman, the great constitutional scholar, says that the First Amendment is the most important part of the
Bill of Rights. We therefore conclude that the First Amendment is indeed the most important part of the Bill of Rights.
a. Amphiboly.
b. No fallacy.
c. Appeal to unqualified authority.
d. Equivocation.
e. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
25. It is permissible for physicians to write prescriptions for drugs. But chiropractors are health care professionals no less
than physicians. Therefore, it should be permissible for chiropractors to write prescriptions for drugs.
a. False cause.
b. Complex question.
c. No fallacy.
d. Weak analogy.
e. Hasty generalization.
26. Protons are not combustible, and neither are electrons. It therefore follows that hydrogen, which is composed of
protons and electrons, is not combustible.
a. Composition.
b. Weak analogy.
c. Division.
d. No fallacy.
e. Missing the point.
27. Rich people tend to be snobs because they have materialistic values. Of course they have materialistic values because
they fail to appreciate true human qualities. And why do they do this? Because they are condescending and haughty.
Naturally they are condescending and haughty because they tend to be snobs.
a. Appeal to ignorance.
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b. No fallacy.
c. Begging the question.
d. False cause.
e. Accident.
28. Surely little Jimmy isn’t responsible for burning down the school. A year ago, Jimmy’s dad, whom Jimmy loved
dearly, was killed in an accident, and ever since that time Jimmy has collected aluminum cans and mowed lawns to help
his poor mother raise his six brothers and sisters.
a. Accident.
b. Division.
c. Appeal to pity.
d. Appeal to force.
e. Equivocation.
29. Either Jane Austen was English or she was American. Since Jane Austen was not American, it follows that she was
English.
a. Begging the question.
b. No fallacy.
c. False dichotomy.
d. Suppressed evidence.
e. Accident.
30. Andrew said he petted his dog reading a newspaper. Andrew must have a very intelligent dog.
a. No fallacy.
b. Appeal to ignorance.
c. Equivocation.
d. Amphiboly.
e. False cause.
31. “Greensleeves” is a lovely tune. Therefore, every note of “Greensleeves” is a lovely tune.
a. Division.
b. Accident.
c. Composition.
d. Weak analogy.
e. No fallacy.
INSTRUCTIONS: Select the correct answer for each question.
32. The distributive predication of an attribute is found in:
a. Disjunctive statements.
b. Conditional statements.
c. Class statements.
d. General statements.
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e. Presumptive statements.
33. What fallacy often involves collective predication in the premise of an argument?
a. False cause.
b. Accident.
c. Composition.
d. Hasty generalization.
e. Division.
34. Given the argument, “If the sky is clear, then the stars are visible. The stars are visible. Therefore, the sky is clear.”
This argument is an example of:
a. A sound argument.
b. A formal fallacy.
c. A valid argument.
d. A fallacy of presumption.
e. An informal fallacy.
35. Which of the following is presented as a factor leading to the commission of informal fallacies?
a. The arguer’s irrational quest for power.
b. The defective worldview of the arguer.
c. A genetic predisposition to illogical reasoning.
d. Misfiring synapses in the brain of the arguer.
e. The intent of the arguer.
36. Which of the following fallacies always involves two arguers?
a. Red herring.
b. Complex question.
c. Straw man.
d. Slippery slope.
e. Begging the question.
37. The appeal to fear is a variety of:
a. Appeal to the people.
b. Argument against the person.
c. Appeal to force.
d. Red herring.
e. Appeal to pity.
38. Which of the following fallacies occurs in a valid argument?
a. Missing the point.
b. False cause.
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c. Begging the question.
d. Accident.
e. Appeal to ignorance.
39. Which fallacy occurs when a general rule is applied to a specific case that the rule was not intended to cover?
a. Hasty generalization.
b. Tu quoque (you, too).
c. Composition.
d. Accident.
e. Division.
40. Which fallacy involves a chain reaction of causes?
a. Begging the question.
b. Slippery slope.
c. Weak analogy.
d. Equivocation.
e. False dichotomy.