AnswersGA-Literature and Composition IIIResearch Workshop: Writing and Presenting the Argumentative Essay, Part 2

Research Workshop: Writing and Presenting the Argumentative Essay, Part 2 — Unit test Answers

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Read the following excerpt from Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Death by Black Hole.”That’s the gory moment when your body snaps into two segments, breaking apart at your midsection. Upon falling further, the difference in gravity continues to grow, and each of your two body segments snaps into two segments. Shortly thereafter, those segments each snap into two segments of their own, and so forth, and so forth, bifurcating your body into an ever-increasing number of parts: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, etc.Read the following excerpt from Billy Collins’s “Man Listening to Disc.”The music is loud yet so confidentialI cannot help feeling even morelike the center of the universethan usual as I walk along to a rapidlittle version of “The Way You Look Tonight,”What do these two excerpts reveal about the difference in ideas presented by Tyson and Collins?

A
Tyson stresses humanity’s relative insignificance in the universe, while Collins stresses man’s perceived importance.
B
Tyson describes man’s place in the universe, while Collins focuses primarily on the role of mankind itself.
C
Tyson’s essay is a serious discussion of black holes, while Collins’s poem mocks the importance of music.
D
Tyson discusses the probability of being swallowed by black holes, while Collins describes the effects of listening to music.
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Read a paragraph from a presentation.Most of you probably are fans of typical American sports, such as baseball and basketball. However, I urge you to consider watching and participating in sports that are popular in other nations. Most of us are familiar with soccer. However, few of us realize that it is the most popular sport in the world. You’ve all experienced Super Bowl Sunday madness, but that is nothing compared to the international frenzy that sweeps across our planet every four years when soccer’s World Cup occurs. Watching the games of the World Cup can be a fun way to connect with other sports fans around the globe.What is the purpose of this presentation?

A
to persuade
B
to instruct
C
to inform
D
to entertain
3

How does Michio Kaku develop the idea of an impending scientific revolution in “Choreographers of Matter, Life, and Intelligence”?

A
by praising the efficiency of modern-day Internet research
B
by providing quantitative proof of recent scientific progress
C
by comparing scientific knowledge to grains of sand on a beach
D
by providing the names and contributions of modern scientists
4

Read the excerpt from Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Death by Black Hole.”That’s the gory moment when your body snaps into two segments, breaking apart at your midsection. Upon falling further, the difference in gravity continues to grow, and each of your two body segments snaps into two segments. Shortly thereafter, those segments each snap into two segments of their own, and so forth, and so forth, bifurcating your body into an ever-increasing number of parts: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, etc. After you’ve been ripped into shreds of organic molecules, the molecules themselves begin to feel the continually growing tidal forces. Eventually, they too snap apart, creating a stream of their constituent atoms. And then, of course, the atoms themselves snap apart, leaving an unrecognizable parade of particles that, minutes earlier, had been you.Which statement best describes how the author conveys the message that humans are no match for the power of a black hole?

A
He explains scientific theories to the reader and provides the definitions for difficult terms and words.
B
He uses logic and reason to lay out each individual step of human combustion as it is absorbed by the tidal force.
C
He provides helpful comparisons of black holes with other cosmic phenomena that the reader may already know.
D
He personalizes the experience for the reader and uses vivid imagery to create a clear mental picture.
5

Read this excerpt from "Talking Robots."Of course, neural networks still have a long way to go before they can model the human brain. As physicist Heinz Pagels has said: “The difference between a real neuron and the model neurons . . . is like the difference between a human hand and a pair of pliers.” But the fact that a simple neural network can speak at all is remarkable, indicating that perhaps human abilities can be simulated by electronics. . . . Which is the most accurate summary of Kaku’s argument?

A
The simulated speech of neural networks suggests the potential for other electronic simulations.
B
Neural networks are vastly inferior to the human brain, and critics question whether they can speak at all.
C
Neural networks are vastly different from the human brain, just as pliers are different from the human hand.
D
Electronic simulation of speech suggests that technological ability will eventually exceed human potential.
6

Read the following excerpt from Levitt and Dubner’s Freakonomics.In the real world, Feldman learned to settle for less than 95 percent. He came to consider a company “honest” if its payment rate was above 90 percent. He considered a rate between 80 and 90 percent “annoying but tolerable.” If a company habitually paid below 80 percent, Feldman might post a hectoring note, like this one:The cost of bagels has gone up dramatically since the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, the number of bagels that disappear without being paid for has also gone up. Don’t let that continue. I don’t imagine that you would teach your children to cheat, so why do it yourselves? The excerpt serves as which type of support for the authors’ argument?

A
a claim
B
an example
C
a conclusion
D
a counterclaim
7

What is a counterclaim in an argumentative speech?

