UOW College Hong Kong

CGE14411 Critical Thinking

Week 8 (Semester B, 2020-21)
In-Class Exercise One

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY!

Objectives
This exercise assesses the following two course intended learning outcomes:
• (#2) Apply the critical thinking skills to examine arguments in debates and texts;
• (#4) Become aware of fallacious reasoning in everyday life and correct the fallacies
identified.

General Instructions

• Students have 48 hours to complete the test.

• The deadline for submission is 12nd March 2021 (Friday), before 12 p.m.
• Instructors will not entertain enquiries unrelated to submission during the period of the
test.
• Both resubmission and late submission will not be accepted.
• Indicate clearly your name, your student number, your lecture section, and your program
on the first page of your answer.

Part 1 on “Meaning Analysis” (Lecture 3)

• You need to identify the misuses of language, if any, in the below statements, explain
how they may hamper reasoning and suggest ways that the statement can be improved.
• Provide only one answer for each question.
• Pay special attention to the underlined words.
• One statement does not have underlined words.
• A complete answer must consist of two parts: (1) type of misuse and (2) explanation.
• A sample is given to show the format of answers expected.
• Assessment weight: 10% (1% for each)

1. “Please tell the chef that this steak is too rare and it needs to be cooked for a bit longer,”
says a customer.

2. “Many politicians are committed to the people who elected them,” says a news reporter.

3. “Only tall students are allowed to play basketball,” says a teacher.

4. “The Prime Minister wins on financial budget, but more lies ahead,” say a newspaper
headline.
5. “The four suspects ran away from the scene of crash before the police’ arrival in a blue
Tesla Model Y driven by a Chinese woman,” says a newspaper headline.

6. “Peter’s stolen wallet was found by the General Office,” says a teacher.

7. “Solar power is environmentally safer because it does not increase atmospheric carbon,”
says an environmentalist.

8. “The disease of Alzheimer is common in our society; Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
are not common; therefore, they do not have such a disease,” says a doctor.

9. “Aurora often attend religious services; therefore, she must be religious,” says Philip.

10. “According to this article, people should be allowed to do same sex marriage,” says a
professor.

Sample
Statement:
The President of the United States has cancelled a trip to Beijing to attend a trade talk.

Answer:
Type of misuse:
Syntactic ambiguity (0.5%)

Explanation:
We are not sure whether the purpose of the cancelled trip was to attend a trade talk or
whether the trip was cancelled so that the President of the United States could attend a
trade talk (elsewhere than Beijing). (0.5%)

2
Part 2 on “Necessary and Sufficient Conditions” (Lecture 4)

• For each part, decide whether the first member of the pair is either a necessary condition
for the second, a sufficient condition, both necessary and sufficient condition, or neither.
• The following sample shows the format of answers.
• Assessment weight: 5% (1% for each)

1. X is an apple.
X has a sour taste.

2. X is being smaller than 100.

X is being smaller than 21.

3. X is gambling in a legal casino.

X is 18 years old or above.

4. Aurora is a parent.
Aurora has a daughter-in-law.

5. Philip is a vegetarian.
Philip loves tofu.

Sample
Being a tall person.
Being a successful person.

Answer:
Being a tall person is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for being a successful
person. A tall person is not necessarily a successful person. Also, a successful person can be a
short person.

Marking scheme:
Correctly determine the relationship between the members of the pair: 1%

3
Part 3 on “Logical Deduction” (Lecture 5 & 6)

• For each argument, (1) decided whether it is valid or invalid, and (2) identify and explain
its logical structure.
• The following examples show the format of answers.
• Assessment weight: 5% (2.5% for each question)

1. Unless rock sample X comes from Venus, then it does not contain silicon. Rock sample X
came either from Mars or Venus. Research shows that rock sample X contains silicon. So,
rock sample X came from Mars.
2. It is impossible for people to achieve happiness without a lot of money. And people must
work hard in order to earn a lot of money. Mary has a lot of money. Therefore, Mary
worked hard.

Sample

All students who graduate from universities must be able to write good academic papers. A
student must have an adequate command of English in order to write good academic papers.
Unless you study English hard, you definitely cannot achieve an adequate command of English.
Therefore, those who graduate from universities must have studied English hard.
Marking scheme:
1. Correct answer about “valid” or “invalid” (1%)
2. Correct identification of pattern (1.5%)
Answer:
1. Valid.
2. Pattern:
P: graduate from universities
Q: write good academic papers
R: adequate command of English
S: study English hard
a. (If P then Q)
b. (If Q then R)
c. (If not S then not R; or If R then S)
d. Therefore, (If P then S)
Explanation: This argument has a pattern of hypothetical syllogism (if P then Q, if Q then R and
If R then S, therefore, If P then S).

END