What’s the Truth?
Many people think humans have only five senses. What’s the truth?
A. Humans have more than five senses, including balance and body position
B. Humans have exactly five senses, but they get weaker with age
C. Only children have more than five senses
D. Taste and smell are not senses
A. Humans have more than five senses, including balance and body position
In writing, which word is usually a verb meaning “to influence”?
A. Effect
B. Affect
C. Impact
D. Result
B. Affect
If someone says they will “play it by ear,” what do they mean?
A. They will follow written instructions exactly
B. They will postpone it until tomorrow
C. They will practice music first
D. They will decide what to do as they go
D. They will decide what to do as they go
Comedian Oliver Hardy’s longtime partner was which actor?
A. Stan Laurel
B. Charlie Chaplin
C. Buster Keaton
D. Harold Lloyd
A. Stan Laurel
When someone says, “Everyone believes this, so it must be true,” which fallacy are they using?
A. Bandwagon appeal
B. Slippery slope
C. Straw man
D. False dilemma
A. Bandwagon appeal
Many people think sugar makes kids “hyper.” What’s the truth?
A. Sugar reliably causes hyperactivity in most children
B. Sugar does not consistently cause hyperactivity; excitement and expectations often explain it
C. Sugar causes hyperactivity only when eaten at night
D. Sugar causes hyperactivity only in boys
B. Sugar does not consistently cause hyperactivity; excitement and expectations often explain it
Which term means a person’s life story written by someone else?
A. Autograph
B. Almanac
C. Autobiography
D. Biography
D. Biography
If a plan “falls through,” what happened?
A. It failed or did not happen
B. It became more expensive
C. It finished earlier than expected
D. It improved at the last minute
A. It failed or did not happen
“I Got You Babe” was a hit for Sonny and which partner?
A. Diana Ross
B. Barbra Streisand
C. Tina Turner
D. Cher
D. Cher
What fallacy assumes that because one event followed another, the first event caused the second?
A. Circular reasoning
B. Hasty generalization
C. False cause
D. Appeal to authority
C. False cause
Many people think antibiotics help you recover from colds and the flu. What’s the truth?
A. Antibiotics shorten the length of viral illnesses if taken early
B. Antibiotics are best saved until symptoms are severe
C. Antibiotics treat bacteria, not viruses like colds and flu
D. Antibiotics work only if you also take vitamin C
C. Antibiotics treat bacteria, not viruses like colds and flu
What is the difference between a museum and an art gallery?
A. Museums charge admission; galleries are always free
B. Museums only show paintings; galleries show sculptures
C. Museums display permanent collections; galleries focus on temporary or for‑sale works
D. Museums are public buildings; galleries are always private
C. Museums display permanent collections; galleries focus on temporary or for‑sale works
If someone says, “That’s the last straw,” what are they expressing?
A. They are joking to lighten the mood
B. They are offering a compromise
C. They have reached their limit of patience
D. They want to change the subject
C. They have reached their limit of patience
Richard Rodgers wrote classic Broadway musicals with which lyricist and librettist?
A. Stephen Sondheim
B. Oscar Hammerstein II
C. Cole Porter
D. Irving Berlin
B. Oscar Hammerstein II
Attacking a person’s character instead of addressing their argument is an example of which fallacy?
A. Red herring
B. Ad hominem
C. False analogy
D. Bandwagon appeal
B. Ad hominem
Many people think bats are blind. What’s the truth?
A. Bats cannot see at all
B. Bats can only see shapes, not movement
C. Bats can see, but only in black and white
D. Bats can see, and many also use echolocation to navigate
D. Bats can see, and many also use echolocation to navigate
Which pairing is correct?
A. Weather is long-term patterns; climate is today’s forecast
B. Weather is measured over decades; climate is measured by the hour
C. Weather is day-to-day conditions; climate is long-term averages
D. Weather only includes temperature; climate includes rain
C. Weather is day-to-day conditions; climate is long-term averages
If a person is “out of the woods,” what does that mean?
A. They are lost and need directions
B. They are safe from the worst of a problem
C. They are moving to a rural area
D. They are avoiding responsibility
B. They are safe from the worst of a problem
James Watson is famously paired with which scientist for describing the structure of DNA?
A. Gregor Mendel
B. Louis Pasteur
C. Francis Crick
D. Alexander Fleming
C. Francis Crick
What fallacy presents only two choices when more options actually exist?
A. Slippery slope
B. Straw man
C. Appeal to emotion
D. False dilemma
D. False dilemma
Many people think your blood is blue inside your veins. What’s the truth?
A. Blood is blue until it reaches oxygen in the lungs
B. Blood is purple in veins and red in arteries
C. Blood is always shades of red; veins look blue due to how light passes through skin
D. Blood turns red only when it touches air
C. Blood is always shades of red; veins look blue due to how light passes through skin
Which statement best describes the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?
A. Allergies are minor; intolerances are life-threatening
B. Allergies involve the immune system; intolerances usually do not
C. Allergies only happen in children; intolerances only in adults
D. Allergies affect digestion; intolerances affect breathing
B. Allergies involve the immune system; intolerances usually do not
If someone “begs the question,” what are they actually doing (in the original meaning)?
A. Asking an obvious follow-up question
B. Avoiding the topic completely
C. Proving their point with strong evidence
D. Assuming what they are trying to prove
D. Assuming what they are trying to prove
W.S. Gilbert created comic operas like The Pirates of Penzance with which composer?
A. Edward Elgar
B. Ralph Vaughan Williams
C. Benjamin Britten
D. Arthur Sullivan
D. Arthur Sullivan
Repeating a belief as proof of itself, such as “It’s true because it’s true,” is which fallacy?
A. Circular reasoning
B. Hasty generalization
C. Appeal to popularity
D. False cause
A. Circular reasoning