“TFY”: Chapter 7 – Evaluations – Exercise
Exercise – Page 201 – Expectations Influence Evaluation:
1. Neither the liquid nor the taste buds of the person changed. How can you explain what happened?
The person was expecting to drink orange juice. His mind and taste buds were expecting the taste of orange juice, so when it was not OJ, he immediately thought that it was bad OJ. He did not assume it may be another flavor of juice.
2. What information was missing in the first evaluation?
The man did not look to see if the orange container in the freezer was actually orange juice. He just assumed it was due to the container being orange in color.
3. Describe an instance in which expectations influenced your perceptions and evaluations.
I have had a similar experience to this one regarding beverages. I once was expecting to drink 7-Up, when the cup really contained water. It was a very surprising shock to get plain water when my mind and taste buds were expecting carbonation.
Exercise – Page 202 – Word Connotations:
1. Show how the connotations of the following words differ by writing a plus or minus beside each word that carries either a positive or a negative connotation. Then answer the questions that follow either in writing or with your neighbor in class.
Girl + Guy + Dismissed - CEO + Alcoholic –
Chick + Dude + Kiss-Off - Boss + Dipso –
Slut - Stud + Abandoned - Honcho - Drunkard –
2. What kind of differences lie in the meanings of the words within each set of three?
I see that some sets of three have different words that are talking about the same thing, but have different meaning; some with bad meaning. For example, there is girl, chick and slut. I don’t really see girl or chick as being negative, but slut is a negative word. While other sets of three seem to hold the same meaning, just with the use of different words. For example, alcoholic, dipso and drunkard all mean pretty much the same thing and they are all negative words.
3. If you call me “a flake,” does that mean that I am, in fact, “a flake” or does it simply mean you see me in a negative light?
I think that it means you see me in a negative light. Saying someone is a flake is a matter of opinion. So that person has a negative opinion about you.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
TFY - Chapter 7 - Evaluations - Summary
“TFY”: Chapter 7 – Evaluations – Summary
This chapter is all about evaluations. To evaluate something, you are examining, making an estimate on, determining the worth of, and/ or judging something. You need to be aware that sometimes it is possible to make a premature evaluation. You also need to be aware that evaluations are not facts. There are different situations that can sway our evaluation on something. Our own expectations can sway our evaluation as well as word connotation, and propaganda. I would say that word connotation and propaganda is something that you need to keep an eye out for when making your evaluations. These can easily sway you in a negative way. There are also skilled evaluations which, I think is more acceptable to listen to. An example would be to listen to a medical evaluation from a Doctor. What I gathered from this chapter is just to open my eyes to different situations or scenarios that could sway my evaluation in a negative manner. Before making any evaluations, I should examine everything completely and come up with my own evaluation; except for some skilled evaluations. With skilled evaluations, I think it would depend on the situation whether I would just listen immediately or take some time to consider what was said.
This chapter is all about evaluations. To evaluate something, you are examining, making an estimate on, determining the worth of, and/ or judging something. You need to be aware that sometimes it is possible to make a premature evaluation. You also need to be aware that evaluations are not facts. There are different situations that can sway our evaluation on something. Our own expectations can sway our evaluation as well as word connotation, and propaganda. I would say that word connotation and propaganda is something that you need to keep an eye out for when making your evaluations. These can easily sway you in a negative way. There are also skilled evaluations which, I think is more acceptable to listen to. An example would be to listen to a medical evaluation from a Doctor. What I gathered from this chapter is just to open my eyes to different situations or scenarios that could sway my evaluation in a negative manner. Before making any evaluations, I should examine everything completely and come up with my own evaluation; except for some skilled evaluations. With skilled evaluations, I think it would depend on the situation whether I would just listen immediately or take some time to consider what was said.
TFY - Chapter 6 - Opinions - Exercise
“TFY”: Chapter 6 – Opinions – Exercise
Exercise – Page 177 – Evaluating Opinions:
Rate the following opinions as:
A. An opinion I would accept and act on
B. Worthy of Consideration
C. I’d want another opinion
D. Forget It!
1. Your doctor says you need surgery immediately. A
2. A psychiatrist testifies in court that the defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity. B
3. The weather forecaster says it will rain tomorrow. B
4. Your attorney says you should sue your neighbor for damages. B
5. You want to rent an apartment but the neighbor next door says the landlord is a weirdo. C
6. Your best friend tells you your fiancée is tacky. D
7. Your English instructor says you don’t know how to think and should see a psychiatrist. D
8. Your astrologer tells you not to go on any long trips in May. D
9. The judge says you are guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol. A
10. An engineer says you can prevent your basement from flooding by blasting holes for drainage in your foundation. C
11. Your utility energy advisor says you can conserve energy by having your floors insulated. B
12. A Pentagon general advises bombing Mexico. D
Exercise – Page 177 – Evaluating Opinions:
Rate the following opinions as:
A. An opinion I would accept and act on
B. Worthy of Consideration
C. I’d want another opinion
D. Forget It!
1. Your doctor says you need surgery immediately. A
2. A psychiatrist testifies in court that the defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity. B
3. The weather forecaster says it will rain tomorrow. B
4. Your attorney says you should sue your neighbor for damages. B
5. You want to rent an apartment but the neighbor next door says the landlord is a weirdo. C
6. Your best friend tells you your fiancée is tacky. D
7. Your English instructor says you don’t know how to think and should see a psychiatrist. D
8. Your astrologer tells you not to go on any long trips in May. D
9. The judge says you are guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol. A
10. An engineer says you can prevent your basement from flooding by blasting holes for drainage in your foundation. C
11. Your utility energy advisor says you can conserve energy by having your floors insulated. B
12. A Pentagon general advises bombing Mexico. D
TFY - Chapter 6 - Opinions - Summary
“TFY”: Chapter 6 – Opinions – Summary
This chapter is all about opinions and the many types of them. Different types of opinions include judgments, advice, generalizations, personal preference and public sentiment. Making a judgment opinion would be saying that something is good or bad or right or wrong. When giving advice, you are telling someone something they should or should not do. When making a generalization, you are suggested something that can be taken for truth. Personal preferences are things you personally like or dislike. And public sentiments are normally taken by polling the public and finding their opinions. On top of having different types of opinions, there is also the determination if opinions are responsible or not. You find this out by recognizing whether the opinion you are hearing is from an expert’s judgment or an argument that is well supported; or whether the opinion is from a final legal judgment or an unsubstantiated belief. When hearing opinions, you should be careful not to confuse them with facts. And if a person is expressing an argument, then you need to make sure they have facts, evidence, other claims and reasoning to support their arguments. I never realized how many different types of opinions there really was. I thought an opinion was an opinion. So I enjoyed reading this chapter and learning from it.
