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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. According to Aristotle, what was the orator's chief goal?
(a) To convince the audience to make a certain decision.
(b) To discredit any opposing arguments.
(c) To provide enough facts to support their argument.
(d) To make a sound argument.

2. What did Aristotle think anger was always directed towards?
(a) A specific circumstance.
(b) A specific person or group, or a specific circumstance.
(c) A group of people.
(d) A specific person.

3. Considering Aristotle's views in Book I, Chapter 2, how would the emotional appeal move an audience?
(a) Through their feelings and reason.
(b) Through reason, not their feelings.
(c) Through neither their feelings or reason.
(d) Through their feelings, not reason.

4. How did Aristotle differentiate between crime and punishment?
(a) Crime was remote while punishment was immediate.
(b) Crime and punishment were immediate.
(c) Crime and punishment were remote.
(d) Crime was immediate while punishment was remote.

5. Based on the information in Book I, Chapter1, for which side(s) of a question could rhetoric allow a person to make good cases?
(a) Both sides.
(b) Neither side.
(c) The side that the person disagreed with.
(d) The side that the person agreed with.

6. Based on Aristotle's explanation, why was it not possible to be angry at humanity in general?
(a) Because it was impossible for a single person to understand any unfairness by humanity.
(b) Because it was impossible for humanity to have wronged a single person.
(c) Because it was impossible for humanity to have incited fear from a single person.
(d) Because it was impossible for humanity to be unfair in general.

7. As explained in Book I, Chapter 3, which type of rhetoric attempted to convince a legislature to take a particular action?
(a) Non-political.
(b) Tactical.
(c) Political.
(d) National.

8. Included in Aristotle's definition of a rhetorician, which parts of a claim should be adapted to a situation?
(a) Tone and style, but not speech.
(b) Speech, tone, and style.
(c) Speech and tone, but not style.
(d) Speech and style, but not tone.

9. Which one of the following assessments did Aristotle use to support his analysis in Book I, Chapter 7?
(a) Some things are different than others.
(b) Some things are not better than others.
(c) Some things are similar to others.
(d) Some things are better than others.

10. Why did Aristotle think the universal law was higher than the special law?
(a) It never changes.
(b) It always changes.
(c) It rarely changes.
(d) It changes for the better.

11. What were three examples of the voluntary causes for human action listed by Aristotle?
(a) Anger, compulsion, and appetite.
(b) Reasoning, anger, and appetite.
(c) Reasoning, compulsion, and appetite.
(d) Reasoning, anger, and compulsion.

12. Based on the information in Book I, Chapter 12, when did people commit crimes?
(a) When they thought the risk of punishment was nonexistent.
(b) When they refused to think about the risk of punishment.
(c) When they thought the reward to be gained outweighed the risk of punishment.
(d) When they thought the reward was as big as the risk of punishment.

13. According to Aristotle in Book I, Chapter 1, what was not a concern of rhetoric?
(a) An academic subject.
(b) A hypothetical subject.
(c) A vague subject.
(d) A specific subject.

14. Which kind of distinction was made by Aristotle between war and peace, and national defense?
(a) No difference.
(b) Subtle.
(c) Distinct.
(d) Complicated.

15. As explained in Book I, Chapter 10, what did the general law refer to?
(a) Unwritten laws of justice.
(b) Written laws of necessity.
(c) Written laws of justice.
(d) Unwritten laws of necessity.

Short Answer Questions

1. What definition did Aristotle provide for rhetoric in Book I, Chapter 2?

2. In Aristotle's description of fear, what was the opposite of fear?

3. Which one of the following could be an example of the emotional appeal?

4. What was another word used for "legal" in Aristotle's discussion of legal rhetoric?

5. Why might a speaker use the ethical appeal?

(see the answer keys)

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