Critical Thinking Exercises and Arguments | Desklib

Improve your critical thinking skills with Desklib's exercises and arguments. Get access to solved assignments, essays, and dissertations for various subjects and courses.

CRITICAL THINKING
0

Table of Contents
Part one: Exercises...........................................................................................................................3
2....................................................................................................................................................3
Argument 1...............................................................................................................................3
Argument 2...............................................................................................................................3
4....................................................................................................................................................3
Argument..................................................................................................................................3
6....................................................................................................................................................4
Argument..................................................................................................................................4
8....................................................................................................................................................4
Argument 1...............................................................................................................................4
Argument 2...............................................................................................................................4
10..................................................................................................................................................4
Argument..................................................................................................................................4
12..................................................................................................................................................5
Argument 1...............................................................................................................................5
Argument 2...............................................................................................................................5
Argument 3...............................................................................................................................5
1....................................................................................................................................................5
Argument..................................................................................................................................5
Part two............................................................................................................................................6
Exercise 1.....................................................................................................................................6
Exercise 2.....................................................................................................................................6
Part one............................................................................................................................................6
Part two............................................................................................................................................6
1

Reference list...................................................................................................................................7
2

Part one: Exercises
2.
Argument 1
P1: Dwarfs follow Snow White around.
P2: They make a lot of racket with all that singing and clapping.
P3: They pester her all the time.
P4: They ask her to do domestic chores.
P5: They ask her to cook for them.
C: That is why Snow White is a little irritated with those dwarfs.
Argument 2
P1: Snow White is a little irritated with those dwarfs.
P2: She was positively sick of cleaning up after those dwarfs.
C: Consequently, she started to read the “Want Ads” in the newspaper in hopes of finding a job.
4.
Argument
P1: Jack and Jill were clumsy.
P2: They couldn’t even take care of a simple chore like fetching water.
P3: Goldilocks had no qualms about breaking into the bears’ house and eating up their porridge.
P4: Little Red Riding Hood mistook a wolf for her grandmother.
P5: Snow White was duped by a haggardly woman with a poisoned apple.
C: As a result, it looks like children in fairy tales have no critical thinking skills whatsoever.
3

6.
Argument
P1: All sorts of animals eat bread crumbs.
P2: Hansel used bread crumbs to mark his way through the woods.
P3: Only someone who wasn’t thinking clearly would go deep into a forest without some
assurance that they could find their way out.
P4: A smart person would have done more than drop bread.
C: Therefore, Hansel wasn’t a very smart boy.
8.
Argument 1
P1: Little Red Riding Hood is a small girl with big eyes like Goldilocks.
P2: She is very curious about houses like Goldilocks.
P3: She doesn’t always mind her mother like Goldilocks.
P4: She has no qualms about walking through a forest like Goldilocks.
C: Therefore, Little Red Riding Hood is a lot like Goldilocks.
Argument 2
P1: Little Red Riding Hood is a lot like Goldilocks.
P2: Goldilocks never had any problems with animals other than bears.
C: Therefore, Little Red Riding Hood has nothing to worry about from a wolf following her.
10.
Argument
P1: Childhood of the Sleeping Beauty has been cut short by the witch’s curse.
P2: After a hundred-year-long sleep, it’s hard to want to lie down and even take a nap.
4

P3: She must be terrified she won’t wake up again.
C: Therefore, Sleeping Beauty now has trouble with insomnia.
12.
Argument 1
P1: Rumpelstiltskin was willing to take a baby from an exploited young woman.
P2: He could not care less about the devastating effect it’d have on her life.
C: Therefore, Rumpelstiltskin is a bit of a toad.
Argument 2
P1: Rumpelstiltskin is a bit of a toad.
P2: Rumpelstiltskin deserved a fast trip to the underworld.
C: As a result, it’s no wonder he never appeared in any Disney cartoons.
Argument 3
P1: She made the deal with him in exchange for spun gold.
C: Therefore, she is stupid and greedy.
1.
Argument
P1: Sylvester is a cat and Tweetie is a bird.
P2: Sylvester would like to eat Tweetie.
P3: This is not something a true friend would do.
P4: Tweetie likes to pester Sylvester.
P5: This isn’t very friendly behavior.
C: Thus, Sylvester and Tweetie are not best friends by any stretch of the imagination.
5

Part two
Exercise 1
In this argument the assumption is: It is not a good thing for men to be distracted or offended.
This is so because this statement does not have direct link to the other premises and is based on
personal bias or judgments.
Exercise 2
Key points:
1. The list of ingredients in imported Mexican food brands is shorter.
2. Salsas in U.S. have a very long list of ingredients.
3. South west flavors of salsas are more creative than the original Anglo salsas.
Part one
1. Since, because, if, given that, for the reason that, subsequently, conversely, whereas.
2. Consequently, thus, as a result, in conclusion, indeed, hence, accordingly.
3. Furthermore, however, in fact, despite, initially, although, above all, specifically.
Part two
1. Premise indicators: missing, conclusion indicator: consequently.
3. Premise indicator: in the light of the fact that, conclusion indicator: missing.
5. Premise indicator: given that, and, conclusion indicator: missing.
7. Premise indicator: because, plus, conclusion indicator: missing.
9. Premise indicator: also, conclusion indicator: therefore.
6

Reference list
Teays, W (2015). Second Thoughts: Critical Thinking: Part One, 4th edition. McGraw-Hill
Higher Education Chapter 2: Nuts and Bolts, pp.67-69.
7