This chapter is all about opinions and the many types of them. Different types of opinions include judgments, advice, generalizations, personal preference and public sentiment. Making a judgment opinion would be saying that something is good or bad or right or wrong. When giving advice, you are telling someone something they should or should not do. When making a generalization, you are suggested something that can be taken for truth. Personal preferences are things you personally like or dislike. And public sentiments are normally taken by polling the public and finding their opinions. On top of having different types of opinions, there is also the determination if opinions are responsible or not. You find this out by recognizing whether the opinion you are hearing is from an expert’s judgment or an argument that is well supported; or whether the opinion is from a final legal judgment or an unsubstantiated belief. When hearing opinions, you should be careful not to confuse them with facts. And if a person is expressing an argument, then you need to make sure they have facts, evidence, other claims and reasoning to support their arguments. I never realized how many different types of opinions there really was. I thought an opinion was an opinion. So I enjoyed reading this chapter and learning from it.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Journal Entry
Now that I have read quite a few chapters out of both books for this class, Thinking for Yourself and Critical Reading for College and Beyond, I can honestly say that I prefer the later of the two. CRCB is just easier for me to follow than TFY. Just a thought to share.
CRCB - Chapter 9 - PSR Strategies Exercise
“CRCB”: Chapter 9 – PSR Strategies Exercise
Learning Journal – Page 285:
In your journal, explain how you currently prepare to read a textbook chapter or other reading materials.
I don’t really do much to prepare for reading a chapter or other material. I guess the only thing I really do is make sure I am in a quieter area. A lot of times when I read it is hard for me to understand and comprehend what I am reading unless it is quiet. Other than that, I just read what needs to be read.
Learning Journal – Page 292:
Do you already preview your textbooks? In your own words, explain the procedure and the benefits of the previewing stage of reading as presented in this chapter. Then compare this process with what you already do before you read. Are there any parts of the previewing process presented here that you feel would not work for you? Why?
I currently do not preview chapters in my textbooks before reading them. The procedure for previewing your readings prior to actually reading them is first, to skim the reading to get an idea of what you are about to read. Next you would ask yourself some questions about the reading. You would do this so you are more engaged in your reading. You are looking for the answers to your questions while reading. Then you would predict what the text will be about. The purpose of this is to check to see what you may already know about the topic. I can see that if I were to preview readings prior to actually reading them, I may benefit by understanding what I am reading better. I don’t think predicting what the text will be about will help me in any way. I look at that as more of a waste of time. I do think asking questions and searching for answers would be beneficial.
Learning Journal – Page 285:
In your journal, explain how you currently prepare to read a textbook chapter or other reading materials.
I don’t really do much to prepare for reading a chapter or other material. I guess the only thing I really do is make sure I am in a quieter area. A lot of times when I read it is hard for me to understand and comprehend what I am reading unless it is quiet. Other than that, I just read what needs to be read.
Learning Journal – Page 292:
Do you already preview your textbooks? In your own words, explain the procedure and the benefits of the previewing stage of reading as presented in this chapter. Then compare this process with what you already do before you read. Are there any parts of the previewing process presented here that you feel would not work for you? Why?
I currently do not preview chapters in my textbooks before reading them. The procedure for previewing your readings prior to actually reading them is first, to skim the reading to get an idea of what you are about to read. Next you would ask yourself some questions about the reading. You would do this so you are more engaged in your reading. You are looking for the answers to your questions while reading. Then you would predict what the text will be about. The purpose of this is to check to see what you may already know about the topic. I can see that if I were to preview readings prior to actually reading them, I may benefit by understanding what I am reading better. I don’t think predicting what the text will be about will help me in any way. I look at that as more of a waste of time. I do think asking questions and searching for answers would be beneficial.
CRCB - Chapter 9 - PSR Strategies Summary
“CRCB”: Chapter 9 – PSR Strategies Summary
This chapter teaches the reader how the PSR method works when applied to your readings. PSR stands for Preview, Study-Read, and Review Strategies. The first step is to preview your reading. It is best if you skim your reading and develop some questions that you can ask yourself. Turn the headings or subheading into questions. This will make you more engaged in your reading. As you are reading you will be searching for the answers to your questions. Then you should be able to assess your understanding of what you just read. If there are any parts of the reading that are still unclear, you should have your questions answered. Maybe you will just need to re-read the part that is unclear to you. Or maybe you will need to ask your instructor or classmate for some help. It is very important to understand what you read though. Out of this chapter I learned some ways that can make me more engaged in my readings. I will try to ask myself some questions in my readings. Hopefully that will make me concentrate more on what I am reading. Sometimes I find it hard to stay focused on certain reading material. Maybe this will help.
This chapter teaches the reader how the PSR method works when applied to your readings. PSR stands for Preview, Study-Read, and Review Strategies. The first step is to preview your reading. It is best if you skim your reading and develop some questions that you can ask yourself. Turn the headings or subheading into questions. This will make you more engaged in your reading. As you are reading you will be searching for the answers to your questions. Then you should be able to assess your understanding of what you just read. If there are any parts of the reading that are still unclear, you should have your questions answered. Maybe you will just need to re-read the part that is unclear to you. Or maybe you will need to ask your instructor or classmate for some help. It is very important to understand what you read though. Out of this chapter I learned some ways that can make me more engaged in my readings. I will try to ask myself some questions in my readings. Hopefully that will make me concentrate more on what I am reading. Sometimes I find it hard to stay focused on certain reading material. Maybe this will help.
TFY - Chapter 8 - Viewpoints Exercise
“TFY”: Chapter 8 – Viewpoints – Exercise
Reading: Why Can’t We Talk About Religion and Politics? – Page 235 – 237
1. Do you prefer to avoid talking about religion or politics?
I would not say that I avoid talking about either religion or politics, but I do know that most of time when either topic comes up; there will be an intense conversation to follow. Both religion and politics are topics in which people have extremely different views and beliefs.
2. At what points do you agree or disagree with the author’s line of reasoning in this essay?
I think this author tries to show how multiple historical figures have combined church and state. I see how it has worked for those people or in those times, but at the same time (as you will see in my next answer) I think church and state should be separate. This country is made of many different religions and all should be respected. This country is based on freedom, but then the government is going to rule based on Christianity. I don’t know, I see that as conflicting somehow.
3. How would you describe your own viewpoint on the issue of the separation of church and state?
I think that they should be separate. I know that is hard to do, but they are two different topics in my mind. I know that politics and religion can be easily connected in multiple ways. I also know that this country is made up of many different religious beliefs. Politics should focus on politics, not religion. The people who run this country should be focus on doing so without bringing their religious beliefs into it. Like I said, I know this is hard to do, but I think whenever possible, church and state should be separate.
