Worksheet

Name the subtler faulty reasoning

Grade 11 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    The New Fees at the Umberly Clay Studio (a newsletter column and a reply)

    Text A, a column by Ms. Petra Vance, director of the Umberly Arts Center: [1] Beginning in September, the arts center's clay studio will charge members $45 a month instead of $30, and the drop-in rate will increase from $8 to $12. [2] The studio's two kilns are eighteen years old, and the repair company reports that one of them will need new heating elements this winter. [3] Clay and glaze prices increased about a fifth over the past two years, according to the center's own invoices. [4] When we raised the fee for the painting studio in 2023, attendance at painting classes increased that fall, so the higher fee is what made painters attend more often. [5] A fee that covers the studio's actual expenses is a fair fee, and $45 is fair because it is what fairness requires of this studio. [6] Two other arts centers in the county charge between $40 and $55 a month for comparable studios, though I could locate prices for only those two. [7] We will also offer a reduced rate of $25 to any member who volunteers to clean the studio for two hours a month.

    Text B, a letter from Mr. Silas Okafor, a studio member: [8] I understand that kilns and clay are more expensive, and the cleaning rate is a generous offer. [9] Still, the center apparently intends to turn the studio into a private club for members with money to spare. [10] Either the fee remains at $30, or the studio will lose most of its members. [11] A member who throws pots three times a week uses considerably more clay and kiln time than one who attends once a month, yet both would pay the identical $45. [12] A fee calculated by the hour or by the pound of clay might reflect the costs more accurately, and the center could test one for a season. [13] I asked six members at the wheels last Thursday, and four said they would prefer paying by the pound to paying by the month, which is too few to settle anything but worth asking everyone else. [14] The studio has been the highlight of my week for nine years, and I hope the center will consult more members before September.

  2. Ari rewrites sentence 10 as a new matrix row. Which rewrite keeps Mr. Okafor's point without the fallacy?

    • The studio's kilns are eighteen years old, and one will soon need new heating elements.
    • Either the center keeps the fee near $30, or it should expect to lose most of its members.
    • Most arts centers keep their fees low, so the Umberly studio should keep its fee at $30.
    • A $45 fee could cost the studio some members, so the center should weigh other fees before September.

  3. Tala labels sentences 5 and 6, which both support the $45 fee. Which choice labels the two correctly?

    • Both are fallacies: sentence 5 is circular, and sentence 6 is a hasty generalization from two centers.
    • Sentence 5 is circular, but sentence 6 is merely weak: its two prices are real but few, as it admits.
    • Sentence 6 is a hasty generalization, but sentence 5 is merely weak: fairness is hard to measure.
    • Both are merely weak: each gives some reason for $45, but neither gives enough to settle it.

  4. Late Study Hours at the Westbrook Library (printed remarks)

    [1] MS. NADIA FROST, head librarian: For the two weeks of final examinations in December and June, I propose keeping the main reading room open until eleven at night instead of nine. [2] The additional hours would cost about $3,400 a year for two employees' time, which the Friends of the Library have offered to contribute. [3] Last June, the reading room's seats were approximately ninety percent occupied at closing on examination nights, according to the staff's hourly counts. [4] Since the high school adopted its late-start schedule in 2022, more students have visited the library on weeknights, so the late start is the reason they come. [5] Students who stay until eleven will also sleep better, since they will be studying somewhere calm instead of at home.

    [6] MR. GIDEON RAYE, a board member: The library's building was designed in 1974 by a celebrated architect, so its hours should remain as they are. [7] Late hours could also mean that students walk home in the dark, and I would want to hear from parents before voting. [8] I consulted the library in a neighboring town, which experimented with late examination hours once and saw only a handful of students after ten, though one experiment in one town may not tell us much.

    [9] MS. FROST: The town's bus passes the library until half past eleven, and the staff could post its schedule at the circulation desk. [10] We could also ask students to sign in after nine, so that the board would know how many use the extended hours and when they leave.

    [11] MS. LORNA BECK, a parent: My oldest child studied at the library every examination week and considered the reading room the only quiet place in town. [12] Even so, I believe the board should try the extended hours for one examination season and count who attends before making them permanent. [13] A single trial would cost the library little, since the Friends have already offered to pay for the staff. [14] MS. FROST: The board will vote on a one-season trial at its November meeting.

  5. Jun rewrites sentence 5 as a new matrix row. Which rewrite keeps Ms. Frost's point without the fallacy?

    • The reading room is a calm place to study, and many students already fill its seats on examination nights.
    • Students might sleep better if a calm study room eases exam stress, a link a school nurse could check.
    • Either the library stays open until eleven, or students will barely sleep during exam weeks.
    • Students who stay until eleven are certain to sleep better, because the reading room is so calm.

