CRITICAL THINKING 

PRACTICE TEST (90’) 

 
 
Task 1:  Read the passage and answer critical questions that follow (2 points) 
Tiếng Việt đang ở một thời kỳ thịnh vượng, nếu nhìn vào cách mà chúng ta mô tả các vấn
đề trong cuộc sống. Ca dao, tục ngữ mới thì đang được đẻ ra mỗi ngày (1). Và mới nhất,
nhiều người lại cảm thấy hoài nghi về vốn từ vựng của mình, khi nghe công an thành phố
Hà Nội mô tả cuộc xô xát giữa một cảnh sát hình sự và một phóng viên. Trong biên bản
làm việc nội bộ vừa được tiết lộ, xác định rằng thượng sĩ Ngô Quang Hưng đã có “hành
vi gây thương tích cho anh Trần Quang Thế”. Nhưng tới khi trả lời báo chí, vị lãnh đạo
lại quyết định mô tả một cách đầy hình ảnh: chiến sĩ này đã gạt tay trúng má của nhà
báo. 
Tất nhiên, có nhiều cách để mô tả sự việc. Để khẳng định một cách diễn đạt là đúng hay
sai, chúng ta sẽ phải sử dụng đến triết học, mà vẫn có thể bế tắc. Chỉ số cảm nhận tham
nhũng không tăng, không giảm, thì tất nhiên là tham nhũng… ổn định. Về mặt ngôn ngữ
học, tôi chắc không ai dám bắt bẻ (2) rằng, cơ quan thanh tra nhận định thế là sai. 
Nhưng việc lựa chọn cách dùng từ lại thể hiện một thái độ. Bởi vì cách mô tả, cũng sẽ tạo
ra cách phản ứng: nếu thanh tra nói rằng tình trạng chống tham nhũng đang “không có
biến chuyển” thì sẽ rất khác với “tham nhũng ổn định”; nếu đường Trường Chinh thay vì
“cong mềm mại” là “không thẳng” thì vấn đề được nhận thức khác; nếu “gạt trúng vào
má” được mô tả là “hành vi gây thương tích” thì dư luận xã hội sẽ thay đổi. 
Tham nhũng, đường không thẳng, cầu biến dạng và công an lạm quyền gây thương tích là
những vấn đề cần được nhìn thẳng trực diện thay vì cố tình dùng xảo ngữ để đánh tráo
khái niệm. Khi những khái niệm được đánh tráo, người ta có quyền không tin vào nhận
thức đúng hoặc sẽ phải tin rằng, xảo ngữ đã được sử dụng hòng đánh lừa kẻ ngu ngơ (3).
Và trong xã hội thông tin bây giờ, còn rất ít người ngu ngơ - khi mà một sự vật sự việc
được phản ánh rất nhanh và đa chiều. 
Phát ngôn của nhà quản lý không chỉ là lời nói: nó phản ánh cái cách mà vấn đề đó sẽ
được giải quyết trong tương lai. Sẽ thật ngây ngô nếu có ai đó ban hành các chính sách
“hạn chế đường cong mềm mại” hay là “cấm gạt tay”. 
Phát ngôn của nhà quản lý không chỉ là lời nói: nó phản ánh tinh thần phục vụ của họ. Sự
biến ảo trong ngôn từ phát biểu với đại chúng, có thể dễ dàng tạo ra liên tưởng về sự biến
ảo trong các hành vi khác.  
Phát ngôn của nhà quản lý, nếu là xảo ngữ, có thể trở thành một cái “gạt tay” khiến niềm
tin của nhân dân đổ sụp. 
 
