Exam 1: Accounting As a Tool for Management

"The Justice Department recently reported that the Immigration and Naturalization Service allowed more than 180,000 immigrants to become American citizens just before the last presidential election without completing background checks. The INS did this in hopes that most of the new immigrants would vote for Democrats. This political chicanery is an outrage, and Congress should demand accountability from the responsible officials." Which of the following best states the primary issue discussed in the passage?

Identify the main issue in the following passage. If two or more issues are present, indicate how they are related-that is, does the settlement of one depend upon the settlement of the other? The results of a survey conducted by the Public Opinion Laboratory at Northern Illinois University show that on very basic ideas, vast numbers of Americans are scientifically illiterate, laboratory director Jon Miller said. Only about 5 percent of American adults have a minimal knowledge of scientific vocabulary and methodology and an understanding of the impact of science on the world (55 percent did not know that the Earth goes around the Sun once a year; 28 percent didn't know that the Earth goes around the Sun at all). In an election year when candidates are talking about the Strategic Defense Initiative, acid rain, and the greenhouse effect, this survey shows that many Americans have little idea of what the candidates are talking about.

Identify for which claims, if any, support has been given in the following passage; and state in your own words the reasons that have been offered for these claims. "A pine cut down, a dead pine, is no more a pine than a dead human carcass is a man. Can he who has discovered only some of the values of whalebone and whale oil be said to have discovered the use of the whale? Can he who slays the elephant for his ivory be said to have 'seen the elephant'? These are petty and accidental uses; just as if a stronger race were to kill us in order to make buttons and flageolets of our bones; for everything may serve a lower as well as a higher use. Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it." -Henry David Thoreau, "Chesuncook"

The quality of a discussion often depends on how closely the parties attend to the same issue. For the passage below, determine whether the speakers are clearly disputing the same issue, or whether somebody is missing the point. A: I think the oversight laws for police have to be toughened. Right now, it's difficult for society to protect itself against rogue cops. B: Well, I know you can't be convinced otherwise, but it just isn't that every officer who's brought up on charges is guilty of those charges.

Identify the main point or issue in the following passage, and decide whether the rest of the passage offers reasons for the main point (such as, whether the passage contains an argument), whether it illustrates (provides examples for) the main point, whether it explains the point, is irrelevant to the point, and so on. "Here's why big animals stay warm easier: An elephant is ten thousand times heavier than a rabbit and produces body heat one-tenth as rapidly. But still the elephant keeps warmer because it has much less skin area per pound and much more body heat per square inch of skin." -Adapted from Robert Bakker, The Dinosaur Heresies

Identify the main issue in the following passage. If two or more issues are present, indicate how they are related-that is, does the settlement of one depend upon the settlement of the other? Average is as close to the top as it is to the bottom. A glass that is half empty is also half full. You should think positively. If you do, life will be more fun.

Identify the main issue in the following passage. If two or more issues are present, indicate how they are related-that is, does the settlement of one depend upon the settlement of the other? Dear Desperate: I urge you to get counseling at once. Unless you resolve the conflicts in your feelings and get rid of the hostility toward your husband's first wife, your marriage is doomed. -from a newspaper advice column

Identify for which claims, if any, support has been given in the following passage; and state in your own words the reasons that have been offered for these claims. "I am a Korean War veteran, and I just want to say that our commander-in-chief is a lying, cheating, draft-dodging, gay-loving hypocrite who thinks sucking up to the military can make us forget what he did during Vietnam. He can't, as he'll learn when we impeach him." -Adapted from a newspaper call-in column

Identify for which claims, if any, support has been given in the following passage; and state in your own words the reasons that have been offered for these claims. "The breaking of secret codes (cryptanalysis) provides an example of inductive reasoning closely resembling the inductive reasoning scientists carry out. However, cryptanalysis can be carried out using pen and paper, needing no laboratories. In addition, even simple forms of cryptanalysis can be quite intriguing. Simple forms of cryptanalysis can therefore be very useful as classroom examples of inductive reasoning." -CT News

Identify the main issue in the following passage. If two or more issues are present, indicate how they are related-that is, does the settlement of one depend upon the settlement of the other? The burden of proof is on the critics of capital punishment. Capital punishment is accepted widely as an effective deterrent, and if you are against what is accepted widely, it is up to you to make a case.

Identify for which claims, if any, support has been given in the following passage; and state in your own words the reasons that have been offered for these claims. "Flamenco and the Fiesta (spectacle of bullfighting) are deeply related. This connection is undeniable, and vital for an understanding of either. Both stem basically from the common people, and they stir the same basic emotions and passions. Both are given flashes of erratic genius by gypsies, and a sense of indomitable steadiness and responsibility by the Andalusians. And they have in common another important factor: they are the two most probable ways that the commoner can break out of his social and economic level." -Donn Pohren, The Art of Flamenco

Determine whether the following passage contains an argument; if it does, identify the main issue. "It is indeed said that the Japanese work more than 2,000 hours a year, but this is not so. At Sony-and at Sanyo or Matsushita-the total is somewhere between 1,800 and 1,900 hours." -Akio Morita, chairman of Sony

Determine whether the following passage is (or contains) an argument. Except maybe for finance and business law, schools of business really don't have very much of their own subject matter to teach to students. All the rest is really mathematics, psychology, English, speech, and other standard subjects that business schools call by other names.

When an opinion is expressed in a declarative statement, the result is a claim.

Determine whether the following passage is (or contains) an argument. Right now there are as many as half a million military-style assault guns in the hands of private citizens in the United States. These small, light, easy-to-handle weapons are exemplified by the Israeli UZI, the American MAC-10 and AR-15, and the KG -99. All of these are sophisticated weapons manufactured for the single purpose of killing human beings in large numbers very quickly.

Identify for which claims, if any, support has been given in the following passage; and state in your own words the reasons that have been offered for these claims. Trout do feed on mosquito larvae, but they seldom feed on adult mosquitoes. So it is not likely that fish take an imitation mosquito because they are fooled into thinking it is a real one. Most likely they take the mosquito fly for a midge or a gray caddis. -Adapted from Jack Dennis, Western Trout Fly Tying Manual

Identify each speaker that gives an argument for his or her position in the following passage. Republican: If taxes absolutely must be raised, raise the sales tax. Raising taxes on corporations or income taxes just drives businesses out of state, and that's bad for the economy. The net result is less tax revenue for government. Democrat: If you raise the sales tax, people buy less, and that's even worse for the economy. Besides, the sales tax hits poor people the hardest, and they are the ones who least can afford a tax hike.

Identify each speaker that gives an argument for his or her position in the following passage. Larry: Before we go to Hawaii, let's go to a tanning salon and get a tan. Then we won't look like we just got off the plane, plus we won't get sunburned while we're over there. Laurie: I don't know . . . I read that those places can be dangerous. And did you ever check out how much they cost? Let's let it go.

The quality of a discussion often depends on how closely the parties attend to the same issue. For the passage below, determine whether the speakers are clearly disputing the same issue, or whether somebody is missing the point. A: Experimentation on animals? Horrid, awful, immoral! No argument would justify experimenting on animals that wouldn't also justify experimenting on humans. B: You're overlooking all the medical advances that have resulted from experimenting on animals.

"Gina has swag" is a subjective claim.