Liberty University ENGL 101 Mindtap 8 assignment complete solutions correct answers updated

Liberty University ENGL 101 Mindtap 8 assignment complete solutions correct answers updated

1.     Reading Actively

In order to understand a text fully, you must read actively, meaning you must stop and think as you are reading, not just passively absorb the words. The following actions will improve your understanding as you read:

Preview

Take an overview of the text, including titles, headings, and the beginning and ending of the piece.

Predict

Based on your preview, make an educated guess as to the topic and purpose of the text.

Connect

Consider what you already know or believe about the topic.

Question

Turn any headings or key words into questions you want to get answered.

Annotate

Highlight key points and make notes in the margins that reinforce the important ideas. Note questions or responses you have.

Look up definitions

If you can’t figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words from the context, and if they are important to the text, look them up and write down a simple definition or synonym.

Analyze visuals

Take a close look at any pictures, charts, or other graphics provided—read them fully to see what information they are adding to the text.

Write

Respond to the text by writing a brief summary and/or your response to the text to confirm your understanding.

In order to read actively, you need to be familiar with the steps described above. Without looking back at the chart, use the words in the box below to complete the following sentences that describe what you will do when reading a non-fiction text:

List of words: preview, predict, connect, question, annotate, look up definitions, analyze visuals, write.

To make sure that nothing gets in the way of my understanding, I will     of any words that I don’t know.

To help me keep track of important ideas as I go and any questions or thoughts I have, I will     the text by highlighting and writing notes in the margins.

To be familiar with the text before I read it closely, I will     it by looking over any titles, headings, visuals, and the beginning and end.

Based on my preview, I will     what the text is about or the author’s purpose, and then read the text fully to see if my guesses were correct.

After completing the reading, I will     a brief summary or response to confirm my understanding of the text.

Aside from reading the text, I will     provided to see what information or meaning they add.

I will     my prior knowledge or experience with this topic as I begin to read the text.

I will use the headings to help me     what will be explained in the text, and look for the answers as I go.

2.     Reading as a Doubter and as a Believer

An important part of critical reading of an argumentative text—that is, one that is presenting anything beyond straightforward facts—is to evaluate the information being presented, not simply accept it all at face value. You do not want to be overly skeptical or critical, nor do you want to be instantly receptive to all new ideas. The key is balancing the two sides; as writing professor Peter Elbow explains, read as a doubter and as a believer. Here’s how:

Reading as a Doubter

•

Look for weak support, error, or information omitted.

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Consider your own prior knowledge or experience that might dispute what is being presented.

•

Consider any bias the writer may have.

Reading as a Believer

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Embrace the writer’s point of view; acknowledge his or her experience.

•

Consider your prior knowledge or experience that might support what is being presented.

•

Consider your own biases or assumptions that might be affecting your response to the text.

Read the following text, an excerpt from President Obama’s second Inaugural Address, which he delivered on January 21, 2013. As you read, use the strategies above to read as a doubter and as a believer.

Excerpted from “Inaugural Address by President Barack Obama”

This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending. (Applause.) An economic recovery has begun. (Applause.) America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it—so long as we seize it together. (Applause.)

For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. (Applause.) We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American; she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own. (Applause.)

Source: Obama, Barack. “Inaugural Address by President Barack Obama.” Whitehouse.gov, 21 Jan. 2013, www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/01/21/inaugural-address-president-barack-obama.

Now read the statements below and, using the dropdown menu, indicate whether the statement reflects your critical reading perspective as a believer or as a doubter.

Version A

As a    , I would consider the phrase “An economic recovery has begun,” and I would try to think of examples or data that support it.

As a    , I would consider the statement “America’s possibilities are limitless” with a bit of skepticism, and consider experience or knowledge I have that does not support that statement.

As a    , I would consider that the President’s perspective as the country’s leader might bias him about the state of the country and influence the tone he uses.

As a    , I would recognize that the President wants to send a positive message to his people.