Questions:  
1. What is the issue being addressed? 
2. What is the argument in the above message structured of? 
Premise 1: 
Premise 2: 
Premise 3: 
Conclusion: 
3. What rhetorical devices are used for the three underlined phrases? 
1)……………………………………………… 
(2)……………………………………………… 
 (3)……………………………………………… 
Task 2: Multiple choice questions (4 points) 
1. Choose the best fallacy, if there is one, for the following:  
“How can you tell me I should exercise to lose weight? All you do is siting behind a desk
all day. I've never seen you do a lick of exercise.” 
 A. strawman B. circumstancial ad hominem   
 C. apple polishing D. inconsistency ad hominem  
2. Identify the ambiguity:  
"Susan bought a puppy from a Pitbull and a Beagel ."  
A. semantic ambiguity   B. grouping ambiguity   
 C. syntactic ambiguity  D. no ambiguity 
3. Choose the best fallacy for the following: 
“If feminists insist, instead, on banning porn, men will have no freedom and no pleasure
left, and large numbers of women will be jobless and will have to work as to support
themselves.” 
A. Begging the question B. Argument from outrage  
C. Slippery slope D. Ad hominem  
4.  Identify the rhetorical device involved here:  
“Dòng tiền nóng ồ ạt chảy vào tiền ảo.”   
A. stereotype B. dysphemism  
C. downplayer D. proof surrogate 
5. Consider the following argument and determine whether it is an inductive
generalization or analogical argument:  
“Trinh Cong Son’s song lyrics are full of philosophy, judging from the one I’m
listening.” 
A. Inductive generalization B. Argument from analogy 
6. Identify the rhetorical device involved here. 
“This war (the Civil War) is the birth of a nation.” 
A. Hyperbole nn B. Rhetorical analogy 
C. Rhetorical definition D. Dysphemism 
7. Choose the best fallacy for the following: 
“My student’s scores have improved dramatically since I started giving tests online,
which indicates that students learn more on online courses.” 
A. Inductive generalization B. Weak analogy  
C. Fallacy related to cause and effect D. Appeal to popularity 
8. Choose the best rhetorical device, if there is one, for the following: 
Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-
19. 
A. no device           B. proof surrogate                 C. apple polishing        D. euphemism  
9. Do the speakers here address the same issue?  
“Big: Don't worry about coming into the pool. It's only eight feet.  
Little: That doesn't make me feel any safer. You could drown in your bathtub.” 
a.Yes 
b. No 
10. An argument comprises which of the following? 
A. at least a premise 
B. at least a conclusion 
C. at least two premises and a conclusion 
D. at least one premise and one conclusion 
 
Task 3: Express yourself (4 points) 
Are covid-19 vaccine passports a good idea? 
Write a passage of about 100 words to express your view on the issue. Use three or more
different rhetorical devices to support your arguments. You cannot use the same device
more than once for credit. Underline and give a side remark on what devices are used. 
 
 
MIDTERM TEST –  90 minutes, Open book 
I. Read the following passage and answer the questions. 
A human skeleton was found near the river late last 1. What is the argument in the
month by a senior couple walking by their dog. They above message structured of? 
believe it was a murder caused by a troublesome local P1 
family. The police interviewed the family but ruled out ………………………………… 
their involvement. The bones are believed to be several P6……………………………… 
hundred years old. Historians confirm that the river ………………………………… 
Marle passes close to ancient burial grounds and that C……………………………… 
there are records of other bodies being carried away by ………………………………… 
the river the distant past. This was the first for over 150  
years. Recent storms have caused the river to rise by
half a metre. It is probable that the skeleton was
dislodged from its resting place by the river rather than
murdered by the local family. 
B. Tôi sống hai cuộc đời. Cuộc đời thực đôi khi tẻ nhạt 1. What is the argument in the
và một cuộc đời ảo sinh động trên Facebook. (1) above message structured of? 
negative   P………………………… 
Facebook cũng cho tôi một thế giới gần như trong C………………………… 
phim “Ma trận” (2) device: so sánh Mùi vị của một bữa 2. What rhetorical devices are
ăn đôi khi không quan trọng bằng thưởng thức những used for the underlined and
comment về ảnh món ăn mà tôi đăng lên "tường". Tận numbered sentences and
hưởng một chuyến du lịch không quan trọng bằng phrases? 
những trầm trồ xuýt xoa của bạn bè dưới những bức 1……………………… 
ảnh của chuyến đi.  2………rhetorical
Chúng ta sẵn sàng đánh đổi cuộc đời thực để chìm đắm anology………………… 
trong cuộc đời ảo kia chăng? (3) loaded question  3…loaded the
Có lẽ đã đến lúc phải thức tỉnh.  question……………………… 
(Adapted from vnexpress.net)   
 
II. Multiple choice questions 
1. Identify which of the items that follows best states the primary issue discussed in
the passage:  
An animal that will walk out into a rainstorm and stare up at the clouds until water runs
into its nostrils and it drowns-well, that’s what I call the world’s dumbest animal. And
that’s exactly what young domestic turkeys do. 
A. Whether young domestic turkeys will down themselves in the rain. 
B. Whether any animal is dumb enough to drown itself in the rain. 
C. Whether young domestic turkeys are the world’s dumbest animal. 
2. Is the second speaker addressing the issue raised by the first person? 
Female student: The Internet is totally overrated. It takes forever to find something you
can actually use in an assignment. 
Male student: Listen, it takes a lot longer to drive over to the library and find a place to
park. 
A. Yes B. No 
 
No, the second speaker is not addressing the issue raised by the first person. 
 
