ILEARN Critical Thinking 5

Question 1

When a writer uses EMOTIONAL language to persuade instead of evidence, this technique is called:

Accepted Answer

Pathos

Answer

Pathos is the rhetorical appeal to the audience's emotions rather than logic or credibility.

Question 2

A student rewrites an opponent's argument in an exaggerated or distorted way before attacking it. This is a:

Accepted Answer

Straw man fallacy

Answer

The straw man fallacy misrepresents an opponent's position to make it easier to attack.

Question 3

Which is an example of EVALUATING the credibility of a source?

Accepted Answer

Verifying the author's qualifications and checking citations

Answer

Author qualifications and cited references are key indicators of a source's trustworthiness and expertise.

Question 4

Which best describes an ASSUMPTION in an argument?

Accepted Answer

A belief taken for granted that the argument depends on but does not prove

Answer

Assumptions are unstated beliefs the argument rests on; identifying them is key to evaluating whether the argument is fully supported.

Question 5

A student is solving a problem and finds an unexpected result. The BEST critical thinking response is to:

Accepted Answer

Investigate why the unexpected result occurred

Answer

Investigating unexpected results is essential to understanding whether there is an error or a new insight.

(ILEARN) Indiana Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network Practice Test