Article analysis and discussion

Argument Diagram Answers

1.

1[ In all wars there is the chance innocent people will be killed ], and 2[ we should never

kill innocent people, even for a good cause. ] So, 3 [we should not participate in this war.]

1 + 2 

3

2.

1[ Some people justify deception as simply a part of good business practice. ] However, 2

[good business practice is built upon trust.] 3[And trust is undermined by deception. ] So,4

[ good business practice should not be built upon deception. ]

2 + 3 

4

3.

1 [ Whenever we find evidence of this kind of erosion, we know that it has taken many

millions of years for the rock formation to develop. ] Therefore, 2 [we know this rock

formation developed over many millions of years.]

1 

2

4.

1 [An ethics committee should be impartial. ] 2 [ If it is appointed by and answers solely to

those it is monitoring, it cannot be impartial. ] So 3 [ an ethics committee must be

appointed by and answer to an independent source. ]

2 + 1 

3

5.

1 [ Deregulation of electrical power in California brought tremendous increases in the cost

of electricity; ] 2 [ in some cases, increases of three thousand percent were common. ] 3 [

The proposal to deregulate electrical power in Ontario is likely to produce even worse

consequences, ] for 4 [ Canada is surrounded by American states that have higher energy

costs, ] and 5 [those states will rapidly drive up the cost of electricity within Ontario. ]

1 + 4 + 5 

3

6.

Never buy a car more than five years old. The repair costs are too high.

2 

1

7.

1 [We should all work to control global warming. ] 2 [ If we don’t, the world will be

uninhabitable by humans within fifty years. ] My opponents contend that 3 [ this would be

costly. ] Yet recent studies by the European Union estimate that 4 [it would take less than

one percent of Gross National Product to implement such reforms. ] 5 [ Such an investment

would not be costly considering the alternative.]

4

5

2 3 

1

8.

1 [We shouldn’t ban books in the schools. ] 2 [ It undermines free thought ] and 3 [it limits

what we can teach. ] 4 [To those who object, arguing that this would allow racist and other

unacceptable books in the schools, ] I reply that 5 [such works, if taught to expose racism

and sexism, can have a positive role in the curriculum. ]

5

2 + 3 4 

1

9.

1 [We should legalize marijuana. ] 2 [ It would have many benefits.] 3 [ It would give

chemotherapy patients access to a drug that would help alleviate their symptoms. ] 4 [ It

would allow police time to chase more “deserving” criminals. ] 5 [ It would give people a

recreational drug that is far safer than tobacco or alcohol. ] To those who assert that 6 [it

would justify impaired driving, ] I reply that 7 [ this is not the case. ] 8 [ Alcohol being legal

does not mean that a person can legally drive under the influence. ] 9 [ If a person is going

to smoke up and drive, then that person is under the influence and should be charged. ] 10

[ Legalizing marijuana does not inherently mean that we justify its abuse. ]

8 + 9

3 4 5 7

  

2 6 

1

10.

1 [ Definitions cannot, by their very nature, be either “true” or “false,” only more or less

useful. ] For this reason, 2 [it makes relatively little sense to argue over definitions. ]

1 

2

11.

1 [ She won’t get the promotion. ] 2 [ She has antagonized virtually everyone on the

committee. ]

2 

1