Test your basic knowledge |

Public Debating

Subject : soft-skills
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The belief that current thinking - attitudes - values - and actions will continue in the absence of good arguments for their change






2. Qualitative significance is part of what stock issue?






3. Is another variation of the tu quoque; it is when you justify a wrong by saying that this is the way things have always been done






4. If A then B Not A Therefore not B






5. If A then B Not B Therefore not A






6. Is a variation of Appeal to Ignorance. It is when you accept an argument that the presumption lies with one side and the other side has the burden of proving its case when the reverse is actually true






7. Opposite of anadiplosis






8. If A then B B Therefore - A






9. Have both claims - reason - and at least two sides






10. If A then B If B then C Therefore - if A then C






11. Circular Reasoning






12. Taught by sophists; provides tools to recognize good arguments from bad ones






13. Term with lower (negative) value






14. Uses emotional appeal instead of evidence to argue






15. Draws a conclusion about an entire entity based on knowledge about all of its parts






16. Repetition of the ending of one clause or sentence at the beginning of another.






17. Is another variety of Hasty Generalization. It is when you reason from a sample that is not representative (typical) of the population from which it was drawn.






18. What kind of commonplaces 'deflect reality'






19. Ending repeated






20. Using information from mercenary scientists is committing what fallacy?






21. Is a variation of the tu quoque; it is when you justify a wrong by saying that most other people do it too.






22. A manufactured controversy that is motivated by profit or extreme ideology to intentionally create confusion in the public about an issue of scientific fact that is not in dispute by the scientific community. Used to stop debate at the conjectural le






23. What is 'at issue' in a controversy; the place where two sides of an argument come into conflict; the clash between arguments.






24. They stablish an arena for argumentation by defining ground for a dispute and issues of controversy. Typically - one side affirms the resolution and one side negates the resolution.






25. Deliberate correction






26. 'If two things are alike in most respects - they will be alike in this respect too' Warrant for what arg?






27. A or B Not A Therefore - B






28. Drawing an analogical conclusion when the cases compared are not relevantly alike






29. Defending something by pointing out that your opponent did it as well. Also called 'two wrongs make a right'; this is literally translated as 'thou also'






30. All A are B - all C are B - therefore all A are C






31. Taking one idea and dividing it into two parts - disengaging the two resulting ideas - giving a positive value to one (Term II) and a lesser or negative value to the other (Term I). These are often based on the appearance/reality pair.






32. Religious liberty - limited government - entrepreneurship - military strength - traditional institutions - property rights






33. Accepting the word of an alleged authority when we should not because the person does not have expertise on this particular issue or s/he cannot be trusted to give an unbiased opinion.






34. Accepting a token gesture for something more substantive






35. _____ rejected rhetoric as flattery - not truth - a 'knack' on par with 'cookery' and 'cosmetics'






36. When more than one vehicle is used for the same tenor - and those vehicles appear in close proximity to each other






37. Reasoning from case to case






38. Is a variation of the non sequiter; it is when the irrelevant reason is meant to divert the attention of the audience from the real issue






39. An implicit comparison made by referring to one thing as another






40. Focuses on inadequacies or problems in the status quo - must be significant if a change is to be made. Must Have: 1. Quantitative significance: affects lots of people 2. Qualitative significance: is of bad quality






41. Attempts to assign responsibility for the existence of the ill to the current system. Needs to connect the ill to the policy in order for it to be changed. Must Have: 1. Structural Inherency: bad structure/lack of structure 2. Attitudinal Inherency:






42. The inference reasons that what a trustworthy source says is true. The warrant to this argument usually says - 'When a qualified person says something is true - it's true'






43. Affirming or denying a point strongly by asking it as a question; also called a 'rhetorical question'






44. Asks - 'what is it?' Involves a question of meaning when a debate turns to the proper definition of terms.






45. Relative advantages and disadvantages of the new policy. Are the adverse effects going to outweigh the benefits?






46. Faling to bring relevant evidence to bear on an argument






47. A syllogism suppressing the Major Premise - and only contains a Minor Premise and the Conclusion. People speak in these more often than syllogisms.






48. _____ thought that the most worthy study is one that advances the student's ability to speak and deliberate on affairs of the state.






49. A metaphor that gives attributes to a nonhuman thing






50. Agreeing to some of the arguments made by your opponents so that you can focus on others