Version B

As a    , I would consider the phrase “A decade of war is now ending,” and I would consider what knowledge and experience I have to support that statement.

As a    , I would consider the statement “A decade of war is now ending,” and I would question if that is true and consider if anything I know disproves that statement.

As a    , I would consider the statement “America’s possibilities are limitless,” and I might determine that the President wants us to believe that rather than it being a fact.

As a    , I would give credibility to the President’s role as the leader of the people of the United States.

Version C

As a    , I would consider the phrase “This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve,” and I would try to think of examples for which that is true, like our response to 9/11.

As a    , I would consider the statement “An economic recovery has now begun,” and I would question if that is true and look for examples that disprove the statement from my own life or others.

As a    , I would consider the statement “a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else,” and I might determine that to be an unsupported statement.

As a    , I would acknowledge that President Obama has knowledge about the country’s economic situation.

3.     Reading Critically

Reading actively and reading as a doubter and as a believer all help you achieve the task of reading critically, that is, not only understanding the text but also evaluating it. Ultimately, to analyze a text in this deep way, you want to:

Assess the author.

What do you know about him or her? What role is he or she speaking from? Is he or she trustworthy on this topic?

Who is publishing this text? Is this a trustworthy source on this topic?

Determine the intended audience.

If you know the target audience for the text—or if you can infer that based on the message, the setting, and the language—you will be able to understand more about the message itself.

Determine the author’s purpose.

What does the author want to achieve with this message? The general purpose of a text is usually to persuade, inform, and/or entertain. Go beyond that to figure out the author’s specific purpose.

Recognize assumptions.

Consider any assumption (or premise) the author is relying on in his or her argument. Do you agree with the underlying assumptions?

Identify bias.

Consider the author’s role, background, or beliefs; these factors might affect his or her purpose and opinions.

Make inferences.

Go beyond what is explicitly (plainly) stated by the author to draw conclusions about what the text suggests.

Determine the tone.

Similar to tone of voice, the tone of a text conveys the author’s attitude and emotion about the topic.

Distinguish between fact and opinion.

What is information that can be proven? What is the author’s belief or judgment? Recognizing the difference is important to your understanding of the text.

Read the following text using your active and critical reading skills. Then read the questions below and select the best response for each one.

Version A

I Want a Wife

by Judy Brady

Judy Brady, feminist and writer, examines both the demands of the stereotypical husband and the compliance of the stereotypical wife in her iconic essay, "I Want a Wife." This essay first appeared in Ms magazine in 1971.

I belong to that classification of people known as wives. I am A Wife. And, not altogether incidentally, I am a mother.

Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene fresh from a recent divorce. He had one child, who is, of course, with his ex-wife. He is looking for another wife. As I thought about him while I was ironing one evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I, too, would like to have a wife. Why do I want a wife?

I would like to go back to school so that I can become economically independent, support myself, and, if need be, support those dependent upon me. I want a wife who will work and send me to school. And while I am going to school, I want a wife to take care of my children. I want a wife to keep track of the children's doctor and dentist appointments. And to keep track of mine, too. . . .

I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife who will keep my house clean. A wife who will pick up after my children, a wife who will pick up after me. I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be, and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it. I want a wife who cooks the meals, a wife who is a good cook. I want a wife who will plan the menus, do the necessary grocery shopping, prepare the meals, serve them pleasantly, and then do the cleaning up while I do my studying. . . .

I want a wife who will not bother me with rambling complaints about a wife's duties. But I want a wife who will listen to me when I feel the need to explain a rather difficult point I have come across in my course studies. . . .

My God, who wouldn't want a wife?

Based on the text and any background information provided, what can you conclude about the author?

Who do you think is the primary audience for this text?

What is the author trying to achieve with this text?

Which is the best text evidence to support the inference that Judy Brady might have supported her husband in his education?

How would you describe the tone of this text?