A
A counterclaim is a possible objection to the thesis.
B
A counterclaim is a supporting detail, such as statistics.
C
A counterclaim is the concluding statement of a speech.
D
A counterclaim is an umbrella statement for the argument.
8

Which sentence best demonstrates the language required of an argumentative speech?

A
College entrance exams are super important to colleges, and every student must work hard to get a decent score.
B
Every high school in the county must provide its students with thorough information about college entrance exams.
C
High school guidance counselors are a good source of information about college entrance requirements.
D
Students often take preparatory classes to up their scores on college entrance exams.
9

Read the excerpt from Fast Food Nation. English is now the second language of at least one-sixth of the nation’s restaurant workers, and about one-third of that group speaks no English at all. The proportion of fast food workers who cannot speak English is even higher.Which type of evidence does the author use in this excerpt?

A
anecdotal
B
statistical
C
testimonial
D
analogical
10

Which of the following excerpts from Fast Food Nation best provides evidence that fast food restaurants are designed for using unskilled labor?

A
Her family’s modest townhouse sits beside a busy highway on the south side of Colorado Springs, in a largely poor and working-class neighborhood.
B
The ovens at Pizza Hut and at Domino’s also use conveyor belts to ensure standardized cooking times.
C
The restaurant opens for business at seven o’clock, and for the next hour or so, Elisa and the manager hold down the fort, handling all the orders.
D
Throughput is all about increasing the speed of assembly, about doing things faster in order to make more.
11

Read the excerpt from Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Death by Black Hole.”If you stumbled upon a black hole and found yourself falling feet-first toward its center, then as you got closer, the black hole’s force of gravity would grow astronomically. Curiously, you would not feel this force at all because, like anything in free fall, you are weightless. What you do feel, however, is something far more sinister. While you fall, the black hole’s force of gravity at your two feet, they being closer to the black hole’s center, accelerates them faster than does the weaker force of gravity at your head. Read the excerpt from Billy Collins’s “Man Listening to Disc.”the only true point of view,is full of the hope that he,the hub of the cosmoswith his hair blown sideways,will eventually make it all the way downtown.Which choice best describes the differing views Tyson and Collins present of humanity?

A
Tyson describes a sinister universe where men are eaten by black holes, while Collins describes a cosmos full of hope for a better future.
B
Tyson writes about a scientific fact of life, while Collins writes about an emotionally charged event in his life.
C
Tyson presents humans as powerless against the forces of nature, while Collins presents an individual creating his own destiny.
D
Tyson suggests that people have no control of their lives in a dangerous world, while Collins reminds people to take control and be focused.
12

Read the following passage, which is modeled after an encyclopedia entry about tortillas.A tortilla is a round flatbread that appears in most Mexican dishes, including tacos, enchiladas, and tostadas. Tortillas are made with cornmeal or sometimes wheat flour. Traditionally, the corn or wheat grains are ground on a stone. Next, the meal from these grains is formed into small pieces of dough and patted into thin circles by hand. Finally, the tortilla is baked on a griddle. Today, tortilla dough is usually mixed by machine, flattened into shape, and passed on a conveyor belt to cook over a flame. Tortillas can be purchased at most major grocery stores.Which best describes the purpose of this passage?

A
to inform audiences about the production and types of tortillas
B
to persuade audiences that producing and purchasing tortillas is easy
C
to entertain audiences with a delightful and enjoyable description of tortillas
D
to argue that tortillas are the top choice among traditional foods
13

Read the sentence from an argumentative essay about chemical waste. The chemical waste produced by factories is out of hand, and factory owners should get in trouble.Which revision offers the most improvement in word choice?

A
The chemical waste produced by factories is insane, and factory owners should be punished.
B
The chemical waste produced by factories is dangerous, and factory owners should be held accountable.
C
The chemical waste produced by factories is huge, and factory owners should get it under control.
D
The chemical waste produced by factories is manageable, and factory owners deserve blame.
14

Read the excerpt from Fast Food Nation. Up and down Academy Boulevard, along South Nevada, Circle Drive, and Woodman Road, teenagers like Elisa run the fast food restaurants of Colorado Springs. Fast food kitchens often seem like a scene from Bugsy Malone, a film in which all the actors are children pretending to be adults. No other industry in the United States has a workforce so dominated by adolescents.How does Schlosser effectively build his argument in this excerpt?

A
He uses anecdotal evidence to share a personal experience of eating fast food.
B
He uses analogical evidence to help the reader visualize his point about the workers.
C
He uses testimonial evidence to explain the health risks of eating fast food.
D
He uses statistical evidence to prove that adults make better employees than teens.
15

Having a counterclaim in an argumentative essay allows the author of the essay to

A
provide background information on the topic.
B
support his or her claim with evidence.
C
state his or her opinion on the topic.
D
address any opposition to his or her claim.

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