Drawing Conclusions 



Suppose you walk in the door and see a trail of water leading to the bathroom.  Hanging on the hooks in the bathroom are a wet bathing suit and towel.  What conclusion would you draw?

You might think that a family member has returned from swimming.  This conclusion would be even more likely if that person swims regularly.

***

Drawing conclusions is a lot like making inferences.  In both, a reader "reads between the lines" to make connections between what is explicitly stated and what is implied.

Sometimes drawing conclusions can refer specifically to applying what you have learned to new situations.  For example, maybe you know your family member usually swims on Tuesday mornings, but you see the wet suit hanging on a Monday.  This might lead you to think that there is a reason for the change in their schedule.  


Don't Jump to Conclusions


Using our swimsuit example, it would be unwise to think that your family member is going to miss Tuesday's swim time due to a serious doctor's appointment.  There's not enough information to conclude that.  You couldn't even assume that she is adding more workouts or that the pool will be closed that Tuesday.  You would need more evidence to make any of those conclusions.  The only conclusion that you can make is that someone went swimming on a relatively unusual day of the week.




Practice

These authors have definite opinions.  Can you see where they are coming from -- and where they are going?  

Habits




    Habits can be both helpful and destructive.  Healthy habits include daily routines like flossing: the task helps people avoid extreme pain at the dentist and requires little to no thought.  As a result, flossers are freed to think about more appealing subjects as they clean their teeth.  Destructive habits, on the other hand, are routines that often take over people's thoughts and bodies.  When a person would like to be thinking about a relationship, a career goal, or project, he or she is preoccupied with planning when and how to smoke, drink, binge, or surf the Internet instead.  

The author would most likely agree with which statement?

A. Harmful habits can destroy a person's mind and body.
B. Healthy habits are the key way people maintain their bodies.
C. One should avoid forming any habits.
D. Harmful habits cannot be changed.



Obesity Epidemic




    Dietary changes are not completely responsible for the modern obesity epidemic.  Widespread adoption of multiple technological innovations in the home, workplace, and schools has reduced our daily physical activity.  Similarly, the car-dependent design of our communities has made it much harder for our children to walk to school -- and much harder for us to shop and do other errands entirely on foot or by bicycle.  On top of these changes, many of our nation's schools have cut back or eliminated recess and physical education programs.

Which of the following statements would the author probably support?

A. Technology needs to be pulled from homes.
B. Children need to do errands.
C. People currently lack the means to exercise.
D. School children benefit from regular recesses.



Online Posts



     Adolescents actively participate in social networks, but they need to be wary of what videos, images, and information they choose to post online.  While an illegal act or ridiculous statement may garner fame for a few days, it often causes long-term damage.  Teachers, recruiters, college admissions officers, and future employers can easily exhume a clip or post when making decisions about recommendations, acceptance, or hiring.  Publishing outrageous content can make a person famous, but ___________________________. 


Which of the following best completes the above passage?
        
A. one needs to be ready to issue an apology.
B. one needs to make sure that content is allowed by law.
C. that kind of fame never lasts.
D. it can also take away opportunities to succeed.








Answer Key

Habits - A
The author uses the phrase "destructive habits" synonymously with harmful habits.  The author says that these can take over people's thoughts and harm their bodies.  Option B goes too far by saying that healthy habits are "the key way" to maintain health.  Options C and D are too exclusive and not supported by the evidence.

Obesity Epidemic - D
The author bemoans the fact that schools have cut back or eliminated recess.  From this, the reader can conclude that the author would prefer to see longer recesses for children. 

Online Posts - D
This question asks you literally to draw (write) the conclusion.  All of the information in the paragraph up to the last sentence leads you to conclude that putting illegal or ridiculous material online can take away opportunities.






Sources
1. http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Jan2012/Feature1
2. http://www.epa.gov/ord/gems/scinews_field_dreams.htm
3. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/obesityvision/obesityvision2010.pdf
4. Based on information found at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec14.pdf
Questions adapted from Brainfuse ASVAB Quiz 1