Reading: Why Can’t We Talk About Religion and Politics? – Page 235 – 237
1. Do you prefer to avoid talking about religion or politics?
I would not say that I avoid talking about either religion or politics, but I do know that most of time when either topic comes up; there will be an intense conversation to follow. Both religion and politics are topics in which people have extremely different views and beliefs.
2. At what points do you agree or disagree with the author’s line of reasoning in this essay?
I think this author tries to show how multiple historical figures have combined church and state. I see how it has worked for those people or in those times, but at the same time (as you will see in my next answer) I think church and state should be separate. This country is made of many different religions and all should be respected. This country is based on freedom, but then the government is going to rule based on Christianity. I don’t know, I see that as conflicting somehow.
3. How would you describe your own viewpoint on the issue of the separation of church and state?
I think that they should be separate. I know that is hard to do, but they are two different topics in my mind. I know that politics and religion can be easily connected in multiple ways. I also know that this country is made up of many different religious beliefs. Politics should focus on politics, not religion. The people who run this country should be focus on doing so without bringing their religious beliefs into it. Like I said, I know this is hard to do, but I think whenever possible, church and state should be separate.
TFY - Chapter 8 - Viewpoints Summary
“TFY”: Chapter 8 – Viewpoints – Summary
This chapter speaks of different viewpoints and being aware of them. The majority of this chapter focuses on the different viewpoints in politics. There are figures shown in this chapter on The Left-to-Right Political Spectrum and The Two-Axis Model of Political Views. I think looking as this figures gives me a better idea as to how political views are divided up in this country. Something that was mentioned in this chapter that I thought was interesting that I never really thought about was how even the news portrays a person’s or group’s viewpoint. I never really thought of that until now. I also learned in this chapter the importance of understanding my own viewpoint and well as others. I think of myself as someone who has an open-mind and listens to others beliefs or points of view. And I agree that this is very important for communicating with others.
This chapter speaks of different viewpoints and being aware of them. The majority of this chapter focuses on the different viewpoints in politics. There are figures shown in this chapter on The Left-to-Right Political Spectrum and The Two-Axis Model of Political Views. I think looking as this figures gives me a better idea as to how political views are divided up in this country. Something that was mentioned in this chapter that I thought was interesting that I never really thought about was how even the news portrays a person’s or group’s viewpoint. I never really thought of that until now. I also learned in this chapter the importance of understanding my own viewpoint and well as others. I think of myself as someone who has an open-mind and listens to others beliefs or points of view. And I agree that this is very important for communicating with others.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Chapter 10 - CRCB - Textbook Markings Exercises
“CRCB”: Chapter 10 – Textbook Marking – Exercise
Learning Journal – Page 319:
What do you already know about textbook marking? Do you apply what you know? Do you have a favorite strategy? If so, what is it?
To be honest, I don’t know much about the correct ways to do textbook marking. When I highlight in a book, I seem to over-highlight the page. I see no purpose in doing that because it doesn’t point out important notes or topics. By over-highlighting, I get confused and feel as though I may as well just read the whole page. I prefer to take notes as opposed to doing any textbook marking. Maybe after reading this chapter and learning how to properly mark a textbook, I will feel different.
Exercise 10b: Reading: Lifting a Veil on Sex Slavery
Answer the prereading questions. Then read the article, “Lifting the Veil on Sex Slavery,” and apply the four textbook marking steps that you have just learned.
1. Based on the title of the article, what do you expect it to be about?
I think this article is going to be based on exposing sex slavery.
2. What do you already know about the Taliban’s treatment of women?
I don’t know anything about the Taliban’s treatment of women.
3. Are you familiar with the following vocabulary words? If not, look them up in a dictionary before you start reading:
A. Burkas – a loose garment (usually with veiled holes for the eyes) worn by Muslim women especially in India and Pakistan
B. Tantamount – equivalent in effect or value
C. Degradation – changing to a lower state (a less respected state)
D. Complicity – guilt as an accomplice in a crime or offense
E. Revering – to think about someone or something with respect and awe
4. What question might you expect this article to answer?
How should we life the veil on sex slavery?
Using your textbook marking, answer the following questions in the space provided.
1. What is the main idea of this article?
The main idea of this article is that women would be abducted by al-Qeuda from their villages, and either married off against their will and left soon after or put into brothels sold as sex slaves.
2. What does “lifting the veil” in the title mean to you?
The title “lifting the veil” to me means that, one part of these women’s culture to wear a veil over them. The veils they wear are sacred to them. When al-Qeuda would come and abduct them, these women had no time to even put their veils on. So not only where they “robbed” of their freedom, but they could not even wear their veils. The veils came off and they were now sex slaves.
3. Who is lifting the veil?
Well, how I see it is al-Qeuda is “lifting the veil” in this article. They are taking those veils away from those women.
4. The author said that Afghanistan made a mockery of the claim that the brutal restrictions placed on women were actually a way of revering and protecting them. What did the author mean by this statement?
As you can see by the definition above, to revere someone means to give them respect and hold them up high. Afghanistan in this story did nothing of the sort. They did everything but give these women respect. They actually took it away.
Learning Journal – Page 319:
What do you already know about textbook marking? Do you apply what you know? Do you have a favorite strategy? If so, what is it?
To be honest, I don’t know much about the correct ways to do textbook marking. When I highlight in a book, I seem to over-highlight the page. I see no purpose in doing that because it doesn’t point out important notes or topics. By over-highlighting, I get confused and feel as though I may as well just read the whole page. I prefer to take notes as opposed to doing any textbook marking. Maybe after reading this chapter and learning how to properly mark a textbook, I will feel different.
Exercise 10b: Reading: Lifting a Veil on Sex Slavery
Answer the prereading questions. Then read the article, “Lifting the Veil on Sex Slavery,” and apply the four textbook marking steps that you have just learned.
1. Based on the title of the article, what do you expect it to be about?
I think this article is going to be based on exposing sex slavery.
2. What do you already know about the Taliban’s treatment of women?
I don’t know anything about the Taliban’s treatment of women.
3. Are you familiar with the following vocabulary words? If not, look them up in a dictionary before you start reading:
A. Burkas – a loose garment (usually with veiled holes for the eyes) worn by Muslim women especially in India and Pakistan
B. Tantamount – equivalent in effect or value
C. Degradation – changing to a lower state (a less respected state)
D. Complicity – guilt as an accomplice in a crime or offense
E. Revering – to think about someone or something with respect and awe
4. What question might you expect this article to answer?
How should we life the veil on sex slavery?
Using your textbook marking, answer the following questions in the space provided.