  6. Bo labels sentences 6 and 8, which both support keeping the usual hours. Which choice labels the two correctly?

    • Both are fallacies: sentence 6 is a non sequitur, and sentence 8 is a hasty generalization from one town.
    • Sentence 8 is a hasty generalization, but sentence 6 is merely weak: one architect is a thin reason.
    • Sentence 6 is a non sequitur, but sentence 8 is merely weak: one trial in one town, as Mr. Raye admits.
    • Both are merely weak: each gives a real fact, but neither gives enough to settle the hours.

  7. Paying for the Yorkfield Band Trip (booster club minutes)

    [1] The Yorkfield High Band Boosters met on October 2 to plan how to raise $18,000 for the band's spring trip to a music festival in the state capital. [2] The treasurer, Mr. Rupert Ames, reported that transportation, lodging and festival fees total about $300 for each of the sixty students. [3] He reminded the boosters that the school's activity fund has promised $3,000 toward the trip, so the organization would need to raise approximately $15,000. [4] He also emphasized that no student would be asked to pay, and that any family who wished to contribute could do so privately through the boosters.

    [5] Ms. Yvette Laroche proposed a winter concert with tickets at $10, and she predicted that it would raise another $4,000, since last spring's concert sold about 400 tickets. [6] She said that the new uniforms the band wore last spring are what attracted so large an audience, since that audience appeared on the first evening the uniforms were worn. [7] She added that a few parents she questioned at rehearsal said they would attend a winter concert, which she admitted was not a genuine count. [8] Ms. Laroche volunteered to coordinate the concert program with the band director if the boosters approved the idea.

    [9] Mr. Ames pointed out that the boosters' car wash last May raised about $1,100 in one Saturday, and that the organization could hold two this spring. [10] Mr. Dorian Pike said that the boosters should cancel the car wash, because the band has marched in the town's parade every year since 1988. [11] The band rehearses on most Saturday mornings in April and May, which is when the boosters would hold the car washes.

    [12] The boosters agreed to review the dates and ticket sales of previous winter concerts with the band director before setting a ticket goal. [13] They also asked Mr. Ames to report at the next meeting how much each event cost to organize, not only what it raised. [14] The next meeting will take place on November 6 in the band room, and any parent who wishes to volunteer is welcome to attend.

  8. Milo rewrites sentence 10 as a new matrix row. Which rewrite keeps Mr. Pike's point without the fallacy?

    • The boosters should cancel the car wash, or soon each Saturday will be lost to one fundraiser after another.
    • The boosters should cancel the car wash, since the band has a proud record of marching in parades.
    • The band has marched in the town's parade each year since 1988, which the town should celebrate.
    • The boosters should cancel the car wash, because it would fall on the Saturday mornings when the band rehearses.

  9. Zee wants to test the step in sentence 5. Which new fact would best show whether a winter concert would raise $4,000?

    • How much the trip will cost for each of the sixty students.
    • Whether last spring's audience came because of the new uniforms.
    • How many tickets the band's previous winter concerts sold.
    • Whether the band director prefers to perform in winter or in spring.

  10. Kira labels sentences 6 and 7, which both back Ms. Laroche's hope for a large winter audience. Which choice labels the two correctly?

    • Both are fallacies: sentence 6 is post hoc, and sentence 7 is a hasty generalization from a few parents.
    • Sentence 6 is post hoc, but sentence 7 is merely weak: only a few parents were asked, as Ms. Laroche admits.
    • Both are merely weak: each gives a real reason to expect a crowd, but neither gives enough.
    • Sentence 7 is a hasty generalization, but sentence 6 is merely weak: one evening is a thin record.

  11. Letters on a Mural for the Zellwood Water Tower (two letters)

    Text A, a letter from Ms. Harriet Quill, chair of the Zellwood arts council: [1] The Zellwood water tower must be repainted next summer, and the arts council has asked the town to allow students and local painters to add a mural of the river valley to its tank. [2] The town's painting contract already covers the scaffolding and the base coat, so the mural would add about $14,000 for paint and an artist's fee, which the arts council would raise. [3] The mural would be a fine addition to the tower, because adding it would make the tower finer than it is now. [4] The water tower in Larkin received a mural in 2019, and since then Larkin's main street has gained four new businesses, so the mural is what attracted them. [5] Larkin's visitor center reports that about one in ten visitors who stop there asks about the tower, which is one town's count, but it suggests that a mural generates some interest.

