Question: This pamphlet from the hospital says I should eat right before surgery. Apparently I should go into the operating room with a full stomach.
Answer Choices:
a. Equivocation.
b. Appeal to ignorance.
c. Missing the point.
d. No fallacy.
e. Amphiboly.
Answer: e. Amphiboly.
Question: Every hair on Jane’s head is blond. Therefore, Jane is a blond.
Answer Choices:
a. Composition.
b. Begging the question.
c. No fallacy.
d. Hasty generalization.
e. Division.
Answer: c. No fallacy.
Question: Sarah argues that all of us should support the school bond issue on the September ballot. But it’s obvious why she argues this way. She has six kids currently attending public school. Clearly her argument is worthless.
Answer Choices:
a. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
b. No fallacy.
c. Appeal to unqualified authority.
d. Argument against the person, abusive.
e. You, too (tu quoque).
Answer: a. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
Question: My goodness, Jackie, I haven’t seen you since high school. Tell me, are you still as vain as you used to be?
Answer Choices:
a. Begging the question.
b. Red herring.
c. Appeal to pity.
d. Complex question.
e. No fallacy.
Answer: d. Complex question.
Question: Either Honda or Nissan makes the Altima. But it isn’t Honda. Therefore Nissan makes the Altima.
Answer Choices:
a. Suppressed evidence.
b. No fallacy.
c. False dichotomy.
d. Composition.
e. Straw man.
Answer: b. No fallacy.
Question: Sheri argues in favor of reducing the Defense Department budget. It appears what Sheri wants is no Defense Department at all. But without a Defense Department, we would have no army, navy, or air force, and any foreign nation could invade our country at will. Clearly we can’t allow this. Thus, Sheri’s argument is crazy.
Answer Choices:
a. Missing the point.
b. Red herring.
c. Appeal to unqualified authority.
d. No fallacy.
e. Straw man.
Answer: e. Straw man.
Question: Anyone who fails a driver’s test is allowed to retake it. But a calculus test is no less of a test than a driver’s test. Therefore, anyone who fails a calculus test should be allowed to retake it.
Answer Choices:
a. False cause.
b. No fallacy.
c. Weak analogy.
d. Accident.
e. Missing the point.
Answer: c. Weak analogy.
Question: Betty is opposed to capital punishment by lethal injection. But doctors inject patients with all sorts of medicines every day. For example, vaccines against flu, pneumonia, and tetanus are injected into millions of patients. Antibiotics are injected for a whole host of bacterial infections, and insulin is injected for diabetes. Obviously Betty’s views are not supported by the evidence.
Answer Choices:
a. Red herring.
b. Appeal to pity.
c. No fallacy.
d. Slippery slope.
e. Straw man.
Answer: a. Red herring.
Question: Collins is a terrible pool player. But every pool player is a human being. Therefore, Collins is a terrible human being.
Answer Choices:
a. Division.
b. Composition.
c. Amphiboly.
d. Equivocation.
e. No fallacy.
Answer: d. Equivocation.
Question: Don Shula, former coach of the Miami Dolphins, says on TV that NutriSystem is guaranteed to help you lose weight. But you really shouldn’t take these claims too seriously because Shula is paid thousands of dollars to make these ads.
Answer Choices:
a. Appeal to unqualified authority.
b. No fallacy.
c. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
d. Appeal to ignorance.
e. Appeal to pity.
Answer: b. No fallacy.
Question: Harry shouldn’t be thrown out of college for cheating. He’s been on academic probation for the past year, and this has caused terrible stress. The poor guy hasn’t been able to sleep at night, he can’t keep his food down, and he’s constantly sick with worry about his future. Surely you can find it in your hearts to give him a second chance.
Answer Choices:
a. Missing the point.
b. Appeal to force.
c. False cause.
d. No fallacy.
e. Appeal to pity.
Answer: e. Appeal to pity.
Question: The first thing many airline passengers do on arrival is make a phone call. TravelCom is a company that installs and operates coin-operated phones in airports. Therefore, it would be a good idea to buy stock in TravelCom.
Answer Choices:
a. Suppressed evidence.
b. No fallacy.
c. Accident.
d. Appeal to ignorance.
e. Red herring.
Answer: a. Suppressed evidence.
Question: This .75 liter bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey is 34% alcohol. Therefore, every one-ounce shot of it is 34% alcohol.
Answer Choices:
a. Division.
b. Suppressed evidence.
c. No fallacy.
d. Hasty generalization.
e. Composition.
Answer: c. No fallacy.
Question: Pauline’s argument for stricter drug laws is as worn out as she is. Her brain has practically calcified, she can hardly remember anything, and she confuses the letter carrier with the gardener. I’m afraid we’ll just have to pass over her argument.
Answer Choices:
a. Missing the point.
b. Argument against the person, abusive.
c. No fallacy.
d. Red herring.
e. Appeal to unqualified authority.
Answer: b. Argument against the person, abusive.
Question: Every hair on Tony’s head will fall out within five years. Therefore, Tony will be bald within five years.
Answer Choices:
a. Hasty generalization.
b. False cause.
c. Composition.
d. No fallacy.
e. Division.
Answer: c. Composition.
Question: Shortly after retiring from his job, Mr. Lopez had a heart attack and died. The same thing happened to Mrs. Harris. I think the message is clear: Whatever you do, never retire from your job.
Answer Choices:
a. Hasty generalization.
b. Slippery slope.
c. No fallacy.
d. Appeal to the people.
e. False cause.
Answer: e. False cause.
Question: Some halfwits manage to succeed in business. Therefore, some people who manage to succeed in business are halfwits.
Answer Choices:
a. Amphiboly.
Answer: a. Amphiboly.