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Evaluating arguments and reasoning
12th grade (Year 13 in England) · 16 questions · Common Core: RI.11-12.8, RI.11-12.6 · England: GCSE English Language Paper 2 Q4, AP Language, ACT Reading
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Date
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The Quiet Infrastructure
When we speak of infrastructure, we tend to picture concrete and steel: bridges, railways, power lines. We rarely think of the public library. Yet libraries are a form of infrastructure as essential, in their way, as any road – and, because their work is quiet, they are easier to neglect.
Consider what a library actually provides. It offers free access not only to books but to the internet, to printers, to warm and safe space, to help with forms and applications, to activities for toddlers and to company for the isolated elderly. For a student without a quiet room at home, it is a study hall. For a job-seeker without a computer, it is an office. For a newly arrived family, it may be the first public institution that welcomes them without asking anything in return.
Critics argue that, in an age of smartphones, these functions are obsolete. Information is everywhere; why fund buildings full of paper? But the argument confuses access to information with access to opportunity. A phone cannot print a CV, provide a warm room on a winter afternoon or offer the patient guidance of a librarian who can tell a reliable source from a persuasive fake. Moreover, millions of people still lack reliable internet at home. To assume that everyone is connected is to design policy for the comfortable and forget the rest.
None of this means libraries should stand still. The best have already transformed themselves into community hubs, hosting coding clubs, repair cafés and citizenship classes. But transformation requires investment, and investment requires us to recognise libraries for what they are: not a nostalgic luxury, but part of the foundation on which a fair society is built.
A bridge that collapses makes headlines. A library that closes rarely does. Its users simply scatter, each a little more alone than before. That silence is precisely why we should pay attention.
Question 1
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". According to the writer, what mistake do critics make?
- A. They ignore the needs of bridges.
- B. They overestimate the cost of books.
- C. They think libraries are too modern.
- D. They confuse access to information with access to opportunity.
Question 2
"Our town's crime fell by 10% the year we installed new streetlights. Clearly, streetlights cut crime." What is the main weakness in this reasoning?
- A. It quotes an expert.
- B. It uses too many statistics.
- C. It assumes that because one thing followed another, it caused it.
- D. It considers other causes too carefully.
The Quiet Infrastructure
When we speak of infrastructure, we tend to picture concrete and steel: bridges, railways, power lines. We rarely think of the public library. Yet libraries are a form of infrastructure as essential, in their way, as any road – and, because their work is quiet, they are easier to neglect.
Consider what a library actually provides. It offers free access not only to books but to the internet, to printers, to warm and safe space, to help with forms and applications, to activities for toddlers and to company for the isolated elderly. For a student without a quiet room at home, it is a study hall. For a job-seeker without a computer, it is an office. For a newly arrived family, it may be the first public institution that welcomes them without asking anything in return.
Critics argue that, in an age of smartphones, these functions are obsolete. Information is everywhere; why fund buildings full of paper? But the argument confuses access to information with access to opportunity. A phone cannot print a CV, provide a warm room on a winter afternoon or offer the patient guidance of a librarian who can tell a reliable source from a persuasive fake. Moreover, millions of people still lack reliable internet at home. To assume that everyone is connected is to design policy for the comfortable and forget the rest.
None of this means libraries should stand still. The best have already transformed themselves into community hubs, hosting coding clubs, repair cafés and citizenship classes. But transformation requires investment, and investment requires us to recognise libraries for what they are: not a nostalgic luxury, but part of the foundation on which a fair society is built.
A bridge that collapses makes headlines. A library that closes rarely does. Its users simply scatter, each a little more alone than before. That silence is precisely why we should pay attention.
Question 3
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". What is the writer's central claim?
- A. Libraries should never change.
- B. Bridges are more important than libraries.
- C. Libraries are essential infrastructure that deserve investment.
- D. Libraries should be replaced by smartphones.
Question 4
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". How does the writer strengthen the rebuttal in paragraph 3?
- A. by giving concrete examples of what a phone cannot do and noting many lack internet
- B. by changing the subject to transport
- C. by quoting a famous author
- D. by admitting the critics are entirely right
Question 5
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". According to the writer, what mistake do critics make?
- A. They ignore the needs of bridges.
- B. They confuse access to information with access to opportunity.
- C. They think libraries are too modern.
- D. They overestimate the cost of books.
Question 6
"Every student I asked in my class loves the new timetable, so the whole country's pupils will love it." What is the weakness in this evidence?
- A. The sample is too small and unrepresentative to generalise.
- B. It relies on national statistics.
- C. It uses too many students.
- D. It ignores personal opinion.
The Quiet Infrastructure
When we speak of infrastructure, we tend to picture concrete and steel: bridges, railways, power lines. We rarely think of the public library. Yet libraries are a form of infrastructure as essential, in their way, as any road – and, because their work is quiet, they are easier to neglect.
Consider what a library actually provides. It offers free access not only to books but to the internet, to printers, to warm and safe space, to help with forms and applications, to activities for toddlers and to company for the isolated elderly. For a student without a quiet room at home, it is a study hall. For a job-seeker without a computer, it is an office. For a newly arrived family, it may be the first public institution that welcomes them without asking anything in return.
Critics argue that, in an age of smartphones, these functions are obsolete. Information is everywhere; why fund buildings full of paper? But the argument confuses access to information with access to opportunity. A phone cannot print a CV, provide a warm room on a winter afternoon or offer the patient guidance of a librarian who can tell a reliable source from a persuasive fake. Moreover, millions of people still lack reliable internet at home. To assume that everyone is connected is to design policy for the comfortable and forget the rest.