    Text B, a letter from Mr. Lionel Graves: [6] I appreciate murals, but the arts council is asking the town to treat its water supply as an art project. [7] A water tower is working equipment like the town's pumps, and nobody hangs paintings in a pump house. [8] The mural would need touching up every few years, and the town would have to pay for that, since the arts council will not be around to raise money later. [9] The mural's paint might also fade faster than the base coat, and the town's painting contractor could tell the council how long it would last. [10] I spoke with two neighbors, and both said they would prefer that the tower stay plain, which I admit is not a survey. [11] If the council approves the mural, it should first ask the arts council for a written plan to pay for future touch-ups. [12] It should also ask the contractor whether a mural would change the date by which the tank must be repainted. [13] The town has time to settle these questions before next June. [14] Ms. Quill's council did admirable work on the library garden, and I hope it will answer these questions in the same spirit.

  12. Ren rewrites sentence 3 as a new matrix row. Which rewrite keeps Ms. Quill's point without the fallacy?

    • The mural would be a fine addition, since Larkin's count suggests that a tower mural draws some interest.
    • The painting contract already covers the scaffolding and the base coat for next summer.
    • The mural would be a fine addition, because a tower with a mural is finer than a plain one.
    • The mural would be a fine addition, because the people who object to it simply dislike art.

  13. Esme wants to test the step in sentence 8. Which new fact would best show whether the town would have to pay for touch-ups?

    • Whether the students and local painters would enjoy working on the mural together next summer.
    • Whether the arts council has paid to maintain its earlier projects in past years.
    • Whether the painting contract covers the scaffolding and the base coat.
    • Whether Larkin's new businesses opened for reasons other than its mural.

  14. Noah labels sentences 4 and 5, which both back the claim that a mural draws people. Which choice labels the two correctly?

    • Sentence 4 is post hoc, but sentence 5 is merely weak: it gives one town's count and says so.
    • Both are merely weak: each reports something real from Larkin, but neither gives enough evidence.
    • Both are fallacies: sentence 4 is post hoc, and sentence 5 is a hasty generalization from one town.
    • Sentence 5 is a hasty generalization, but sentence 4 is merely weak: four businesses is a small number.
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Name the subtler faulty reasoning

Answer Key - Grade 11 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    The New Fees at the Umberly Clay Studio (a newsletter column and a reply)

    Text A, a column by Ms. Petra Vance, director of the Umberly Arts Center: [1] Beginning in September, the arts center's clay studio will charge members $45 a month instead of $30, and the drop-in rate will increase from $8 to $12. [2] The studio's two kilns are eighteen years old, and the repair company reports that one of them will need new heating elements this winter. [3] Clay and glaze prices increased about a fifth over the past two years, according to the center's own invoices. [4] When we raised the fee for the painting studio in 2023, attendance at painting classes increased that fall, so the higher fee is what made painters attend more often. [5] A fee that covers the studio's actual expenses is a fair fee, and $45 is fair because it is what fairness requires of this studio. [6] Two other arts centers in the county charge between $40 and $55 a month for comparable studios, though I could locate prices for only those two. [7] We will also offer a reduced rate of $25 to any member who volunteers to clean the studio for two hours a month.

    Text B, a letter from Mr. Silas Okafor, a studio member: [8] I understand that kilns and clay are more expensive, and the cleaning rate is a generous offer. [9] Still, the center apparently intends to turn the studio into a private club for members with money to spare. [10] Either the fee remains at $30, or the studio will lose most of its members. [11] A member who throws pots three times a week uses considerably more clay and kiln time than one who attends once a month, yet both would pay the identical $45. [12] A fee calculated by the hour or by the pound of clay might reflect the costs more accurately, and the center could test one for a season. [13] I asked six members at the wheels last Thursday, and four said they would prefer paying by the pound to paying by the month, which is too few to settle anything but worth asking everyone else. [14] The studio has been the highlight of my week for nine years, and I hope the center will consult more members before September.

  2. Ari rewrites sentence 10 as a new matrix row. Which rewrite keeps Mr. Okafor's point without the fallacy?

    • The studio's kilns are eighteen years old, and one will soon need new heating elements.
    • Either the center keeps the fee near $30, or it should expect to lose most of its members.
    • Most arts centers keep their fees low, so the Umberly studio should keep its fee at $30.
    • A $45 fee could cost the studio some members, so the center should weigh other fees before September.

