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Key to Critical Reading Exercises Chapter 8

PART I: THEORY
True!alse
1. F
2. T
3. F
Choose the correct ans"er
1. B
2. D
3. B
PART II: PRACTICE
Passage #
Conclusion: Our university has one of the most outstanding teaching faculties in the country.
Reason: The president of the University said so in his opening day speech.
ere !e have a "uestiona#le appeal to authority$ #ecause the authority in this case is li%ely to #e highly #iased. &e
!ould !ant to %no! !hat %inds of systematic evidence that the president has for his claim.
Passage $
'onclusion: Too many people are attending la! school.
(easons:
The country is shoulder)deep in future la!yers$ many of !hom cannot find !or%.
Supporting reason: (eport of a personal e*perience.
Time Magazine reports that there are many more la! students than there are +o#s for la!yers.
,ost la!yers don-t ma%e much money.
Supporting reason: (eport of a personal e*perience.
This author relies on t!o %inds of "uestiona#le evidence: personal e*perience and an appeal to "uestiona#le
authority. &e have to #e !ary of the personal e*perience #ecause !e do not %no! ho! typical the e*periences are.
Time Magazine is a secondary source$ and those usually report on !hat the e*perts are saying rather than on specific
research studies. Before !e !ould !ant to put too much credi#ility on this report and drop our plans for .a! /chool$
!e !ould !ant to see% further specifics a#out the research leading to the Time report and/or seek out other
research addressing the same issue.
Passage %
Conclusion: 0 should not #rea% up !ith /teve.
Reason: 1lthough my friends don-t approve of /teve$ 0 +ust %no! they are !rong and have mis+udged his personality.
The ma+or evidence used #y this !oman is intuition. 1lthough it-s possi#le that she has pic%ed up on some valid
clues a#out a change in /teve-s personality that she can-t ver#ali2e$ it-s highly li%ely that her strong feelings to!ard
/teve #ias her +udgment and lead her to ignore potentially relevant evidence.
Passage &
Conclusion: GreatMate is a desirable dating Website.
Reasons: Testimonials from three users of the service.
3reat,ate might #e a great date &e#site. But !e should not #e persuaded #y these testimonials$ #ecause !e do not
%no! ho! representative they are of the population of people !ho have used the &e#site. Others may have had
negative e*periences.
Passage '
Conclusion: /enator Doldrum should run for president despite the fact that he has had depressive episodes in the
past.
Reason: 1#raham .incoln !as one of our greatest presidents in part #ecause of his depressive nature$ !hich helped
him #etter appreciate the pain and suffering of others.
This !riter uses a vivid case e*ample to support the conclusion 4 the case of 1#raham .incoln. But !e do not %no!
ho! typical this case is. Thus$ !e should avoid generali2ing from it. .i%e many vivid case e*amples$ ho!ever$ this
one /U335/T/ T5 6O//0B0.0T7 that people !ith a #ac%ground of depression can function very effectively.

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