None of this means libraries should stand still. The best have already transformed themselves into community hubs, hosting coding clubs, repair cafés and citizenship classes. But transformation requires investment, and investment requires us to recognise libraries for what they are: not a nostalgic luxury, but part of the foundation on which a fair society is built.
A bridge that collapses makes headlines. A library that closes rarely does. Its users simply scatter, each a little more alone than before. That silence is precisely why we should pay attention.
Question 7
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". What is the writer's central claim?
- A. Libraries should be replaced by smartphones.
- B. Libraries should never change.
- C. Bridges are more important than libraries.
- D. Libraries are essential infrastructure that deserve investment.
Question 8
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". How does the writer strengthen the rebuttal in paragraph 3?
- A. by changing the subject to transport
- B. by admitting the critics are entirely right
- C. by giving concrete examples of what a phone cannot do and noting many lack internet
- D. by quoting a famous author
Question 9
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". According to the writer, what mistake do critics make?
- A. They ignore the needs of bridges.
- B. They overestimate the cost of books.
- C. They think libraries are too modern.
- D. They confuse access to information with access to opportunity.
Question 10
"Dr Lin's research on traffic can't be trusted; she doesn't even own a car." What flaw does this argument contain?
- A. It is a logical conclusion.
- B. It uses an analogy correctly.
- C. It attacks the person instead of her evidence.
- D. It provides strong evidence.
The Quiet Infrastructure
When we speak of infrastructure, we tend to picture concrete and steel: bridges, railways, power lines. We rarely think of the public library. Yet libraries are a form of infrastructure as essential, in their way, as any road – and, because their work is quiet, they are easier to neglect.
Consider what a library actually provides. It offers free access not only to books but to the internet, to printers, to warm and safe space, to help with forms and applications, to activities for toddlers and to company for the isolated elderly. For a student without a quiet room at home, it is a study hall. For a job-seeker without a computer, it is an office. For a newly arrived family, it may be the first public institution that welcomes them without asking anything in return.
Critics argue that, in an age of smartphones, these functions are obsolete. Information is everywhere; why fund buildings full of paper? But the argument confuses access to information with access to opportunity. A phone cannot print a CV, provide a warm room on a winter afternoon or offer the patient guidance of a librarian who can tell a reliable source from a persuasive fake. Moreover, millions of people still lack reliable internet at home. To assume that everyone is connected is to design policy for the comfortable and forget the rest.
None of this means libraries should stand still. The best have already transformed themselves into community hubs, hosting coding clubs, repair cafés and citizenship classes. But transformation requires investment, and investment requires us to recognise libraries for what they are: not a nostalgic luxury, but part of the foundation on which a fair society is built.
A bridge that collapses makes headlines. A library that closes rarely does. Its users simply scatter, each a little more alone than before. That silence is precisely why we should pay attention.
Question 11
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". What is the writer's central claim?
- A. Libraries should be replaced by smartphones.
- B. Bridges are more important than libraries.
- C. Libraries are essential infrastructure that deserve investment.
- D. Libraries should never change.
Question 12
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". How does the writer strengthen the rebuttal in paragraph 3?
- A. by quoting a famous author
- B. by giving concrete examples of what a phone cannot do and noting many lack internet
- C. by admitting the critics are entirely right
- D. by changing the subject to transport
Question 13
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". According to the writer, what mistake do critics make?
- A. They confuse access to information with access to opportunity.
- B. They overestimate the cost of books.
- C. They think libraries are too modern.
- D. They ignore the needs of bridges.
Question 14
"Every student I asked in my class loves the new timetable, so the whole country's pupils will love it." What is the weakness in this evidence?
- A. It ignores personal opinion.
- B. It relies on national statistics.
- C. It uses too many students.
- D. The sample is too small and unrepresentative to generalise.
The Quiet Infrastructure
When we speak of infrastructure, we tend to picture concrete and steel: bridges, railways, power lines. We rarely think of the public library. Yet libraries are a form of infrastructure as essential, in their way, as any road – and, because their work is quiet, they are easier to neglect.
Consider what a library actually provides. It offers free access not only to books but to the internet, to printers, to warm and safe space, to help with forms and applications, to activities for toddlers and to company for the isolated elderly. For a student without a quiet room at home, it is a study hall. For a job-seeker without a computer, it is an office. For a newly arrived family, it may be the first public institution that welcomes them without asking anything in return.
Critics argue that, in an age of smartphones, these functions are obsolete. Information is everywhere; why fund buildings full of paper? But the argument confuses access to information with access to opportunity. A phone cannot print a CV, provide a warm room on a winter afternoon or offer the patient guidance of a librarian who can tell a reliable source from a persuasive fake. Moreover, millions of people still lack reliable internet at home. To assume that everyone is connected is to design policy for the comfortable and forget the rest.
None of this means libraries should stand still. The best have already transformed themselves into community hubs, hosting coding clubs, repair cafés and citizenship classes. But transformation requires investment, and investment requires us to recognise libraries for what they are: not a nostalgic luxury, but part of the foundation on which a fair society is built.
A bridge that collapses makes headlines. A library that closes rarely does. Its users simply scatter, each a little more alone than before. That silence is precisely why we should pay attention.
Question 15
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". What is the writer's central claim?
- A. Libraries are essential infrastructure that deserve investment.
- B. Libraries should never change.
- C. Bridges are more important than libraries.
- D. Libraries should be replaced by smartphones.
Question 16
Read "The Quiet Infrastructure". How does the writer strengthen the rebuttal in paragraph 3?
- A. by quoting a famous author
- B. by giving concrete examples of what a phone cannot do and noting many lack internet
- C. by changing the subject to transport
- D. by admitting the critics are entirely right
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