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Answer Key
1. D
2. D
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1. Which would likely be the most difficult to embed in a slide?
A) an image with red and green
B) a line graph
C) a hyperlink to a website
D) a video clip
2. Which object would require that you seek out permission before using it in your
presentation?
A) a poem you have written
B) a picture you took
C) a quote from a peer-reviewed journal
D) a diagram you found on the Internet
3. How would using many different colors in your presentation affect audience members?
A) They would better understand the abstract concepts in your speech.
B) They might be unable to see your visual aid.
C) They would be more engaged with your speech.
D) They could more easily interpret complex concepts from your speech.
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4. During her speech, Grace plans to display her PowerPoint slides on a large screen. What
additional step is recommended in case of a technical failure?
A) She should memorize her speech.
B) She should bring an electronic backup of her slide set.
C) She should create and distribute handouts of her slides to the audience.
D) She should create large-scale visual aids of the content from her slides.
5. Which term refers to any physical object — living or inorganic — that helps you
illustrate a main point of your speech?
A) picture
B) prop
C) data
D) multimedia
6. In your speech about making a French toast casserole, you plan to bring a loaf of bread
and a dozen eggs, which are ingredients in French toast. Which type of presentation aids would
these items be considered?
A) props
B) multimedia
C) data
D) pictures
7. Which presentation aids would be most helpful when you are giving a speech about the
beauty of the English countryside?
A) props
B) audio clips
C) data
D) pictures
8. If you are considering the technology that will be available to you during your
presentation, which presentation aids are you likely considering?
A) props
B) multimedia
C) data
D) pictures
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9. Which presentation aids would you likely use when discussing the musical style of a
popular singer and songwriter?
A) props
B) multimedia
C) data
D) pictures
10. Jean-luc Doumont notes that slide software is an effective presentation tool, especially
when the speech goal is to
A) relay detailed information.
B) persuade the audience.
C) encourage critical thinking.
D) increase discussion.
11. Judah planned on sharing a video clip during his speech. The video is hosted on an
external website, however, and during his speech, Judah is unable to connect to the Internet.
Unable to show the video, Judah’s best course of action in this situation is to
A) tell the audience there will be a brief break while he works to reestablish an Internet
connection.
B) tell the audience that there has been a technical issue and therefore he will be
skipping the point covered in the video clip.
C) provide the URL of the video clip to audience members and invite them to look up
the video when they get home.
D) tell the audience that he is unable to access the video clip and then describe the
pertinent content from the video.
12. Creating a PDF version of your presentation may help you
A) avoid turning your back on the audience.
B) deal with technical failure.
C) establish rhythm in your presentation.
D) keep your audience from becoming distracted.
13. If you find a video clip from the Internet that you’d like to reference in your presentation,
you should
A) download it from the Internet.
B) insert a hyperlink to it in your presentation software.
C) find a still image to use instead as a representation of the clip.
D) describe it in your own words to avoid copyright infringement.
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14. One of the most important reasons speakers choose to use presentation aids is to help the
audience
A) be entertained.
B) understand a higher volume of information.
C) grasp complex ideas.
D) visualize important information.
15. What is the most important presentation aid in your speech?
A) presentation software
B) the speaker
C) images
D) video clips
16. During her practice run, Savannah realizes there is a point in her speech where she
addresses the points on slide 3 of her presentation and then expands on these points before
moving to slide 4. What strategy is recommended in this case?
A) Cut the expanded discussion of these points to shorten the speech.
B) Move to slide 4 before continuing with the expanded discussion.
C) Insert a new slide after slide 3 that contains abstract images, and show this slide
during the expanded discussion.
D) Insert a blank slide after slide 3, and move to that slide during the expanded
discussion.
17. How should you adjust your presentation aids to keep your audience from becoming
overwhelmed by the information you present?
A) Increase their size.
B) Use colors to organize information.
C) Choose several whimsical fonts.
D) Present only main points.
