1. A retail manager is designing slides for a computer-assisted presentation to accompany her
training session. She should avoid
A. trying to create charts or tables.
B. putting only one thought on each slide.
C. including too many visuals and graphics.
D. using the same old templates provided by the software.
2. A speaker gives a talk on meditating, comparing it in a creative and vivid way to listening to music.
She is using a/an
A. literal analogy.
B. narrative as an example.
C. figurative analogy.
D. illustration as an example.
3. A young man is learning a lot about public speaking but can’t remember where to start in finding a
topic. He might recall that the first step in choosing his topic will be to
A. look at his own interests.
B. focus on what is popular.
C. analyze his audience.
D.decide on his purpose.
4. Topics one should avoid broaching in certain areas are considered
A. taboo.
B. limited.
C. vague.
D. rare.
5. Four listeners provided criticism after a speech in their statements below. Which one failed to stress the
positive?
A. "I would have liked it if you looked directly at me while you were speaking."
B. "The example about the stock market would have gained more attention in the introduction."
C. "The speech just didn’t do anything for me."
D. "I felt you were more in control of the topic today than in your first speech."
6. A seminar participant is asking herself a series of questions (Who? What? Why? When?) about the
general subject she is considering for her presentation. She is using
A. a search directory.
B. topoi, the system of topics.
C. rhetoric, the system of language.
D. a tree diagram.
7. When using a pie graph as a presentational aid, don’t use more than
segments.
A. 5
B. 50
C. 15
D. 25
8. A consumer activist planning to talk about dangerous drugs marketed by the pharmaceutical industry
reviews annual reports of several drug manufacturers as well as original research studies published in
academic journals. He is using
A. primary sources.
B. tertiary sources.
C. professional sources.
D. secondary sources.
9. Thinking that one’s own culture is better than others is called
A. ethnocentrism.
B. egocentrism.
C. individualism.
D. prejudice.
10. You advise a friend who has never given a speech to focus on her thesis, but she’s not sure what
that means. You can remind her that the thesis is
A. the organization or structure.
B. the purpose or goal.
C. the central idea or theme.
D. the intent or motivation.
11. While the speaker is talking, an audience member gestures?smiling, nodding, and leaning forward?
to show that she is listening. These behaviors are called
A. listener biases.
B. display rules.
C. backchannel cues.
D. tonal languages.
12. These four students have used the words or findings of someone else in preparing their
speeches. Which one is correctly and appropriately citing the source during the speech?
A. "As the Dalai Lama said when accepting the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, ‘No matter what part of the world we come
from, we are all basically the same human beings.’"
B. "To quote the Encyclopedia Britannica’s segment on Anatomy of the Brain, the three main parts of the brain are the
cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem."
C. "According to the list of world capitals in InfoPlease, the capital of Pakistan is Islamabad with a population of just
over 600,000."
D. "I have a quote from Albert Einstein that I found and I’d like to read it to you."
13. A speaker decides to include a particular type of example, one that she will convey by telling a
brief story. This means she will be using a/an
A. illustration.
B. definition.
C. analogy.
D. narrative.
14. To limit your speech topic, you should use a
A. tree diagram.
B. Google map.
C. thesaurus.
D. dictionary.
15. A shy, introverted woman is now terrified because public speaking will be required in her new job.
She decides to work her way up by first initiating a conversation with a friend, then asking a few
coworkers some questions, then voicing her opinion in a group, and finally giving a speech to a larger
audience. What technique is she using?
A. Enlarged conversation
B. Self-affirmation
C. Performance visualization
D. Systematic desensitization
16. Which sentence uses the verb to enhance the vividness of a speech?
A. There is no time like the present.
B. Challenges always seem daunting at first.
C. Climb over the obstacles in your path.
D. You have many hidden talents.
17. Based on criticism of her last speech, the one thing a student speaker wants to do is to be clear. What
is one of the guidelines for clarity that will help her accomplish this?
A. Add extra words for embellishment and emphasis.
B. Feel free to include slang and street language.
C. Use specific terms and numbers.
D. Avoid abstractions.
18. A speaker who learned English as a second language often accents the wrong syllable and says
sounds that should be silent—demonstrating two of the most widespread problems with
A. translation.
B. pronunciation.
C. articulation.
D. diction.
19. Four speeches are suggested for a seminar, each with a different intention and goal. In which
situation would the topical pattern be most appropriate?