1. What is the main idea of this article?
The main idea of this article is that women would be abducted by al-Qeuda from their villages, and either married off against their will and left soon after or put into brothels sold as sex slaves.
2. What does “lifting the veil” in the title mean to you?
The title “lifting the veil” to me means that, one part of these women’s culture to wear a veil over them. The veils they wear are sacred to them. When al-Qeuda would come and abduct them, these women had no time to even put their veils on. So not only where they “robbed” of their freedom, but they could not even wear their veils. The veils came off and they were now sex slaves.
3. Who is lifting the veil?
Well, how I see it is al-Qeuda is “lifting the veil” in this article. They are taking those veils away from those women.
4. The author said that Afghanistan made a mockery of the claim that the brutal restrictions placed on women were actually a way of revering and protecting them. What did the author mean by this statement?
As you can see by the definition above, to revere someone means to give them respect and hold them up high. Afghanistan in this story did nothing of the sort. They did everything but give these women respect. They actually took it away.
Chapter 10 - CRCB - Textbook Markings Summary
“CRCB”: Chapter 10 – Textbook Marking – Summary
In this chapter you learn how to correctly mark your textbook for better studying and understanding. First there are some tips for textbook marking. Some of these tips are 1) buy new textbooks. You don’t want to get confused with previous students textbook markings. You want your textbook to be ready for your own markings. 2) Buy a fine-point pen. The purpose of this is for narrow book margins. You want to have a pen that when you write, you will be able to fit all your text. And 3) Buy highlighters; different colored highlighters can help you with differentiating between vocab words and main ideas, etc. There are four steps to properly mark your textbook. These steps are preview, study-read, mark/ highlight text, and write margin clues. You want to skim over what you are about to read to acknowledge any vocabulary words you may not know ask yourself some questions and to predict what the reading will be about. Then you want to make sure you understand what you are reading. Make sure to mark or highlight key points and vocabulary. And finally make sure to write clues in the margin so you understand why you wrote the notes you did. I think that this chapter was helpful in knowing the proper way to mark in your textbook. For me, I always over mark or over-highlight in my books. I think I will attempt to use the strategies outlined in this chapter for textbook marking. Although, I still think I like taking notes instead. It helps me to write down all the information I am learning.
In this chapter you learn how to correctly mark your textbook for better studying and understanding. First there are some tips for textbook marking. Some of these tips are 1) buy new textbooks. You don’t want to get confused with previous students textbook markings. You want your textbook to be ready for your own markings. 2) Buy a fine-point pen. The purpose of this is for narrow book margins. You want to have a pen that when you write, you will be able to fit all your text. And 3) Buy highlighters; different colored highlighters can help you with differentiating between vocab words and main ideas, etc. There are four steps to properly mark your textbook. These steps are preview, study-read, mark/ highlight text, and write margin clues. You want to skim over what you are about to read to acknowledge any vocabulary words you may not know ask yourself some questions and to predict what the reading will be about. Then you want to make sure you understand what you are reading. Make sure to mark or highlight key points and vocabulary. And finally make sure to write clues in the margin so you understand why you wrote the notes you did. I think that this chapter was helpful in knowing the proper way to mark in your textbook. For me, I always over mark or over-highlight in my books. I think I will attempt to use the strategies outlined in this chapter for textbook marking. Although, I still think I like taking notes instead. It helps me to write down all the information I am learning.
Journal Entry
Well, after reading and working through Chapter 5 of TFY, I found that I was not really interested in any of the exercises given. Nothing really pulled me in to want to do more or learn more in this chapter. Maybe the chapter in CRCB will be more interesting.... or have more interesting exercises. We'll see.
Chapter 5 - TFY - Assumptions Exercise
Discovery Exercise: Page 145
Defining Assumption: Using at least two dictionaries, write your own definition of assumption.
Source: WordNet.princeton.edu – Online: Definition: a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn
Source: dictionary.com – Online: Definition: something taken for granted
My definition of assumption: Presuming something to be true
Defining Assumption: Using at least two dictionaries, write your own definition of assumption.
Source: WordNet.princeton.edu – Online: Definition: a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn
Source: dictionary.com – Online: Definition: something taken for granted
My definition of assumption: Presuming something to be true
Chapter 5 - TFY - Assumptions Summary
“TFY”: Chapter 5 – Assumptions Summary
This chapter talks about all the different types of assumptions that can and are made. There are conscious and unconscious assumptions, as well as, warranted and unwarranted assumptions. Unconscious and unwarranted assumptions are very similar. These types of assumptions are those based on the unknown.. For example, you make an assumption and the end result is conflict or error. I think a great example that was in the book, is the one about the Catholic university. They agreed to accept a donation from an anonymous source, made contract plans for new buildings, and the donation fell through. So they made the assumption that within a certain amount of time, they would have a lot of money. They spent this money before actually having it, so when the donation did not happen, they ended up in a bunch of debt. I think a lot of people can relate to this type of unconscious or unwarranted assumptions. I think all of us at one time or another has acted and assumed first and then the situation ended in disaster. Conscious or working assumptions are when you strategize or have a theory or have prior knowledge of a custom or agreement. I think we all can relate to this as well. Again, I will refer back to an example I liked in the book. If a friend invited you to their house for dinner, it is safe to assume that you will not have to pay for the meal. I feel that this type of assumption is based more on facts or knowledge. I did learn in this chapter that assuming something and stereotyping are very closely knit together and you have to be careful of that. You should not stereotype when you are making assumptions. Also, in the chapter, it was discussed about assumptions within arguments. When you are arguing a point, you are trying to persuade someone. I learned to always make sure my arguments can be supported by facts or reasoning and that if it is clear, you can see the assumptions made.
This chapter talks about all the different types of assumptions that can and are made. There are conscious and unconscious assumptions, as well as, warranted and unwarranted assumptions. Unconscious and unwarranted assumptions are very similar. These types of assumptions are those based on the unknown.. For example, you make an assumption and the end result is conflict or error. I think a great example that was in the book, is the one about the Catholic university. They agreed to accept a donation from an anonymous source, made contract plans for new buildings, and the donation fell through. So they made the assumption that within a certain amount of time, they would have a lot of money. They spent this money before actually having it, so when the donation did not happen, they ended up in a bunch of debt. I think a lot of people can relate to this type of unconscious or unwarranted assumptions. I think all of us at one time or another has acted and assumed first and then the situation ended in disaster. Conscious or working assumptions are when you strategize or have a theory or have prior knowledge of a custom or agreement. I think we all can relate to this as well. Again, I will refer back to an example I liked in the book. If a friend invited you to their house for dinner, it is safe to assume that you will not have to pay for the meal. I feel that this type of assumption is based more on facts or knowledge. I did learn in this chapter that assuming something and stereotyping are very closely knit together and you have to be careful of that. You should not stereotype when you are making assumptions. Also, in the chapter, it was discussed about assumptions within arguments. When you are arguing a point, you are trying to persuade someone. I learned to always make sure my arguments can be supported by facts or reasoning and that if it is clear, you can see the assumptions made.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Chapter 4 - TFY - Inferences - Exercise
“TFY”: Chapter 4 – Inferences – Exercise
Drawing Inferences from Evidence – Exercise – Page 108:
Read the following scenarios and think of three inferences you could make to explain each situation:
1. Your neighbors have regular habits and spend a lot of time at home. One day you notice that no lights have appeared in their house in the evenings for at least a week.
