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Answer Key
1. B
2. A
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1. A common misconception of public speaking is that the speaker should
A) always speak alone.
B) be seen as an expert authority.
C) not experience speech anxiety.
D) be very nervous while speaking.
2. All forms of public speaking are about
A) bringing people together.
B) persuading a group to accept the speaker’s viewpoint.
C) informing an audience of something new.
D) celebrating an event, an idea, or a person.
3. Although you can formally study public speaking, doing so is NOT a substitute for
A) practice.
B) organization.
C) research.
D) craftsmanship.
4. Audience analysis is part of the _____ step of preparing and delivering a speech.
A) practice
B) research
C) organize
D) plan
5. Communication apprehension that is specific to making speeches is called
A) speech anxiety.
B) “faking it.”
C) self-consciousness.
D) speech phobia.
6. Speech instructors often ask students to speak in front of the class early in the semester
to A) eliminate students’ fear of failure.
B) allow students to experience the anxiety they will be feeling throughout the class.
C) show the class who the most skilled speakers are.
D) reduce students’ anxiety about public speaking.
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7. Even for short speeches, it is important that you
A) incorporate research.
B) write down the structure.
C) read from your notes.
D) follow a prescribed organizational pattern.
8. The ancient Greeks describe public speaking or oratory as _____, or a craft.
A) a science
B) manipulation
C) a techne
D) a calling
9. Extemporaneous speeches are those that appear to be
A) memorized.
B) read from a manuscript.
C) spontaneous.
D) disorganized.
10. Free speech and the study of public speaking are related because
A) influential speaking can be perceived as threatening to those in power.
B) history provides many examples of speech being suppressed or banned.
C) the study of public speaking assumes free speech.
D) if people are moved by a speech, then they will be motivated to stand up to those in
power.
11. Where does most of what we know and teach about public speaking come from?
A) ancient Greek manuscripts
B) Gorgias
C) the sophists
D) the Enlightenment
12. Which of the following is true of Gorgias and some other sophists?
A) They believed public speaking was dependent on the context.
B) They found the view of public speaking as manipulation to be unethical.
C) They believed public speaking involved adapting to the “soul of the listener.”
D) They boasted they could teach public speaking like a science.
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13. How are the conversational and civic models of public speaking different from one
another?
A) The conversational model involves speaking to one audience member, while the
civic model involves speaking to many.
B) The conversational model is common in small-group settings, while the civic model
is common with large audiences.
C) The conversational model sees public speaking as a dialogue between the speaker
and audience, while the civic model sees public speaking as a component of a much
larger democratic dialogue among communities.
D) The conversational model is focused on the audience, while the civic model focuses
on the unique gifts of skills of the speaker.
14. How are visualization and preparation related?
A) You must visualize before you can prepare.
B) Preparation makes visualization easier.
C) If you visualize a positive outcome, you can avoid other forms of preparation.
D) Speakers should either visualize or prepare for every speech.
15. How can we look to our audience for support when we’re speaking in public?
A) Hope they will applaud because we are at their mercy.
B) Ask audience members for support directly.
C) Think of the audience as an ally.
D) Empathize with the audience.
16. How can you ensure your speech will sound spontaneous?
A) Avoid rehearsing it.
B) Research the audience.
C) Organize and plan in advance.
D) Practice positive visualization.
17. Which of the following should you use to discover basic demographic information about
your audience?
A) audience analysis
B) invention
C) visualization
D) self-fulfilling prophecy
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18. How many main points should a speech typically contain for an audience to respond well
to it? A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five
19. If you are following the basic steps for speech preparation and delivery, when do you
conduct research?
A) first
B) second
C) third
D) fourth
20. In his 1952 book The Power of Positive Thinking, which of the following concepts does
Norman Vincent Peale argue is transformative?
A) self-fulfilling prophecy
B) positive visualization
C) faking it until you make it
D) persuasion
21. In popular culture, which of the following terms is used to refer to speech anxiety?
A) phobia
B) jitters
C) stage fright
D) communication apprehension
22. In the ancient Greek study of oratory, which of the following terms is the original term
used for figuring out what to say to an audience?
A) techne
B) rhetoric
C) invention
D) audience analysis
23. In the centuries-long study of public speaking, its study and teaching have typically
flourished only in _____ cultures.
A) authoritarian
B) Asian
C) war-driven
D) democratic
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24. In which of the following four steps of preparing and delivering a speech will you decide
the order of your main points?
A) research
B) organize
C) practice
D) delivery
25. Influential speaking may be perceived as _____ to those in power.
A) beneficial
B) intriguing
C) instructive
D) threatening
26. Universal principles cannot be applied to every context of speaking because how you
speak and what you say depends on
A) your level of extroversion or introversion.
B) your experience speaking on the topic at hand.
C) your level of speech anxiety.
D) the speaking situation and your audience.
27. Gorgias believed that, like witchcraft, public speaking could be used to
A) retaliate against someone.
B) cast spells.
