Reading Questions (3)
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Reading Questions
1.
What is Asimov's thesis and how does he support it?
Answer: Asimov’s thesis is that science enhances the beauty of the universe. He supports his
thesis by arguing that science allows us to understand and appreciate the nature of the universe. Furthermore, he supports his thesis by describing enormous events that occur in the universe, such as the fact that stars are similar to our sun but much larger, and the speed
of light and sound. He presents these facts in a way it shows his disagreement with Whitman’s perspective. 2.
Outline the facts that Asimov presents about the planet, stars, galaxy, and universe that support his thesis.
Answer:
Asimov presents several facts about the universe to support his thesis. He notes that Some stars and planets we see in the sky are worlds as he mentioned in the essay “There are worlds with thick atmospheres of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid worlds of red-
hot liquid” described that some planets have stormy surfaces and volcanoes that have the potential to swallow up the entire earth.
He described the different types of stars, such as some stars are like our sun while others are
much smaller as he mentioned in the essay” squeezed into a ball smaller than the earth”.
In addition, he said,” Some are more compact still, with the mass of the sun squeezed down into the volume of a small asteroid.” He described that there are some stars which are very small but have a lot of mess. Additionally, he includes that some stars can be seen from billion lights away as he motioned
“can be seen from distances of billions of light-years,” these facts support his thesis that science enhances the beauty of stars.
3.
What is the purpose of Asimov's rhetorical questions?
Answer: Asimov’s rhetorical questions challenge the idea that science detracts from beauty.
He raises questions to encourage us to think deeply about the world and the universe. He wants us to appreciate the beauty of the universe and recognize the value of scientific explanations and knowledge. 4a. In point form, outline the development of Asimov's argument.
Answer:
Paragrhaph1- Walt Whitman’s poem
Paragraph 2- points out that many people would agree with Whitman’s poem that science detracts from the beauty of the universe.
Paragraph 3- Asimov disagrees with Whitman’s beliefs, arguing that staring at stars and seeing the sky is beautiful but there is much more beauty in scientific knowledge.
Paragraphs 4 – 6 Asimov described the beauty that can be found in planets and stars, such as worlds with thick atmospheres, suns of incomparable grandeur and
stars pulsating endlessly.
Paragraphs 7-8 Asimov focuses on
the greatness of the universe describing the Milky Way galaxy, other galaxies, and clusters of galaxies. Some clusters consist of
thousands of galaxies. The incredible violence and explosions that occur in the centers of galaxies.
Paragraph -9 Asimov described that all these facts about the universe were discovered after Whitman’s death, so he never had a chance to witness it. He also includes that there is still much more to be discovered and that science will continue to reveal the limitless beauty of the universe.
4b. How does he build unity and coherence?
Answer: Asimov builds unity and coherence in this essay, by taking the mistake that people have about science that science reduced the beauty of nature. He argues that science is not limited to
diagrams and charts, but it can show us the amazing beauty and complexity of the universe. He acknowledges the beauty of stars and the night sky, but scientific explanations enhance our appreciation of the universe’s beauty. Asimov explores the facets of the universe, describing the worlds, stars and galaxies that exist, as well as the violence and explosions that take place within them. He connects all these different elements of the universe by highlighting that the universe is vast and everything in it is connected. In addition, he suggests that there is still so much to discover about the universe. Asimov builds unity by showing the universe's amazement, greatness, and complexity. 5a. Find one example of logos, pathos, and ethos in this essay and explain how Asimov uses each
one as support for his thesis. For each example, why do you think he used the mode of persuasion where he did?
Answer:
Example of logos: Asimov uses scientific facts to support his argument that there is more beauty in scientific explanations than we can see with our eyes. For example, he talks about different worlds, stars and galaxies that exist. He also uses logic and reason to argue the idea that science doesn’t detract from the beauty of nature. For example, he asks that we should just look at leaves and ignore the forest.
Example of Pathos:
Asimov uses emotional language and imagery to describe the beauty of the universe and
stars that exist before our planet. For example, he talks about different worlds and the "incomparable grandeur" of some stars.
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Example of Ethos:
Asimov references the famous poet of Whitman to show that even they didn’t understand the beauty of science and the Universe. He also acknowledged his trustworthiness as a scientist and writer to support his argument. For example, he references his experience of spending hours on the hillside looking at stars and receiving bug bites. 5b. In thinking about the decisions writers make, what might be some pros and cons of using more than one mode of persuasion in a piece of writing?
Answer: Using more than one mode of persuasion in a piece of writing can have both pros and cons. On the positive side, it can help a writer establish a better connection with a different audience because different modes of persuasion can reach a wider range of people. Additionally,
using multiple modes of persuasion in writing can make the argument effective because each mode engages different views of the audience’s thoughts and feelings, allowing the writer to create a more persuasive argument.
However, some of the cons of using multiple modes of persuasion could include confusion because the different modes of persuasion may be difficult to understand, which can lead to the dismissal of the information. Using multiple modes can make the writing boring, which will cause
the audience to lose interest.
6. Did you find Asimov's essay persuasive? Why or why not?
Answer: I found Asimov’s essay to be persuasive, as he uses logic and reason to illustrate
how scientific explanation enhances the beauty of the universe, and he supported his argument with factual evidence. He suggests that since allows us to better the connection of all things in the universe. Additionally, he argued against Whitman’s beliefs about the universe and stars, saying that science doesn’t detract from the beauty of the stars but rather enhance it.