What underlying assumption by the author helps to make this article effective?

Version B

1776

by David McCullough

Chapter 2: Rabble in Arms

At the start of the siege there had been no American army. Even now it had no flag or uniforms. Though in some official documents it had been referred to as the Continental Army, there was no clear agreement on what it should be called in actual practice. At first it was referred to as the New England army, or the army at Boston. The continental Congress had appointed George Washington to lead "the army of the United Colonies," but in correspondence with the general, the President of Congress, John Hancock, referred to it only as "the troops under your command." Washington, in his formal orders, called them the "Troops of the United Provinces of North America." Privately he described them as the "raw materials" for an army.

To the British and those Loyalists who had taken refuge in Boston, they were simply "the rebels," or "the country people," undeserving the words "American" or "army." General John Burgoyne disdainfully dubbed them "a preposterous parade," a "rabble in arms."

In April, when the call for help first went out after Lexington and Concord, militia and volunteer troops from the other New England colonies had come by the thousands to join forces with the Massachusetts regiments – 1,500 Rhode Islanders led by Nathanael Greene, 5,000 from Connecticut under the command of Israel Putnam. John Stark's New Hampshire regiment of 1,000 had marched in snow and rain, "wet and sloppy," "through mud and mire," without food or tents, seventy-five miles in three and a half days. The Massachusetts regiments, by far the strongest of the provincial troops, possibly numbered more than 10,000.

Source: McCullough, David. 1776. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2006, pp. 24-25.

Based on the text, what can you conclude about the author?

Who do you think is the primary audience for this text?

What is the author trying to achieve with this text?

What is the best text evidence to support the inference that the colonists’ troops were willing to sacrifice and suffer for their cause?

How would you describe the tone of this text?

Which paragraph, if any, presents mainly the author’s opinion of the formation of the American troops?

Version C

Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

by David Eagleman

David Eagleman is a neuroscientist and bestselling author. He is a Guggenheim Fellow, a council member on the World Economic Forum, and a professor at Baylor University.

In earlier times in our evolution, there was no real way to interact with others at a distance any farther than that allowed by hands, feet, or possibly a stick. That distance of interaction was salient and consequential, and this is what our emotional reaction reflects. In modern times, the situation differs: generals and even soldiers commonly find themselves far removed from the people they kill. In Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 2, the rebel Jack Cade challenges Lord Say, mocking the fact that he has never known the firsthand danger of the battlefield: 'When struck'st thou one blow in the field?' Lord Say responds, 'Great men have reaching hands: oft have I struck those that I never saw, and struck them dead.' In modern times, we can launch forty Tomahawk surface-to-surface missiles from the deck of navy ships in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea with the touch of a button. The result of pushing that button may be watched by the missile operators live on CNN, minutes later, when Baghdad's buildings disappear in plumes. The proximity is lost, and so is the emotional influence. This impersonal nature of waging war makes it disconcertingly easy. In the 1960s, one political thinker suggested that the button to launch a nuclear war should be implanted in the chest of the President's closest friend. That way, should the President want to make the decision to annihilate millions of people on the other side of the globe, he would first have to physically harm his friend, ripping open his chest to get to the button. That would at least engage his emotional system in the decision making, so as to guard against letting the choice be impersonal.

Because both of the neural systems battle to control the single output channel of behavior, emotions can tip the balance of decision making. This ancient battle has turned into a directive of sorts for many people: if it feels bad, it is probably wrong. There are many counter examples to this (for example, one may find oneself put off by another's sexual preference but still deem nothing morally wrong with that choice), but emotion nonetheless serves as a generally useful steering mechanism for decision making.

Based on the text and any background information provided, what can you conclude about the author?

Who do you think is the primary audience for this text?

What is the author trying to achieve with this text?

What is the best text evidence to support the inference that a result of modern technology is that we can do things that have a direct, specific effect on people thousands of miles away from us?

How would you describe the tone of this text?

