RGSHW Thinking skills practice paper 2

A) Before the second world war there was no concept of national foods. People’s main concern was getting enough food. Then British people became interested in Indian, Chinese and Italian food.

B) Ice cream did not exist in Britain until the late nineteenth century, when Italians imported it. The British transformed delicious Italian gelatto into solid blocks of white, lard-like coldness.

C) Indian food has become part of British culture. In India, ‘balti’ means bucket not dinner. People feel very strongly that food is related to national identity.

D) Specific dishes shouldn’t be considered to have any particular nationality. Any dish has influences from all over the world. Take the example of fish and chips – frying is a Jewish way of cooking fish, and French pommes frites were probably around before British chips.

A) All exercise is unhealthy. Walking is exercise. Therefore walking is unhealthy.

B) Extreme exercise is unhealthy. Watching TV all day is extreme. Therefore watching TV all day is unhealthy.

C) Health is important. Work is important. Therefore work is healthy.

D) Some exercise is healthy. Running is exercise. Therefore running is healthy.

A. In some ways this is an excellent idea.

B. Soldiers’ lives are put at risk when they transport an animal to the airport.

C. Stray dogs are being airlifted from Iraq to the US.

D. The practice of airlifting stray dogs to the US should not be encouraged.

A. Almost 50,000 signatures have been gathered in an online petition to save some of these army pets.

B. Pets befriended in a war zone often help soldiers to adjust back to normal life.

C. Stray Iraqi dogs need a health check and programme of vaccinations on arrival in the US.

D. US soldiers have rescued many abused animals while serving in Iraq.

A. People should put right the harm that people have done to animals.

B. People’s lives are more important than animals’ lives.

C. Soldiers are inevitably going to be at risk while they are in a war zone.

D. The consequences of abandoning pet dogs should be weighed against the consequences of airlifting them to the US.

Assumption

Conclusion of counter argument

Counter assertion

Example

Evidence

Example

Intermediate conclusion

Reason

A. If I do my homework now, I won’t have to do it later. I want to go out later, so I should do my homework now.

B. If I eat my cake now, I won’t have it for later. I want it later, so I shouldn’t eat it now.

C. If I go to the cinema, I won’t be in when my Uncle comes round. That’s a shame, but he’ll still be here when I get back, so I’ll go anyway.

D. If I take the dog for a long walk, I won’t be able to watch my favourite programme on TV. But I really fancy a long walk, so I’ll watch my programme on the iPlayer.

Free mark

A. A reason supporting an intermediate conclusion.

B. An intermediate conclusion supporting a further intermediate conclusion.

C. An intermediate conclusion supporting the main conclusion.

D. Evidence supporting a reason.

A. Future investment in scientific research is likely to have positive effects on the economy.

B. Science is a fundamental part of our economy.

C. Science is more important than health care or education.

D. There is enough money to invest in scientific research even in tough economic times.

A. Frisbee catching is not representative of normal male activity.

B. It is possible that men might be both good looking and good partners.

C. Intelligence does not necessarily mean that a man will be a good partner.

D. We have no information about how looks and relationship appeal were correlated.

A. Highlights the overlap between scientific understanding and religious understanding.

B. Highlights the similarities between scientific understanding and religious understanding.

C. Suggests that neither scientific understanding nor religious understanding is useful to people at all.

D. Suggests that scientific understanding and religious understanding are useful to people in different ways.

A. A claim which can reasonably be drawn as a conclusion from the evidence.

B. A claim which cannot be drawn as a conclusion from the evidence because it is irrelevant.

C. A claim which is too strong to be drawn as a conclusion from the evidence.

D. A claim which is too weak to be drawn as a conclusion from the evidence.

A. The argument is not valid and one of the reasons is false therefore the conclusion is false.

B. The argument is valid and both reasons are true therefore the conclusion is true.

C. The argument is valid and one of the reasons is false therefore the conclusion is false.

D. The argument is valid and one of the reasons is false but the conclusion is true.

A. Most people assume that the world is exactly as they perceive it to be.

B. The brain has to fill the gaps with a calculated guess, or inference.

C. The music we ‘hear’ is based on a breakdown of sounds we actually hear and our expectations of what we think we should be hearing.

D. What we actually hear when we listen to music is not reality.

A. Calculated guesses are not normally accurate.

B. Ideas are the same as mental representations.

C. Mental representations are not real.

D. None of us constructs the same mental representations.

A. (i) only

B. (i) and (ii)

C. (ii) only

D. Neither (i) nor (ii)

A. Necessary and sufficient for creative scientific advance.

B. Necessary but not sufficient for creative scientific advance.

C. Neither necessary nor sufficient for creative scientific advance.

D. Sufficient but not necessary for creative scientific advance.