Chapter 3
The Relationship Between Thought and Language
Active Learning Exercises
Try out the thought and language skills you’ve learned in this chapter.
Exercise 3.1
Choose three television commercials. What are the implied messages and the inferences
provided to viewers in each?
Exercise 3.2
Find three websites that make an argument to readers (i.e., they try to persuade readers to join
their group, to buy something, to sign a petition). How do these sites rely on the process of
inference in communication? How do these sites use analogies to persuade readers?
Exercise 3.3
Instructions given by trial judges to jurors include principles to follow in evaluating the
testimony of witnesses. Current instructions used in California include the statement, “Innocent
misrecollection is not uncommon.” What does this phrase actually mean? What are some
specific problems with the wording used? Is there a better way to phrase this instruction?
Exercise 3.4
A widely publicized study indicated that about 18% of men and 17% of women surveyed
reported that they had been attracted to or had sex with someone of their own gender at some
point in their life (USA Today, August 1994). Only 4% of men and 2.3% of women in the same
survey reported exclusively same-sex partners. How does the definition of “homosexuality”
change when one considers these different groups? Do more specific definitions of
homosexuality appear more accurate? Is it accurate to split people into two categories,
“homosexual” and “heterosexual”? Why or why not?
Exercise 3.5
The legal definition of “insanity” is the ability to distinguish between right (legal) and wrong
(illegal) behavior. In a well-known assault case, Lorena Bobbitt was acquitted by reason of
temporary insanity for cutting off her husband’s penis (it was later reattached). Years later,
although presenting an insanity defense that included previous hospitalizations, medication,
suicide attempts, and psychotic episodes, Andrea Yates was convicted of first-degree murder in
the drowning of her five children in her bathtub. Is the definition of insanity in each of these
cases the same? How is it different? What do you think “insanity” means?
Exercise 3.6
In August, 2012, in an interview about abortion rights for women in the United States, including
in cases of rape and incest resulting in pregnancy, Congressman Todd Akin (R-Missouri) stated,
“It seems to be, first of all, from what I understand from doctors, it’s really rare. If it’s a
legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down.” What is
Rep. Akin inferring about rape by using the word “legitimate”? How would you describe his
statement in terms of ambiguity and vagueness?
Exercise 3.7
Emergency contraception pills (ECPs) are pills that can be taken the “morning after” unprotected
sex or accidental breaks in condoms to prevent pregnancy. ECPs have several effects: they may
inhibit or delay ovulation, they may inhibit tubal transport of the egg or sperm, they may
interfere with fertilization of the egg, or they may inhibit implantation of a fertilized egg. ECPs
work before implantation a fertilized egg, and do not work after a woman is already pregnant.
Opponents of ECPs claim that they cause an abortion. What is the dictionary definition of
abortion? How does the definition of abortion differ between proponents and opponents of
ECPs? How does an abortion performed in a medical setting differ from the actions of ECPs?
Exercise 3.8
Identify possible attempts to mislead how you think in the following statements. Determine if
any of the following are being used: ambiguity, vagueness, emotional terms, equivocation,
etymology, framing, bureaucratese, euphemism, reification, and negation. Explain your answers.
Which ones are not necessarily misleading, but only might be depending on context? There may
be more than one correct answer.

Why should I have to learn about analyzing arguments to determine if they are clear?
Aren't there too many arguments in the world already?

It is not true that the governor did not oppose a ban on the sale of guns.

This song is a big hit in Mexico.

Why would you want to be friends with a queer?

The best way to overcome shyness is by retraining your personality.

Druggies hits a higher level of pain relief.

Only future YUPPIES would attend that snooty private school.

The word education comes from "educe" which means to bring out. When we educate
someone we should be trying to bring out the information that he already knows.

Pursuant to our agreement and attached hereto is the codicil. (A codicil is an
amendment to a will.)

Have your stomach pains been accompanied by increased flatulence?

When you purchase new bedroom furniture, delivery is free.

The Giants are not having a bad season.

Did you see the car run the stop sign?

This ground beef is 75% fat free.

This ground beef is 25% pure fat.

Coke is it!

All patriotic Canadians will agree.

I don't know which of them is worse.

In a discussion about boxing, George D. Lundberg, a prominent physician, expressed
this view, "boxing is an obscenity. . . . a throwback to uncivilized man, and should not
be sanctioned by any civilized society." [quoted in Lubell, A. (1989, November).
Chronic brain injuries in boxers: Is it avoidable? The Physician and Sports Medicine, p.
126-131.]

The only days that are real holidays are those that are of religious importance because
the word "holiday" was derived from the words "holy day."

Only health nuts and oppressors would favor a ban on smoking.
Exercise 3.9
Consider and comment on the following analogies. How good are they? In what ways are the
two topics that are being compared similar and dissimilar? What is the purpose of the analogy?

You'd go to an orthopedist if you broke your arm, so why not go to a love doctor when you
break your heart?

It is completely legal to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, both of which are known to
have serious effects on one's health. Yet, marijuana is not legalized, and its effects on
health are not as well documented as alcohol and smoking. Therefore, marijuana should be
legalized.

Comprehension is like moving a jungle gym from your friend's yard to your own. (Refer
back to the text for the rest of this analogy.)

Jealousy is a green-eyed monster.

My love is like a red, red rose.

Why should the children of faculty members attend the university free? We don't send the
children of politicians or public school teachers to school without cost.

Federal Judge Robert Sweet expressed the following opinion on drug use: "If our society
can learn to stop using butter, it should be able to cut down on cocaine." [quoted in
Bennett, W. (1990, March). Should drugs be legalized? Reader's Digest, 136, p.90.]

In an argument on the need to have national tests of what students know, the following
analogy was proposed: tests allow us to determine if the educational system is well or ill;
tests are like taking a patient's temperature.
Exercise 3.10
Listed below are several kinds of text. Which graphic organizer would you use to depict the
underlying relationships? Why? (There may be more than one correct answer.)
 a complex "who done it" type mystery story
 an essay on the effects of geography on the type of economy that develops in a region
 a manual on the repair of automobiles
 a description of a chemical chain reaction
 a classification of wild plants endogenous to Tasmania
 a "how-to" manual for deep sea diving
Exercise 3.11
Use a graphic organizer to depict the information presented in the chapter on memory.
Exercise 3.12
Use the strategies for comprehension in your other class work. If you're not taking any other
classes, apply them to a lengthy newspaper or magazine article.
Exercise 3.13
List at least five situations that would require the deliberate use of strategies for comprehension.
Exercise 3.14
Draw a flow chart of the information provided in this paragraph:
In the event of fire you should feel the door. If it is hot, remain in your room with the door
closed. If the door is cool, open the door carefully and look for smoke in the hall. If there
is smoke remain in your room with the door closed. If there is no smoke, proceed to the
exit. (Black & Black, 1985, p. 193)