  3. Tala labels sentences 5 and 6, which both support the $45 fee. Which choice labels the two correctly?

    • Both are fallacies: sentence 5 is circular, and sentence 6 is a hasty generalization from two centers.
    • Sentence 5 is circular, but sentence 6 is merely weak: its two prices are real but few, as it admits.
    • Sentence 6 is a hasty generalization, but sentence 5 is merely weak: fairness is hard to measure.
    • Both are merely weak: each gives some reason for $45, but neither gives enough to settle it.

  4. Late Study Hours at the Westbrook Library (printed remarks)

    [1] MS. NADIA FROST, head librarian: For the two weeks of final examinations in December and June, I propose keeping the main reading room open until eleven at night instead of nine. [2] The additional hours would cost about $3,400 a year for two employees' time, which the Friends of the Library have offered to contribute. [3] Last June, the reading room's seats were approximately ninety percent occupied at closing on examination nights, according to the staff's hourly counts. [4] Since the high school adopted its late-start schedule in 2022, more students have visited the library on weeknights, so the late start is the reason they come. [5] Students who stay until eleven will also sleep better, since they will be studying somewhere calm instead of at home.

    [6] MR. GIDEON RAYE, a board member: The library's building was designed in 1974 by a celebrated architect, so its hours should remain as they are. [7] Late hours could also mean that students walk home in the dark, and I would want to hear from parents before voting. [8] I consulted the library in a neighboring town, which experimented with late examination hours once and saw only a handful of students after ten, though one experiment in one town may not tell us much.

    [9] MS. FROST: The town's bus passes the library until half past eleven, and the staff could post its schedule at the circulation desk. [10] We could also ask students to sign in after nine, so that the board would know how many use the extended hours and when they leave.

    [11] MS. LORNA BECK, a parent: My oldest child studied at the library every examination week and considered the reading room the only quiet place in town. [12] Even so, I believe the board should try the extended hours for one examination season and count who attends before making them permanent. [13] A single trial would cost the library little, since the Friends have already offered to pay for the staff. [14] MS. FROST: The board will vote on a one-season trial at its November meeting.

  5. Jun rewrites sentence 5 as a new matrix row. Which rewrite keeps Ms. Frost's point without the fallacy?

    • The reading room is a calm place to study, and many students already fill its seats on examination nights.
    • Students might sleep better if a calm study room eases exam stress, a link a school nurse could check.
    • Either the library stays open until eleven, or students will barely sleep during exam weeks.
    • Students who stay until eleven are certain to sleep better, because the reading room is so calm.

  6. Bo labels sentences 6 and 8, which both support keeping the usual hours. Which choice labels the two correctly?

    • Both are fallacies: sentence 6 is a non sequitur, and sentence 8 is a hasty generalization from one town.
    • Sentence 8 is a hasty generalization, but sentence 6 is merely weak: one architect is a thin reason.
    • Sentence 6 is a non sequitur, but sentence 8 is merely weak: one trial in one town, as Mr. Raye admits.
    • Both are merely weak: each gives a real fact, but neither gives enough to settle the hours.

  7. Paying for the Yorkfield Band Trip (booster club minutes)

    [1] The Yorkfield High Band Boosters met on October 2 to plan how to raise $18,000 for the band's spring trip to a music festival in the state capital. [2] The treasurer, Mr. Rupert Ames, reported that transportation, lodging and festival fees total about $300 for each of the sixty students. [3] He reminded the boosters that the school's activity fund has promised $3,000 toward the trip, so the organization would need to raise approximately $15,000. [4] He also emphasized that no student would be asked to pay, and that any family who wished to contribute could do so privately through the boosters.

    [5] Ms. Yvette Laroche proposed a winter concert with tickets at $10, and she predicted that it would raise another $4,000, since last spring's concert sold about 400 tickets. [6] She said that the new uniforms the band wore last spring are what attracted so large an audience, since that audience appeared on the first evening the uniforms were worn. [7] She added that a few parents she questioned at rehearsal said they would attend a winter concert, which she admitted was not a genuine count. [8] Ms. Laroche volunteered to coordinate the concert program with the band director if the boosters approved the idea.

    [9] Mr. Ames pointed out that the boosters' car wash last May raised about $1,100 in one Saturday, and that the organization could hold two this spring. [10] Mr. Dorian Pike said that the boosters should cancel the car wash, because the band has marched in the town's parade every year since 1988. [11] The band rehearses on most Saturday mornings in April and May, which is when the boosters would hold the car washes.