18. In order to avoid reading from your slides during your presentation, you should
A) memorize your speech.
B) time yourself while practicing with your slides.
C) include visual cues in your notes.
D) insert blank slides into your presentation.
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19. Aubrey gave a speech using Keynote. The feedback from the audience was that the
speech was disjointed. Specifically, some commented on the fact that Aubrey occasionally
forgot to advance her slides to match her discussion. These errors suggest that Aubrey struggled
with which of the following components of giving a slide presentation?
A) tone
B) rhythm
C) use of props
D) content overload
20. Luke is giving a presentation about CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Which
presentation aid is most likely to be distracting to the audience?
A) a flowchart that shows the steps to take when giving CPR and that includes the
associated rationales and links to other resources
B) a video that shows a person giving CPR to a person who has collapsed on a city
sidewalk
C) a training mannequin and a training automated defibrillator device that are used to
demonstrate proper technique
D) a large chart that lists statistics related to deaths from heart attacks
21. Laugh tracks on sitcoms and presentation aids are similar because both should be
A) unobtrusive.
B) conspicuous.
C) loud.
D) the focus.
22. When preparing your presentation, the most important thing you should consider is
whether the aid
A) is interesting.
B) is entertaining.
C) maintains the audience’s focus.
D) supports the message of your speech.
23. Edward Tufte, presentation aid scholar, argues that presentation aids are a form of
A) corroboration.
B) entertainment.
C) overshadowing.
D) abstraction.
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24. Jean-luc Doumont notes that slide software is an effective presentation tool, especially
when the speech goal is to
A) increase discussion.
B) encourage critical thinking.
C) persuade the audience.
D) relay detailed information.
25. Which presentation aids would be most useful if you want to explain the process of
making a baking soda and vinegar rocket?
A) pictures
B) line graphs
C) pie charts
D) audio clips
26. If you are referencing a song in your speech, it would be most efficient to
A) describe the song in your speech.
B) show music notes to represent that song.
C) play the song for the audience.
D) display a picture of the composer.
27. You bring a cello into class for your speech on stringed instruments. Which type of
presentation aid is this instrument?
A) picture
B) data
C) prop
D) multimedia
28. In public speaking, which type of presentation aid is commonly diagrams or
illustrations?
A) pictures
B) data
C) props
D) multimedia
29. The reason that aids help audiences process and remember speeches is that they
A) engage multiple senses.
B) usually replace the bulk of what you say.
C) relay large amounts of information.
D) entertain the audience.
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30. The more modes of sensory engagement you stimulate, the higher the likelihood that
people will _____ information.
A) reject
B) accept
C) retain
D) forget
31. Which would likely be the most difficult to embed in a slide?
A) excessively colorful images
B) line graph
C) sound clips
D) hyperlinks
32. What is the most important general guideline to observe when preparing your
presentation aid?
A) The aid should be interesting.
B) The aid should be entertaining.
C) The aid should be the main focus of your speech.
D) The aid should assist you.
33. According to visual-aid expert Edward Tufte, what do the bulleted lists in PowerPoint
presentations cause?
A) an increase in critical thinking
B) a disinterest in format
C) the creation of a seamless narrative
D) the illusion of analytic rigor
34. When you use visual or audio aids, audiences usually feel more engaged and tend to
believe A) more of what you are saying.
B) that they are getting more information.
C) that you care about your topic.
D) that you are creative.
35. Using a single font in your presentation aid will likely
A) overwhelm your audience.
B) add interest to your aid.
C) tie together the various parts of your aid.
D) seem unprofessional to your audience.
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36. Which is a way to alleviate feelings of panic due to technology failures?
A) Memorize your speech.
B) Have a backup plan.
C) Time yourself while practicing with your slides.
D) Insert blank slides into your presentation.
