“Loaded”
INSTRUCTIONS: Actively read these three paragraphs
(DOING THE “BEFORE” and “DURING”
ACTIVITIES ONLY) and then answer the questions that follow fully
(flipping the question into a statement and answering it). As you read, also
look for “loaded” words indicating that the writer is strongly in favour of or
against something. Recognizing the writer’s bias can help you locate the “real”
facts.
Paragraph One
If anybody could ever die of
boredom, it would be in Chase Falls, Ohio. Stuck in an isolated valley on the
small Chase River, Chase Falls is strictly dullsville. Its streets are choked
with cheap cars and pickup trucks during the day as grimy farmers come in to
shop and to peddle their dirty-looking vegetables. At night, the streets are
deserted and lifeless. Local high-schoolers cruise about aimlessly in their
hopped-up cars, looking for trouble. This burg is so dull that the major annual
entertainments are the local football team in the fall and a spring fair, when
the town makes a sorry attempt to pretty itself up.
Paragraph Two
Nestled snugly in a valley carved by
the beautiful Chase River, Chase Falls is a delightful little town. During the
day the streets are bustling as local farmers come in to shop and to sell their
all-natural vegetables. At night, the streets are peaceful and quiet, patrolled
only by fun-loving teenagers in their specially modified cars. The town
actively supports its sports teams, especially football. The high point of each
year is the spring festival, when the town decks itself out in glorious
flowers.
Paragraph Three
Chase Falls, Ohio, is a village of
about 4,500 people in a valley created by the Chase River. It is a commercial
centre for the surrounding farms, and many kinds of local vegetables are sold
in the village. Most stores and vegetable stands close at 5:30 p.m. recent
years have seen a small increase in local traffic as younger drivers have been
able to afford cars. The local high school football team has achieved some fame
with a 32-5 record in the past five years. The town is known for a spring fair
it holds every year, during which the town is decorated with flowers.
“Loaded” Questions
A. Circle
the letter of the best answer in each question.
1.
Which
of these words is not “loaded”?
A.
Nestled
B.
Grimy
C.
Choked
D.
Increase
2.
Which
description of Chase Falls might have been written by local businesses trying
to attract tourists?
A.
Paragraph
One
B.
Paragraph
Two
C.
Paragraph
Three
3.
What
is the author’s purpose in writing paragraph three?
A.
to
give factual information about Chase Falls
B.
to
persuade people that Chase Falls is a good place to live
C.
to
persuade people that Chase Falls is a bad place to live
B. Write
your answers to these questions.
4.
What
fact explains why the streets of Chase falls are almost empty in the evening? (stores close at 5:30)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5.
What
sort of person might have written the first description? Positive, negative, or
factual? (Negative)
________________________________________________________________________
6.
When
people are described as “looking for trouble,” what may they really be looking
for?
________________________________________________________________________
7.
What
would be a good way for you to decide whether to move to Chase Falls?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
C. Facts
& Opinions, Bias & Assumptions
·
A
fact is a statement about something that can be counted, measured, checked, or
tested.
·
An
opinion states how somebody thinks or feels about something. It cannot be
proved.
·
Bias
is the set of personal beliefs and feelings a writer may bring to a piece of
writing.
·
An
assumption is taking information for granted without actual proof.
Write F next to each sentence that states a fact. Write O next to each sentence that states an opinion.
8.
_____ The 55-mile-per-hour speed limit is not
obeyed and should be abandoned. (O)
9.
_____ Since the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit was
put into effect, traffic deaths have
been cut almost in half. (F)
10. _____ On the
average, if you add up all the blinking in one day, a person has his or her
eyes closed for 30 minutes. (F)
Write a +
before any
sentence that has a positive bias, a – before any sentence with a negative bias, and an N beside any sentence that has no bias.
11. _____ Snow
stretches out in front of you: pure, blue-white, crisp, inviting. (+)
12. _____ Snow
stretches out in front of your: white, cold, wind-blown. (N)
13. _____ Snow
stretches out in front of you: deadly white, frigid, menacing. (-)
Circle the
letter of the assumption that underlies each statement.
14. All ski trails should be closed to snowmobiles.
A.
Snowmobiles
endanger skiers.
B.
Snowmobiles
go faster than skiers.
15. Sled dog racing should be outlawed to save the dogs.
A.
Sled
dogs find it boring to pull people around.
B.
It
is cruel to make any animal work for our pleasure.
16. Winter has begun; it may snow any day now.
A.
Once
winter comes, the snows start.
B.
Only
cold northern areas have winter.
Bonus
Questions!!!! Have Fun!!!
17. Explain how I can drop an uncooked egg 100 centimetres
without breaking it (onto a cement floor).
Drop it from 110 cm.
19. Obviously, the next number will be 10, but
does it go above or below the line? Explain (this is not a math/number
problem!)
1 2 6 ?
3 4
5 7 8
9 ?
No comments:
Post a Comment