2.2 Writing: Rhetorical Situation

1. The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the passage after sentence 3. "Though the phenomenon has been observed throughout history by philosophers, historians, and novelits, the term 'confirmation bias' itself wasn't invented until the 1960's by British psychologist Peter Wason." Should the writer add this sentence after sentence 3?

• A. Yes, because it provides contextualizing information that is necessary for the audience to understand the writer's argument.

• B. Yes, because it contains an important insight into the exigence that prompted the writer to write the passage.

• C. No, because it fails to give enough details about Peter Wason's credentials to establish his credibility with the audience.

• D. No, because it gives evidence that is not relevant to the passage's overall line of reasoning and therefore doe not strengthen the validity of the writer's claim.

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2. In sentence 13, the writer wants to include a piece of relevant evidence that will help convince the reader to accept the techniques use by Warren Buffet as credible. Which of the following versions of the underlined portion of sentence 13 best accomplishes this goal.

• A. (as it is now)

• B. whose ability to tell a story is legendary

• C. one of the most successful investors in history

• D. whose father was a member of the United States Congress

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3. Which of the following sentences in the passage can best be described as the writer's thesis statement?

• A. Sentence 5

• B.Sentence 8

• C. Sentence 11

• D. Sentence 15

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4. The writer intends the passage to be read by a general audience. Which of the following sentences, if added after sentence 1, would best aid a reader's understanding of the passage?

• A. The Renaissance, which took place between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries, was a period of European cultural and artistic rebirth after the Middle Ages.

• B. A new theory maintains that a visual condition called extropia, in which an eye turns outward, enabled da Vinci to manipulate his own depth perception.

• C. In fact, many scholars and historians consider da Vinci as the prime example of a Renaissance Man: a person who possesses many talents in varied areas of interest.

• D. Art scholars tend to study both the artist and the art created within the context of history and the artistic development of a particular time period.

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5. The writer is working on a revision of the passage and has written the following thesis statement for it: "Based o the evidence from Tyler's studies, it is clear that this condition was the primary reason for da Vinci's success." Which of the following is most likely the main claim that the writer is planning to make in the new version of the passage.

• A. The only way for an artist to be successful is to have extropia.

• B.. Da Vinci was more successful as an artist than others who also had extropia.

• C. The only way to fully understand an artist's work is to study the artist's physical conditions.

• D. Da Vinci was a great because he had extropia.

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