A. When tracing something through time
B. When explaining something through a series of steps or stages
C. When dividing something into natural units of equal importance
D. When describing something in terms of structure or layout
20. Four speeches are suggested for a seminar, each with a different intention and goal. In which
situation would the topical pattern be most appropriate?
A. When tracing something through time
B. When explaining something through a series of steps or stages
C. When dividing something into natural units of equal importance
D. When describing something in terms of structure or layout
21. The governor opposes the installation of wind turbines as a new energy source in his state because
"we have never done anything like this before." What is he using to make his point?
A. Transfer
B. Appeal to tradition
C. Testimonial
D. Anecdotal evidence
22. A lecturer is concerned that the people attending her upcoming presentation will have very
different opinions from hers. What can she use to persuade a group like this?
A. Contradictory signs
B. Anecdotal evidence
C. Selective exposure
D. Negative social proof
23. A popular columnist is upbeat and enthusiastic, regularly giving reinforcement and approval to other
members of the local press club. What group maintenance role is he fulfilling?
A. The follower
B. The standard setter
C. The elaborator
D.The harmonizer
24. The blueprint for your speech is the
A. research.
B. conclusion.
C. summary.
D. outline.
25. The best friend of the bride will be giving a toast at the wedding reception. One common pitfall that she
should be sure to avoid is to
A. tell an inside joke.
B. focus on the couple.
C. be too brief.
D. raise her glass.
26. A celebrity chef is planning her presentation on how to create an elegant French dish.
Which organizational pattern works best for speeches like hers?
A. Temporal
B. Motivated sequence
C. Spatial
D. Topical
27. A sports analyst is giving a presentation entitled, "Football and Soccer: What’s the Difference?" This
speech will focus primarily on
A. demonstration.
B. action.
C. definition.
D. description.
28. To commemorate an anniversary, a marketer for Bell Labs will give a speech on three
scientific achievements by Alexander Graham Bell. Which pattern should she use?
A. Pro-and-con
B. Spatial
C. Topical
D. "Who? what? where? when? and why?"
29. An American diplomat will be addressing a group of political and business leaders during her trip to
Japan. In considering context, she should be careful to avoid
A. presenting evidence and only implying a related point.
B. bringing up examples or illustrations to come to a conclusion.
C. relying on vague expressions or symbolic language.
D. being too obvious and direct in stating the case.
30. A professor is asked to direct the academic panel on immigration issues. When moderating the
panel, he should
A. treat every comment or question seriously even if they seem silly.
B. feel free to share his opinions through verbal or nonverbal responses.
C. interject meaningful transitions between all presentations.
D. realize a panel format is highly structured and very demanding of its participants.
31. If you consider how much space you need to keep between yourself and your listener,
you’re considering the of the situation.
A. ethnocentrism
B. self-justification
C. thesis
D. proxemics
32. A librarian gives a short talk at her retirement luncheon after 50 years of service to her city. What is she
presenting?
A. A testimonial
B. A toast
C. A commencement address
D. A farewell speech
33. A campus leader wants to persuade other students to jump in and participate in service projects in
the community one Saturday a month. What is his persuasive goal?
A. To motivate to action
B. To change values
C. To strengthen beliefs
D. To weaken attitudes
34. A seasoned speaker has decided he is most comfortable using extemporaneous delivery. The
main reason is because using this method can be thought of as taking part in a kind of
A. rehearsed theater.
B. formal recitation.
C. spontaneous commentary.
D. enlarged conversation.
35. An economist signals where he is going in his presentation on the national debt when he says, "Let me
define the problem," and later, "So what is the solution?" He is using
A. connective transitions.
B. review transitions.
C. preview transitions.
D. signpost transitions.
36. A civic leader is asked to give a eulogy at a public gathering next week. A eulogy is designed to
A. mark a special event or anniversary.
B. give meaning to something at a formal ceremony.
C. present or accept a prestigious award.
D. honor someone who has died.
