Quiz: The Four Critical Questions
Test what you learned in this chapter. Read each question, pick the best answer, then click Show Answer to see if you got it right.
1. What are the four critical questions a great thinker uses?
- Who said it? How do they know? What is the evidence? What is missing?
- Is it funny? Is it loud? Is it fast? Is it colorful?
- Who posted it? How many likes? What time? Who shared?
- Is it new? Is it old? Is it short? Is it long?
Show Answer
The correct answer is A. The four critical questions are: Who said it? How do they know? What is the evidence? What is missing? These four questions work on rumors, news, ads, and big arguments. Memorize them and you will be a noticeably harder person to fool.
Concept Tested: Who Said It, How They Know, What Evidence, What Is Missing
2. What is a claim?
- A kind of math problem
- A loud noise in the cafeteria
- A statement that says something is true
- A kind of snack
Show Answer
The correct answer is C. A claim is a statement that says something is true. "It will rain tomorrow" is a claim. "Pizza is the best food" is a claim. Every news article, rumor, and ad makes one or more claims. Great thinkers learn to spot the claim first, before they go check it.
Concept Tested: Claim
3. What is evidence?
- Any story told by a friend
- A fact, a piece of data, a photo, a quote, or a measurement that supports or weakens a claim
- A long hallway at school
- A color used on school posters
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. Evidence is what turns a story into a fact — photos, data, measurements, quotes, and studies. Evidence is what the third critical question is asking for. A claim with no evidence is not necessarily wrong, but it is not yet trustworthy.
Concept Tested: Evidence
4. What is jumping to a conclusion?
- A kind of gym game
- Saying "thanks" in a polite reply
- Deciding what is true after only one piece of information, before stopping to check or ask
- Opening a new browser tab
Show Answer
The correct answer is C. Jumping to a conclusion is deciding what is true based on one bit of information, before stopping to check. Smart thinkers catch themselves jumping, then back up and ask the four critical questions instead. It is something everybody does sometimes — the trick is to notice it.
Concept Tested: Jumping To Conclusion
5. Why does the chapter say critical thinking is not the same as being grumpy or always saying no?
- Because grumpy people never think
- Because critical thinking is only for adults
- Because critical thinking means saying yes to everything
- Because critical thinking is about being fair to the truth — checking instead of either blindly believing or blindly refusing
Show Answer
The correct answer is D. A critical thinker does not just believe things, and does not just refuse to believe things. They check. Critical thinking is fair — fair to the truth and fair to yourself. Being curious and open-minded is part of the habit. A cynic stops checking, but a great thinker never does.
Concept Tested: Critical Thinking
6. What is a generalization?
- Taking a small example and stretching it into a big rule, using words like "all," "every," "always," or "never"
- Measuring the size of a school
- A kind of apology online
- A study with thousands of participants
Show Answer
The correct answer is A. A generalization is when one example gets stretched into a rule about everybody. "I met one mean kid from that school, so all the kids at that school are mean" is a generalization. Whenever you see words like "all," "every," "always," or "never," slow down and ask whether one example really proves the big rule.
Concept Tested: Generalization
7. Owen hears a rumor at lunch that "they are getting rid of recess next year." What is the smartest first move?
- Shout the rumor to everyone at school
- Kindly ask the four critical questions — who said it, how they know, what the evidence is, and what is missing
- Write a sad song about recess
- Refuse to ever eat lunch again
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. Asking questions is not rude when done kindly — it is one of the most respectful things a thinker can do. Owen can check the rumor by asking who said it, how they know, what the evidence is, and what is missing. If the rumor is about something serious, going straight to a trusted adult is the right move.
Concept Tested: Asking Questions
8. Priya's friend says, "My cousin swears this one trick fixed his soccer game, so it will fix yours too." Which term from the chapter describes relying on this kind of evidence?
- Confirming sources
- A conclusion
- Anecdote vs evidence
- A premise
Show Answer
The correct answer is C. An anecdote is one person's story. Evidence is a real pile of facts from many people, careful tests, or measurements. Anecdotes can be interesting, but one story does not prove a claim. The cure is to ask "what is the evidence?" and "what is missing?"
Concept Tested: Anecdote Vs Evidence
9. Aisha reads a claim online. The author is not named, there is no date, and no proof is shown. Which critical question most clearly fails here?
- None of them — the claim is fine
- The "what is the evidence?" question, because there is no proof
- The "is it cool?" question
- The "how fast can I share it?" question
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. Without a named author, a date, or any proof, the third critical question — what is the evidence? — clearly fails. That is a sign to slow down, look for confirming sources, and treat the claim as untrustworthy until better evidence appears.
Concept Tested: What Evidence
10. Jordan writes this argument: "All dogs need water. Buster is a dog. So Buster needs water." What is the name of the last sentence?
- A premise
- A generalization
- A claim with no evidence
- A conclusion
Show Answer
The correct answer is D. A premise is a starting point an argument asks you to accept, like "All dogs need water" or "Buster is a dog." A conclusion is the claim at the end that follows from the premises. "Buster needs water" is the conclusion, and the step that gets you there is called an inference.
Concept Tested: Conclusion and Premise