Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank for Essentials of Human Communication, Eighth Edition
CHAPTER 13: THE INFORMATIVE SPEECH
Multiple Choice Questions
1)
According to your text, an informative speech should tell listeners something they
A)
have forgotten. C)
did not know before.
B)
already know. D)
like to hear old or new.
2)
When deciding on the amount of information to present in an informative speech, a speaker should
A)
cover as much information as possible within the time limit, so the audience does not get bored.
B) strive for depth of information rather than breadth.
C)
develop at least five main points to ensure there is something in the speech that will be of interest to most
everyone in the audience.
D)
use amplification sparingly to ensure enough time to cover main points.
3)
Which of the following is true concerning the level of complexity for informative speeches?
A)
It is nearly impossible to simplify a speech too much regardless of the audience.
B)
Complex presentations are preferable to simple presentations to ensure audience interest.
C)
Beginning speakers often make their presentations too simple and bore their audiences.
D)
The level of complexity should be adjusted depending on factors such as context and audience’s
knowledge of the topic.
4)
Which of the following is a guideline for using numerical data?
A)
Use numbers whenever possible.
B) Avoid the use of graphs and charts.
C)
Currency is not important.
D)
Make the numbers easy to remember.
5)
Which of the following is a guideline for creating an effective informative speech?
A)
Share as much information as you can in the time you have.
B)
Including more complex information is preferable to making the information too simple.
C)
Relate new information to old.
D)
Speakers who have an expertise in a subject need not worry about making the topic relevant to their
audiences.
6)
Direct your audience’s attention to your most important points by
A)
using guide phrases.
B) giving them a lot of material at once.
C) making the material as complex as possible.
D)
varying the pattern of organization as much as possible.
7)
What is the term for a form of supporting material consisting of experts’ opinions or witnesses
accounts?
A)
testimony C)
narrative
B)
illustration D)
model
8)
Which statement best describes the difference between examples and narratives?
A)
Narratives are considerably longer than examples.
B) Narratives are fictional; examples are factual.
C)
Examples are more appropriate as supporting material for informative speeches than narratives are.
D)
Examples and narratives are interchangeable in informative speeches.
9)
In his speech on the need to expand the local animal shelter, Sheldon quotes the local animal center’s
director as stating, “If we do not secure funding to expand the shelter, we will be unable to take in the
additional number of animals that need shelter.” Sheldon is using which type of support material?
A)
an example C)
numerical data
B)
testimony D)
a definition
10)
Which of the following illustrates the best use of testimony for a speech on civic engagement?
A)
Benjamin Barber, a leading civil society scholar, suggests most Americans perceive themselves more as
consumers than citizens.
B)
My roommate said he thought he would be more engaged in politics, if he didn’t work so much.
C)
John Cameron, director of many blockbuster movies, thinks Americans are more engaged than most
people think.
D)
I heard somewhere that people on the East coast, like around Washington, D.C., are really interested
in politics.
11)
If your speech focused on the events of September 11, you would most likely give a speech of
A)
definition.
B)
demonstration.
C)
special occasion.
D)
description.
12)
Which of the following topics would be most appropriate for a speech of definition?
A)
the meaning of new-age rap music
B) the geographical layout of Yosemite National Park
C)
how to make salsa
D)
the contributions of a famous politician
13)
Which of the following topics would be most appropriate for a speech of demonstration?
A)
the concept of rhetoric
B)
how to use a potter’s wheel
C) how the human circulatory system works
D)
What is a born-again Christian?
14)
Which type of informative speech shows the audience how something is done or how to operate
something?
A)
definition C)
description
B)
temporal D)
demonstration
15)
Which of the following is NOT a guideline for effective presentation aid use?
A) Know your presentation aid intimately.
B) Integrate your presentation aid into the speech seamlessly.
C) Avoid talking to your presentation aids.
D) Don’t rehearse your speech with your presentation aid to risk ruining the spontaneity.
16)
The use of a model as a presentation aid is especially helpful when explaining
A)
trends. C)
the growth of something.
B)
complex structures. D)
currents.
17)
Which of the following is one of the guidelines listed in the text for using presentation aids?
A)
Pretest the presentation aids.
B) Look at the presentation aids rather than your audience.
C)
Keep the aids visible to the audience even after you have finished using them.
D)
Save the aids for the actual presentation, not rehearsal.
18)
If you want to encourage your audience to take notes, the best medium for your presentation aid is
A)
a chartboard. C)
slides.
B)
a flip chart. D)
handouts.
True/False Questions
1)
There is no limit to the amount of information that a listener can take in at any one time.
2)
People learn information more easily and retain it longer when it is related in some way to what they
already know.
3)
When presenting an informative speech, always use technical language regardless of the audience.
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Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank for Essentials of Human Communication, Eighth Edition
4)
One way to make an informative speech easy to remember for an audience is to make sure they
understand the pattern of organization you are using.
5)
Examples, illustrations, and narratives may be factual or imaginary.
6)
If you define the term “inflation” by citing the definition of a noted economist, you are defining by
linguistic development.
7)
One pitfall of using a whiteboard is that you can lose your audience through lack of eye contact.
8)
An appropriate specific purpose statement for a speech on the concept of postmodernism would be
“about postmodernism.”
9)
If you cite a definition available in a dictionary, you have presented an operational definition.
Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank for Essentials of Human Communication, Eighth Edition
Completion Questions
1)
In a speech on the benefits of learning another language, Adda related a story of how being able to speak
Spanish on a trip to Mexico made it easier to get around and find certain places. This supporting
material
constitutes a(n) __________
2)
When you quote an expert in a speech, you are using the form of supporting material known as
__________
3)
Providing a list of the materials that went into building a monument constitutes a definition by
__________
4)
Supporting material that summarizes the characteristics of a complex set of numbers is referred to as
__________
5) If possible, rehearse with the
_________________ you’ll have available on the day you’re speaking.
6)
Presentation aids are
__________ or
__________ means for clarifying ideas.
7) __________ are used to explain complex material and to provide listeners with a permanent record of some
aspect of your speech.
8)
The book describes three types of informative speeches: speeches of demonstration, speeches of
__________, and speeches of definition.
9)
Eliana gave her informative speech on how to set a formal dinner table. Eliana’s speech is a speech of
__________
Matching Sequence
Match the topic with the type of informative speech it exemplifies.
1)
structure of a C-130 airplane A)
speech of description
2)
different interpretations of sexual B)
speech of demonstration
harassment
3)
how to make a memory book C)
speech of definition