The first speaker expressed her opinion that the Internet is overrated and it takes a long
time to find useful information for an assignment. The second speaker responds to this by
comparing the time it takes to find information online with the time it takes to drive to the
library and find a place to park. However, this response does not address the first
speaker's concern about the time it takes to find useful information on the Internet. 
 
Instead, the second speaker introduces a new argument to support the use of the Internet
for research by highlighting the time and effort required to go to the library physically.
Therefore, the second speaker is not addressing the issue raised by the first person, but
rather presenting a different perspective on the matter. 
 
3. Choose the best rhetorical device, if there is one, for the following: 
Honey if we can afford it, pig can fly.  
A. proof surrogate               B. hyperbole          
C. ridicule D. weaseler  
The statement "Honey if we can afford it, pig can fly" is an example of hyperbole.
Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. In this
case, the speaker is using hyperbole to express the idea that the possibility of affording
something is so remote that it is as likely as pigs flying, which is an impossible event. 
 
Therefore, the statement is an example of hyperbole as a rhetorical device. 
4. Choose the best fallacy, if there is one, for the following:  
I failed the final test. I didn’t get much sleep the night before. That explains it. 
A. hasty generalisation               B. post hoc          
C. mistaken appeal to popularity D. weak analogy  
The statement "I failed the final test. I didn't get much sleep the night before. That
explains it" is an example of the post hoc fallacy. The argument assumes that because the
person did not get much sleep the night before the test and failed the test, the lack of
sleep caused the failure. 
 
However, this argument is flawed because it assumes a causal relationship between two
events based on the temporal order of occurrence, without considering other possible
factors that could have contributed to the failure. For example, the person could have
also been unprepared for the test or experienced test anxiety, which could have affected
their performance regardless of the amount of sleep they had. 
 
Therefore, the argument commits the post hoc fallacy by assuming a causal relationship
based on temporal order without sufficient evidence to support it. 
 
5. Choose the best fallacy, if there is one, for the following:  
Shoot, millions of people sunbathe. It can’t hurt you 
A. Accident               B. post hoc          
C. mistaken appeal to popularity D. weak analogy  
The statement "Shoot, millions of people sunbathe. It can't hurt you" is an example of a
mistaken appeal to popularity fallacy. The argument assumes that because millions of
people engage in sunbathing, it must be safe or healthy. However, the popularity of an
activity does not necessarily determine its safety or efficacy. 
 
The argument also ignores the individual differences, such as skin type, medical
conditions, or sun exposure duration, which can significantly affect the risks associated
with sunbathing. Therefore, the argument is flawed and relies on a mistaken appeal to
popularity to support its conclusion. 
 
6. What kind of argument is it? 
She’s got blonde hair. How can you expect that she can solve this puzzle. 
A. reasoning from analogy B.  generalizing from a sample 
C. causal reasoning D. statistical syllogism 
 The argument in the statement is reasoning from analogy. The speaker is drawing a
comparison between the person's hair color and their ability to solve a puzzle. The
argument assumes that blondes are generally not as intelligent or competent as people
with other hair colors, and hence, the blonde person in question may not be able to solve
the puzzle. 
 
This type of argument relies on the similarity between two things or situations and infers
that if they are similar in one respect, they must be similar in other respects too. In this
case, the similarity is between hair color and problem-solving ability. Therefore, the
statement is an example of reasoning from analogy. 
 
7. What kind of argument is it? 
You know, all of a sudden, she started acting cold. She hadn’t acted like that until I told
her U were going to play poker with us. 
A. reasoning from analogy B. generalizing from a sample 
C. causal reasoning D. none of the above 
The given statement does not provide any clear argument or reasoning that can be
categorized under the options given. It is a statement describing a situation where a
person's behavior has changed, and the speaker is attributing it to the fact that they told
her that the speaker was going to play poker. 
There is no clear comparison to other situations or generalizing from a sample, no clear
causal link between the two events, and no use of analogy to make a point. Therefore,
none of the options fit the given statement. 
8. “It follows that…” is an indicator of which? 
A. conclusion B. premise 
"It follows that..." is an indicator of a conclusion because it signals that the statement
that follows is a logical consequence or inference drawn from the preceding statements
or evidence. It is a transitional phrase that links the premises or evidence with the
conclusion, indicating that the conclusion is logically derived from the previous
statements or evidence. Therefore, "It follows that..." is typically used to introduce the
final claim or conclusion of an argument or reasoning. 
 
