BACSA, SYLVIA ANTHEA D.

GEDO101
Section 6
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 4

1. From the text, what is your dominant grade level of thinking? Identify and support your
answer by giving an experiential situation where you can attribute your decision to the
specified type of thinker.
 As I evaluated myself, I had found out that I was in the second-grade level of
thinking. As I weighed out the points, I thought that this grade level of thinking
was the dominant one in my life. As stated in the text, 9 percent of the population
make up this kind of thinking, and yes, I consider myself as one. The situation
that I can associate my life with this kind of thinking is when I always contradict
the ideals that I found wrong in my sight and beliefs, example, religion. At first, I
believed in them, then, as time goes by, I tend to contradict and question them. I
do not tend to follow anyone’s standards and orders set. I do not want someone to
rule me and that I do not want someone to dictate what my actions will be. I know
the right from the wrong. I can say that I am a second-grade thinker because my
personality shows based on my thoughts and my decisions in life.

2. Irony exists when people suggest something other than what they are saying. Golding
uses irony when he describes the bust of Rodin’s thinker in his headmaster’s office. In
what ways is the description ironic? What does it tell you about the headmaster? Can you
find other examples of irony? Identify.
 It is ironic because he first tends to describe it as a statue who is a naked,
muscular gentleman, who sat, looking down, with his chin on his fist and his
elbow on his knee. He seemed utterly miserable. Yet, in real life, it symbolizes to
contemplate the hindquarters of the leopard in endless gloom, not miserable, and
an image of pure thought. It just tells me that the headmaster values these
statuettes that much because to him they symbolized the whole of life.
 Other examples of irony:

Technically, it is about as proficient as most businessmen’s golf, as honest as most

politician’s intentions, or – to come near my own preoccupation – as coherent as most
books that get written. (Paragraph 23)
Mr. Houghton was given to high-minded monologues about the good life, sexless and full
of duty. (Paragraph 20)

3. If you were to categorize different kinds of thinking, would you categorize it in the same
way as Golding? Explain. What category or categories would you add to his list of three?
 Yes, I would also categorize it based on Golding’s category because it is well-
categorized, explained, and is easy to understand. Since intelligence is hard to
measure and categorized, and that many have different thoughts regarding this
matter, having a fourth-grade level of thinking, fifth-grade level, and so on and so
forth must be added for other unmentioned categories of thinking.

4. In the text, the author seems to introduce that intelligent people have more difficult lives
than those who are not. Do you agree or disagree? Identify your answer and explain.
 Yes, I agree with the author. Though people tend to have difficult lives, the
intelligent ones tend to have more difficulty because even in the little things, they
give detail to. In the little things, they tend to think of complex ways to solve it.
They tend to maximize or broaden their problems by thinking too much. They
tend to aggravate/intensify/heighten their problems even if it can just be solved in
a simple and easy manner. That is why being intelligent is not a joke. It is hard
and it can also be a negative factor at the same time.

5. In the text, Golding includes his teachers in the story itself. How did the teachers play a
role in Golding’s category of thinkers? Explain your answer.
 The teachers played a role in Golding’s category of thinkers because they served
as an example as to what each category points out to. He used his teachers to
emanate his points or thoughts to his audiences by making his own teachers as
examples to his category of thinkers.
 GUIDE QUESTIONS IN READING THE TEXT

1. What is the central argument or problem posed by the author in the text?
 The central argument or problem posed by the author in the text is not literally a
problem though it can be an argument. The text is all about the author’s category
of thinkers. Others may disagree to it or agree that is why it can be an argument.

2. What are the premises of the argument that were built by the author to present the
main thesis?
 The author used symbolisms to narrow his thoughts about the categories of
thinkers. He first introduced his experiences, then the statuettes of his headmaster
which overall explains the whole of life. He also focused his points on his central
argument, and he stayed on its topic, expounding, explaining, and introducing its
points to the public/audience with examples.

3. What important concepts are discussed in the text?

 For me, the important concepts discussed in the text are the 3 categories of level
of thinking (First-grade, second grade, and third-grade level of thinking). He
simply explained each and he expounded it by giving examples based on his
experiences plus showing figures of speech and symbolisms.

4. What does the author want to convey?

 The author wants to convey that everybody must make thinking their hobby. He
believes that thinking is not just for geniuses and philosophers. He stressed out
that it is something all educated people must enjoy doing and thinking (having
thoughts) is one of the most special qualities a person must have to have a healthy
mental development. Whatever category you may be placed or considered into, it
just shows that all people must change for the better, for their society, their world,
and especially, for their selves.