Worksheet 1: After Reading: Evaluating What You Have Read

UNIVERSITI TUNU A!"U# RAH$AN

A%A"E$I% YEAR &'1( ) &'1*
+HE# 1'1& English for A,ade-i, Stud.
$ore Inno,ents "ie When We "on/t Have %a0ital 1unish-ent
A couple of weeks ago, three New Hampshire prisoners, one a convicted murderer,
escaped from prison. What if the murderer had murdered again? On whose hands would the
victim's blood have been?
One of the most common, and surel the most persuasive, arguments against capital
punishment is that the state ma e!ecute an innocent person. One reason for its effectiveness is
that proponents of capital punishment often do not know how to respond to it.
"hat's a shame. #or a while the argument is emotionall compelling, it is morall and
intellectuall shallow.
#irst of all, there is almost no ma$or social good that does not lead to the death of
innocent individuals. Over a million innocent people have been killed and maimed in car
accidents. Would this argue for the banning of automobiles? "o those whose criterion for
acceptable social polic is that not one innocent die, it should.
%f it were proven that a strictl enforced &'(miles(per(hour speed limit on our nation's
highwas would save innocent lives, should we reduce highwa limits to &' miles per hour?
)hould all roller coasters be shut down because some innocents get killed riding on them?
Anone whose criterion for abolishing capital punishment is saving innocent lives
should be for a &'(mile(per(hour speed limit and for abolishing roller coasters.
*ut death(penalt abolitionists aren't. And that is wh the cannot logicall build their
case against capital punishment on the argument that an innocent ma die. "he accept a large
number of social policies that kill innocents. "herefore, if abolitionists were intellectuall
honest, the would have to argue that capital punishment achieves no social good or that it is
immoral to kill an murderers, not that it must be abandoned because an innocent ma die.
After reading the article, answer these +uestions to help ou to reflect upon and anal,e what
ou have read.
-. What is the purpose of the article?
.. %s the author solel responsible for all information presented in the te!t? /oes the author
bring in information from e!ternal sources? 01ist, if an2
3. What is the main claim that the author makes?
&. %s the author ob$ective or does he4she tr to convince4persuade the reader to have a certain
opinion? %f so, what viewpoint does the author tr to convince4persuade ou of?
5. What reasons does the author provide for choosing this viewpoint?
0Alternative +uestion6 What evidence does the author use to support this viewpoint?2
7. /oes the author8s claim assume that the reader thinks in a particular wa or has a certain kind
of background 0eg. cultural2 e!perience?
9. /o ou detect the use of fallac in the author8s effort to achieve his or her purpose in
presenting his or her claim?
Worksheet &
%dentif the tpe of fallac committed for each of the below2
-. :ore and more oung people are attending high schools and colleges toda than ever
before. ;et there is more $uvenile delin+uenc and more alienation among the oung.
"his makes it clear that these oung people are being corrupted b their education.
.. <ither the nobles of this countr appear wealth, in which case the can be ta!ed for
good= or the appear poor, in which case the are living frugall and must have immense
savings, which can be ta!ed for good.
3. "here have been man proposals that there should be a liberation done on laws on beers.
;et those opposing almost alwas argue that an societ with unrestricted access to
into!icants loses its work ethic and goes onl for immediate gratification.
&. >We admit that this measure is popular. *ut we also urge ou to note that there are so
man bond issues on this ballot that the whole thing is getting ridiculous.>
5. Once all gun owners have registered their firearms, the government will know e!actl
from whom to confiscate firearms. ?un(control opponents argue against limits on the sale
of >assault weapons> because the confiscation of sportsmen's shotguns will soon follow.
7. 1ack of religion is associated with increased rates of depression. "herefore, lack of
religion directl causes increased rates of depression.
9. :ike6 >*arbara, ou've tracked in mud again.>
*arbara6 >)o? %t's not m fault.>
:ike6 >)ure. % suppose it walked in on its own. ;ou made the mess, so ou clean it up.>
*arbara6 >Wh?>
:ike6 >We agreed that whoever makes a mess has to clean it up. "hat is fair.>
*arbara6 >Well, %'m going to watch "@. %f ou don't like the mud, then ou clean it up.>
:ike6 >*arbara...>
*arbara6 >What? % want to watch the show. % don't want to clean up the mud. 1ike % said,
if it bothers ou that much, then ou should clean it up.>
A. Bill and Bane have some concerns that the rules their sororit has set are racist in
character. )ince Bill is a decent person, she brings her concerns up in the ne!t meeting.
"he president of the sororit assures her that there is nothing wrong with the rules, since
the ma$orit of the sisters like them. Bane accepts this ruling but Bill decides to leave the
sororit.