Asking the Right Questions- Chapter 2+3

1. Which of the following are issues? Categorize the issues.

Should abortion be legal? P Employment is getting even worse than during

recession. (x)
How should Vietnam react to China’s aggression? P Does our society spend too much on educational
projects? P
Capital punishment should be abolished. (x) Adoption controversy (x)
What caused the Great Depression? D Do people with sports cars drive faster than others?
D
Do people need higher education to succeed? P Have Hollywood movies become too immoral? P

2.The best example of an indicator word or phrase for finding conclusions is …..

A.“The question I am raising is…” C."Is it the right thing to do?”

B."For one thing, …" D."It is highly probable that….”

3.All of the following are suggested clues for finding the conclusion EXCEPT (0.5 pt)

A. check for indicator words. C. ask what the issue is.

B. identify statistical evidence. D. look in likely locations.

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4.Complete the following statements:

A. ……descriptive of issues……………….are those that raise questions about the way things were, are,
or will be. (2 words)

B. We cannot ………critically evaluate…………………………………. until we find the conclusion.

(2 words)

C. The surest way to detect an issue when it is not explicitly stated is to locate the…conclusion…..….
……. (1 word)

D. Conclusions are …………….……not……………….... statements used to prove something else. (1

word)

E. “What is the author’s main point?” is a question used to search for the
writer’s ........conclusion............….(1 word)
Part II: Read each of the following passages carefully to find the issue and the conclusion.

Passage 1
Corporate managers are always interested in techniques for increasing the productivity of their workers.
One interesting suggestion made by productivity consultants is to pipe music into the work area. Several
recent studies have explored the extent to which different types of music affect workers' output. The
primary hypothesis examined in the studies was that soft-rock music would prove the greatest aid to
productivity. The research has found almost universally that country and western music is the greatest
inducement to efficiency. Therefore, corporate officials should seriously consider playing country and
western music as a stimulus to worker productivity.
Issue: should we use music to increase the productivity of workers?
Conclusion: corporate officials should seriously consider playing country and western music as a
stimulus to worker productivity.
Passage 2
For a better college learning environment, all classes should begin in the afternoon. Most students try to
schedule afternoon or evening classes anyway; you rarely hear of a student who is upset at being closed
out of the 8 a.m. section of a class. Also, experts say that students who are alert learn more and learn
more quickly. For example, at Southern State University, one group of students took an 8 a.m.
psychology course from Dr. Miller while another group took the same course from Dr. Miller at 2 p.m.
The students in the afternoon course had slightly higher averages than those in the morning class.
Changing the starting time for classes at universities to the afternoon will help students.
Issue: What time should classes begin to improve college learning environment?
Conclusion: For a better college learning environment, all classes should begin in the afternoon
Passage 3
People suffering from mental illness are nearly twice as likely to smoke cigarettes as people with no
mental illness, according to a new study by Harvard Medical School researchers. The researchers found
that people with diagnosable mental illness comprise nearly 45 percent of the total U.S. tobacco market.
The study suggests that people with mental illness often use the nicotine from cigarettes to enhance their
mood, relieve anxiety, and cope with stress.
issue: are people with mental illness smoke cigarettes more than normal people?
conclusion: People suffering from mental illness are nearly twice as likely to smoke cigarettes as people
with no mental illness,
Passage 4
The future of our nation depends on strong leadership. With crises all over the world and problems at
home, America cannot afford to have a weak president at the helm. But even in these times of trouble,
John Thomason wants to reduce the military budget by 24 percent in favor of pork-barrel spending
programs. He even voted with the Democrats to cut military spending by 18 percent, and to force our
commanders to obey politically correct laws that hamper battlefield effectiveness!

Mike Porthos is committed to national security. As a senator, he consistently voted to improve our
national defense, and the Citizens for a Responsible Defense gave him a 100 percent approval rating this
past year. On the home front, he has helped to safeguard the American way of life by cutting waste in
the Department of Transportation and exposing a major fraud scheme in the Department of Health and
Human Services.

In an uncertain world, will you vote for the security of our country or for unproven social programs? If
you want proven, experienced, and principled leadership, vote Mike Porthos on November 2.

Issue: should we vote for Mike Porthos?

