Chapter 12: Mastery Test 8

A. Read the following groups of ideas. Each group contains the author's claim and supports for that claim. Identify the author's claim in each group.

1. Group 1

a. One woman remembers her brothers calling her "fatso" and "rolypoly" during most of her childhood.

b. Another woman said, "My sister would get her friends to sing songs about how ugly I was."

c. Name-calling and ridicule are forms of abuse among siblings.
—Benokraitis, Marriages and Families: Changes, Choices, and Constraints, 4th ed., p. 379.

2. Group 2

a. Many first-time fathers are worried about being able to help their partners through the birth process without fainting or getting sick.

b. Expectant fathers may face several fears.

c. Almost every expectant father mentions the fear that something will happen to his wife during delivery or that the child will be unhealthy or abnormal in some way.
—Benokraitis, Marriages and Families, 4th ed., p. 249.

3. Group 3

a. Sexual harassment in school has harmful effects on students who are victims.

b. Students who have been victims of sexual harassment in school have trouble paying attention, have trouble studying, and earn low grades.

c. Many of these students have difficulty speaking out in class, don't want to go to school, or think about changing schools.
—DeVito, Messages: Building Interpersonal Communication Skills, 4th ed., p. 331.

4. Group 4

a. Many people simply don't know how to express anger without using violence, blame, or accusations.

b. Perhaps the most important obstacle to effectively communicating emotions is the lack of interpersonal skills.

c. Others cannot express love; they literally cannot say, "I love you."
—DeVito, Messages, 4th ed., p. 183.

B. Read the following outline of a claim and its supports. Mark each support R if it is relevant to the claim or N if it is not relevant to the claim.

Claim: You can improve your study time at home.

Supports

___ 5. Sit toward the front of the classroom.

R

N

___ 6. Have supplies nearby, such as paper, pens, pencils, class notes, and textbooks.

R

N

___ 7. Get rid of external distractions by shutting off the radio and television or moving to a quiet location.

R

N

Claim: Meditation is an excellent way to relax and manage stress.

Supports

___ 8. Meditation uses deep breathing to release tension and relax muscles.

R

N

___ 9. Meditation also turns the mind away from problems and focuses on inner peace.

R

N

___ 10. Many people resist using meditation as a stress management tool because they think it is a religious practice.

R

N