T he r eader ’

 
 
4. The main idea of the passage is 
A. if our thinking were perfectly logical, dealing with issues would be easy. 
B. in work situations, employees always begin problem solving with a certain bias. 
C. with the two-step approach to critical thinking, the student can develop reasonable 
views that withstand debate. 
5. The gist of paragraph three is that individuals 
A. can prove they are right by gathering evidence. 
B. should think with an open mind and consider all evidence. 
C. have a right to be biased and to express their opinions. 
6. An example of a detail given in this passage is 
A. “Begin by deciding what your position is on the issue in question. Putting this 
decision in writing can help.” 
B. “Success in work depends on thinking skills.” 
C. “If our desire to be right is strong enough, we may choose evidence that confirms our 
bias. . .”. 
7. Why are critical thinking skills important in the workplace? 
A. Employers want to hire individuals who know a lot of facts and statistics. 
B. Employers want to hire individuals who have experience using encyclopedias as 
research references. 
C. Employers are looking for problem solvers and decision makers. 
The passage below is about student behavior. Read for the main idea, then answer the 
questions that follow
. 
Students choose their behavior. How they behave is not outside their control. Albert 
acknowledges that heredity, environment, innate needs, happy and unhappy experiences, and 
conditioned responses all affect how students behave. But she maintains that most students 
choose to behave the way they do, and that virtually all can behave properly when they see the 
need to do so. Once teachers understand that behavior is based on choice, they begin to see that 
they can influence how students choose to behave. 

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12 Chapter 3, Main Idea