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

Exercise:Are you familiar with the word,"meretricious"? Provide a definition.If the term is unfamiliar,make a guess about its meaning based on its appearance or sound,and create your own definition.Then look the word up,and find out how close you got.(We provide a thumbnail meaning as answer. )

Discuss whether the vagueness of the following passage is appropriate to the context that is stated or implied.Pay particular attention to the underlined expressions. "The right of the people to be secure in their persons,houses,papers,and effects,against unreasonable searches and seizures,shall not be violated,and no Warrants shall issue,but upon probable cause,supported by Oath or affirmation,and particularly describing the place to be searched,and the persons or things to be seized." -United States Constitution,Fourth Amendment

Discuss whether the vagueness of the following passage is appropriate to the context that is stated or implied.Pay particular attention to the underlined expression. I am 100 percent devoted to family values. -from a political speech during the 2008 presidential campaign

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. "It is prudent to assume that all nations attempt to spy on other nations to the extent that their capacities and interests dictate."-Baltimore Sun

Using a name or description of an item that you can't point to,provide a definition by example for "industrial hazard." If you have difficulty doing so,try to identify the source of the trouble.

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. A precising definition is used to reduce vagueness.

Criticize the following claim based on the material from Chapter 3 of the text. WAR DIMS HOPE FOR PEACE-headline sent from Bangs Tapscott

Identify any unnecessary and potentially offensive references to gender,race,or other features in the following passage and,as necessary,rewrite the passage in neutral language. Mrs.Karla Ashcroft won the award for best student in the sciences.

For the following,indicate whether the definition given is by example,by synonym,or analytical:A deciduous tree is a hardwood tree that loses its leaves during the winter.

Determine whether the following claim is best classified as semantically ambiguous (and whether this contains grouping ambiguities),syntactically ambiguous,or free from ambiguity:Did he tell you what he said in his email?

Classify the following:"The Ojibwa are a tribe of Algonquian Indians of the Lake Superior region."

Rank the claims in the following set from general to least vague. The administration has indicated it would a.not be satisfied until the problem was solved. b.propose new legislation to combat the problem. c.send a bill to Congress during the next session. d.take the problem under advisement.

Using a name or description of an item that you can't point to,provide a definition by example for "tall item." If you have difficulty doing so,try to identify the source of the trouble.

Determine whether the claim in the following is too vague in the context that is stated or implied:Your hard drive is big enough for most word-processing uses,but it's way too small for graphics files.

Determine whether the following claim is best classified as semantically ambiguous (and whether this contains grouping ambiguities),syntactically ambiguous,or free from ambiguity:The team was upset.

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. Professional sports? Never watch 'em.They're all fixed.

For the following,indicate whether the definition given is by example,by synonym,or analytical:Honor means being willing to lay down your life for a just cause.

For "liberal (noun)," provide an analytical definition that is flattering.

Determine whether the following claim is best classified as semantically ambiguous (and whether this contains grouping ambiguities),syntactically ambiguous,or free from ambiguity:When the head waiter asked whether she had reservations,she said,"Yes,but I'm going to eat here anyway."

A definition used to reduce the vagueness of an expression is called a precising definition.