C) inflict physical pain.
D) achieve good or bad results.
28. Many cultural variables come into play in presenting a successful speech. This expresses
the ______ nature of speaking contexts.
A) scientific
B) universal
C) variable
D) manipulative
29. Practicing your speech will help you
A) learn about your topic.
B) remember your main points.
C) eliminate unnecessary citations.
D) anticipate the audience’s reaction.
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30. Public speaking is considered to be an art or a craft rather than a science because it is
A) not a physical thing.
B) based on laws and rules.
C) adaptable based on circumstance.
D) effective only when using certain skills.
31. Which of the following statements best describes why public speaking is said to have
impressive power?
A) It can reach millions of people through TV.
B) It can influence how people think about, act in, and feel about the world around
them.
C) Public speaking is usually the way powerful people become powerful.
D) Any person can do it successfully with little study or training.
32. In which of the following models of public speaking is understood to be a component of
a larger, democratic dialogue among communities or “publics”?
A) civic
B) conversational
C) persuasive
D) town hall
33. Public speaking remains a persistent and common _____ for most people.
A) fear
B) goal
C) fascination
D) dream
34. Reframing anxiety as excitement can
A) improve performance.
B) help us speak more quickly.
C) increase the release of adrenaline.
D) ease the burden of being the expert.
35. Regardless of your speech situation, any group you publicly speak to constitutes
A) a body.
B) a multitude.
C) an organization.
D) a public.
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36. Speech anxiety can be properly handled by
A) telling yourself your anxiety is just excitement.
B) keeping your speech spontaneous.
C) anticipating everything that could possibly go wrong.
D) remembering that you don’t have to be knowledgeable about your topic.
37. According to Gorgias, speech is a powerful lord because it has the ability to
A) stop fear.
B) win romantic attention.
C) banish immorality.
D) nurture one’s ethical compass.
38. According to sociologist Robert K. Merton, what can envisioning failure or getting
caught up in gloomy scenarios lead to?
A) a self-fulfilling prophecy
B) negative visualization
C) negative spiral
D) a recipe for failure
39. Which of the following statements is true regarding the “fake it until you make it”
approach to public speaking?
A) It can reduce or eliminate the need to prepare carefully.
B) It can improve the positive feelings of the speaker.
C) It eliminates speech anxiety.
D) It is considered a very risky approach.
40. A speaker who is nervous about speaking in public may be reassured by remembering
that A) the audience wants to hear the speaker.
B) the burden of understanding is on the audience.
C) most people in the audience are not paying attention.
D) many in the audience have never given a public speech.
41. Which of the following statements is true regarding the great Greek orators and
philosophers?
A) Isocrates approached the teaching of public speaking as a science.
B) Plato believed public speaking was context dependent, not law-based.
C) Aristotle believed the teaching of public speaking was law-based.
D) Gorgias believed public speaking could teach moral character.
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42. The power of speech has been studied for approximately how many years?
A) 2,000
B) 1,600
C) 1,200
D) 600
43. Gorgias compared the powers of persuasion to
A) victory in war.
B) wrestling.
C) black magic.
D) seduction.
44. Which of the following terms emphasizes doing something and refers to having the
quality of being concrete and hands-on?
A) rhetoric
B) craft
C) oratory
D) science
45. The speaker and the audience are understood to be in dialogue with each other in the
_____ model of public speaking.
A) traditional
B) civic
C) progressive
D) conversational
46. The study of public speaking is almost always taught together with which of the
following other subjects?
A) ethics
B) rhetoric
C) analogy
D) art
47. The view that the speaker and audience share responsibility in a public speaking
situation reflects the idea of public speaking as a
A) performance.
B) dance.
C) civic conversation.
D) relationship.
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48. Verbal communication with others invokes fears that we all have and that are called
A) shyness.
B) communication apprehension.
C) generalized anxiety.
D) phobias.
49. Which of the following did Isocrates insist public speaking could NOT teach?
A) manners
B) witchcraft
C) compliance with laws
D) moral character
50. Which of the following types of speech delivery gives the impression of little
preparation, even though it is likely planned in advance?
A) impromptu
B) natural
C) manuscript
D) extemporaneous
51. Which of the following is the closest translation to the Greek concept of techne?
A) rhetoric
B) craftsmanship
C) audience
D) expertise
52. Which of the following is the focus of the formal study of public speaking today?
A) oratory
B) audience expectations
C) persuasion
D) creative organization
53. Which of the following primary fears does public speaking often invoke?
A) forgetting what we are supposed to say
B) being the center of attention
C) being judged by others
D) tripping on our words
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54. When do we experience the most speech anxiety?
A) while delivering the speech
B) during speech rehearsals
C) as we anticipate making a speech
D) when we are choosing a topic to speak about
55. When we are listening to a public speaker, many of us imagine ourselves in the speaker’s
shoes. What does this describe?
A) sympathy
B) empathy
C) appreciation
D) conversation
56. Which of the following basic steps of preparing and delivering a speech is completed
after research has been conducted?
