Exam 3: Clear Thinking,critical Thinking,and Clear Writing

Rank the claims in the following set from general to least vague. a.The students with the most points at the end of the semester will get the best grades. b.The top 10 percent of the class will receive "A"s. c.Everybody whose average is 90 or above will get an A. d.The class will be graded on a curve. e.Grading will be relatively tough in this course. Decreasingly general: (a), (e), (d); (b)and (c)about equal.

Evaluate the following claim,paying particular attention to problems of clarity.Note that claims may also present problems of knowability,though we don't address knowability per se in this chapter. Conservative Christians are a politically sophisticated voting bloc.

Indicate whether this informal definition is by example,by synonym,or analytical:A professional bureaucrat is anyone like our present governor.

Evaluate the following claim,paying particular attention to problems of clarity.Note that claims may also present problems of knowability,though we don't address knowability per se in this chapter. From a letter to the editor:"It appears that the administration's foreign policy is increasingly far out."

Criticize the following claim based on the material from Chapter 3 of the text. "The instructor will not inform a student that he or she will be charged with cheating during an examination."-Statement on course syllabus

Define "farmer" by synonyms,using one synonym that carries a complimentary meaning and one that carries a derogatory emotive meaning.

Criticize the following claim based on the material from Chapter 3 of the text. CHILD'S STOOL GREAT FOR USE IN GARDEN -Headline in Buffalo Courier-Express

Classify the following:"As any crossword puzzler knows,'sere' means 'arid,' which means dry."

Emotive meaning cannot be conveyed by a definition by example.

Considering the context in which it was most likely uttered,would you say the following claim is ambiguous,too vague,or neither? The snacks are delicious.But remember to wash the spoons before you eat them.

Determine whether the claim in the following is too vague in the context that is stated or implied:From a rebate offer sticker for Johnson's vinegar:"Mail this form,along with a proof of purchase from a one-quart bottle of Johnson's Vinegar to the address below.You'll receive your $1.00 rebate check in about four weeks."

Criticize the following claim based on the material from Chapter 3 of the text. LOUISIANA GOVERNOR DEFENDS HIS WIFE,GIFT FROM KOREAN -Headline in Milwaukee Journal

Classify the following definition according to its use:to reduce vagueness,to introduce or explain a new or unusual word,to evoke an attitude about something,or to accomplish some other purpose. "All the perceptions of the human mind resolve themselves into two distinct kinds,which I shall call Impressions and Ideas."-David Hume,Treatise on Human Nature

Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning? And:Why do some choices seem meaner than others? a.I've never been fond of bowling. b.Bowling bores me to death. c.I'd rather read the phone book than bowl. d.On the pleasure scale,bowling ranks alongside pulling ticks off a dog.

For the term,"banker," invent a persuasive definition (either positive or negative).Remember,persuasive definitions can be analytical definitions,definitions by example,or definitions by synonym.

Evaluate the following claim,paying particular attention to problems of clarity.Note that claims may also present problems of knowability,though we don't address knowability per se in this chapter. Of the over 100,000 aliens who married U.S.citizens last year,40 percent did so only to bypass immigration laws.

Indicate whether this informal definition is by example,by synonym,or analytical:Mayonnaise is a thick sauce of egg yolk beaten together with vegetable oil and seasonings.

Determine whether the claim in the following is too vague in the context that is stated or implied:Property owner,showing his property to guests:"The lot extends back to about where that large oak tree stands."

Indicate whether this informal definition is by example,by synonym,or analytical:"Real property? Why,your house and land are real property."

Determine whether the following claim is best classified as semantically ambiguous (and whether this contains grouping ambiguities),syntactically ambiguous,or free from ambiguity:If properly frosted,a person shouldn't notice lumps in a cake.