Question

What is a gambler’s fallacy?(1 point)
Responses

an argument that limits options to two opposite choices
an argument that limits options to two opposite choices

an argument that bases decisions on the false belief that random occurrences are somehow predictive of future outcomes
an argument that bases decisions on the false belief that random occurrences are somehow predictive of future outcomes

a conclusion that does not follow logically from its premise
a conclusion that does not follow logically from its premise

an argument that because things are alike in one way, they are alike in others.


"Biodegradable Plastic Bags, Not So Biodegradable"
by Vicky Stein

The average person uses a typical plastic bag for as short a time as 12 minutes before throwing it away, never thinking of where it may end up.

Yet once consigned to a landfill, that standard grocery store tote takes hundreds or thousands of years to break down — much more than a human lifetime. Bags make up an alarming amount of the plastic found in whale stomachs or bird nests, and it’s no wonder — globally, we use between 1 and 5 trillion plastic bags each year.

Biodegradable plastic bags are marketed as more eco-friendly solutions, able to break down into harmless material more quickly than traditional plastics. One company claims their shopping bag “will degrade and biodegrade in a continuous, irreversible and unstoppable process” if it ends up as litter in the environment.

In a study published this week in Environmental Science and Technology, researchers put supposedly eco-friendly bags made from various organic and plastic materials and sourced from U.K. stores to the test. After three years buried in garden soil, submerged in ocean water, exposed to open light and air or stashed in a laboratory, none of the bags broke down completely in all the environments.



© NewsHour Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Question
Use the article excerpt to answer the question.

What kind of reasoning is demonstrated by the company’s claim in paragraph 3?

(1 point)
Responses

half-truth
half-truth

fallacy
fallacy

bias
bias

gambler’s fallacy


What is an argument that limits options to two opposite choices?(1 point)
Responses

fallacy
fallacy

ad hominem
ad hominem

premise
premise

false dichotomy


What is it called when an argument says that because things are alike in one way, they are alike in others?(1 point)
Responses

false dichotomy
false dichotomy

gambler’s fallacy
gambler’s fallacy

ad hominem
ad hominem

false analogy
false analogy


Use the sentence to answer the question.

My dad says everyone should recycle.
What kind of reasoning does this sentence use?

(1 point)
Responses

false analogy
false analogy

appeal to emotion
appeal to emotion

appeal to authority
appeal to authority

ad hominem
ad hominem
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page 17 of 17

Answer 1

Here are the answers to the questions based on your prompts:

1. **What is a gambler’s fallacy?**
**Response:** an argument that bases decisions on the false belief that random occurrences are somehow predictive of future outcomes.

2. **What kind of reasoning is demonstrated by the company’s claim in paragraph 3?**
**Response:** fallacy.

3. **What is an argument that limits options to two opposite choices?**
**Response:** false dichotomy.

4. **What is it called when an argument says that because things are alike in one way, they are alike in others?**
**Response:** false analogy.

5. **What kind of reasoning does the sentence "My dad says everyone should recycle" use?**
**Response:** appeal to authority.