NBT Critical Thinking & Argument Evaluation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An argument claims: "Smoking should be banned because it is bad for health." Which critical thinking concept is missing to make this a stronger argument?
- A personal story
- Empirical evidence supporting the health claim (Correct answer)
- A simpler vocabulary
- An emotional appeal
Correct answer: Empirical evidence supporting the health claim
A strong argument requires empirical evidence — data, studies, or statistics — to substantiate the claim that smoking is bad for health. Unsupported assertions are weak arguments.
Question 2: Which of the following is the BEST example of a hasty generalisation?
- Three scientific studies confirm that exercise reduces depression.
- My neighbour failed the test, so the test must be too hard. (Correct answer)
- Research across 50 countries found a link between poverty and crime.
- Most medical experts agree that vaccines are safe.
Correct answer: My neighbour failed the test, so the test must be too hard.
A hasty generalisation draws a broad conclusion from insufficient evidence. Judging a test's difficulty based on one person's failure is a classic example.
Question 3: An editorial argues: "If we allow students to use calculators in class, soon they won't be able to do any mental arithmetic at all." This is an example of which fallacy?
- Straw man
- Ad hominem
- Slippery slope (Correct answer)
- False dilemma
Correct answer: Slippery slope
The slippery slope fallacy assumes that one small step will inevitably lead to extreme consequences, without justifying how or why each step follows the next.
Question 4: Which of the following best distinguishes a fact from an opinion?
- Facts are widely believed; opinions are not.
- Facts can be verified through evidence; opinions express personal views or judgements. (Correct answer)
- Facts come from experts; opinions come from the public.
- Facts are interesting; opinions are boring.
Correct answer: Facts can be verified through evidence; opinions express personal views or judgements.
A fact is an objectively verifiable statement. An opinion expresses a personal judgement, belief, or evaluation that cannot be objectively proven true or false.
Question 5: A study concludes: "Eating breakfast is associated with better academic performance." A student then concludes: "Therefore, eating breakfast causes better grades." What error in reasoning has the student made?
- Appeal to authority
- Confusing correlation with causation (Correct answer)
- Overgeneralisation
- Circular reasoning
Correct answer: Confusing correlation with causation
Correlation shows that two variables are related, but does not prove that one causes the other. Other factors (e.g., regular routine, nutrition generally) could explain both eating breakfast and better grades.
Question 6: Which statement best describes "critical reading" in an academic context?
- Reading quickly for the main idea
- Accepting all information in published texts
- Actively questioning the author's assumptions, evidence, and conclusions (Correct answer)
- Memorising key passages for later use
Correct answer: Actively questioning the author's assumptions, evidence, and conclusions
Critical reading involves active engagement with a text: questioning the author's assumptions, evaluating the quality of evidence, identifying biases, and assessing the strength of conclusions.
NBT Critical Thinking & Argument Evaluation 2
An argument claims: "Smoking should be banned because it is bad for health." Which critical thinking concept is missing to make this a stronger argument?