1. The neighbors are on vacation.
2. The neighbors are getting home late from somewhere like work all week.
3. Maybe the neighbors are going to bed early… maybe someone is sick.
2. In an airport waiting room, you sit down next to a nun wearing a dark blue dress, starched white collar, and a starched white headdress. You notice she is reading Playboy magazine.
1. Maybe there are good articles in there she likes to read.
2. Maybe she found it someone and had nothing else to read.
3. Maybe that is her “sin” and she likes Playboy.
3. Your child, age four, usually has a good appetite. However, she says no this morning when you offer her a dish of applesauce.
1. Maybe her stomach is upset.
2. Maybe she is full and just not hungry.
3. Maybe she dislikes applesauce.
4. You are on a Greyhound bus. A man get son and sits beside you. He is carrying an expensive briefcase, although he is shabbily dressed, unshaven, and perspiring heavily. When you suggest he place his briefcase on the rack overhead, he refuses, saying he doesn’t mind holding it in his lap.
1. Maybe that was a gift of his and he prefers to hold onto it.
2. Maybe he was running late and did not have time to straighten out his attire.
3. Maybe he stole that briefcase and ran to catch the bus.
5. You are looking in your wife’s closet for your missing shoe, and you notice a new and expensive man’s sports jacket hanging there.
1. Maybe your wife bought that for you as a gift.
2. Maybe it belongs to your wife’s friend who purchased it for their husband as a surprise and your wife is holding onto it.
3. Maybe it belongs to your wife’s lover.
6. After a class you go to see your professor about an error in addition on your test score. You explain to him respectfully that 100 minus 18 is 82, not 79. He tells you to get the hell out of his office.
1. Maybe you offended him by pointing out his error.
2. Maybe he was having a really bad day and took it out on you.
3. Maybe he is just not a very nice person and does not care about the error.
7. You are driving through a valley on a spring morning in a heavy rainstorm. You are on a two-lane highway, and you notice that only about half the cars that pass you head-on have their lights on.
1. Maybe people think since it is day light, why have their car head lights on.
2. Maybe people forgot to turn their lights on.
3. Maybe the people with their cars light off don’t think it is important to drive with your head lights on in a rainstorm.
Drawing Inferences from Evidence – Exercise – Page 108:
Read the following scenarios and think of three inferences you could make to explain each situation:
1. Your neighbors have regular habits and spend a lot of time at home. One day you notice that no lights have appeared in their house in the evenings for at least a week.
1. The neighbors are on vacation.
2. The neighbors are getting home late from somewhere like work all week.
3. Maybe the neighbors are going to bed early… maybe someone is sick.
2. In an airport waiting room, you sit down next to a nun wearing a dark blue dress, starched white collar, and a starched white headdress. You notice she is reading Playboy magazine.
1. Maybe there are good articles in there she likes to read.
2. Maybe she found it someone and had nothing else to read.
3. Maybe that is her “sin” and she likes Playboy.
3. Your child, age four, usually has a good appetite. However, she says no this morning when you offer her a dish of applesauce.
1. Maybe her stomach is upset.
2. Maybe she is full and just not hungry.
3. Maybe she dislikes applesauce.
4. You are on a Greyhound bus. A man get son and sits beside you. He is carrying an expensive briefcase, although he is shabbily dressed, unshaven, and perspiring heavily. When you suggest he place his briefcase on the rack overhead, he refuses, saying he doesn’t mind holding it in his lap.
1. Maybe that was a gift of his and he prefers to hold onto it.
2. Maybe he was running late and did not have time to straighten out his attire.
3. Maybe he stole that briefcase and ran to catch the bus.
5. You are looking in your wife’s closet for your missing shoe, and you notice a new and expensive man’s sports jacket hanging there.
1. Maybe your wife bought that for you as a gift.
2. Maybe it belongs to your wife’s friend who purchased it for their husband as a surprise and your wife is holding onto it.
3. Maybe it belongs to your wife’s lover.
6. After a class you go to see your professor about an error in addition on your test score. You explain to him respectfully that 100 minus 18 is 82, not 79. He tells you to get the hell out of his office.
1. Maybe you offended him by pointing out his error.
2. Maybe he was having a really bad day and took it out on you.
3. Maybe he is just not a very nice person and does not care about the error.
7. You are driving through a valley on a spring morning in a heavy rainstorm. You are on a two-lane highway, and you notice that only about half the cars that pass you head-on have their lights on.
1. Maybe people think since it is day light, why have their car head lights on.
2. Maybe people forgot to turn their lights on.
3. Maybe the people with their cars light off don’t think it is important to drive with your head lights on in a rainstorm.
Chapter 4 - TFY - Inferences - Summary
“TFY”: Chapter 4 – Inferences – Summary
This chapter explains the difference between inference and fact. Fact is the specific details of something. Fact is the obvious and can be proven or supported by these specific details. When we infer something, we are drawing our own conclusion or making an assumption or a guess about it. This chapter talks about when we are writing we need to concentrate on the facts first; we need to be able to state the obvious. Inference can be very helpful though to connect the dots so to speak when observing something. You just need to be careful not to confuse the facts with what is being inferred. This can be difficult to do. I think for me, when observing something, I am so sure that I know what is going on, that I mistake it for the facts. This is a simple mistake to make. In this chapter we also learn about generalization. This is when you take an individual and place them into a group for example. This is also something that you need to be cautious with. Don’t generalize something too fast. When generalizing you need to make sure these generalizations can be supported by facts.
