Is Survival Selfish

Choose the sentence that best states the author's position or main claim of his argument.

• In moments of mortal danger, more people freeze than run, a response that goes against our survival instincts.

• In extreme crises, people either hold it together or fall apart, and there is not telling who the heroes will be when danger strikes.

• Heroes are admired when they risk or sacrifice their own lives to save others, but their actions go against accepted survival protocols, which prioritize personal safety.

• People who demonstrate the virtue of selfishness by putting their own lives before the lives of others in an emergency are often criticized publicly and in the press.

Read this sentence from paragraph 2 of the selection: The "women and children first" protocol of the Titanic may not be as strong a social stricture as it was a century ago.

Which word is a synonym for protocol as the author uses it in this sentence?

• Structure

• Rule

• Law

• Falsehood

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

In paragraph 3, the author states that 'every survival situation' is different. If this is true, it follows that--

• each survivor is heroic in their own way

• it is impossible to generalize about survivors

• only a few survivors are selfish and uncivilized

• it is impossible to be smart and unselfish

Why does the author include her personal experience about the Grand Central Station incident in paragraphs 4-5?

• To prove she's an expert during survival situations

• To explain why she became interested in the topic of survival

• To highlight the difference between those who survive and those who don't

• To introduce the idea that sometimes people's instincts are not about survival

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RI.8.9

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

According to the author, why do survivors often experience feelings of guilt?

• They believe they should have done more to help others during the event.

• They are reminded of when they didn't help others at other times of their lives.

• They are disturbed by the harsh criticisms from others who survived.

• They feel that the techniques others used to survive were unethical.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RI.8.9

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

Define argument

• presents a position on an issue

• facts, statistics, personal experiences, etc.; supports the reasons

• a persuasive closing statement

Define the claim of an argument

• facts, statistics, personal experiences, statements by experts; supports the reasons and therefore supports the claim

• revisits the claim with a persuasive closing statement

• author's position on a topic or issue; central idea of the argument

• explanations that support the claim

Define reasons of an argument

• facts, statistics, personal experiences, statements by experts; supports the reasons and therefore supports the claim

• revisits the claim with a persuasive closing statement

• author's position on a topic or issue; central idea of the argument

• explanations that support the claim

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

Define evidence (in an argument)

• revisits the claim with a persuasive closing statement

• facts, statistics, personal experiences, statements by experts; supports the reasons and therefore supports the claim

• author's position on a topic or issue; central idea of the argument

• explanations that support the claim

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

Define conclusion (of an argument)

• revisits the claim with a persuasive closing statement

• author's position on a topic or issue; central idea of the argument

• explanations that support the claim

• facts, statistics, personal experiences, statements by experts; supports the reasons and therefore supports the claim