37. Why should you avoid using the colors red and green in your presentation?
A) to include all audience members
B) to avoid overused colors
C) to tie your presentation together
D) to make your presentation appear more professional
38. When is it okay to look at your slides?
A) to read the slides to the audience
B) to be sure the correct slide is projected
C) to watch moving images in the presentation
D) to alleviate speaking anxiety you have
39. When using presentation aids during a speech, best practice is to
A) display all presentation aids throughout the speech.
B) focus on your audience, not the aids.
C) create and distribute detailed handouts.
D) position yourself such that you can see the aid as the audience does.
40. How can you ensure you’ll be able to use your presentation aids comfortably during your
speech?
A) Keep all presentation aids showing until the end of the speech.
B) Focus on your presentation aid.
C) Try to use detailed handouts.
D) Practice with your aids beforehand.
41. Which is a guideline to follow when deciding which font to use in a presentation aid?
A) Use whimsical fonts.
B) Use several different fonts.
C) Use bold, colorful fonts.
D) Use more straightforward fonts.
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42. Some projection systems are incapable of reproducing certain
A) complex diagrams.
B) video clips.
C) vivid colors.
D) audio clips.
43. Which is a consideration when deciding whether to use a picture or prop as a
presentation aid?
A) Will I have Internet access during my presentation?
B) Will this show the relationship between facts?
C) Will the audience be able to see it?
D) Can my presentation software handle this presentation aid?
44. Which of the following should be considered when deciding whether to use a transition
in your presentation?
A) Will I have Internet access during my presentation?
B) Will this show the relationship between facts?
C) Will the audience be able to see it?
D) Can my presentation software handle this presentation aid?
45. Which is a consideration when embedding a YouTube video or hyperlink in your
presentation?
A) Will I have Internet access during my presentation?
B) Will this show the relationship between facts?
C) Will the audience be able to see it?
D) Can my presentation software handle this presentation aid?
46. The more senses that are stimulated during a speech, the higher the likelihood that
people will engage with the information.
A) True
B) False
47. It is okay to use copyrighted images and content in your slide presentation as long as you
do not give the presentation to the audience as a handout.
A) True
B) False
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48. Slide transition effects should not be used because the available effects can vary among
slide presentation software.
A) True
B) False
49. Presentation aids should include detailed information to support your main points.
A) True
B) False
50. When possible, avoid using hyperlinks in your slide presentation because they are
difficult to properly embed.
A) True
B) False
51. One advantage of presentation aids is that they can make a speech more efficient.
A) True
B) False
52. Edward Tufte argued that PowerPoint is an ideal speaking tool because it helps the
speaker simplify his or her message, thereby improving understanding by the audience.
A) True
B) False
53. Flow charts and pie charts are examples of visual representations of data.
A) True
B) False
54. It is difficult to identify specific guidelines that apply to the creation and use of all
presentation aids.
A) True
B) False
55. Perhaps the biggest mistake speakers make with their visual presentation aids is to make
them too large or too loud.
A) True
B) False
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56. Most people benefit from visual representations of numerical data.
A) True
B) False
57. In some speaking situations, your visual aid should be the main attraction.
A) True
B) False
58. If you choose to use whimsical fonts in your presentation aids, the audience may think
that your speech is interesting.
A) True
B) False
59. According to visual aid expert Edward Tufte, PowerPoint stifles discussion.
A) True
B) False
60. When you are using presentation aids, you should always try to show the presentation
aid as long as possible.
A) True
B) False
61. You may freely use most of the images found on the Internet.
A) True
B) False
62. Presentation software is integral to the North American speaking culture.
A) True
B) False
63. Statistics may be best expressed and represented in a speech using props.
A) True
B) False
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64. According to visual-aid expert Edward Tufte, PowerPoint expresses and encourages
analytic rigor.
A) True
B) False
65. If you are trying to make your presentation aid appear more professional, you should use
a variety of fonts.
A) True
B) False
66. You can be reasonably sure that presentation software transitions will display correctly if
you present from the same device on which they were created.
A) True
B) False
67. Slides should contain as much detail as possible.
A) True
B) False
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Answer Key
1. D
2. D
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