PREVIEW ACTIVITY 1 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.

5 Tips To Improve Your Critical Thinking (C1)

Work with a partner, group, or your teacher. Do the activities below together.

PART 1 Discuss the questions below about critical thinking.

1 How would you explain what critical thinking is in your own words?
2 How important is it to be able to think critically in both your professional and
personal life?
3 What are some example scenarios in which a person must think critically?

PART 2 Write the correct nouns for each word in bold print in the sentences below.

1 An attitude of doubt you have towards the truth or validity of something is

called (skeptical).
(noun)

2 An idea you believe to be true before knowing the facts is called an

(assume).
(noun)

3 A way in which you view or understand the meaning of information is called an

(interpret).
(noun)

PART 3 Choose the correct word that fits the definition of each phrase below. One isn’t used!

approached drawn obscured bombarded unintended

1 If you are to a particular politician, it means that

you support or are attracted to their policies, beliefs, or attitudes.

2 If the consequence of a decision or action is , it

means that the consequence wasn’t planned or meant to happen.

3 If you feel that you are with many decisions, it means that
you feel like you constantly have to make many decisions.

4 If a decision you make is by something, it means that

something affects your ability to see the situation clearly when deciding.
PREVIEW ACTIVITY 2 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
5 Tips To Improve Your Critical Thinking (C1)

PART 1 Choose the correct definition for the vocabulary words as used in the sentences.

1 It’s wise to consider all implications of a difficult decision before making it.

implications are... a. potential future effects or consequences

b. temporary conditions or circumstances
c. memorable events or occurrences

2 After an experiment has concluded, there can be a lot of data to sift through.

sift through means... a. analyze or process carefully

b. transform or convert quickly
c. advance or move forward efficiently

3 The CEO’s bias was clear when he hired his unqualified son for a job position,
even though other job applicants were more qualified.

bias means... a. a logical concern about someone’s behavior

b. an uncertain outcome that nobody can predict
c. an unfair preference / judgment based on emotion

PART 2 Choose the correct word you think fits the context of each sentence below.

1 Testing a product before launching it can hidden issues that

need to be resolved with it.

a. revoke b. reveal c. revive

2 It can take a lot of effort to the belief system of another person.

a. degrade b. deconstruct c. deactivate

3 Many people wish that we could all violence and disease from
the planet.

a. eradicate b. dedicate c. indicate

Bonus Phrases!

a diet craze = a diet that becomes popular for a short period of time
EXAMPLE There’s a new diet craze that all my friends want to try.

at [one’s] disposal = available for one to use whenever or however one wishes
EXAMPLE The military has many resources at their disposal.
5 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
CRITICAL THINKING 5 Tips To Improve Your Critical Thinking (C1)

PREVIEW DISCUSSION: Read the discussion topic

below and discuss it with your partner or teacher.

Do you think that people should make

difficult decisions based on logic or emotion?
Explain your answer.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

PART 1 Write short answers according to the information in the video.

--- 1 What kind of process was described in the video to improve critical thinking?

2:54 2 Before voting for a politician who promises to make gas cheaper, what kind of
implications should we consider?

3:40 3 What can exploring others’ viewpoints and thinking critically help us do?

PART 2 Choose true or false according to the information from the video.

0:55 1 TRUE FALSE A person who uses critical thinking chooses an answer because
it feels right.

2:16 2 TRUE FALSE Information gathering can be useful in helping you assess
different options when making a decision.

3:49 3 TRUE FALSE Critical thinking is a way to eradicate all difficult decisions from
our lives.

Discussion topic: What kinds of difficult decisions have you had to make
PART 3
in your life? Are there any difficult decisions you’re currently trying to make? What
factors are influencing your decision?
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 1 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
5 Tips To Improve Your Critical Thinking (C1)

PART 1 In the video, the narrator says that every day a sea of decisions stretches before us.
What does this metaphor mean? Choose the correct answer below.

a. Every day we think deeply about all our decisions.

b. Every day we face a great deal of decisions.
c. Every day we make decisions before thinking critically
about them.

PART 2 Choose the correct verbs that fit the text below. One is not used!

reveal eradicate implicate deconstruct sift

1 Critical thinking is a way of approaching a question that allows us to carefully

a situation, its hidden issues, such as bias and
manipulation, and make the best decision.

2 If you approach a situation with a clear view of what you want to accomplish,
you’ll be able to through information more critically.

