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Answer Key
1. B
2. C
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1. Gabrielle’s informative speech about natural law versus conventional law is about
A) a process.
B) a concept.
C) an event.
D) an object.
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2. Selim will give an informative speech to his class on modern art. He will explain the key
term modern art with
A) a demonstration.
B) an event.
C) a definition.
D) a behavior.
3. An informative speech at your office about the new healthcare policy is about
A) an event.
B) an object.
C) an issue.
D) a concept.
4. During Black History Month, Anna watched a lecture about social equality. Which was
the lecture about?
A) process
B) object
C) concept
D) person
5. Christina developed a formal speech about making tamales. This speech was about
A) a concept.
B) an issue.
C) a process.
D) a person.
6. Before taking a boxing class, Jeff watched a demonstration about boxing at his local
gym. The demonstration was a speech about
A) a person.
B) an event.
C) an object.
D) a process.
7. The president of the local art society is coming to campus to speak about Pablo Picasso.
This speech will be about
A) an object.
B) a person.
C) an event.
D) an issue.
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8. On Election Day, the college invited public officials to talk about the benefits of voting
in local elections. This speech is about
A) an issue.
B) a person.
C) a process.
D) an event.
9. Which informative speech is a speech about an event?
A) a theatrical review of a new play on campus
B) a discussion about the benefits of volunteering
C) a demonstration of how to unclog a drain
D) a talk about the new owner of a small private company
10. Philip’s informative speech about the Academy Awards is about
A) a concept.
B) an object.
C) an issue.
D) an event.
11. Which informative speech topic is about an issue?
A) a speech about allocating funds for public transportation
B) a speech about the landing of the InSight spacecraft on Mars
C) a speech about how to fold fitted sheets
D) a speech about the changing views of beauty and age
12. Emma is writing a speech about Martin Luther King Jr. She plans to open with a quote
from King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. When she discusses this plan with her professor, he
recommends she does not do this. What is the most likely reason he says this?
A) The quote is not objective.
B) This is an approach that is widely used.
C) The audience will not recognize the quote.
D) The quote should be used only in a persuasive speech.
13. Accurately estimating the audience’s knowledge about a topic is one strategy for
observing the _____ rule of informative speaking.
A) visual aid
B) abstract language
C) K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students)
D) speaker evaluation
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14. One strategy for making your informative speech simple and easy to understand is to use
repetition and
A) concrete language.
B) abstract language.
C) biased language.
D) technical jargon.
15. When Garret had the choice of giving either an informative speech or a persuasive
speech, he chose informative because it’s easier to give information than to
A) accuse someone of being wrong.
B) change someone’s mind or behavior.
C) ask people for a commitment.
D) be objective about a subject.
16. Which speech would be classified as a speech about a person?
A) a review of a band’s newest album
B) a discussion of a band member’s rise to fame
C) a discussion of how to make a demo recording
D) a summary of different instruments used in different genres
17. Avoiding overly technical language and jargon is one strategy for observing which rule
of informative speaking?
A) the feedback rule
B) speaker evaluation
C) the winnowing down rule
D) the K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students) rule
18. One strategy for observing the K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students) rule is
A) smiling and making eye contact.
B) asking audience members to complete a survey before you begin.
C) not overestimating or underestimating the audience’s knowledge.
D) being forceful and persuasive while speaking.
19. When Eva explained the projected sales growth chart in her PowerPoint presentation, she
combined two aspects of the K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students) rule, including using a visual aid
and A) using bright colors.
B) using jargon.
C) asking for feedback.
D) providing repetition.
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20. Simon’s informative speech about the Eiffel Tower is about
A) a concept.
B) an event.
C) an object.
D) an issue.
21. Tina mistakenly believed all of her classmates were familiar with the entire series of
Harry Potter films and delivered her informative speech on the symbolism found in them. Which
guideline of the K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students) rule did she violate?
A) Don’t coerce the audience.
B) Analyze the audience.
C) Don’t overestimate the audience’s knowledge.
D) Persuade the audience.
22. One strategy for observing the K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students) rule is avoiding
abstractions. If you must use abstractions, it is important to
A) provide visual aids to illustrate them.
B) define them clearly.
C) repeat them to reinforce retention.
D) make them concrete.
23. Students may turn to YouTube videos to see what’s already been done on their topic so
they can try something
A) dramatic.
B) similar.
C) popular.
D) unique.
24. Benjamin is planning his informative speech on communism, which includes a number
of abstract concepts. How can he use K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students) guidelines to make his
speech a success?
A) Define abstract terms and give examples.
B) Provide a visual aid to make the concepts concrete.
C) Repeat abstract terms to enhance retention.
D) Trust that anyone in a college audience can define communism.
