Trick question
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="trick">trick</span> <span word="question">question</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="passage">passage</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="news">news</span> <span word="conference">conference</span> <span word="yesterday">yesterday</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="refused">refused</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="promise">promise</span> <span word="we">we</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="fewer">fewer</span> <span word="troops">troops</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Iraq">Iraq</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="year">year</span>. “<span word="Because">Because</span>,” <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>, “<span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trick">trick</span> <span word="question">question</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="trick">trick</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="deceive">deceive</span> <span word="someone">someone</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="pretend">pretend</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="ill">ill</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trick">trick</span> – <span word="so">so</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="skip">skip</span> <span word="school">school</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="work">work</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="trick">trick</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="tricky">tricky</span> (<span word="deceptive">deceptive</span>), <span word="a">a</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="asked">asked</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="easily">easily</span> <span word="misleads">misleads</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="questioned">questioned</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span> <span word="answer">answer</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="promise">promise</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="definite">definite</span> <span word="reduction">reduction</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="troops">troops</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Iraq">Iraq</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="nobody">nobody</span> <span word="knows">knows</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="happen">happen</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="year">year</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="promised">promised</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="silly">silly</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="twelve">twelve</span> <span word="months">months</span>’ <span word="time">time</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="escalation">escalation</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fighting">fighting</span> <span word="which">which</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="turn">turn</span>, <span word="would">would</span> <span word="require">require</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="greater">greater</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="troops">troops</span>.</p><p><span word="Sometimes">Sometimes</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="answer">answer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trick">trick</span> <span word="question">question</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="classic">classic</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trick">trick</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lawyer">lawyer</span> <span word="raises">raises</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="defendant">defendant</span>: “<span word="Have">Have</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="stopped">stopped</span> <span word="beating">beating</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="wife">wife</span>? <span word="Answer">Answer</span> ‘<span word="Yes">Yes</span>’ <span word="or">or</span> ‘<span word="No">No</span>’?”</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="defendant">defendant</span> <span word="finds">finds</span> <span word="himself">himself</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="double">double</span> <span word="bind">bind</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="a">a</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="win">win</span> <span word="situation">situation</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="answers">answers</span> “<span word="Yes">Yes</span>” <span word="it">it</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="imply">imply</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="beat">beat</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="wife">wife</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="stopped">stopped</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="now">now</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="answers">answers</span> “<span word="No">No</span>”, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="implies">implies</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="victim">victim</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="domestic">domestic</span> <span word="violence">violence</span>.</p>
页:
[1]