Which of the following statements expresses the author’s opinion?

4.     Inferring the Main Point

Version A

What is an implied main point?

Directions: In the following excerpt, the main point is not stated directly. Review the details, and infer the implied main point.

Based on the details, what is the implied main point?

Version B

What is the process for inferring an implied main point?

Based on the details, what is the implied main point?

Version C

How can you determine the implied main point of a paragraph?

Based on the details, what is the implied main point?

5.     Making Inferences – When Inferences Become Illogical

Version A

Inference

Logical or Illogical

The Maya had a highly developed, skilled civilization.

The Maya must have been the most intelligent early civilization.

The Maya have influenced many aspects of modern society.

The Maya were not concerned about the environmental impact of clearing rain forests.

Version B

Inference

Logical or Illogical

Aztec clothing was too elaborate.

Aztec clothing had a specific purpose.

Aztec clothing was uncomfortable.

The woven headdresses were made specifically to be worn in Aztec rituals.

Version C

Inference

Logical or Illogical

The Panfilo de Narvaez expedition experienced many hardships on its journey.

The Panfilo de Narvaez expedition only brought its people pain and suffering.

Hunger, disease, and harsh weather contributed to the deaths of the men on the Panfilo de Narvaez expedition.

The Panfilo de Narvaez expedition did not intend to land in Florida.

6.     Making Inferences – Inferences with Visual Aids

Directions: Study the following photograph, and pay attention to the visual clues it provides. Then answer the question that follows.

Version A

Which of the following are reasonable inferences you could make based on the information in the photograph? Select all that apply.

Directions: Study the following comic strip, and pay attention to the visual clues it provides. Then answer the question that follows.

Which of the following are reasonable inferences you could make based on the information in the comic strip? Select all that apply.

7.     Drawing Logical Conclusions

Version A

What is the stated or implied main point of this passage?

What logical conclusion can you make about the author?

What logical conclusion can you make about the passage?

Version B

Version C

8.     Inductive Reasoning

Version A

Directions: Study the details in the following box, and then answer the question that follows.

Using inductive reasoning, which of the following is a probable conclusion that you could reach?

Directions: The following paragraph is made up of supporting points only. Use inductive reasoning to come up with a probable conclusion based on the supporting points. Then answer the question that follows.

Which of the following possible topic sentences is a probable conclusion that you could reach?

Version B

Version C

9.     Deductive Reasoning

Version A

Directions: Each situation in the left-hand column of the following table contains a major premise and a minor premise. Use the dropdown menus in the right-hand column to select a probable conclusion for each situation.

Directions: Apply what you’ve learned about deductive reasoning to the following student scenario.

Which of Marla’s conclusions is logically deduced based on the information in the scenario?

Version B

Which of Carrie’s conclusions is logically deduced based on the information in the scenario?

Version C

Which of Avi’s conclusions is logically deduced based on the information in the scenario?

10.  Fallacies – Part 1

Version A

Directions: Study the examples of faulty logic in the left-hand column of the following table. Then use the dropdown menus in the right-hand column to select the correct fallacy for each example.

Directions: Read the following student scenario and paragraph, and then answer the question that follows.

What fallacy do you see in Yvette’s paragraph?

Version B

What fallacy do you see in Marco’s paragraph?

Version C

What fallacy do you see in Ilya’s paragraph?

11.  Fallacies – Part 2

Version A

Directions: Study the examples of faulty logic in the left-hand column of the following table. Then use the dropdown menus in the right-hand column to select the correct fallacy for each example.

Directions: Read the following student scenario and paragraph, and then answer the question that follows.

What fallacy do you see in Mei’s paragraph?

Version B

What fallacy do you see in Manuel’s paragraph?

Version C

What fallacy do you see in Kenji’s paragraph?

12.  Logical Fallacies

Version A

Directions: In each box, identify whether the statement is or is not logical fallacy. Then select the statement that indicates why.

Version B

Version C