Question: Benny has argued for a long time for a new national park in Montana, but you really shouldn’t listen to him. Benny owns a general store in the proposed vicinity, and if the park is created, he stands to profit handsomely from the flow of visitors.
Answer Choices:
a. Argument against the person, abusive.
b. Appeal to unqualified authority.
c. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
d. Appeal to ignorance.
e. No fallacy.
Answer: c. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
Question: Frank Larsen argues for stricter gun control. It appears that Frank wants to abolish access to guns altogether. But if law-abiding citizens can’t own a gun, then they will have no means of defending themselves against criminals. Obviously Frank’s argument is no good.
Answer Choices:
a. False cause.
b. Argument against the person, abusive.
c. Straw man.
d. No fallacy.
e. Red herring.
Answer: c. Straw man.
Question: Dr. Sylvia Newman, the world-famous biochemist, says that the widespread use of pesticides poses a serious threat to public health. Therefore, we should take this warning seriously and investigate further the extent of the threat.
Answer Choices:
a. Appeal to force.
b. Appeal to the people.
c. Appeal to unqualified authority.
d. Begging the question.
e. No fallacy.
Answer: e. No fallacy.
Question: United Airlines flight 863 was late arriving in Houston, and flight 722 was late getting into LA—as was flight 429. Apparently all United Airlines flights are late these days.
Answer Choices:
a. Hasty generalization.
b. False cause.
c. No fallacy.
d. Composition.
e. Accident.
Answer: a. Hasty generalization.
Question: April Bradley’s arguments in favor of solar power are hardly worth listening to. After all, look where she graduated from—North East Texas State. That’s hardly Ivy League. And look at how she dresses. Yuck!
Answer Choices:
a. Hasty generalization.
b. Begging the question.
c. False cause.
d. Argument against the person, abusive.
e. No fallacy.
Answer: d. Argument against the person, abusive.
Question: Barbara lost 15 pounds after taking the new InstaThin supplement for 6 weeks. Tiffany has the same metabolism, lifestyle, diet, body type, age, height, and former weight as Barbara. Therefore, probably Tiffany could lose about 15 pounds if she takes InstaThin for 6 weeks.
Answer Choices:
a. Weak analogy.
b. No fallacy.
Answer: a. Weak analogy.
Question: Whatever you do, never buy a lottery ticket. If you do, soon you’ll be betting on horses. Next, it will be slot machines in Las Vegas, and then blackjack and high stakes poker. In the end, you’ll be totally broke.
Answer Choices:
a. Slippery slope.
b. No fallacy.
c. Complex question.
d. False cause.
e. Missing the point.
Answer: a. Slippery slope.
Question: Every component in this table is made of wood. Therefore, the entire table is made of wood.
Answer Choices:
a. Composition.
b. Weak analogy.
c. No fallacy.
d. False dichotomy.
e. Suppressed evidence.
Answer: a. Composition.
Question: Mr. President, I would advise you to go along with our plan to use Pakistan as a base of operations for invading Iran. After all, I’m sure you don’t want your country bombed back to the stone age.
Answer Choices:
a. Appeal to the people.
b. Appeal to force.
c. No fallacy.
d. Appeal to pity.
e. Division.
Answer: b. Appeal to force.
Question: Senator Dawson argues in favor of legalizing gay marriage. But did you know that the senator has been married three times? And his last divorce was a real doozie. His wife went on and on about their sex life. Apparently the Senator is no good in bed. Enough about that issue… Shall we move on?
Answer Choices:
a. Missing the point.
b. Begging the question.
c. Straw man.
d. Red herring.
e. No fallacy.
Answer: d. Red herring.
Question: After eating a Big Mac for breakfast, poor Steve had a heart attack and died. The message is clear: Never eat a Big Mac for breakfast.
Answer Choices:
a. False cause.
b. Weak analogy.
c. No fallacy.
d. Appeal to unqualified authority.
e. Hasty generalization.
Answer: a. False cause.
Question: The ad for the Ajax house cleaning service reads “Never clean again.” Obviously, you should never hire that service, because if you do, your house will never be clean again.
Answer Choices:
a. Equivocation.
b. Appeal to ignorance.
c. You, too (tu quoque).
d. No fallacy.
e. Amphiboly.
Answer: e. Amphiboly.
Question: Either you abstain from alcohol completely, or one of these days you’ll get arrested for drunk driving. So, what will it be?
Answer Choices:
a. No fallacy.
b. False dichotomy.
c. Straw man.
d. Appeal to force.
e. Missing the point.
Answer: b. False dichotomy.
Question: I know that Harper is a millionaire, but he couldn’t have earned that money all by himself—at least not honestly. Harper is a total fool without a shred of business sense, and he wastes every spare nickel on idiotic video games.
Answer Choices:
a. Appeal to pity.
b. Argument against the person, abusive.
c. No fallacy.
d. Accident.
e. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
Answer: b. Argument against the person, abusive.
Question: The time has come to outlaw the use of tobacco in all public places. The noxious vapors from burning cigarettes and the stench of smoldering cigars are revolting to say the least. And that nasty brown slime squirting forth from the foul mouths of chewers is enough to turn one’s stomach. End this assault on our health and senses this very instant! Send the filthy tobacco hounds back to where they came from!
Answer Choices:
a. No fallacy.
b. Missing the point.
c. Slippery slope.
d. Appeal to the people.
e. Appeal to pity.
Answer: d. Appeal to the people.
Question: An instant has no duration. But an hour is composed of instants. Therefore, an hour has no duration.
Answer Choices:
a. Division.
b. Amphiboly.
c. Composition.
d. Red herring.
e. No fallacy.
Answer: c. Composition.
Question: Irene will certainly live to a ripe old age because a palm reader told her that earlier today.
Answer Choices:
a. Appeal to unqualified authority.
b. No fallacy.
c. Equivocation.
d. Begging the question.
e. Appeal to ignorance.
Answer: a. Appeal to unqualified authority.