Conclusion:

Passage 5
A recent court case in California involved the question of the legality of same-sex marriages. Because
the majority of the United States is conservative, most people are probably against same-sex marriages.
While most people consider the issue to be a clash of values, the question is really based on financial
problems.

Same-sex couples face many financial problems that heterosexual couples do not face. For example, if a
married person dies without a will, the property automatically transfers to the surviving spouse.
However, same-sex couples must draft wills that leave their property to their partner. The cost of
drafting these wills can range from $5,000 to $30,000. This cost is simply unfair to same-sex couples.
Furthermore, health insurance for a heterosexual partner is usually offered through an employer.
However, same-sex partners are not covered through employer insurance.

Although there are many financial biases against same-sex couples, these people face the problems
because of their love for one another. In a country in which one out of every two new marriages ends in
a divorce, we must not discriminate against those who practice love.

3.Fill in each gap with the suitable word(s)

1. Every argument must have at least one ………………… and a …………………… (1 word each)

2. The conclusion of an argument is …………………. either at the beginning or the end of a passage.
(2 words)

3. A statement of personal belief or opinion that is not supported by reasons or evidence.............. an

argument. (2 words)

4.It is impossible to determine the ……………… of a conclusion until you identify the reasons.(1 word)

5. Three characteristics of arguments are: they have …………………….….; their ………………..…….

varies; and they have two essential visible ………………………………. (1 word each.).

6. The use of one or more ideas to support another idea is termed …………… or…………………(1
word each.)

4. Identify the conclusion in the following argument Every year, innocent people are released from
prison when new evidence arises proving they are not guilty of the crimes they were convicted of. This
alone is good reason to reject the death penalty. But that's not the only reason. The death penalty is also
ineffective as a deterrent. Besides, the number of appeals and other safeguards required in death penalty
cases are an astronomical cost to the system.
5. Identify the main reason in the following argument Many non-human animals are capable of
feeling pain. We know this because they exhibit the same behavioral signs that people do when they are
in pain. Further, many animals have remarkably similar nervous systems to people. We can conclude
from this that harming animals is wrong for the same reason that it is wrong to harm people.

Identify the issue that the following argument addresses and the writer’s reasoning structure.

Over the last year we've seen a lot of evidence that the education to employment link is broken.
Today more than half of US college graduates are looking for work, college cost has risen by 40% over
the last ten years, and college graduates now have more than a trillion dollars of debt.
Many jobs are in great demand (computer science, chemical engineering, statistics, health professions),
but many are not. And according to Richard Arum, a sociologist at New York University, 36% of
students show no improvement in critical thinking over four years of college.
It does beg the big question: do young people really need a higher education degree to succeed? Bill
Gates dropped out of college and it certainly didn't hold him back.
I just finished reading a very interesting book entitled "Hacking your Education," written by Dale
Stephens, a Thiel Fellow, young entrepreneur, and self-educated man. Dale's argument is that education
is expensive, often wastes time, and not necessary for success.
He professes that you should get up at 6am every day and use every opportunity you have to develop
yourself. Take an internship. Find a mentor. Start a business. And read, study, and learn.
Much of what he recommends is what we identify as traits of a "self-learner" in business. People who
know how to learn (and are motivated to learn) consistently outperform their peers. The technical term
for it is "learning agility," and some people are just born with it.
While the value of higher education will never go away, in today's economy we should honor and
promote people who educate themselves. When you look at a new candidate, rather than look at his or
her college degree, maybe you should take more time to look at his experience, ability to learn, drive,
and problem solving skills.
Much of our corporate learning research shows that high performing business people often don't have
fancy degrees, because in most jobs you must learn the business when you get there. Maybe you, as an
employer, should look at people who are "self-taught" in a new light?
Of course higher education plays many roles in peoples' lives. It gives us perspective, reading and
writing skills, and in many cases a start on a profession. And the four years in a focused environment
teach discipline and hard work for many. And the Bureau of Labor Statistics data does show that people
with college degrees have half the unemployment rate of those without.
But in today's job market, college may not be perfect for everyone. And right now, given the high cost
of education, we as employers need to expand our horizons about what a "great candidate" really looks
like. Some of the most successful people in the world didn't finish college. Let's keep our minds open.