Question

1. distinguish determine whether the passage shows logical reasoning or if it is an example of logical fallacy.

passage
convenience stores such as 7 - eleven are overseen by the state and would be exempt, but a burger king across the street would be restricted. a pizza restaurant would not be able to sell a 2 - liter bottle of soda that would be shared out among the children at a birthday party. but they could all have a 16 - ounce cup.—from soda’s a problem but...

1. (a) identify an example of a slippery slope fallacy in paragraph 4 of “ban the ban! (b) analyze explain the author’s likely purpose for using this fallacy.
2. (a) compare which of the two opinion pieces contains more logical fallacies? explain. (b) evaluate how could this opinion piece be improved?

the people of new york need to show our mayor that money can’t buy him everything. he says he’s going to “fight back” to get this pushed through. well, it is our responsibility to fight back too. people might think it is not important because it is just soda but it is so much more than that—it is about freedom and the freedom to make your own decisions about what you do and what you put into your bodies. it started with soda and he has already moved on to salt. what is going to be next? if you’re reading this and you are not a new yorker, don’t think you are not going to be affected. you will! it starts here and it will spread throughout the nation. i hope you will all start to speak up about this issue or, before you know it, it won’t be the “land of the free and home of the brave” anymore. one day in the not too distant future we are all going to wake up in the land of “big brother” with a list of things we can and cannot do, eat, drink, say, and so on, and we’ll be wondering how we got there. well, this is how:
soda’s a problem but...
the intentions of new york mayor michael r. bloomberg may be laudable, but it’s wrong for one man, even an elected official and even a well - meaning one at that, to dictate to people how big a cup of sugary soda they’re allowed.
not that i have tremendous regard for soda. it’s bad for you,

Explanation:

1. Analyzing the Passage for Logical Fallacy (Question 1)

The passage about soda restrictions uses a slippery slope fallacy. It suggests that a soda ban leads to broader restrictions (e.g., "land of Big Brother" with limits on daily activities), implying one restriction leads to extreme, unrelated controls without sufficient evidence.

Paragraph 4 (from "It started with soda..." to "...not going to be affected") uses slippery slope: it argues soda restrictions will lead to salt restrictions and broader government overreach, assuming one restriction inevitably leads to unrelated, extreme ones.

The author uses the slippery slope fallacy to persuade readers that soda restrictions are a threat to personal freedom, framing them as the start of excessive government control to rally opposition to the ban.

Answer:

The passage shows a logical fallacy (slippery slope), as it claims a soda ban will lead to excessive government control over daily life without valid causal links.

2. (a) Identifying Slippery Slope Example (Question 2a)