Critical Reading and Debate Flashcards

This flashcard set covers the essential concepts from Lesson 5: Critical Reading Skills. It includes strategies for effective reading, understanding hypertext and intertext, types of claims (fact, value, and policy), and an in-depth look at common logical fallacies such as ad hominem, straw man, slippery slope, red herring, hasty generalization, and ad populum. Each card provides expanded definitions with clear examples to strengthen comprehension and sharpen analytical thinking. Perfect for exam preparation and building strong critical reading and reasoning skills.

Hypertext

A type of text that uses embedded links, side notes, or digital references to create a non-linear reading path. It provides readers with instant access to related definitions, sources, or explanations.

Example: Clicking a hyperlink in an online article that leads you to the original study being cited.

Intertext

A text whose meaning depends on references to other works, cultural ideas, or prior knowledge. Understanding it often requires familiarity with history, literature, or social context.

Example: A novel that makes biblical references assumes the reader knows those passages for deeper meaning.

Claim of Fact

Argues about the truth or falsity of a statement, backed by statistics, observations, or expert testimony.

Example: “Climate change is primarily caused by human activity.”

Claim of Value

Argues based on judgments of right

Example: “Violent video games are harmful to children’s moral development.”

Claim of Policy

Argues for a course of action or solution to a problem.

Example: “The government should provide free public college education to improve access and equality.”

Ad Hominem

Attacking the person making the argument instead of the argument itself. This distracts from the real issue by focusing on personal traits.

Example: “You can’t trust Maria’s opinion on healthcare—she didn’t even finish college.”

Straw Man

Misrepresenting or exaggerating someone’s argument so it’s easier to refute. Instead of addressing the real claim, a weaker version is attacked.

B replies: “So you want to shut down all factories and ruin the economy?”

Slippery Slope

Suggesting that one small step will lead to extreme consequences without solid evidence.

Example: “If we allow students to use calculators in class, next they’ll never learn math, and society will collapse.”

Red Herring

Introducing irrelevant information to distract from the main point.

Example: When asked about government corruption, a politician says: “But what about the wonderful progress we’ve made in sports this year?”

Hasty Generalization

Drawing a broad conclusion from too little evidence or from a small, unrepresentative sample.

Example: “I met two rude teenagers in the mall. Teenagers these days have no manners.”

Ad Populum

Arguing that something is true or right simply because many people believe or support it. Popularity is mistaken for correctness.

Example: “Everyone on social media is buying this product, so it must be the best one available.”

Retelling

The restatement of a story or the re-expression of a narrative in your own words. This method involves recounting the main ideas or events of a text without quoting directly.
Example: Summarizing the story of Romeo and Juliet in modern English for a classroom discussion.

Quotation

The method of directly lifting the exact statements or set of words from another author’s text. This requires proper attribution to the original source.
Example: Using Shakespeare’s line “To be, or not to be, that is the question” in an essay on existentialism.

Allusion

A method where a writer or speaker explicitly or implicitly refers to an idea, event, or passage found in another text without using quotation. It rely on the reader’s knowledge to understand the reference.
Example: Saying “This task feels like opening Pandora’s box” to allude to Greek mythology without directly explaining it.

Pastiche

A text developed in a way that it imitates the style, form, or other properties of another text, but without ridiculing it (unlike parody). This is often a respectful or creative tribute.
Example: A novel written in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, but with new characters and cases.