M17 Analyze the passage below: Without a doubt, violent TV causes violence in children. For one thing, there is a plethora of anecdotal evidence of the consequences of viewing violent acts on television. For instance, The Chicago Tribune reported that in October 1993, little 5 year old Austin Messner of Dayton, Ohio was innocently playing with a lighter in his room. By accident, he set the house on fire and killed his 2-year-old sister, Jessica Matthews. Austins poor mother blames the MTV cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head" for promoting burning as fun. Quite simply, exposing children to TV violence is the same as putting a gun in a child's hand---both kill. Even more disturbing than the fact that violent TV causes violent children, almost a quarter of parents in a 1999 poll indicated that they wouldn't use a V-chip to block violent programming. A pollster asked 4000 parents of two year olds at a table in front of a Toyz R Us in a Dallas shopping mall on the afternoon of September 10 the following question: If you had a V-chip in your home, do you think you would ever use it to block shows you dont want your children to see?" Thus, even with the means to do so, too many parents don't care enough about their children to monitor their children's television viewing. In light of all of this, the way forward is obvious---the entertainment industry clearly should not create and market TV that glorifies violence.

1. The following is the argument's issue question: "Without a doubt, does violent TV cause violence?" a. True b. False Answer: _____ 2. The argument's issue type is descriptive. a. True b. False Answer: _____ 3. The argument's conclusion is: "In light of all of this, the way forward is obvious---the entertainment industry clearly should not create and market TV that glorifies violence." a. True b. False Answer: _____ 4. The argument's reasoning structure has five warrants. a. True b. False Answer: _____ 5. The following statement from the passage is a warrant in the argument---"For instance, The Chicago Tribune reported that in October 1993, little 5 year old Austin Messner of Dayton, Ohio was innocently playing with a lighter in his room." a. True b. False Answer: _____

2 6. The following statement from the passage is a warrant in the argument---"By accident, he set the house on fire and killed his 2- year-old sister, Jessica Matthews." a. True b. False Answer: _____ 7. The following statement from the passage is a warrant in the argument---"Quite simply, exposing children to TV violence is the same as putting a gun in a child's hand---both kill." a. True b. False Answer: _____ 8. Take the following two statements from the passage: 1.) Austins poor mother blames the MTV cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head" for promoting burning as fun 2.) In light of all of this, the way forward is obvious---the entertainment industry clearly should not create and market TV that glorifies violence. Which of the following is an assumption linking these two statements? a. TV violence causes violence in children b. MTV is a part of the entertainment industry c. The MTV cartoon makers of "Beavis and Butt-head" see a plethora of anecdotal evidence. d. Austin's mom is a good mother. Answer: _____ 9. Take the following two statements from the passage: 1.) Austins poor mother blames the MTV cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head" for promoting burning as fun 2.) In light of all of this, the way forward is obvious---the entertainment industry clearly should not create and market TV that glorifies violence.

3 Which of the following is an assumption linking these two statements? a. Promoting burning as fun is glorifying violence b. TV violence causes violence in children c. Marketing TV is glorifying violence d. The entertainment industry marketed TV to Austin's mother Answer: _____ 10. Take the following statement from the passage: "Even with the means to do so, too many parents don't care enough about their children to monitor their children's television viewing." Which of the following is an assumption inside of this statement? a. Not monitoring their children's viewing means that parent do care about their children b. Not monitoring their children's viewing means that parents don't care about their children. c. Not monitoring their children's viewing means that parents sometimes care about their children d. Not monitoring their children's viewing means that parents never care about their children. Answer: _____ 11. Take the following statement from the passage: "Without a doubt, violent TV causes violence in children." Which of the following is an assumption inside of the statement? a. Children who live in doubt watch violent TV which causes them to be violent. b. There is a relationship between glorifying violence and causing violence. c. Children are not in doubt that violent TV causes them to be violent. d. Children are actually watching TV. Answer: _____ 12. Take the following statement from the passage: "Without a doubt, violent TV causes violence in children." The following is an assumption inside the statement: TV violence affects children in the same way

4 a. True b. False Answer: _____ 13. Take the following two statements from the passage: 1.) In light of all of this, the way forward is obvious---the entertainment industry clearly should not create and market TV that glorifies violence. 2.) Austin's poor mother blames the MTV cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head" for promoting burning as fun. The following is an assumption linking the two statements: The entertainment industry marketed violent TV to Austin a. True b. False Answer: _____ 14. Take the following statement from the passage---"Austin's poor mother blames the MTV cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head" for promoting burning as fun." This statement contains the following fallacy: a. red herring b. appeal to authority c. appeal to emotion d. appeal to popularity Answer: _____ 15. Which of the following fallacies are not contained in the argument? a. neglect of a common cause b. wishful thinking c. faulty analogy d. none of the above are contained in the argument Answer: _____