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Section D
Assignments

Task 1

Decide whether the following arguments are valid or invalid, and explain why.

Note:

A valid argument provides all the information needed to prove its conclusion. In a valid argument, if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true as well.

a. 1)Ralphis adog.

2) No dogs are allowed on the roller-coaster.

3) Therefore, Ralph is not allowed on the roller-coaster.

b. 1)Being friendly is the easiestway to make friends quickly.

2) Alana has a lot of friends.

3) Therefore, Alana must be very friendly.

c. 1)Every dog is a reptile.

2) Every reptile is cold-blooded.

3) Therefore, every dog is cold-blooded.

Task 2

Work in groups as a pro side or a con side and write down your reasons based on the given statement.

University tuition should be free.

Task 3

Identify the reasons used to support the affirmative and opposing opinions in the essay below.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

YES

Who doesn’t love Google? In the blink of an eye, the search engine delivers useful information about pretty much any subject imaginable. I use it all the time, and I’m guessing you do, too. But I worry about what Google is doing to our brains. What really makes us intelligent isn’t our ability to find lots of information quickly. It’s our ability to think deeply about that information. And deep thinking, brain scientists have discovered, happens only when our minds are calm and attentive. The greater our concentration, the richer our thoughts. If we’re distracted, we understand less,remember less, and learn less. That’s the problem with Google—and with the Internet in general. When we use our computers and our cellphones all the time, we’re always distracted. The net bombards us with messages and other bits of data, and every one of those interruptions breaks our train of thought. We end up scatterbrained. The fact is, you’ll never think deeply if you’re always Googling, texting, and surfing. Google doesn’t want us to slow down. The faster we zip across the web, clicking links and skimming words and pictures, the more ads Google is able to show us and the more money it makes. So even as Google is giving us all that useful information, it’s also encouraging us to think superficially. It’s making us shallow. If you’re really interested in developing your mind, you should turn of your computer and your cellphone —and start thinking. Really thinking. You can Google all the facts you want, but you’ll never Google your way to brilliance.

NO

Any new information technology has both advocates and critics. More than 2,000 years ago, the classical Greek philosopher Socrates complained that the new technology of writing “will create forgetfulness in the learners’ souls because they will not use their memories”. Today, Google is the new technology. The Internet contains the world’s best writing, images, and ideas. Google lets us find the relevant pieces instantly. Suppose I’m interested in the guidance computers on Apollo spacecraft in the 1960s. My local library has no books on that specific subject—just 18 books about the Apollo missions in general. I could hunt through those or turn to Google, which returns 45,000 pages, including a definitive encyclopedia article and instructions for building a unit. Just as a car allows us to move faster and a telescope lets us see farther, access to the Internet’s information lets us think better and faster.By considering a wide range of information, we can arrive at more creative and informed solutions.

Task 4

Do you agree or disagree with “Standardized tests do more harm than good”? Give your opinions and reasons. o8A9dPVNkJR2YeEA+uxxv1UC2Oc5zYSE6hgOV2cOKIkA5gwRQpqgroAYAG+cnMXd

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