Middle School English Quiz: Trace And Evaluate Arguments

A group of middle school principals is considering a longer lunch period, from 25 minutes to 40 minutes. The superintendent argues that the change is worth it for three reasons. First, students need enough time to eat without rushing. A local dietitian told the board that most students need at least 30 minutes to get food, sit down, and finish a balanced meal. She said that rushing often causes kids to skip fruits and vegetables. Second, a longer lunch may improve mental health, because it gives students time to talk and relax. In one district that tried a 40-minute lunch, a survey reported a 20 percent drop in students who felt stressed during lunch. Third, students may learn better afterward. In that same district, afternoon quiz scores rose from 78 percent to 83 percent, while morning scores stayed about the same. Because a longer lunch improves nutrition, lowers stress, and supports focus, the superintendent concludes that schools should extend lunch to 40 minutes.

Which choice best traces the argument's structure, including its claim, reasons, and evidence?

A group of middle school students is asking the principal to extend lunch to 40 minutes. Their claim is that a longer lunch would improve students' health and learning. First, they argue that many students need more time to eat a full meal, instead of rushing. They cite a guideline from the American School Nutrition Association. It says students should have at least 30 minutes of seat time to eat after getting their food. They point out that long cafeteria lines often cut real eating time to 15 to 20 minutes. Second, they say lunch is one of the few daily chances to talk with friends, which can lower stress. They point to a university study of 12 schools. When lunch grew by 10 minutes, reported lunchtime stress dropped by about 20 percent. Finally, they claim students focus better afterward. In their district's pilot at one school, teachers reported fewer afternoon behavior referrals. Average scores on short weekly quizzes also rose from 78 percent to 83 percent over nine weeks.

Which choice best traces the argument's structure, its claim, reasons, and evidence?

An online comment says, "School uniforms are a bad idea, because the principal who backs them is mean." The commenter says the principal once gave a late student detention. The commenter also thinks the principal just enjoys being strict. The comment never asks whether uniforms affect bullying, safety, or distractions. It never answers the principal's own reasons for the rule. Those reasons are cutting down on teasing about clothes. They also include making the dress code easier to follow. So the commenter says the rule must be wrong, only because the principal is mean.

What logical fallacy best describes the commenter's reasoning?

A community group argues that the town should build more bike lanes. Their claim is that bike lanes will reduce traffic and improve public health. As reasons, they say safer biking encourages more people to ride instead of drive. They also say regular biking increases daily exercise. For evidence, they cite a transportation department report from a nearby city. There, protected bike lanes were added on three major roads, and car traffic on those roads dropped by 9 percent during rush hour. They also cite a public health survey. It showed that residents who biked to school or work at least three days a week were more likely to meet weekly exercise goals. They also mention that a recent poll found most residents said they would bike more if lanes felt safer. The speaker then adds, "Also, our town's first bicycle was displayed in a museum in 1912, which proves biking is part of our history."

Which statement is the most irrelevant evidence for the group's claim?

Read the passage and answer the question.

A classmate argues, "Energy drinks should be banned for students under 16." He says energy drinks are dangerous because they contain caffeine. As evidence, he mentions that one popular brand has 200 milligrams of caffeine per can, and he adds that his cousin felt shaky after drinking one before basketball practice. He concludes that because caffeine is a stimulant and can make people feel jittery, banning energy drinks will prevent health problems for all students. He does not compare energy drinks to other caffeinated products students may already consume (like coffee or soda), and he does not provide data on how often serious health effects occur for teens.

Which choice best assesses whether the evidence is sufficient to support the claim?

An opinion post argues, "Video games cause poor grades." The writer describes a survey at one school. Students who reported playing video games for more than two hours on school nights had an average GPA of 2.6. Students who played less than one hour had an average GPA of 3.2. The writer concludes that gaming must be the reason grades drop, and suggests banning video games for all students. The post does not discuss other possible reasons. It does not ask whether struggling students use games to relax, whether heavy gamers also have jobs or family duties, or whether the amount of homework differs by course level.

