CCTST Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher states: 'Students who eat breakfast perform better on tests.' Which of the following best identifies the implicit assumption in this claim?
- Breakfast causes improved test performance (Correct answer)
- All students eat breakfast
- Test performance is the only measure of success
- Researchers always conduct valid studies
Correct answer: Breakfast causes improved test performance
The claim assumes a causal relationship, but correlation between breakfast and performance does not itself establish causation.
Question 2: Which analytical approach best distinguishes between a premise and a conclusion in an argument?
- A premise is a statement offered as support; a conclusion is what the argument tries to establish (Correct answer)
- A premise is always a fact; a conclusion is always an opinion
- A premise follows from evidence; a conclusion precedes it
- A premise is stated first; a conclusion is stated last
Correct answer: A premise is a statement offered as support; a conclusion is what the argument tries to establish
Premises are the supporting reasons, while the conclusion is the claim those reasons are meant to justify.
Question 3: A passage argues: 'No elite athlete lacks discipline, and Maria is an elite athlete.' What follows necessarily?
- Maria has discipline (Correct answer)
- Maria is disciplined in all areas of life
- Discipline guarantees athletic success
- Elite athletes are born, not made
Correct answer: Maria has discipline
From 'no elite athlete lacks discipline' and 'Maria is an elite athlete,' it necessarily follows that Maria has discipline.
Question 4: When analyzing an argument, identifying the 'scope' of a claim primarily helps to:
- Determine whether the claim is too broad or too narrow for its evidence (Correct answer)
- Evaluate the author's credibility
- Identify hidden premises
- Assess emotional appeals
Correct answer: Determine whether the claim is too broad or too narrow for its evidence
Analyzing scope reveals whether the evidence actually supports the breadth of the claim being made.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of an argument by analogy?
- Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, a team is only as strong as its weakest member (Correct answer)
- Because it rained yesterday, it will rain today
- All mammals breathe air; whales are mammals; therefore whales breathe air
- The study included 1,000 participants, so its results are reliable
Correct answer: Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, a team is only as strong as its weakest member
An argument by analogy draws a parallel between two things and infers that what is true of one is true of the other.
Question 6: A policy states: 'Employees must report all conflicts of interest.' An employee owns stock in a client company. Which analysis is most accurate?
- Owning stock in a client company is a conflict of interest that must be reported (Correct answer)
- The policy only applies to direct financial transactions, not stock ownership
- The employee must sell the stock before reporting
- Conflicts of interest only exist when money changes hands directly
Correct answer: Owning stock in a client company is a conflict of interest that must be reported
Stock ownership in a client company creates a financial interest that could influence professional judgment, fitting the definition of a conflict of interest.
Question 7: In analyzing a complex text, which skill is most essential for identifying the author's central thesis?
- Distinguishing main claims from supporting details and examples (Correct answer)
- Counting how many times key words appear
- Evaluating the author's biographical background
- Identifying the text's publication date
Correct answer: Distinguishing main claims from supporting details and examples
The central thesis is the primary claim the author advances; all supporting details and examples serve to develop or support it.
CCTST Analysis 2
A researcher states: 'Students who eat breakfast perform better on tests.' Which of the following best identifies the implicit assumption in this claim?