This chapter explains the difference between inference and fact. Fact is the specific details of something. Fact is the obvious and can be proven or supported by these specific details. When we infer something, we are drawing our own conclusion or making an assumption or a guess about it. This chapter talks about when we are writing we need to concentrate on the facts first; we need to be able to state the obvious. Inference can be very helpful though to connect the dots so to speak when observing something. You just need to be careful not to confuse the facts with what is being inferred. This can be difficult to do. I think for me, when observing something, I am so sure that I know what is going on, that I mistake it for the facts. This is a simple mistake to make. In this chapter we also learn about generalization. This is when you take an individual and place them into a group for example. This is also something that you need to be cautious with. Don’t generalize something too fast. When generalizing you need to make sure these generalizations can be supported by facts.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Chapter 7 - Using Inference to Implied Main Ideas - Exercise
“CRCB” – Chapter 7: Using Inference to Identify Implied Main Ideas – Exercises
Learning Journal – Page 211:
In your journal, write down your definition of the term inference. What do you think it mean when someone says they inferred an idea from a reading? What do you think it means when your instructor says that an author implied a certain idea in a textbook chapter?
I am not entirely sure what the word inference means to be honest. When someone says they inferred an idea from a reading, I think that means they got or received an idea from a reading. If an author implies a certain idea in a textbook chapter, I think that means that they suggested an idea.
Exercise 7d - Setting the Tone – Page 219:
Read the following excerpts and circle the word in the list that follows each that you believe best matches the author’s tone. Use the italicized words as guides in making your decisions. The first one is modeled for you.
(Instead of circling the answers, I put them in red)
1. The body of Richard Milhouse Nixon was scarcely in the ground when the struggle for control of his legacy had begun. That day on the place, the dark forces that haunted Nixon in life seemed to reach beyond the grave. Somewhere between the two coasts, Ed Cox, Tricia’s New York attorney husband, brought up a plan to ensure the Nixon library would be tightly controlled by the family rather than by hired hands.
Source: Adapted from “Nixon Daughters Spar over Library,” The Detroit News, April 28, 2002, p.8a
The tone of this excerpt can best be described as:
A. Joyful
B. Sarcastic
C. Troubled
D. Inspirational
2. I used to dread coming home at night. I’d go around the side of the house, where there was a window that looked in the kitchen. I’d stand in the dark and look inside and try to judge what kind of night it was going to be. Mom had a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. When she was sober, she was the sweetest, most sensitive, loving, and intelligent person you could ever meet. But when she was drunk she was a holy terror.
Source: General H. Norman Schwarzkopf and Peter Petre, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf: The Autobiography: It Doesn’t Take a Hero (New York: Bantam Book, 1992), p. 19
The tone of this excerpt can best be described as:
A. Intense
B. Religious
C. Angry
D. Sarcastic
3. Hassling innocent people for class-trip money is a cherished American student tradition. The trip to Washington is considered the be the ultimate educational event – a chance for your people to visit their nation’s capital and see, in person, how far they can stick their tongues into one another’s mouths. Because heavy petting in the back of the bus is a major element of every class trip. I don’t care if it’s the senior class of the Extremely Christian Academy for Unattractive Young People Wearing Chastity Belts; I don’t care if every single chaperone holds the rank of ayatollah or higher. Once those buses get rolling, there is gong to be some saliva exchanged.
Source: Dave Berry, Dave Berry Hits Below the Beltway (New York: Random House, 2001), p.67
The tone of this excerpt can best be described as:
A. Happy
B. Authoritative
C. Humorous
D. Angry
4. I want a wife who is sensitive to my sexual needs, a wife who make love passionately and eagerly when I feel like it, a wife who makes sure that I am satisfied. And, of course, I want a wife who will not demand sexual attention when I am not in the mood for it. I want a wife who assumes that complete responsibility for birth control, because I do not want more children. I want a wife who will remain sexually faithful to me so that I do not have to clutter up my intellectual life with jealousies. And I want a wife who understands that my sexual needs may entail more than a strict adherence to monogamy. I must, after all, be able to relate to people as fully as possible.
If, by chance, I find another person more suitable as a wife than the first wife I already have, I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one. Naturally, I will expect a fresh, new life; my wife will take the children and be solely responsible for them so that I am left free. When I am through with school and have a job, I want my wife to quit working and remain at home so that my wife can more fully and completely take care of a wife’s duties. My God, who wouldn’t want a wife.
Source: Judy Syfers, “I Want a Wife” from S. Barnet et al., Literature for Composition (New York: HarperCollins Customs Books, 1993), p. 776
The tone of this excerpt can be best described as:
A. Comforting
B. Mysterious
C. Sarcastic
D. Religious
Learning Journal – Page 211:
In your journal, write down your definition of the term inference. What do you think it mean when someone says they inferred an idea from a reading? What do you think it means when your instructor says that an author implied a certain idea in a textbook chapter?
I am not entirely sure what the word inference means to be honest. When someone says they inferred an idea from a reading, I think that means they got or received an idea from a reading. If an author implies a certain idea in a textbook chapter, I think that means that they suggested an idea.
Exercise 7d - Setting the Tone – Page 219:
Read the following excerpts and circle the word in the list that follows each that you believe best matches the author’s tone. Use the italicized words as guides in making your decisions. The first one is modeled for you.
(Instead of circling the answers, I put them in red)
1. The body of Richard Milhouse Nixon was scarcely in the ground when the struggle for control of his legacy had begun. That day on the place, the dark forces that haunted Nixon in life seemed to reach beyond the grave. Somewhere between the two coasts, Ed Cox, Tricia’s New York attorney husband, brought up a plan to ensure the Nixon library would be tightly controlled by the family rather than by hired hands.
Source: Adapted from “Nixon Daughters Spar over Library,” The Detroit News, April 28, 2002, p.8a
The tone of this excerpt can best be described as:
A. Joyful
B. Sarcastic
C. Troubled
D. Inspirational
2. I used to dread coming home at night. I’d go around the side of the house, where there was a window that looked in the kitchen. I’d stand in the dark and look inside and try to judge what kind of night it was going to be. Mom had a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. When she was sober, she was the sweetest, most sensitive, loving, and intelligent person you could ever meet. But when she was drunk she was a holy terror.
Source: General H. Norman Schwarzkopf and Peter Petre, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf: The Autobiography: It Doesn’t Take a Hero (New York: Bantam Book, 1992), p. 19
The tone of this excerpt can best be described as:
A. Intense
B. Religious
C. Angry
D. Sarcastic
3. Hassling innocent people for class-trip money is a cherished American student tradition. The trip to Washington is considered the be the ultimate educational event – a chance for your people to visit their nation’s capital and see, in person, how far they can stick their tongues into one another’s mouths. Because heavy petting in the back of the bus is a major element of every class trip. I don’t care if it’s the senior class of the Extremely Christian Academy for Unattractive Young People Wearing Chastity Belts; I don’t care if every single chaperone holds the rank of ayatollah or higher. Once those buses get rolling, there is gong to be some saliva exchanged.
