Following Complex Arguments Flashcards

In a DLPT passage, a speaker uses the phrase 'while acknowledging the complexity of the situation' before presenting a simplified conclusion. A proficient listener should recognize this as:

Answer: A rhetorical hedge that signals a potentially oversimplified argument follows

Acknowledging complexity only to then ignore it is a rhetorical device that can mask an oversimplified or one-sided conclusion.

A DLPT passage presents two experts debating military readiness. Expert A provides data showing increased defense spending. Expert B argues that spending levels alone don't measure combat readiness. Which statement best describes Expert B's argumentative strategy?

Answer: Expert B challenges the relevance of Expert A's evidence to the conclusion

Expert B is questioning whether the metric used (spending) is actually relevant to the claim being made (combat readiness).

In a complex DLPT audio passage about intelligence sharing, a speaker concludes that because two allied nations share satellite data, they must share all intelligence. A listener recognizes this as:

Answer: A composition fallacy assuming the whole reflects one part

Assuming that sharing one type of intelligence means sharing all intelligence is a composition fallacy — what is true of a part is assumed true of the whole.

A DLPT passage features a speaker who says: 'Experts in the field unanimously agree that this policy will succeed.' Upon hearing this, a critical listener should primarily ask:

Answer: Which specific experts are being cited and what evidence supports their consensus

Vague appeals to unnamed experts without evidence are appeals to authority that require scrutiny of who the experts are and what data supports the claim.

During a DLPT listening segment, a diplomat argues: 'We must sign this agreement now, because waiting will only allow the situation to deteriorate further.' What must a listener evaluate to assess this argument?

Answer: Whether evidence supports the claim that delay would worsen the situation

The core of the argument is a causal claim about delay worsening outcomes, which requires evaluation of supporting evidence.

In a DLPT passage, Speaker A presents statistics showing a 40% drop in civilian casualties since a new military protocol was adopted. Speaker B responds: 'Casualty numbers fluctuate naturally and this drop could be coincidental.' Speaker B is specifically challenging:

Answer: The causal link between the protocol and the casualty reduction

Speaker B is raising the possibility that correlation does not equal causation — the drop may not be caused by the protocol.

A DLPT passage includes a speaker who argues against a peace proposal by saying: 'If we accept these terms, we'll next be forced to give up our territorial waters, then our airspace, and eventually our sovereignty.' This is an example of:

Answer: A slippery slope argument

Predicting a chain of increasingly dire consequences without evidence that each step will follow is a slippery slope fallacy.