U.S. History

What is a counterclaim in an argumentative speech?

• A counterclaim is a possible objection to the thesis.

• A counterclaim is a supporting detail, such as statistics.

• A counterclaim is the concluding statement of a speech.

• A counterclaim is an umbrella statement for the argument.

Which sentence best demonstrates the language required of an argumentative speech?

• College entrance exams are super important to colleges, and every student must work hard to get a decent score.

• Every high school in the county must provide its students with thorough information about college entrance exams.

• High school guidance counselors are a good source of information about college entrance requirements.

• Students often take preparatory classes to up their scores on college entrance exams.

Having a counterclaim in an argumentative essay allows the author of the essay to

• provide background information on the topic.

• support his or her claim with evidence.

• state his or her opinion on the topic.

• address any opposition to his or her claim.

Read a paragraph from a presentation.

Most of you probably are fans of typical American sports, such as baseball and basketball. However, I urge you to consider watching and participating in sports that are popular in other nations. Most of us are familiar with soccer. However, few of us realize that it is the most popular sport in the world. You’ve all experienced Super Bowl Sunday madness, but that is nothing compared to the international frenzy that sweeps across our planet every four years when soccer’s World Cup occurs. Watching the games of the World Cup can be a fun way to connect with other sports fans around the globe.

What is the purpose of this presentation?

• to persuade

• to instruct

• to inform

• to entertain

Read the sentence from an argumentative essay about chemical waste.

The chemical waste produced by factories is out of hand, and factory owners should get in trouble.

Which revision offers the most improvement in word choice?

• The chemical waste produced by factories is insane, and factory owners should be punished.

• The chemical waste produced by factories is dangerous, and factory owners should be held accountable.

• The chemical waste produced by factories is huge, and factory owners should get it under control.

• The chemical waste produced by factories is manageable, and factory owners deserve blame.

Alexi is writing a research paper about the benefits of school uniforms. Which sentence best supports the argument that school uniforms increase school pride?

• Students who wear school uniforms spend less money on clothing.

• Students who dislike school uniforms at first usually get used to them after six months of wearing them.

• School uniforms help students get ready faster in the morning because they do not have to choose an outfit.

• Schools that have a uniform policy report lower rates of fighting and higher participation in after-school activities

Abra has written a research essay about the negative effects video games have on kids. In one source she reads:

"Studies show that some video games help surgeons improve their fine motor skills. Student surgeons who play video games at least one hour a week show a 20 percent increase in accuracy and performance during surgery over student surgeons who do not play.”

How should Abra address this new information in her essay?

• Abra should address why this information supports her original claim.

• Abra should completely change her position on video games and kids.

• Abra should ignore this research because it is irrelevant to her position.

• Abra should explain how video games can have positive effects for adult learners.

Which resource is the best for information about current events?

• biography

• encyclopedia

• newspaper

• court decision

Which characteristic is the best indicator of whether a resource is reliable?

• the length of the source

• the method of publication, either online or print

• the credibility of the author of the source

• the type of source, either primary or secondary