Source: Dave Berry, Dave Berry Hits Below the Beltway (New York: Random House, 2001), p.67
The tone of this excerpt can best be described as:
A. Happy
B. Authoritative
C. Humorous
D. Angry
4. I want a wife who is sensitive to my sexual needs, a wife who make love passionately and eagerly when I feel like it, a wife who makes sure that I am satisfied. And, of course, I want a wife who will not demand sexual attention when I am not in the mood for it. I want a wife who assumes that complete responsibility for birth control, because I do not want more children. I want a wife who will remain sexually faithful to me so that I do not have to clutter up my intellectual life with jealousies. And I want a wife who understands that my sexual needs may entail more than a strict adherence to monogamy. I must, after all, be able to relate to people as fully as possible.
If, by chance, I find another person more suitable as a wife than the first wife I already have, I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one. Naturally, I will expect a fresh, new life; my wife will take the children and be solely responsible for them so that I am left free. When I am through with school and have a job, I want my wife to quit working and remain at home so that my wife can more fully and completely take care of a wife’s duties. My God, who wouldn’t want a wife.
Source: Judy Syfers, “I Want a Wife” from S. Barnet et al., Literature for Composition (New York: HarperCollins Customs Books, 1993), p. 776
The tone of this excerpt can be best described as:
A. Comforting
B. Mysterious
C. Sarcastic
D. Religious
Chapter 7 - Using Inference to Implied Main Ideas - Summary
“CRCB” – Chapter 7: Using Inference to Identify Implied Main Ideas – Summary
This chapter is about inference, implied ideas, and recognizing information gaps in what you are reading. I learned that there is more to reading than just seeing and understanding the words written on the page. You need to be able to read something and draw conclusions or make assumptions about what the author is saying. You also need to be able to pick up on an author’s tone, or voice, or attitude in the writing. Picking up on the author’s emotion in what you are reading, will also help you to determine what the author is trying to say (without saying it). I learned that a lot of times the author writes in a way in which they assume they have given enough information for you to already know what they are trying to imply. The author will have gaps in the information you are reading because they assume you will be able to fill in the blanks.
This chapter is about inference, implied ideas, and recognizing information gaps in what you are reading. I learned that there is more to reading than just seeing and understanding the words written on the page. You need to be able to read something and draw conclusions or make assumptions about what the author is saying. You also need to be able to pick up on an author’s tone, or voice, or attitude in the writing. Picking up on the author’s emotion in what you are reading, will also help you to determine what the author is trying to say (without saying it). I learned that a lot of times the author writes in a way in which they assume they have given enough information for you to already know what they are trying to imply. The author will have gaps in the information you are reading because they assume you will be able to fill in the blanks.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Journal Entry
As I am sitting here, working away on these chapter assignments, I was just thinking... I really like how we are able to choose the exercises that we want to do. I like how we get to pick the exercises that interest us! I think it makes it more interesting and fun as the student (the learner). Just a little personal thought I thought I would share.
Chapter 6 - Finding Supporting Details - Exercise
“CRCB”: Chapter 6 – Finding Supporting Details – Exercise
Exercise 6d – Page 192:
Complete the mind map in Figure 6.3 using information from the following for the outline. For each heading (main idea), write a question that would help you find the major details that support it.
OUTLINE
Medicine
Medical History: A Tradition of Incompetence (Chapter Title)
Anatomy: Doctors and Body Snatchers (heading)
Mistreating the Mentally Ill (heading)
Research: Humans as Lab Rats (heading)
Bizarre Breakthroughs (heading)
Peering over the Shoulders of Early GYNO’s (heading)
Malpractice Miscellany (heading)
Dentistry before Novocaine (heading)
Exercise 6d – Page 192:
Complete the mind map in Figure 6.3 using information from the following for the outline. For each heading (main idea), write a question that would help you find the major details that support it.
OUTLINE
Medicine
Medical History: A Tradition of Incompetence (Chapter Title)
Anatomy: Doctors and Body Snatchers (heading)
Mistreating the Mentally Ill (heading)
Research: Humans as Lab Rats (heading)
Bizarre Breakthroughs (heading)
Peering over the Shoulders of Early GYNO’s (heading)
Malpractice Miscellany (heading)
Dentistry before Novocaine (heading)
.PNG)
Chapter 6 - Finding Supporting Details - Summary
“CRCB”: Chapter 6 – Finding Supporting Details – Summary
This chapter tells the importance of different types of details that you will come across when you are reading. There are major supporting details and minor supporting details. The major supporting details are those that help you to better understand what it is that you are reading. Minor supporting details are those that may seem more interesting, but they are less helpful to you. You need to focus more on the major supporting details. Remembering the major details is key to success in understanding your readings and even lectures in class. I think that if you really attempt to use this strategy of focusing on the main point and the major supportive details, you can even do better on tests. This chapter is teaching you a way to focus in on what is important; what information you need to take in and absorb.
This chapter tells the importance of different types of details that you will come across when you are reading. There are major supporting details and minor supporting details. The major supporting details are those that help you to better understand what it is that you are reading. Minor supporting details are those that may seem more interesting, but they are less helpful to you. You need to focus more on the major supporting details. Remembering the major details is key to success in understanding your readings and even lectures in class. I think that if you really attempt to use this strategy of focusing on the main point and the major supportive details, you can even do better on tests. This chapter is teaching you a way to focus in on what is important; what information you need to take in and absorb.
Chapter 5 - Locating Stated Main Ideas Exercises
“CRCB”: Chapter 5 - Locating Stated Main Ideas – Exercise
Learning Journal – Page 139:
Without reading ahead, write down your definitions of the terms main idea, topic, details, major supporting details, and minor supporting details in your journal.
Main Idea – the main point; the main topic or focus
Topic – What you are going to talk or write about
Details – supporting descriptions
Major Supporting Details – supporting facts
Minor Supporting Details – descriptions
Exercise 5a – Page 141:
Circle the most general item in each list. The first one is modeled for you.
(Instead of circling, I underlined words)
1. Saab Audi Mustang cars
2. genetics DNA RNA
3. English history majors
4. gas matter solid liquid
5. Buddhism Sikhism religions Islam
6. control group variables research data
Exercise 5b – Page 142:
For each list, think about what the separate items have in common and ask yourself, what is the general subject, or topic, of this list? The first one is modeled for you.
1. Topic: holidays
- Labor Day
- Fourth of July
- Memorial Day
- Christmas
2. Topic: Poets
- Langston Hughes
- Emily Dickinson
- T.S. Eliot
- Walt Whitman
3. Topic: Word puzzles
- crossword
- riddles
- jigsaw
- conundrum
4. Topic: health
- calories
- carbohydrates
- fat
- protein
5. Topic: resume information
- name
- education
- employment experience
- references
6. Topic: Teeth and gum diseases
- gingivitis
- tarter
- periodontal disease
- plaque
Learning Journal – Page 139:
Without reading ahead, write down your definitions of the terms main idea, topic, details, major supporting details, and minor supporting details in your journal.