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25. Josh is giving an informative speech to video game developers, but he knows the
audience doesn’t have as much experience as he does as a game developer. Which component of
the K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students) rule should Josh be especially aware of?
A) Don’t browbeat.
B) Avoid technical jargon.
C) Use visual aids.
D) Rinse, repeat.
26. In addition to finding an appropriate topic, two key challenges in informative speaking
are getting your audience to find your topic interesting and
A) getting them to provide feedback.
B) encouraging them to remember it.
C) using narrative strategies to tell stories.
D) analyzing the audience.
27. Sierra wanted to give an informative speech on why the yoga class she teaches is the
best, but she realizes that she could not be
A) analyzed as a speaker.
B) biased.
C) celebratory.
D) objective.
28. Showing a photo of her prized garden during an informative speech on home gardening
was a good example of Samantha’s effective use of
A) visual aids.
B) biased information.
C) feedback.
D) technical jargon.
29. Ramona believes it is essential to explain every detail of her extensive research in her
informative speech on severe weather, but she is ignoring the K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students)
rule about
A) narrative coherence.
B) topic selection.
C) quantity of information.
D) personal relevance.
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30. Melissa’s father suggested she give an informative speech on chemistry, a topic Melissa
finds boring. Why would it be a bad idea for Melissa to accept her father’s suggestion?
A) The subject is not personally relevant.
B) She would not be able to remain objective.
C) The topic would not be unique.
D) The choice would violate the guidelines of the K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students)
rule.
31. After Ben told his friends about his trip to Paris, he thought the topic would make a great
informative speech for his communication class. To make this work, Ben would need to make
the speech more formal and
A) abstract.
B) biased.
C) persuasive.
D) objective.
32. When speaking to inform, the primary challenge is conveying the information to
audience members so they are able to
A) see the visual aids.
B) understand the material.
C) provide feedback.
D) take proper notes.
33. Types of informative speech topics include objects, people, events, processes, concepts,
and A) issues.
B) credibility.
C) impromptu.
D) bias.
34. To connect to the audience, speakers may tell stories, also referred to as
A) visual aids.
B) histories.
C) demonstrations.
D) narratives.
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35. Perry gave an informative speech to beginning tennis players, thinking they were
experienced tennis players. His audience members were confused because he used too much
A) technical jargon.
B) abstract language.
C) questions.
D) demonstration.
36. When Mika gave an informative speech about the history of origami, she explained that
the word origami means “paper folding.” Which type of definition is this?
A) dictionary
B) example
C) etymological
D) functional
37. Elia is presenting an informative speech on chiaroscuro painting techniques using his
own paintings as visual aids. This illustrates definition by
A) example.
B) etymology.
C) function.
D) dictionary.
38. If your speech sounds like all the other speeches given on any particular topic, then the
speech is
A) not unique.
B) impromptu.
C) too abstract.
D) not informative.
39. An important and helpful difference between informing and persuading in a speech
concerns
A) objectivity.
B) feedback.
C) speaker evaluation.
D) visual aids.
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40. Teaching, not browbeating, is one strategy for observing which rule of informative
speaking?
A) strategic visualization
B) Aristotelian
C) K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students)
D) winnowing
41. Tim has a tendency to move into the audience, raise his voice, point, and accuse them of
not trying to understand his message. Why does this turn off the audience?
A) He tries to analyze the audience.
B) He uses the feedback rule.
C) He moves into the audience’s physical space.
D) He browbeats the audience instead of teaching them.
42. Cody plans to give his informative speech on federal drug laws to two groups — his
coworkers at a law firm and the members of his father’s softball league. This means he will need
to adjust the amount of what in his speech?
A) technical jargon
B) feedback
C) bias
D) visual aids
43. Your principle task as an informative speaker is to convey information to the members
of your audience that is clear but that doesn’t
A) persuade them.
B) make them laugh.
C) talk down to or insult them.
D) coerce them.
44. Reducing the quantity of information in a speech is one strategy for
A) persuading the audience.
B) making the message easy to understand.
C) making the audience pay attention.
D) increasing audience feedback.
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45. Compared with speaking in the classroom, when speaking outside the classroom, it’s
more likely that the occasion for your speech will determine your
A) bias.
B) gestures.
C) topic.
D) speaker evaluation.
46. Alice wants to set her speech apart from other informative speeches on the benefits of
exercise, so she presents it by using a different organization structure. What is the most likely
reason she does this?
A) to make her speech feel like an impromptu speech
B) to increase her credibility as a speaker
C) to make this topic feel fresh to the audience
D) to eliminate bias from her speech
47. Mateo’s speech on urban renewal is given in a rural school district and includes
information that connects the audience to the topic. What is the most likely reason he does this?
