Page 44 - 2021-bfw-shea-all-2e

away and let him face the consequences of his proposed solution…Lawyers use analo-
5
his actions? What if your house — indeed all gies frequently to draw parallels between an
the houses in the entire neighborhood — are undecided case and a case that has already
also made of wood? We all agree, he argued, been decided (a precedent)…Some legal
that under those circumstances, we should scholars, such as Lloyd Weinreb, go so far as
focus on putting out the fire first. Then we to argue that without analogy, a court’s
can turn to the issues of assigning blame or decision is incomplete. It is that important in
punishment, re-writing the fire code, and explaining and justifying legal judgments.
Changing the World
putting fail-safes in place.
This was a powerful analogy. It commu- 15 [A]rguments based on analogies and metaphors
nicated the clear and present danger to the are so powerful that you need to know how to
economy and the urgency of implementing evaluate them so that you are not misled.

Understanding and Interpreting

1. According to Cummins in paragraph 2, what does it mean to “think critically”? What does
Cummins suggest about this skill?
2. Summarize what Cummins concludes about the findings of the study by Lord, Ross and
Leppner.
3. Explain why, according to the study by researchers at Cornell University, certain language
choices are more effective than others at persuading people to change their minds.
4. Why might the number of challengers to an argument affect its ability to persuade readers?
5. In paragraph 14, Cummins describes what she feels is a component of effective arguments:
the use of analogy and metaphor. Explain how this component works in an argument and why,
according to Cummins, it can be so effective.

Analyzing Language, Style, and Structure

1. Vocabulary in Context. In paragraph 6, Cummins uses the word “polarized,” which is a
scientific term applied to a non-scientific context. What does the word mean here, and how is
that meaning similar to or different from its scientific use? What other scientific terms can you
think of that are also used in non-scientific contexts?
2. Skill Focus. According to Cummins, what did the researchers conclude about the effect of
personal experience in argument?
3. Cummins begins her piece with a common saying. Why might she have done so? What does it
accomplish?
4. Evaluate Cummins’s piece for its use of rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos, pathos). Where is her
argument strongest in its use of appeals, and where could her argument have been
strengthened by additional appeals?

Topics for Composing

1. Analysis. In paragraphs 3 and 4, Cummins says changing beliefs by “presenting a logical
argument backed up by objective evidence […] is rarely effective.” Evaluate Cummins’s
28
Copyright © Bedford/St. Martin’s. Uncorrected proofs have been used in this sample chapter.
Distributed by BFW Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.

sheaall2e_24428_ch05_002_095.indd 28 09/07/20 5:30 PM