Is the reasoning sound, or does it contain a logical flaw?

A student newspaper editorial claims that the school should let students carry reusable water bottles in class. The editorial gives two reasons. First, students stay more hydrated. Second, fewer plastic bottles are thrown away. As evidence for hydration, it cites the nurse's office log. The log showed fewer afternoon headaches during a month-long pilot when bottles were allowed. As evidence for less waste, it cites the custodians' counts. The number of plastic bottles in classroom trash bins dropped by about one-third during that same month. The editorial concludes that the policy should become permanent. It says the policy supports student health. It also cuts waste without hurting learning.

Which choice best evaluates the reasoning of the editorial?

A seventh grader writes an opinion post: "Homework should be banned in all middle schools." The student's main reason is that homework is stressful. As evidence, the writer describes one night when a friend had three assignments, stayed up late, and felt anxious the next day. The writer also says, "Everyone I know hates homework." The writer claims that because students are stressed, homework must not help learning. The post does not include any research on how homework affects grades, practice, or long-term learning. It also does not compare different amounts or types of homework, such as short reading versus long projects. The writer ends by saying the school board should immediately get rid of homework for every class.

Is the evidence sufficient to support the claim?

A student argues, "Homework should be banned for all middle schoolers." As evidence, the student writes, "My friend Jordan gets stressed when there is homework, and last week Jordan stayed up late to finish a worksheet." The student adds that after a long school day, everyone deserves free time, and that teachers could just teach everything during class. The argument does not include any research on how homework affects learning. It does not compare different amounts or types of homework. And it does not consider whether some students benefit from practice at home.

Which choice best evaluates whether the evidence is sufficient to support the claim?

A student proposes that the school start classes 30 minutes later. The claim is that a later start would improve learning and safety. As a reason, the student says that many teenagers' bodies naturally fall asleep later and need more morning sleep to feel alert. For evidence, she cites a children's sleep foundation. It states that teens generally need 8 to 10 hours of sleep. She also points to a study from two districts. After start times moved later, average first-period tardies dropped by 25 percent, and students reported feeling more awake. She then argues that safety would improve because sleepy driving would decrease. She cites a county report about car crashes involving teen drivers between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. Those crashes fell by 14 percent the year after one high school shifted to a later start.

Which evaluation best describes the reasoning and evidence in the passage?

A student blogger claims, "If our school allows hats in class, discipline will collapse." He reasons that once hats are allowed, students will start wearing sunglasses. Then, he says, they will refuse to follow dress rules, and soon teachers will not be able to enforce classroom expectations. As evidence, he says he saw one student wear a hood last week. He also claims everyone knows rules always get worse when you relax them. He does not give examples of schools that allow hats and still keep discipline, and he does not explain why hats would have to lead to breaking other rules.

What logical fallacy best describes the blogger's reasoning?

In an editorial, a resident makes a claim. The town should expand its recycling program, because recycling helps the environment. The writer gives several facts. Recycling reduces the amount of trash sent to landfills. A state agency reports a striking fact. Recycling aluminum saves a lot of energy. It uses up to 95 percent less than making new aluminum from raw ore. The writer also mentions that many recycling bins are blue. The town first started curbside recycling in the 1970s. Finally, the writer notes what happened in nearby towns. They increased recycling pickup from every other week to weekly. After that, the amount of landfill trash dropped by about 12 percent over six months.

Which piece of evidence is least relevant to supporting the claim that recycling benefits the environment?

A student argues that the school library should stay open one hour later after school. Her claim is that longer hours would give more academic support and make the school more fair. First, she reasons that many students need a quiet place to work. This is especially true if their homes are crowded or noisy. As evidence, she cites a school survey in which 48 percent of students said they often cannot find a quiet study space at home. Second, she argues that later hours would improve access to help and resources. She notes that the library's tutoring table is full most days. Sign-in data also shows that an average of 60 students try to use the library in the last 20 minutes before it closes. Finally, she claims that fairness improves. Bus riders and students in clubs often cannot reach the library before it closes. She points to club schedules showing that practices end 10 minutes after the library closes on three days each week.

