University of Technology, Jamaica

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

The Language, Technology and Research Centre
Academic Writing II, Semester 2, 2017 -2018

The Case Study, Assignment 1B - 30%. Time: 1hr. 30 mins.

Name: _____________________________ Lecturer: ____________________________
ID#: ___________________________ Class day/time: _______________________
SECTION A – 22 marks

Instructions: Read the following scenario and answer ALL the questions which follow.

1. “Roy, what you think of NIDS? I think it has potential.”

“NIDS, what that, a new Anime?” Gilroy answered without looking up from the textbook
he was reading.”
“Man, you must be joking, which Anime, you don’t watch news or read the newspaper,”
his friend Dalmain responded wondering why he even bothered to ask Gilroy such a
question.
“My youth, I don’t have time to keep up with the news right now, I just trying to pass
Academic Writing 2, is two times I fail it already. ”

2. “So Roy, tell me something, you don’t think being conversant with current affairs would
help you pass the course?”
“Dalmain, I am not a know-it all like you, always reading a whole heap of books and
asking questions like you trying to solve mystery, so leave me alone alright.”
“Dalmain, leave the man,” their friend Cavan joined in “he can always learn about NIDS
after he gets that C-.”
“Well it looks like he might never learn about it then,” Dalmain muttered under his
breath.
“What that you just say Dalmain?” Gilroy asked looking at his friend suspiciously. “You
need to talk loud.”

3. “I don’t say nothing man, calm yourself.”

“So tell me, what so important about this darn NIDS? because it look like I going to
dead if I don’t know about it.” Gilroy had now closed his textbook and was staring at
Dalmain with obvious annoyance.
“Man the amount of things you don’t know you would dead long time” Dalmain replied
making no attempt at being diplomatic.

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 “Cavan, I don’t have time for this comedian Dalmain. What is this NIDS business?”
Gilroy had now turned his back on Dalmain who was looking quite uninterested.
“Simple thing man, it is just the new national identification system that the government is
planning to implement. The Prime Minister says that it will allow access to government
and private sector service - says it will be a more efficient system.”
“Efficient, Cavan?” Gilroy replied loudly hissing his teeth. “What kind of foolishness
that? Why we need any new ID? We already have passport, TRN, NIS, driver’s license.
Don’t make no sense to me.”

4. “Roy you want to tell me that a system that will replace your ten pieces of id with just
one, don’t sound better to you?” Dalmain replied with a smirk.
“No Dalmain, it don’t sound better to me. The other ones we have working, so why the
government want to waste money go change that now.”
“Man is modern times we living in, this is just part of modernization – e-government”
Cavan added.
“Modernization my foot, is people business government want to hear. I don’t trust dem
one bit. I bet is about 100 questions you have to answer for this NIDS.”
“Just the same one hundred you answer to get your US visa, and of course add the
fingerprint.” Dalmain responded
“That different, you don’t think something wrong when the government want so much of
your information? Even Ray Charles can see it not right,” Gilroy replied determined to
stick to his point.

5. “Seriously Roy ?” Cavan replied shaking his head. “You can’t see your logic skewed?. You
have no problem bawling out your personal business in front of a roomful of people,
after gladly slapping down all 10 fingers on a machine for a US visa, but you have
problem doing the same in your country.”
“Cavan, to tell the truth, I don’t trust Jamaica government, everything they implement in
this country crash, so why NIDS will be any different. Not telling them a thing” quipped
Gilroy.
“Everything always crash idiot?” asked Dalmain.
“Well if not everything then almost everything, Dalmain. US different. I would give up a
kidney if the US embassy ask, cause I hear is only one I need,” Gilroy replied his tone
unapologetic.
“Easy with the man, Dalmain. Him have a right to an opinion.” Cavan said with a laugh
before Dalmain could respond.

6. “Make him stay there, think I fool enough to give Jamaican government my
information so people can go thief it. Him can call me fool all him like.”

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 “Well if you never fool you would have read that the nature of the NIDS makes it harder
for identity theft,” came Dalmain’s caustic reply.
“Man have a point Dalmain, the same thing that happen in India can happen here.”
“What happen there Cavan?” Dalmain asked “that one miss me.”
“The national id system there was breached, some bright Indian just create username and
password and get access to information for millions of Indian citizens.” Cavan replied.
“See what I talking bout, I don’t even have to read nothing to know that this can happen.”
Gilroy replied sending a sharp glance in Dalmain’s direction. “You two can stay with your
NIDS, I make up my mind about it already. Later, I gone to class.”
“Dalmain, ” Cavan said as soon as Gilroy walked off, “you think Roy will pass Academic
Writing 2 this time.”
“Right now I think it easier for the fat woman who sell at the gate to go through the eye of a
needle.” Dalmain replied as the two headed off to class.

SECTION A - 22 MARKS
ANSWER ALL THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. In ONE clear statement identify the main issue under discussion in the passage [1 Mark]

The main issue under discussion is whether or not the National Identification System
(NIDS) makes sense OR whether or not the National Identification System (NIDS)
should be implemented by the government.

2. Which character, in your opinion, BEST displays features of a critical thinker? Using TWO
pieces of evidence from the passage, justify your answer. [2 Marks]

Character: Cavan
He:
i. He seems knowledgeable about the issue and uses evidence to support his
position.
ii. He was fair-minded as he took into consideration what each of his friends had to
say.
iii. He reasoned from a logical perspective and was able to identify the faults in
others’ arguments.
iv. He evaluated evidence presented to him.

Award:

• Full marks if students correctly identify speaker and two characteristics displayed in
the passage.

