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WorksheetsIdentifying Rhetorical Devices in McGonigal
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
Which of the following is an example of a rhetorical appeal?
“Gamers have had enough of reality.”
“In the United States alone, there are 183 million active gamers.”
“Who are they?”
Which line uses ethos to persuade the reader?
“Herodotus invented history as we know it.”
“Gamers want to know: Where, in the real world, is that gamer sense of being fully alive?”
“The real world just doesn’t offer up as easily the carefully designed pleasures…”
“Games gave a starving population a feeling of power in a powerless situation.”
Which line appeals most strongly to pathos?
“Reality isn’t engineered to maximize our potential.”
“They’re the Brain Age and Mario Kart players who take handheld game consoles everywhere they go.”
“In the United States alone, there are 183 million active gamers.”
“We are starving, and our games are feeding us.”
Which example best appeals to logos?
“Collectively, the planet is now spending more than 3 billion hours a week gaming.”
“Reality doesn’t motivate us effectively.”
“Gamers have had enough of reality.”
“Games are providing rewards that reality is not.”
Which statement acts as a concession?
“Gamers have had enough of reality.”
“Gamers want to know: Where, in the real world, is that gamer sense of being fully alive?”
“Reality, compared to games, is broken.”
“To a nongamer, this forecase might seem surreal, or like science fiction.”
Which line serves as a rebuttal, countering the view that games are negative?
“Many of them deem gaming a clear waste of time.”
“But through the lens of Herodotus’ history, we can see how games could be a purposeful escape, a thoughtful and active escape…”
“They’re the United States troops stationed overseas who dedicate so many hours a week to burnishing their Halo 3 in-game service record.”
“Gamers have had enough of reality.”
Which line introduces a counterargument?
“The ever-skyrocketing amounts of time and money spent on games are being observed with alarm by some—concerned parents, teachers, and politicians.”
“Reality isn’t engineered to maximize our potential. Reality wasn’t designed from the bottom up to make us happy.”
“We are starving, and our games are feeding us.”
“To develop foresight, you need to practice hindsight.”
Which line is an example of historical evidence?
“What do ancient dice made from sheep’s knuckles have to do with the future of computer and video games?”
“Collectively, the planet is now spending more than 3 billion hours a week gaming.”
“Reality isn’t engineered to maximize our potential.”
[The ancient Lydians had a plan to] engage in games one day so entirely as to not feel any craving for food…and the next day to eat and abstain from games.
Which line is an example of statistical evidence?
“In the United States alone, there are 183 million active gamers.”
“Reality doesn’t motivate us effectively.”
“Gamers have had enough of reality.”
“Games gave them a better way to live when their circumstances were otherwise completely unsupportive.”
Which line is an example of anecdotal evidence?
“Reality, compared to games, is broken.”
“Collectively, the planet is now spending more than 3 billion hours a week gaming. We are starving, and our games are feeding us.”
“They’re the music lovers who have invested hundreds of dollars on plastic Rock Band and Guitar Hero instruments.”
“More than 10 million ‘hard-core’ gamers in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany spend at least twenty hours a week playing.”
Which sentence contains figurative language?
“In the United States alone, there are 183 million active gamers.”
“Reality, compared to games, is broken.”
“Herodotus invented history as we know it.”
“Games have been a fundamental part of human civilization for thousands of years.”
Which line is an allusion?
“Herodotus’ Histories… describes a nearly identical scenario.”
“Reality doesn’t motivate us effectively.”
“Gamers want to know: Where… is that gamer sense of being fully alive?”
“Reality, compared to games, is broken.”
Which line contains an oxymoron?
McGonigal shows that gamers often spend more time and energy on virtual goals than on their real-world responsibilities.
The author uses history, statistics, and examples from around the world to explain why gaming has become such a powerful force.
One student summary described games as a form of organized chaos, suggesting they are both unpredictable and structured at the same time.
According to McGonigal, games can meet human needs for achievement, purpose, and community in ways that real life sometimes cannot.
Which line is a rhetorical question?
“But through the lens of Herodotus’ history, we can see how games could be a purposeful escape, a thoughtful and active escape…”
“They’re the Brain Age and Mario Kart players who take handheld game consoles everywhere they go.”
“Reality doesn’t motivate us effectively.”
“Where, in the real world, is that gamer sense of being fully alive, focused, and engaged in every moment?”
Which of the following sentences is an example of diction analysis?
McGonigal uses the words “purposeful,” “thoughtful,” and “active” to make the escapism of games sound more positive.
McGonigal asks, “Gamers want to know: Where… is that gamer sense of being fully alive?”
McGonigal supports the claim, “Games have been a fundamental part of human civilization,” with evidence from the ancient Lydians.
“There are 183 million active gamers,” proves that there has been an increase in gaming usage.
What is the tone of the sentence: “We can see how games could be a purposeful escape, a thoughtful and active escape, and most importantly an extremely helpful escape..”
Analytical
Sarcastic
Optimistic
Humorous
Which student statement includes a logical fallacy?
“McGonigal’s statistics prove that gaming has become one of the most popular hobbies in the world.”
“Since reality isn’t perfect, the only explanation is that it must be broken compared to games.”
“Herodotus’ story about the Lydians shows that games have always helped people cope with hardship.”
“Games today fulfill social and emotional needs in ways the real world sometimes fails to do.”
Which student statement shows a hasty generalization?
“All teenagers would rather spend time gaming than doing literally anything else.”
“Millions of players worldwide dedicate hours each week to online or console games.”
“In her article, McGonigal shows that games gave ancient Lydians a way to survive famine.”
“Some gamers report that playing gives them a stronger sense of community.”
Which student statement shows an either/or fallacy?
“Many people, both young and old, find that games bring them a sense of purpose.”
“If you aren’t playing games, then you must be wasting your time in boring reality.”
“Herodotus’ example of the Lydians shows how gaming has long been a survival strategy.”
“McGonigal argues that games can motivate people in ways the real world doesn’t always provide.”
What inference can the reader make from the line: “We are starving, and our games are feeding us”?
Gamers literally suffer from hunger.
Games are temporarily solving unmet needs in real life.
Games are replacing meals for young people.
The world is experiencing famine.
