Notes

What is the counterclaim in this paragraph?
The Internet both invades and compromises an individual’s right to privacy


Which characteristics of a claim does the sample claim represent? Check all that apply.
It can be supported by evidence.
It clearly takes one side of an issue.


Which best addresses a potential counterclaim?
The Internet provides access to information that would otherwise be unobtainable to the general public


Why is this not an effective claim? Check all that apply.
It is simply a personal preference or feeling.
It cannot be supported with logical reasons.


Which best addresses a potential counterclaim?
Certain types of cancers take twenty to thirty years to develop, and cell phone studies have only been monitoring this potential connection for ten years or less.


Which revision of sentence 2 best adds information that clarifies the reason offered by the writer?
Not so much information would have to be crammed into nine months, and class material could be covered at a more even and logical pace.


What evidence would most weaken the counterclaim presented here?
One generally accepted rule of thumb is that students should do ten minutes of homework per night for each grade level.
The time required to grade homework is yet another task that diverts a teacher’s attention from actually teaching.
It is nearly impossible to know if the completed homework actually belongs to the student or has been copied from another.


Which revision would most strengthen sentence 1?
replacing “help” with “affect”
replacing “help” with “surely support”
replacing “help” with “greatly boost”


Which reason could best be supported by the evidence in this passage?
Raising the driving age would reinforce the idea that driving is a privilege.
The legal driving age should be raised to eighteen for safety reasons.
Eighteen-years-olds are better able to sustain the costs of driving.


Which piece of evidence would best support reason #2?
With just 115 inspectors and over 7,500 facilities involved with the research, breeding, or handling of animals in some way, regulation of the Animal Welfare Act is virtually impossible.
Enacted in 1966, the Animal Welfare Act is a US federal law that regulates the care and use of animals in a variety of circumstances, including medical research and testing.
People will not tolerate the suffering of animals, so it is only logical that scientists will only use animal testing as a last resort when all other measures have failed.