Thursday, March 22 applying rhetorical devices / fact vs opinion

Important: if you are absent tomorrow, make sure to check the blog for the cumulative assignment on editorials. This is the last assignment for this quarter and will be due next Thursday.  

A Fact is a statement that could be researched and verified (it would be a fact) or disproved (it would be a false statement of fact).  Open a word document and copy and paste the following statements. Choose Opinion if a statement represents an opinion (a belief or judgment that cannot be proved or disproved). If it is an opinion, note any judgment words in the sentence. Judgment words are words such as better, expensive, beautiful and other words that can be interpreted many different ways. Judgment words usually indicate an opinion.

Assignment: Open a word document and copy the 25 statements below. 
            1) For each decide whether the statement is a fact or opinion.
            2) Explain your response.
            3) Send along, labeling "fact / opinion"
            4) Thank you.
This is due by midnight, with the exception of those who receive extended time.
Example:
College exams are too long.  opinion...judgment word: "too"  because, although this is a reference to time, the amount is subjective and stems from emotions.
  

1		1. Last year there was a horrible outbreak of flu.
2	2.	Babies generally start to talk between 18 and 24 months of age.
3	3.	The average temperature in Wyoming in January is 35°F.
4	4.	Italian is an easier language to learn than Spanish.
5	5.	The capital of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is Moscow.
6	6.	More people stopped smoking last year than two years ago.
7	7.	In Judaism, Rosh Hashanah is the festival of the New Year.
8	8.	Many nutritionists believe a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet is the healthiest diet.
9		9. Smoke detectors can help save lives.
10		10. Thousands of people die each year from the interaction of their prescription drugs.
11		11. Cell phones should be banned in all public school classrooms.
12		12. Children should not be allowed to watch more than five hours of television per week.
13	13.	It's a fact that soccer and rugby are violent sports.
14		14. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is a government agency that is responsible for the control and suppression of infectious diseases.
15		15. Surfing the Web is more fun than watching TV.
16		16. College students would benefit greatly from participating in intramural sports.
17		17. Next year, Tiger Woods will win the Master's Tournament.
18		18. At least half of all automobile accidents involve alcohol.
19	19.	Female doctors are more caring than male doctors.
20	20.	Bicycling is a truly enjoyable form of exercise.
21	21.	"Spam" is the e-mail equivalent of junk mail.
22	22.	For adequate water intake, adults need to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day.
23	23.	The number of people who have high credit card debt is astonishing.
24	24.	In World War II, the Axis powers consisted of Germany, Italy, and Japan.
25	25.	Copernicus was a 16th century Polish scholar who argued that the Earth moves around the sun.