Analyzing and Evaluating Argument

Section A: Biofuels

Q1. Which of the following passages is an argument? Type the best answer, either A, B, C or D in the text box below. (1 mark) eg: 

    
A. Every young person should be able to choose an apprenticeship, just as they can choose university.  With an apprenticeship, you start at a level which reflects your current qualifications and combine work and training for 2 to 6 years in a particular field.     
B. A defendant has to be found guilty beyond reasonable doubt.  The defendant in this case probably assaulted the policewoman but there is room for doubt.  So the jury should find the defendant not guilty.

C. Playgrounds for the over-60s are popular in Germany, and now Manchester has one.  They are intended to encourage older people to stay playful and active, and include swings, see-saws and ski-walkers.

D. Children’s TV these days is not as good as it was in the 1970s.  Parents should watch TV with their children and explain what is happening.

2. Which of the following is the main conclusion of the argument? Type the best answer, either A, B, C or D in the text box below. (1 mark)

Although Usain Bolt holds the current world record for the 100m and 200m races, the fastest runner in the world today might not be the best of all time. With modern equipment runners from the 1930’s might beat today’s top runners.  In addition, grace and elegance of style or consistent high speed might count toward being the best of all time.

A. Usain Bolt holds the current world record for the 100m and 200m races.  

B. The fastest runner in the world today might not be the best of all time.  

C. With modern equipment runners from the 1930’s might beat today’s top runners.  

D. Grace and elegance of style, or consistent high speed might count toward being the best of all time. 

Questions 3-6 refer to the following passage about biofuels (eco-friendly fuels produced from organic renewable resources such as crops and plants).

Food has never previously been used for fuel. The respected Food Policy Research Institute believes that biofuels are responsible for 30% of the rise in grain prices.  Although biofuels are often portrayed as ‘eco-friendly’, rainforests are being cut down specifically to grow biofuel crops, according to Friends of the Earth.  So biofuels are actually making climate change worse. A go-slow on biofuels would have a real impact on the current food crisis. That is why ministers at the UN Food Conference should call for a go slow on biofuels.

Section B: Meat Eating

Select a word/phrase from the box to describe the function of the elements in the argument. You do not have to use every word in the box.  You can use words more than once. One has been done for you as an example.

Example: biofuels are actually making climate change worse. 

3. Biofuels are responsible for 30% of the rise in grain prices.  (1 mark)

4. Although biofuels are often portrayed as ‘eco-friendly’ (1 mark)

5. That is why ministers at the UN Food Conference should call for a go slow on biofuels.  (1 mark)

6.  So…  (1 mark)

7. Two men were involved in a fight.  One was a 20-year-old, the other was aged 45.  Because young men are more aggressive, the 20-year-old must have been to blame.  

Explain the flaw in the above reasoning. 

Questions 8-10 refer to the following passage.

Lentil munching nutty vegans have utterly lost the plot.  They are now telling us eating meat every day is the biggest environmental danger of all, because cow methane emissions will overheat the planet.  So apparently, we should all become vegans.  These vegans would want us to starve our children rather than accepting that eating meat is normal human behaviour.  We should ignore them and carry on as we are.  Cows and sheep eat grass, which people cannot eat, and turn it into meat, which people can eat.  Grazing land is often in hilly regions with poor soil, where crops such as wheat would not grow.  So we should keep eating meat. 

8. Which of the following offers the strongest support for the authors’ conclusion that we should continue to eat meat? Type the best answer, either A, B, C, D, E or F in the text box below. (1 mark)

A. Lentil munching nutty vegans have lost the plot.  
B. Cow methane emissions will overheat the planet.
C. Eating meat every day is the biggest environmental danger of all.
D. Eating meat is normal human behaviour.
E. We should ignore them and carry on as we are.
F. Cows and sheep eat grass, which people cannot eat, and turn it into meat, which people can eat.  

9. The writer claims:
Lentil munching nutty vegans have utterly lost the plot.
In what way does this weaken the overall argument? Type the best answer, either A, B, C or D in the text box below.(1 mark)
    
A. Confusing correlation and cause:  Assumption that because two things happen at the same time, one causes the other.

B. Attacking the person:  The arguer is ‘attacked’ rather than putting a case against their argument.

C. You too”: an attempt to justify an action on the basis that someone else is doing it too.  

D. Two wrongs don’t make a right: an attempt to justify one bad action on the basis that another bad action is often / had been accepted.

10. The author of the passage claims:
These vegans would want us to starve our children rather than accepting that eating meat is normal human behaviour.
Explain the flaw in this reasoning.