Chapter 2 Book Assignment

Exercise 2

Argument: cats are not better than dogs

Argument 1: Dogs are better than cats because of their ability to detect health problems in humans. A recent study by the MACH Foundation showed that dogs can detect cancer from breath samples with an accuracy "between 88% and 97%". The study was published in an article in the journal Integrative Cancer Therapies.

Argument 2: Dogs are better than cats because they protect and save their owners. According to information from the Associated Press that was published on msnbc.com, dogs have used their intellect and instinct to save their owners from injury and death. One specific article mentions a dog that dialed 911 when its owner fell.

Exercise 4

President Obama recently compared America to a car, saying that the "D" for drive in a car represents the Democrats, and the "R" for reverse represents the Republicans. He made this argument to say that the Republicans are holding back progress and beneficial policies that the Democrats are attempting to get through Congress.

Test: The two sides are similar as political parties, just as they are both gears in a car in his analogy. In their dissimilarity, they are polar opposites when it comes to their political beliefs and agendas. Because they are so opposite in values, this analogy does nothing more than to state the obvious, that Democrats and Republicans don't get along.