RP Reasoning and Rhetoric: Intermediate L1 8B

RP Reasoning and Rhetoric: Intermediate L1 8B

Students read the passages carefully before you make your answer choices.

Some want more than one answer.

Multiple Choice

The U.S. government’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are like detective agencies that track down the causes of diseases in an effort to prevent them from spreading. One case involved an outbreak of illness in Sioux City, Iowa. An officer of the CDC found, by means of questioning, that all 250 patients had eaten at the same restaurant. Further questioning showed that all had eaten the same kind of sliced meat. The CDC was thus able to prove that an infected meat slicer was the cause.

1. What claim did the CDC make about the outbreak of illness in Sioux City, Iowa?

• The patients caused the outbreak when they arrived at the hospital.

• An infected meat slicer used at a restaurant caused the outbreak.

• Detective agencies have no authority to investigate outbreaks of illness.

• The outbreak occurred when an officer did not follow directions correctly.

Multiple Choice

The U.S. government’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are like detective agencies that track down the causes of diseases in an effort to prevent them from spreading. One case involved an outbreak of illness in Sioux City, Iowa. An officer of the CDC found, by means of questioning, that all 250 patients had eaten at the same restaurant. Further questioning showed that all had eaten the same kind of sliced meat. The CDC was thus able to prove that an infected meat slicer was the cause

2. Based on your answer to Question 1, which of the following best shows the CDC’s use of logos to support and prove this claim?

• The hospital staff showed the CDC the health records of all the patients

• An officer of the CDC questioned people to find out where and what they ate.

• Detective agencies had stopped working with the CDC long before the outbreak.

• The CDC required that all officers be retrained to follow directions correctly

Multiple Choice

White rats are fairly intelligent and trainable. For example, one white rat learned to get food that was placed on a shelf above its head. The rat would climb up a pile of blocks to the top of a toy tower. From there it would jump to a shelf across from the one on which the food was placed and pull a string that was tied to a small swing. When the swing was near enough, the rat would get on it and ride over to the food shelf and have lunch. One day the rat’s owner put a small ladder in the cage that would make it possible to climb straight up to the food shelf. The smart rat immediately used this way of getting to its food.

3. Which of the following best shows the use of logos to support the author’s claim that white rats are intelligent and trainable?

• the author’s explanation of the rat’s friendly nature

• the author’s background as a veterinarian

• the author’s use of personification and symbolism

• the author’s description of a specific experiment

Multiple Select

You may think eating insects is a very strange thing to do. Believe it or not, eating insects is good for you. Insects contain a substance called protein, which is found in other foods like meat. People need to eat protein to stay healthy and strong. Insects have a large amount of protein and almost no fat, so a meal made from insects is much healthier. Also, scientists say it is better for the environment to eat insects than meat. The animals that provide people with meat all need large amounts of feed, which includes grass and other crops. It takes a huge area of land to grow enough crops to feed these animals. In some places, forests are cut down so more crops can grow, which means forest animals lose their home. Eating insects instead of meat keeps the land available for something else, or left in its natural state.

4. The author of the paragraph above wants to convince you to consider insects as a food source. Which two answer choices show the most persuasive form of rhetoric from the text?

• Insects have a large amount of protein and almost no fat (which can be bad for you), so a meal made from insects is much healthier than a meal made from meat.

• It takes a huge area of land to grow enough crops to feed all these animals.

• Eating insects instead of meat means that the land that would have been used for feed crops could be used for something else instead, or left in its natural state.

• You may think eating insects is a very strange thing to do. You may even feel a little sick thinking about eating them.

• People need to eat protein to stay healthy and strong.

Multiple Choice

You may think eating insects is a very strange thing to do. Believe it or not, eating insects is good for you. Insects contain a substance called protein, which is found in other foods like meat. People need to eat protein to stay healthy and strong. Insects have a large amount of protein and almost no fat, so a meal made from insects is much healthier. Also, scientists say it is better for the environment to eat insects than meat. The animals that provide people with meat all need large amounts of feed, which includes grass and other crops. It takes a huge area of land to grow enough crops to feed these animals. In some places, forests are cut down so more crops can grow, which means forest animals lose their home. Eating insects instead of meat keeps

the land available for something else, or left in its natural state.

5. Think about what you have read in this lesson. Three answer choices show examples of false reasoning. Which answer choice shows logical reasoning?

• Every time I wear my favorite hat, my baseball team wins. Therefore, I know my hat brings good luck to my team.

• There are no raccoons living in my neighborhood because I have never seen a raccoon in my neighborhood.

• The bus comes at 7:30 every morning and it takes me five minutes to walk to the bus stop. If I leave the house by 7:20, I will be on time for the bus

• I know this cereal is healthy because it says “A healthy way to start your day!” on the front of the box.

Poll

How do you rate yourself thus far in your understanding and demonstration of reasoning over an author's text?

CHOOSE ONLY 1 RESPONSE.

• I am confident in my understanding and demonstration of reasoning over an author's text.

• I am some what confident in my understanding and demonstration of reasoning over an author's text.

• I am not confident in my understanding and demonstration of reasoning over an author's text.