    [12] The boosters agreed to review the dates and ticket sales of previous winter concerts with the band director before setting a ticket goal. [13] They also asked Mr. Ames to report at the next meeting how much each event cost to organize, not only what it raised. [14] The next meeting will take place on November 6 in the band room, and any parent who wishes to volunteer is welcome to attend.

  8. Milo rewrites sentence 10 as a new matrix row. Which rewrite keeps Mr. Pike's point without the fallacy?

    • The boosters should cancel the car wash, or soon each Saturday will be lost to one fundraiser after another.
    • The boosters should cancel the car wash, since the band has a proud record of marching in parades.
    • The band has marched in the town's parade each year since 1988, which the town should celebrate.
    • The boosters should cancel the car wash, because it would fall on the Saturday mornings when the band rehearses.

  9. Zee wants to test the step in sentence 5. Which new fact would best show whether a winter concert would raise $4,000?

    • How much the trip will cost for each of the sixty students.
    • Whether last spring's audience came because of the new uniforms.
    • How many tickets the band's previous winter concerts sold.
    • Whether the band director prefers to perform in winter or in spring.

  10. Kira labels sentences 6 and 7, which both back Ms. Laroche's hope for a large winter audience. Which choice labels the two correctly?

    • Both are fallacies: sentence 6 is post hoc, and sentence 7 is a hasty generalization from a few parents.
    • Sentence 6 is post hoc, but sentence 7 is merely weak: only a few parents were asked, as Ms. Laroche admits.
    • Both are merely weak: each gives a real reason to expect a crowd, but neither gives enough.
    • Sentence 7 is a hasty generalization, but sentence 6 is merely weak: one evening is a thin record.

  11. Letters on a Mural for the Zellwood Water Tower (two letters)

    Text A, a letter from Ms. Harriet Quill, chair of the Zellwood arts council: [1] The Zellwood water tower must be repainted next summer, and the arts council has asked the town to allow students and local painters to add a mural of the river valley to its tank. [2] The town's painting contract already covers the scaffolding and the base coat, so the mural would add about $14,000 for paint and an artist's fee, which the arts council would raise. [3] The mural would be a fine addition to the tower, because adding it would make the tower finer than it is now. [4] The water tower in Larkin received a mural in 2019, and since then Larkin's main street has gained four new businesses, so the mural is what attracted them. [5] Larkin's visitor center reports that about one in ten visitors who stop there asks about the tower, which is one town's count, but it suggests that a mural generates some interest.

    Text B, a letter from Mr. Lionel Graves: [6] I appreciate murals, but the arts council is asking the town to treat its water supply as an art project. [7] A water tower is working equipment like the town's pumps, and nobody hangs paintings in a pump house. [8] The mural would need touching up every few years, and the town would have to pay for that, since the arts council will not be around to raise money later. [9] The mural's paint might also fade faster than the base coat, and the town's painting contractor could tell the council how long it would last. [10] I spoke with two neighbors, and both said they would prefer that the tower stay plain, which I admit is not a survey. [11] If the council approves the mural, it should first ask the arts council for a written plan to pay for future touch-ups. [12] It should also ask the contractor whether a mural would change the date by which the tank must be repainted. [13] The town has time to settle these questions before next June. [14] Ms. Quill's council did admirable work on the library garden, and I hope it will answer these questions in the same spirit.

  12. Ren rewrites sentence 3 as a new matrix row. Which rewrite keeps Ms. Quill's point without the fallacy?

    • The mural would be a fine addition, since Larkin's count suggests that a tower mural draws some interest.
    • The painting contract already covers the scaffolding and the base coat for next summer.
    • The mural would be a fine addition, because a tower with a mural is finer than a plain one.
    • The mural would be a fine addition, because the people who object to it simply dislike art.

  13. Esme wants to test the step in sentence 8. Which new fact would best show whether the town would have to pay for touch-ups?

    • Whether the students and local painters would enjoy working on the mural together next summer.
    • Whether the arts council has paid to maintain its earlier projects in past years.
    • Whether the painting contract covers the scaffolding and the base coat.
    • Whether Larkin's new businesses opened for reasons other than its mural.

  14. Noah labels sentences 4 and 5, which both back the claim that a mural draws people. Which choice labels the two correctly?

    • Sentence 4 is post hoc, but sentence 5 is merely weak: it gives one town's count and says so.
    • Both are merely weak: each reports something real from Larkin, but neither gives enough evidence.
    • Both are fallacies: sentence 4 is post hoc, and sentence 5 is a hasty generalization from one town.
    • Sentence 5 is a hasty generalization, but sentence 4 is merely weak: four businesses is a small number.