A) to demonstrate this his presentation is not biased
B) to avoid confusing the audience about his main point
C) to increase his credibility as a speaker
D) to demonstrate the relevance of his topic to the audience
48. When Amit gave an informative speech about the increase of extreme weather in the
United States, he defined the official meaning of his key term. This is an example of what type
of definition?
A) etymological
B) persuasive
C) functional or operational
D) dictionary
49. Oliver helped his friend Abe develop a formal speech for an incoming group of freshmen
about the types of majors their university provides. What type of speech is this?
A) impromptu
B) persuasive
C) celebratory
D) informative
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50. Jerrica previewed her main points in the introduction of her speech and then summarized
them in the conclusion. This is an example of
A) a browbeating technique.
B) reinforcement through repetition.
C) speaker evaluation.
D) an etymological explanation.
51. An approach to topic selection used by the ancient Greeks includes selecting a generic
“commonplace” and then
A) personalizing it.
B) winnowing it down.
C) arguing the opposite point.
D) generalizing to a broader audience.
52. Informative speakers are in a position to help the audience learn, but they need to do
three things to engage the audience. One of these is
A) share personal opinions throughout the speech.
B) include information beyond common knowledge.
C) select broad topics that audiences are familiar with.
D) use colorful language to describe common things.
53. Speakers use different types of definitions, including dictionary, example,
functional/operational, and
A) feedback.
B) etymological.
C) process.
D) visual aids.
54. The five strategies for getting your ideas across in an informative speech are description,
explanation, demonstration, narration, and
A) audience analysis.
B) definition.
C) speaker evaluation.
D) feedback.
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55. During an informative speech, the speaker explains how to remove a background from a
digital photo. This is an example of what speech strategy?
A) demonstration
B) definition
C) winnowing
D) exploration
56. Informative speeches that are viewed as objective are also commonly viewed as
A) memorable.
B) entertaining.
C) credible.
D) unique.
57. Tabatha gave an informative speech about basic painting techniques to a group of
professional artists, believing them to be novices. What speech-giving error did she most likely
make? A) focusing too much on persuasion
B) providing definitions of known terms
C) not making the speech personally relevant
D) focusing too much on abstract concepts
58. Tara’s speech about her aunt’s embroidery expertise included colorful, embroidered
clothing as visual aids. This is an example what type of definition?
A) etymological
B) examples
C) dictionary
D) functional or operational
59. When visual artists are asked about their work, they would probably use which strategy
to inform an audience about a painting?
A) speaker evaluation
B) description
C) persuasion
D) feedback
60. Speakers who inform have one primary goal — to provide new information or a new
A) persuasive argument.
B) visual aid.
C) point of view.
D) insult.
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61. By highlighting the three main points in a slide at the beginning of a speech, Martha is
employing which two strategies of the K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, students) rule?
A) Provide vast amounts of information, and use concrete terms.
B) Repeat key information, and use visual aids.
C) Speak to the audience’s level, and keep it brief.
D) Use technical language, and allow the audience to draw conclusions.
62. Speaking to others about your speech topic can give you a better sense of whether an
audience would find it interesting and unique.
A) True
B) False
63. One way to make familiar or known topics feel fresh to audiences is to present the
material using more abstract language.
A) True
B) False
64. You will have a better sense of how sophisticated your speech should be and what angle
to take by finding out how much interest your audience has in your topic and what their
background knowledge is.
A) True
B) False
65. Speaking to inform is usually considered easier than speaking to persuade.
A) True
B) False
66. Successful informative speakers meet audiences “where they are at” by adapting to how
they think, how they feel, and what they believe about the speaker.
A) True
B) False
67. Repeating your main points in your speech will bore the audience and reduce retention.
A) True
B) False
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68. In some situations, it may be appropriate to include dictionary definitions of terms used
in your speech.
A) True
B) False
69. There are four strategies that can be used to get your ideas across in an informative
speech — description, explanation, demonstration, and narration.
A) True
B) False
70. A functional definition shows the development of a word’s historical meaning in one or
more languages.
A) True
B) False
71. Point of view gives audiences a new perspective on a topic that they may not have
considered.
A) True
B) False
72. Speaking to inform aims to change beliefs, attitudes, and values — and sometimes
behavior.
A) True
B) False
73. A speech about an issue involves explaining a current situation or problem.
A) True
B) False
74. An example defines a term by citing the meaning of it as it is given in the dictionary.
A) True
B) False
75. The role of an informative speaker is similar to that of a politician or other leader.
A) True
B) False
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76. The principle task of an informative speech is to convey information in a way that is
clear to understand but that doesn’t talk down to or insult the audience.
A) True
B) False
77. Audiences expect an informative speaker to be objective.
A) True
B) False
78. A speech about a process involves explaining a philosophical or an intellectual idea.
A) True
B) False
79. Some communication scholars argue that all forms of speaking are persuasive at some
level. A) True
B) False
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Answer Key
1. B
2. C
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