3 The five-step process described won’t difficult decisions

from our lives, but it can help us make positive choices.

PART 3 Rewrite the sentences below and replace the words in bold with the actual phrases
or terms that were used in the video.

1 We constantly feel like we have so many decisions that it’s impossible to

make a perfect choice every time.

2 A person who uses critical thinking subjects all available options to an attitude
of doubt.

3 One unplanned consequence of lowering the cost of gas could be a surge

in air pollution.
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 2 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
5 Tips To Improve Your Critical Thinking (C1)

PART 1 Study the examples and usage of the conjunction whether in indirect speech.

In the video, the narrator suggests how to think critically when facing a decision. She says...

“ Facing a decision, ask yourself, ‘Is my interpretation of the information logically sound’?”

This is an example of direct speech, which is when we directly quote the actual words used in a
specific context. Below is the direct speech transformed into indirect speech:

INDIRECT SPEECH Facing a decision, ask yourself whether your interpretation of the
information is logically sound.

The conjunction whether expresses inquiry, doubt, or uncertainty. It is used with verbs such as
ask..., decide..., discuss..., wonder..., not know..., and to be unsure... . See the next example:

DIRECT SPEECH “Should we collect more data?”
INDIRECT SPEECH We are unsure whether we should collect more data.

PART 2 Transform the direct speech into indirect using the conjunction whether. Use the
present simple or present continuous with the subjects / verbs provided.

EX (yourself / ask) “Is my interpretation of the information logically sound?”

Ask yourself whether your interpretation of the information is logically sound.

1 (I / not know) “Will my decision upset others”?

2 (We / discuss) “Should we try out the new diet craze?”

3 (Martin / decide) “Does quitting my job make sense?”

4 (They / be unsure) “Does the promise in the email sound too good to be true?”

5 (My wife / wonder) “Will I be able to use my mobile data when I am abroad?”
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 3
Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
5 Tips To Improve Your Critical Thinking (C1)

CRITICAL THINKING TASK:

Read the scenarios below. Write two critical thinking questions for each scenario to help
you consider how to form your opinion or decide what to do in each one.

EX. SCENARIO On social media, a friend of yours shares a photo of a political candidate
standing over a dead elephant. Your friend is outraged by the idea that this
politician killed an elephant.

CRITICAL 1 Could this photograph be manipulated?

QUESTIONS:

2 Does your friend usually check the validity of information

before posting or sharing things online?

SCENARIO 1: You open your Facebook messenger inbox. A friend of yours who you haven’t
spoken to in a long time has sent you message. The message says “Oh my god!
Is that you in the video?” with a strange URL linking to a video.

CRITICAL 1
QUESTIONS:

SCENARIO 2: You have $15,000 in savings. You love traveling, and you have a dream to spend
a year traveling the world. You also want to buy a small house, and the money
you have is enough for a down payment on one. If you spend your savings on
traveling, you won’t be able to put a down payment on the house, but if you
put a down payment on the house, you won’t be able to travel.

CRITICAL 1
QUESTIONS:

2
QUIZ & REVIEW ACTIVITY Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
5 Tips To Improve Your Critical Thinking (C1)

Work with a partner. Complete the quiz and review activities below.

PART 1 Questions. Discuss and answer the questions below about the video.

1. How is critical thinking defined in the video?

2. What kinds of tips were given to improve your critical thinking?
3. What are the benefits of being able to think critically? What can it help us do?

PART 2 Vocabulary: Explain and/or write what each word or term means below.

1. skepticism

2. unintended consequence

PART 3 Vocabulary: Write the missing words in the spaces below.

1 We are with so many decisions that it’s impossible to make

a perfect choice every time.

2 The five-step process described won’t difficult decisions

from our lives, but it can help us make positive choices.

Grammar: Write the sentence from the video below using indirect speech and the
PART 4
conjunction whether.

Facing a decision, ask yourself, “Is my interpretation of the information logically sound?”

Bonus: Use the word in bold print at the end of the line to form a new sentence that
PART 5
has the same meaning. Use 5 words in the space below, including the word in bold.

Every day we face a great deal of decisions. (STRETCHES)

Every day, before us.

PART 6 Bonus: Discuss what could be an unintended consequence of each action below.

1 Lawmakers vote to increase the income tax rates on rich people

2 You buy your child a new video game as a reward for doing well in school
3 A man gives his wife some of his prescription paid meds for her migraines