Main Idea – the main point; the main topic or focus
Topic – What you are going to talk or write about
Details – supporting descriptions
Major Supporting Details – supporting facts
Minor Supporting Details – descriptions
Exercise 5a – Page 141:
Circle the most general item in each list. The first one is modeled for you.
(Instead of circling, I underlined words)
1. Saab Audi Mustang cars
2. genetics DNA RNA
3. English history majors
4. gas matter solid liquid
5. Buddhism Sikhism religions Islam
6. control group variables research data
Exercise 5b – Page 142:
For each list, think about what the separate items have in common and ask yourself, what is the general subject, or topic, of this list? The first one is modeled for you.
1. Topic: holidays
- Labor Day
- Fourth of July
- Memorial Day
- Christmas
2. Topic: Poets
- Langston Hughes
- Emily Dickinson
- T.S. Eliot
- Walt Whitman
3. Topic: Word puzzles
- crossword
- riddles
- jigsaw
- conundrum
4. Topic: health
- calories
- carbohydrates
- fat
- protein
5. Topic: resume information
- name
- education
- employment experience
- references
6. Topic: Teeth and gum diseases
- gingivitis
- tarter
- periodontal disease
- plaque
Chapter 5 - Locating Stated Main Ideas Summary
“CRCB”: Chapter 5 - Locating Stated Main Ideas – Summary
In reading this chapter I learned that before you can understand what you are reading you must first be able to identify some information. The first thing you must identify is the author’s main idea. You need to be able to distinguish between general ideas and specific details. As you are reading something, you need to be asking yourself questions the whole time. You need to ask yourself, “what is this about”, “what am I reading”? Asking yourself questions like this and identifying the main idea, the topic and the details, will help you to understand what you are reading much better.
In reading this chapter I learned that before you can understand what you are reading you must first be able to identify some information. The first thing you must identify is the author’s main idea. You need to be able to distinguish between general ideas and specific details. As you are reading something, you need to be asking yourself questions the whole time. You need to ask yourself, “what is this about”, “what am I reading”? Asking yourself questions like this and identifying the main idea, the topic and the details, will help you to understand what you are reading much better.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Chapter 3 - TFY - Facts Exercises
“TFY”: Chapter 3 – Facts – Exercises
Discussion Break Questions: Page 79:
1. State two facts that you are certain are true.
1. My eyes are brown.
2. We live on planet Earth.
2. State two facts that you are certain will never change.
1. Women give birth to babies.
2. Both men and women exist.
3. State two facts that you are certain will change.
1. I am considered single. – Why it will change? I am getting married this year.
2. I am in my mid to late 20’s. – Why it will change? I will inevitably get older.
“The Blind Men and the Elephant” Exercise Page 87:
1. What do you think the elephant represents?
What we don’t see or what we are unable to see
2. Why did each of the blind men think in terms of comparisons?
I think the blind men thought in terms of comparisons because that is how our minds work. When we are describing an object, the first thing we do is try to compare it to something else.
3. What was wrong with their comparisons?
The men should have not compared, but instead thought of other descriptive words more relevant to the elephant. They probably could not visualize the elephant very well because they were thinking of the objects used to compare with.
4. Can you think of examples in your life where you could not experience something new because you were comparing it to something familiar?
One example could be comparing different relationships. You are not able to experience and appreciate the new relationship because you are focused on the old one.
Discussion Break Questions: Page 79:
1. State two facts that you are certain are true.
1. My eyes are brown.
2. We live on planet Earth.
2. State two facts that you are certain will never change.
1. Women give birth to babies.
2. Both men and women exist.
3. State two facts that you are certain will change.
1. I am considered single. – Why it will change? I am getting married this year.
2. I am in my mid to late 20’s. – Why it will change? I will inevitably get older.
“The Blind Men and the Elephant” Exercise Page 87:
1. What do you think the elephant represents?
What we don’t see or what we are unable to see
2. Why did each of the blind men think in terms of comparisons?
I think the blind men thought in terms of comparisons because that is how our minds work. When we are describing an object, the first thing we do is try to compare it to something else.
3. What was wrong with their comparisons?
The men should have not compared, but instead thought of other descriptive words more relevant to the elephant. They probably could not visualize the elephant very well because they were thinking of the objects used to compare with.
4. Can you think of examples in your life where you could not experience something new because you were comparing it to something familiar?
One example could be comparing different relationships. You are not able to experience and appreciate the new relationship because you are focused on the old one.
Chapter 3 - TFY - Facts Summary
“TFY”: Chapter 3 – Facts – Summary
This chapter on facts is about just that…. Facts! We learn that the definition of a fact is knowing something with certainty through experience, observation, or measurement. A fact can be objectively shown and verified and people agree that it corresponds to reality. You need to learn how to recognize and verify facts based on what was just said. We also need to be able to distinguish facts from fiction. Fiction is something that is made up, for example, a story someone tells that has no truth behind it. You feelings can also be facts, or at least help you to determine what a fact is. You need to be careful though as you need to pay attention to your attitude along with your feeling. Are you being objective or subjective? There can be social pressures that go along with determining facts. We, as humans, sometimes feel the need to get confirmation from someone else in a certain situation. Confirmation on what we think to be true allows us to feel good about the determination we made. Although we might get a contradiction to our determination of fact from another person; this can create conflict for us. I have learned that there is more to a fact than just what we read or learn or even determine a fact ourselves. There is more depth to facts that we need to consider prior to labeling something a fact. Facts need to be able to be verified, have reliability, plausibility and probability.
This chapter on facts is about just that…. Facts! We learn that the definition of a fact is knowing something with certainty through experience, observation, or measurement. A fact can be objectively shown and verified and people agree that it corresponds to reality. You need to learn how to recognize and verify facts based on what was just said. We also need to be able to distinguish facts from fiction. Fiction is something that is made up, for example, a story someone tells that has no truth behind it. You feelings can also be facts, or at least help you to determine what a fact is. You need to be careful though as you need to pay attention to your attitude along with your feeling. Are you being objective or subjective? There can be social pressures that go along with determining facts. We, as humans, sometimes feel the need to get confirmation from someone else in a certain situation. Confirmation on what we think to be true allows us to feel good about the determination we made. Although we might get a contradiction to our determination of fact from another person; this can create conflict for us. I have learned that there is more to a fact than just what we read or learn or even determine a fact ourselves. There is more depth to facts that we need to consider prior to labeling something a fact. Facts need to be able to be verified, have reliability, plausibility and probability.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