9. Is there vagueness or ambiguity in this statement? 
It’s time we discuss our future. 
A. vagueness B. semantic ambiguity 
B. group ambiguity C. syntactic ambiguity 
The statement "It's time we discuss our future" is vague because it does not provide
specific information about what exactly the speaker wants to discuss about the future.
The word "future" is a broad and general term that could refer to various aspects, such
as personal goals, career plans, or societal developments. The statement lacks clarity
and precision, which makes it open to interpretation and could lead to confusion or
miscommunication among the listeners. Therefore, the vagueness is the most appropriate
term to describe the lack of specificity in this statement. 
 
10. Choose the best rhetorical device, if there is one, for the following: 
“Nhà thiết kế Đức Hùng nêu rõ quan điểm của mình về áo dài cách tân: “Xin hãy buông
tha cho tà áo dài” (24h.com) 
A. dysphemism           B. proof surrogate            C. apple polishing        D. euphemism  
 
The statement "Xin hãy buông tha cho tà áo dài" can be translated to "Please let go of
the hem of the Áo dài," and it is a euphemism used by the designer Đức Hùng to express
his viewpoint on modernizing the traditional Vietnamese dress, Áo dài. The phrase
"buông tha" (let go) implies that the hem of the dress should be freed from its traditional
length and shape, without directly stating that it needs to be changed. Therefore,
euphemism is the most appropriate rhetorical device to describe this statement. 
 
III. Express yourself 
“Online learning is the future of education.” 
Use three or more different rhetorical devices to restate this comment. You cannot use the
same device more than once for credit. Underline and give a side remark on what devices
are used. You can extend the sentence into a passage of around 100 words if you want. 
 
 
 Repetition: The future of education lies in online learning. (repetition of the idea
in a slightly different phrasing) 
 Metaphor: Online learning is the seed that will sprout into the flourishing tree of
education's future. (using a metaphor to compare online learning to a seed that grows
into a tree, representing education's future) 
 Analogy: Just as the internet has revolutionized the way we communicate and
access information, online learning will transform the way we educate ourselves.
(drawing an analogy between the impact of the internet and the potential impact of
online learning on education) 
The world of education is rapidly evolving, and it is clear that online learning is set to play an
integral role in its future. Online learning has been gaining momentum over the past few years,
and with the pandemic-induced shift to remote learning, it has only accelerated in popularity.
The idea that the future of education lies in online learning is not just a passing trend, but a
transformative shift in the way we think about education. Just as a seed has the potential to grow
into a flourishing tree, online learning has the potential to revolutionize the educational
landscape, bringing knowledge and learning to people regardless of geographical barriers. Just as
the internet has transformed the way we communicate and access information, online learning
has the power to change the way we learn, making education more accessible and inclusive. 
 
 
 Euphemism: "Web-based instruction represents the upcoming evolution of the
education sector." (using a more positive or pleasant phrase to express the same idea) 
 
 Dysphemism: "Traditional classroom teaching is an outdated and inefficient way
of learning that will soon be extinct." (using a more negative or harsh phrase to
express the same idea) 
 
 Hyperbole: "Online learning is the ultimate solution to all educational woes,
revolutionizing the way we acquire knowledge and changing the face of education
forever." (using exaggeration to emphasize the significance of online learning) 
 
It's important to note that these devices of language, euphemism, dysphemism, and hyperbole,
are often used in persuasive writing and speech to influence the audience's perception of a
particular idea or concept. 
 
In recent years, there has been a significant shift towards online learning due to the rapid
advancements in technology and the convenience it offers. With the internet and various digital
platforms, students from all corners of the world can access quality education at the click of a
button. Online learning provides the flexibility to learn at your own pace and on your own
schedule, making it easier for people with busy lifestyles to acquire new skills and knowledge. 
 
Furthermore, web-based instruction provides a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to
traditional classroom learning, eliminating the need for textbooks, paper, and commuting. As a
result, online learning has become increasingly popular, and it's likely to continue to shape the
future of education. Whether you choose to pursue online learning or stick with traditional
classroom teaching, it's important to find a method that works best for you and your learning
style.