Week 6 Quiz

Which kind of definition builds a verdict into the meaning of a word, so that accepting the definition already concedes a disputed conclusion?

Select one.

• A reporting definition
• A stipulative definition
• A precising definition
• A persuasive definition

A dictionary-style entry (illustrative) says: "'Commute' means the regular trip between home and work or school, as most people use the word." Which kind of definition is this?

Select one.

• A stipulative definition
• A persuasive definition
• A reporting definition
• A precising definition

A campus shuttle notice (illustrative) says the bus runs "late at night." A rider is unsure whether the early evening counts. What is the trouble with the phrase?

Select one.

• It is vague: it has borderline cases with a gray zone between clear cases.
• It is ambiguous: it has two distinct meanings that both fit.
• It equivocates: it shifts meaning between a premise and a conclusion.
• It is loaded: it carries an emotional verdict.

Passage (illustrative): "The sign says 'Fine for parking here.' Since it is fine to park here, I won't get a ticket." Which fallacy does the passage commit?

Select one.

• Composition
• Equivocation
• Division
• Persuasive definition

Passage (illustrative): "Every player on the intramural team is a strong individual player, so the team will play well together." Which fallacy does the passage commit?

Select one.

• Division
• Equivocation
• Composition
• Persuasive definition

Passage (illustrative): "The orchestra is the best in the region, so its newest violinist must be the best violinist in the region." Which fallacy does the passage commit?

Select one.

• Composition
• Equivocation
• Persuasive definition
• Division

Two headlines (illustrative) report the same tuition increase. One says the college "hikes tuition again, squeezing students"; the other says it makes "a modest tuition adjustment to protect programs." Which statement fits the course's account of loaded language?

Select one.

• Both can report only true facts while each wording carries an opposite verdict.
• At least one headline must contain a false statement about the increase.
• The softer headline is neutral, so only the harsher one is loaded.
• Loaded wording is a problem only when the facts reported are wrong.

A company memo (illustrative) says three employees were "let go" instead of saying they were fired. What is "let go" in this memo?

Select one.

• A dysphemism
• A euphemism
• An equivocation
• A precising definition

In the parking-sign passage (illustrative), "fine" means a penalty in the premise and "all right" in the conclusion. Read with those two meanings, what can you say about the argument's validity?

Select one.

• It is valid, because the same word appears in the premise and the conclusion.
• It is valid, because the sign really does say "Fine for parking here."
• It is invalid, because the premise can be true while the conclusion is false.
• It is invalid, because the sign's statement is false.

Making "modest cost" precise lets a reader check whether the running question's cost premise is true. Which evaluation from the course needs that check?

Select one.

• Whether the argument is sound, since soundness needs every premise true
• Whether the argument is valid, since validity needs every premise true
• Whether the passage is an argument rather than an explanation
• Whether the conclusion is popular with most students