A) plan
B) organize
C) practice
D) deliver
57. Which of the following can be used as a metaphor for public speaking?
A) humor
B) anxiety
C) anger
D) persuasion
58. Above all else, we should always tailor our speeches to the _____ when researching a
topic. A) location
B) occasion
C) audience
D) assignment
59. Which of the following describes the relationship between speech anxiety and
communication apprehension?
A) Communication apprehension is a type of speech anxiety.
B) Speech anxiety is a type of communication apprehension.
C) Communication apprehension is a narrower concept than speech anxiety.
D) They are the same thing.
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60. Speech instructors most commonly teach _____ to reduce speech anxiety.
A) planning and preparation techniques
B) breathing and visualization exercises
C) expressive hand and facial gesturing
D) vocal projection and eye contact strategies
61. Which of the following is a trick for reducing speech anxiety?
A) Speak for a shorter period of time.
B) Channel nervous energy into planning.
C) Think of yourself as the center of attention.
D) Contemplate all the “what ifs” carefully and often.
62. Which of the following is NOT a consideration when we shift from a focus on oratory to
a focus on the expectations of the audience?
A) Who is my audience?
B) What is my special expertise in this topic?
C) What is the best way to address my audience?
D) What kind of message is expected by this particular audience?
63. Which of the following is true about audience analysis?
A) It is part of the organize step of preparing and delivering a speech.
B) It is one type of research you must conduct when preparing for a speech.
C) It must be achieved through interview or survey.
D) It requires more than just observing your audience members.
64. Which of the following statements is true about speech anxiety?
A) Advanced public speakers stop feeling speech anxiety.
B) Lack of experience is a cause of speech anxiety.
C) There are no reliable ways to avoid speech anxiety.
D) We feel the most speech anxiety while we‘re speaking.
65. Which of the following strategies might increase speech anxiety?
A) Make your speech as spontaneous as possible.
B) Reframe your nervousness as excitement.
C) Channel your nerves into planning and preparation.
D) Speak for a longer period of time.
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66. Who famously criticized teaching public speaking as a science and found manipulative
public speaking to be unethical?
A) Gorgias
B) Plato
C) Aristotle
D) Isocrates
67. You can improve your positive feelings as a speaker by acting in a(n) _____ manner.
A) powerful
B) extroverted
C) silly
D) relaxed
68. Popular models of public speaking currently see public speaking as one-way
communication.
A) True
B) False
69. Visualizing yourself successfully giving a speech can help increase your confidence.
A) True
B) False
70. Observing the audience can be a way for a speaker to understand speaking constraints.
A) True
B) False
71. Research is a crucial component of visualization and confidence in speaking.
A) True
B) False
72. It is often through rehearsing that a speaker gets a sense of the length of his or her
speech.
A) True
B) False
73. According to Isocrates, the study of public speaking can make you a good person.
A) True
B) False
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74. When we speak extemporaneously, we speak from a manuscript or teleprompter.
A) True
B) False
75. In order to conduct audience analysis, you must give a survey or poll to your audience.
A) True
B) False
76. Many of us become more nervous the longer we speak.
A) True
B) False
77. It is easier to visualize having a positive speaking experience if you are prepared.
A) True
B) False
78. Public speaking anxiety can never be eliminated entirely, no matter how much
experience you have.
A) True
B) False
79. Public speaking can be considered a group effort.
A) True
B) False
80. Public speaking is a science that depends on understanding, planning, and doing.
A) True
B) False
81. Speech anxiety concerns fears that we all have about verbal communication with others.
A) True
B) False
82. The primary source of speech anxiety is a lack of preparation.
A) True
B) False
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83. The term public refers only to a large group of people to whom you speak.
A) True
B) False
84. There are many historical examples of the suppression or banning of speech as a result of
fear of its power.
A) True
B) False
85. There are no hard-and-fast rules for public speaking.
A) True
B) False
86. What we fear most about public speaking is forgetting our research or arguments.
A) True
B) False
87. The primary purpose of public speaking is to create relationships with others.
A) True
B) False
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Answer Key
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. B
5. A
6. D
7. B
8. C
9. C
10. C
11. A
12. D
13. C
14. B
15. C
16. C
17. A
18. B
19. A
20. B
21. C
22. C
23. D
24. B
25. D
26. D
27. D
28. C
29. B
30. C
31. B
32. A
33. A
34. A
35. D
36. A
37. A
38. A
39. B
40. A
41. B
42. A
43. D
44. B
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45. D
46. A
47. C
48. B
49. D
50. D
51. B
52. B
53. C
54. C
55. B
56. B
57. A
58. C
59. B
60. A
61. B
62. B
63. B
64. B
65. A
66. B
67. B
68. B
69. A
70. A
71. A
72. A
73. B
74. B
75. B
76. B
77. A
78. A
79. A
80. B
81. B
82. B
83. B
84. A
85. A
86. B
87. A