Critical Reading Flashcards

On the TAP Critical Reading section, 'synthesizing' information from two passages means:

Answer: Combining insights from both passages to form a unified understanding

Synthesis involves integrating ideas from multiple sources to build a broader understanding of a topic.

A TAP passage presents a 'straw man' fallacy. This means the author:

Answer: Misrepresents the opposing argument to make it easier to attack

A straw man fallacy distorts or oversimplifies an opponent's argument to make it easier to defeat.

On the TAP, when evaluating two conflicting passages, a critical reader should first:

Answer: Identify each author's claim, evidence, and reasoning before comparing

Effective comparison requires understanding each passage's argument independently before analyzing them together.

On the TAP Critical Reading section, an 'assumption' in an argument is:

Answer: An unstated premise the argument relies on to be valid

An assumption is an unstated belief or premise that an argument takes for granted without proving.

On the TAP, which question type asks you to evaluate whether a conclusion is well-supported?

Answer: Critical evaluation of argument strength

Critical evaluation questions ask you to assess whether the evidence provided adequately supports the author's conclusion.

A TAP passage uses 'either/or' reasoning by claiming only two options exist when more are possible. This is known as:

Answer: A false dilemma fallacy

A false dilemma (either/or fallacy) artificially limits choices to two when other options actually exist.