Which choice best evaluates whether the reasons and evidence logically support the claim?

A community poster claims that planting more trees in the neighborhood is worth paying for. The poster gives several reasons. Trees can cool the streets in summer, clean the air, and make walking more pleasant. As evidence, it points to a city report showing that blocks with more tree cover can be several degrees cooler on hot days. It also points to a science website explaining that trees can trap some pollution on their leaves. However, the poster then claims that trees are popular mainly because they look attractive in social media photos. It uses that point as a major reason to believe that trees improve the air quality.

Which statement best evaluates how relevant the poster's evidence is to its reasons?

A student council flyer makes a claim. It says that recycling at school helps the environment, so the school should add recycling bins to every hallway. The flyer lists several statements. First, recycling paper can reduce the number of trees cut down for new paper. Second, recycling aluminum uses much less energy than making new aluminum from raw ore. Third, recycling plastic keeps a lot of waste out of landfills and rivers. Fourth, the new bins would come in the school colors and feature the school mascot on the side. The flyer ends by saying that adding more bins would reduce waste and save resources.

Which statement is irrelevant to supporting the claim that recycling helps the environment?

A seventh grader argues that homework should be banned for all middle school students. As support, he says his friend Maya often stays up late finishing assignments and feels stressed the next day. He also says that he personally learns better by listening in class than by doing worksheets at home. The student does not include any research on how homework affects learning. He does not compare different types of homework, like reading, projects, or practice problems. And he does not consider whether a small amount of homework might help some students review their skills.

Is the evidence in the argument enough to support the broad claim that homework should be banned for all middle school students?

A student council flyer makes a claim. It says, "Recycling at our school helps the environment, so we should add more recycling bins in the hallways." The flyer gives three pieces of information. First, recycling paper can cut down the number of trees that are used, because old paper can be made into new paper. Second, recycling cans uses much less energy than making new metal from scratch. Third, the school's current recycling bins are blue and have the school mascot printed on the side. The flyer ends by saying that because recycling helps nature, the school should put a bin near every set of lockers.

Which piece of information is irrelevant to the claim that recycling helps the environment?

An article claims, "Students should start school later in the morning." The author reasons that later start times lead to more sleep, which improves learning and mood. The article cites a pediatric sleep group. That group says most teens need 8 to 10 hours of sleep, and that early start times make this hard. The article also cites a study in a nearby district. When that district moved its start time from 7:30 to 8:30, it reported fewer first-period tardies and fewer students saying they felt sleepy during the day. However, the author then adds, "And since students will be less tired, bullying will probably disappear completely."

Which statement best identifies the reasoning problem in the argument?

A cafeteria manager claims that adding a vegetarian meal every day will get more students to eat school lunch. The manager gives two reasons: more students will find something they can eat, and offering choices makes the lunch program feel more welcoming. As evidence, the manager points to a two-week trial. On days with a vegetarian option, the number of lunches sold rose from about 420 to 465. The manager also cites a short survey. In it, 62 percent of students said they want more non-meat options sometimes. However, the manager does not say whether the rise lasted after the trial. He does not report whether food costs changed. And he does not show whether students really chose the vegetarian meal, or just liked the side dishes that week.

Which choice best assesses whether the evidence is sufficient to support the claim?

A student argues that the school should require clear backpacks. Here is the reasoning: schools that require clear backpacks are safer. Last month, the student read about a school in another state that switched to clear backpacks, and later that year the school reported fewer rule violations involving banned items. So, the student says, clear backpacks will make this school safer too. The student does not explain whether the drop could come from other changes, like added staff, new rules, or more searches. The student also does not give more than one example or point to any studies.

What is the most accurate evaluation of the reasoning?