• 1.5 marks for naming speaker and 1 characteristic displayed in the passage.

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 • 0.5 marks for naming speaker

• If the student identifies characteristics displayed in the passage but does not identify a
speaker, the student should be awarded no marks.

3. With close reference to sections 3 and 4 of the passage, construct an inductive argument that

could be used in support of the National Identification System (NIDS) [3 Marks]

Premise: NIDS will allow for easier access to government and private sector services

Premise:_ NIDS will eliminate the need for multiple forms of identification

Premise:_ NIDS will make identity theft more difficult

Conclusion: NIDS is a worthwhile/good system/The government should proceed with

the implementation of NIDS.

Award:

 1 mark for stating the correct conclusion

 1 mark each for each correct premise

 For students to receive full marks they must correctly label the parts of the argument.

4. List TWO (2) facts which are evident in the passage. [1 Mark]

Award half mark each for any two statements from the passage that can be objectively verified;
for example, Gilroy has failed AW2 twice; Gilroy was not aware of NIDS; Gilroy recently
applied for his US visa;

5. List TWO (2) opinions which are evident in the passage. [1 Mark]

Award half mark each for any two subjective statements from the passage; for example,
Dalmain’s statement that ‘NIDS has potential’ or that ‘it looks like Gilroy will never learn
about NIDS’; Gilroy’s statement that NIDS is ‘foolishness”

6. Identify and construct the argument that Gilroy used in section 5 of the passage, where he tried
to prove that NIDS will not work. [3 Marks]
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 Argument: Deductive

Major Premise: Everything that the government implements crash/All systems

implemented by the government crash.

Minor Premise: The government plans on implementing NIDS/NIDS will be implemented

by the government.

Conclusion: NIDS will crash/ NIDS will not work.

Award:

 0.5 mark for correctly identifying the argument

 2.5 marks for constructing a complete deductive argument in which all statements are
logically linked. There can be no part mark for this question.

7. Which character in your opinion displays some amount of ethos appeal? Give TWO (2) reasons
in support of your response [3 Marks]

Character: Cavan
Evidence:
i. He was knowledgeable about the issue – He could explain aspects of the NIDS
system. He also spoke about the hacking that took place in India
ii. He was not dismissive of other viewpoints - He was willing to acknowledge that
Gilroy had a point.
iii. He showed tact and was respectful while making his point. He was not insulting
when speaking to Gilroy.

Award 1 mark for correctly identifying a speaker and 1 mark each for any two pieces of evidence
from the passage.

8. Citing TWO (2) pieces of evidence from the passage, identify the speaker who uses logos
appeal. [3 Marks]

Speaker: Gilroy

Evidence:
The current ID system is working, and so there is no need to spend money on a new one.
He spoke to the fact that we had NIS, TRN…etc.
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 He suggests that providing the government with all that information would increase the
chance of it being stolen.

Speaker: Dalmain

Evidence:
NIDS will replace multiple forms of ID
It would allow greater access to government and private sector service.
It will make identity theft more difficult

Award 1 mark for correctly identifying a speaker and 1 mark each for any two pieces of evidence
from the passage.

9. Identify and construct the argument that Cavan uses in section 6 of the passage to convince
Dalmain that the NIDS might make identity theft easier. [3 Marks]

Argument: Analogy

Premise: India implemented a National Identification System

Premise: Jamaica is planning to introduce a National Identification System like that in
India.
Premise: India’s NIDS was breached, allowing access to the information for millions of
Indian Citizens
Conclusion: If the system is introduced in Jamaica, it will be breached, allowing access to
the information for Jamaicans citizens.

10. State ONE (1) assumption which may be inferred from Gilroy’s statement at the end of section
4 of the passage {“…..even Ray Charles can see it not right”}. [2 Marks]

Please note that the speaker who made the statement is Dalmain, not Gilroy.

Gilroy will not pass Academic Writing 2.

SECTION B – 8 marks

Examine the image below and answer the following questions:

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(a) Clearly state the claim being presented in the image [2 Marks]
(b) Comment on the effectiveness of the image in making the claim in (a) [2 Marks]
(c) Identify the target audience [1 Mark]
(d) State TWO (2) assumptions that the creator of the image makes about the target audience. [3 Marks]

Any statement that captures any of the following idea is acceptable.

a.
a.
a.
a.
a.
a.
a.
a.
a.
a.
a.
Claim:
Pollution/improper disposal of garbage is harmful, not only to marine life, but also to humans/the
entire environment. OR

Pollution of the sea/water bodies endangers not only marine life but the entire ecosystem.
OR
Pollution of the sea/water bodies is harms, not only the fishes, but also the humans who
consume them. OR

When we pollute the sea/evironment we are harming ourselves.

b. Effectiveness: Accept any logical explanation. Explanations would include: the opened

can labeled as sardine representing something the audience would consume; the empty

crumpled cork-less bottle inside of the can replacing the actual fish – suggesting that

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 garbage was what was consumed by the fish and will ultimately be what humans will

consume; the rhetorical question at the top of the image adds to the message as it would

make the audience think about their littering habits.

Award full marks if the student clearly states whether the image is or is not effective

supported by 2 pieces of evidence.

c. Target audience: The general public

People who litter (specific audience)

d. Assumptions:
• The target audience is likely to litter.
• They are not aware of the danger of littering.
• They need to be aware of the danger of littering.
• They care about the environment/what they consume.
• They consume fish/sardines.
• They will associate the open can with food.
• They will recognize that an empty bottle is what is in the can and associate
that the garbage/littering.

Award 1.5 marks each for correctly stating two assumptions.

END OF TEST