Civil discourse in and out of the classroom (Article)

Read this paragraph from the section "Three Parts Of An Argument."

An assertion is a simple statement, such as "Homework is a waste of time" or "Tomato soup is better than grilled cheese sandwiches." An assertion is a statement of the main point of an argument.

What conclusion is BEST supported by the paragraph above?

• a. An assertion restates the point of view of both the opponent and the person making the argument.

• b. An assertion gives the facts and data to prove that an argument is true and effective.

• c. An assertion is the part of the argument that states the reason why someone holds a belief.

• d. An assertion is the part of the argument that provides the opinion that will be argued.

Read the list of sentences from the article.

1. When someone makes an argument we disagree with, we need to know how to effectively and politely refute, or disprove, that argument.

2. In other words, we need to know the best ways of proving an argument is wrong or inaccurate.

3. The opposing argument should be summarized fairly and accurately, without attacking or saying anything insulting about the other person.

4. In the fourth step, you should attempt to wrap up your refutation by introducing your final, key point with a word such as "therefore."

Which two sentences taken together provide the BEST evidence to support the idea that civil discourse requires someone to challenge an opponent while showing respect?

• (A) 1 and 3

• (B) 1 and 4

• C) 2 and 3

• (D) 2 and 4

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Read the selection from the introduction [paragraphs 1-2].

"Of course, it's difficult to hear anything when everyone has a megaphone. To make things worse, ours is an era in which athletes routinely curse at umpires, referees and other athletes."

Why did the author use the word "routinely"?

• (A) to convey a sense of how unusual and strange it is to see athletes cursing at others

• (B) to convey a sense of how abusive and insulting it is for athletes to curse at others

• (C) to convey a sense of how common and normal it is to see athletes disrespecting others

• (D) to convey a sense of how exciting and thrilling it is to see athletes disrespecting others

Read the selection from the section “Toward A Civil Discourse.”

Civil discourse is a key part of a healthy democracy. It ensures that people respect each other, even when that respect is hard to give or to earn. Democratic societies should tolerate and encourage arguments, but this is not always easy.

Which two words would BEST replace “healthy” and “tolerate” in the selection above WITHOUT changing the meaning?

• (A) hygienic; endure

• (B) normal; impede

• (C) sensible; restrain

• (D) thriving; accept

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4