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Answer Key
1. D
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1. Which type of belief can be empirically verified?
A) hypothesis
B) theory
C) assumption
D) fact
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2. Using contextual reasoning, what can Terry conclude about his informative speech on
the most effective and efficient methods of energy production?
A) He should rely mainly on statistics to prove certain strategies create better results.
B) Facts would be the best form of support for this speech.
C) All forms of speech support would be valuable, except for stories or narratives.
D) He could benefit from using all five forms of speech support in this speech.
3. Which type of belief is the most basic and reliable for speech support?
A) opinions
B) conclusions
C) judgments
D) facts
4. Students in a beginning speech class are told to research how to cite their sources orally
for their next assignment. Which form of news reporting would serve as the best example?
A) television
B) newspaper
C) radio
D) the Internet
5. Which is the best description of an aggregate?
A) a type of statistic
B) a projection
C) a type of testimony
D) a combination of things
6. Which is an accurate statement regarding statistics?
A) Self-report is a trustworthy source of statistics.
B) An aggregate is a combination of data sources.
C) A direct count is no more credible than an extrapolation or a projection.
D) The most familiar example of misleading statistics is medical research.
7. Dr. Buchanan provides her expert opinion about a medical procedure during a speech at
a conference. What type of testimony is this?
A) expert opinion
B) personal experience
C) lay testimony
D) declaration of faith
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8. Which word is another term for opinion?
A) fact
B) bias
C) stance
D) testimony
9. Hannah is working on a speech for her social studies class with some of her classmates.
Which classmate offers the most accurate advice about speech rules?
A) Bruce says that all speeches should start with a joke and end with a quote.
B) Janice says that there are no rules or guidelines to cover all speaking situations.
C) Marilyn says that all speeches should include a personal anecdote.
D) Vincent says that any speech that does not include at least one statistic will seem
like it has not been supported enough.
10. Which statement about facts and opinions is true?
A) They are equally reliable when used as speech support.
B) They are both considered types of belief.
C) They are both empirically verified.
D) They are in the same category of speech support.
11. Cassandra is giving a presentation to her students about the field trip they are going to
take next week. She will most likely rely on what type of speech support?
A) facts
B) statistics
C) testimony
D) stories and narratives
12. The purpose of contextual reasoning is to keep in mind that there is more to choosing
speech support than
A) cold, rational logic.
B) informal logic.
C) library research.
D) a Google search.
13. Which of the following terms refers to descriptive representations used to illustrate
claims?
A) charts
B) visual aids
C) examples
D) graphs
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14. Which of these refers to the perception or conviction that something is true and is often
contrasted with facts?
A) emotions
B) assumptions
C) hypotheses
D) opinions
15. What is the opposite of an opinion or a belief?
A) data
B) reasons
C) facts
D) theories
16. Jerome is giving a speech to local citizens to try to persuade them to vote to increase
taxes to build a new hospital. What type of speech support is he most likely to use?
A) quotes
B) examples
C) stories and narratives
D) statistics
17. Jennifer is giving a speech at a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization where she is a
member. The organization focuses on improving the education of women around the world.
Which statement from her speech represents lay testimony?
A) “Our programs focus on providing education and job training to women across the
globe.”
B) “Our organization is conducting multiple randomized controlled trials to evaluate
the economic impact of our programs.”
C) “In Afghanistan, 91 percent of women receive no formal education at any point in
their lives.”
D) “After Kaamisha completed the program, she reported, ‘I have been able to start my
own business and am finally independent!’”
18. While delivering his speech for the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
program, Chris talks about the challenges he faced when he quit smoking. What type of
testimony is this?
A) expert
B) lay
C) personal experience
D) declaration of faith
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19. Nicole is presenting a speech on black holes. Part of her speech support is a set of
complex statistics. A colleague suggests adding visual aids related to these statistics. What is the
most likely reason for this suggestion?
A) The speech is being given to a group of astrophysicists.
B) The aids can help her confirm that the data measure what they say they do.
C) The aids better allow Nicole to select the most relevant data.
D) The aids can help the audience better visualize the meaning of the data.
20. Gloria is presenting the findings of her experiment related to tree frogs. In her speech,
she quotes Dr. Ethan, whose research corroborates evidence from Gloria’s experiment. Which
phrase best summarizes what Dr. Ethan’s research lends to Gloria’s speech?
A) “Don’t just take my word for it.”
B) “I am not original in my research ideas.”
C) “I’m an expert, too.”
D) “I read about tree frogs in my spare time, too.”
21. In his speech about balancing academics and sports, William shares the experiences of
several student athletes. What type of testimony is this?
A) expert opinion
B) personal experience
C) lay testimony
D) declaration of faith
22. According to philosopher Douglas Walton, what kind of reasoning do most people use in
public speaking?
A) informal logic
B) formal logic
C) reasoning
D) contextual reasoning
23. Selecting speech materials based on context includes determining the feeling of a
speaking situation as well as the reliability of what will be said, which means you are relying on
A) common sense.
B) reasoning.
C) audience analysis.
D) tone analysis.
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24. What is one guiding question you can ask when determining whether the use of a
particular statistic is fair and appropriate?
A) What does the statistic measure?
B) Does the author have a degree in the subject matter?
C) Does the statistic prove my claim?
D) Has the statistic been fact-checked?
25. Alan is teaching his fourth-grade math class about fractions. He tells his students to
imagine a pizza and then asks the class to think of each slice as a fraction of the whole. What
type of speech support is he using?
A) hypothetical example
B) lay testimony
C) statistics
D) story
26. When you make contextual judgments, you decide the appropriateness of _____ based
on the speaking occasion.
A) informal logic
B) support
C) reasoning
D) quotations
27. Laura is giving an informative speech about the increase in traffic accidents in her area.
She wants to reinforce the seriousness of the problem. What type of speech support is most
likely to be effective in this situation?
A) testimony
B) stories or narratives
C) statistics
D) examples
28. Jordan is writing a speech for her mock trial group. She is representing a customer who
saw a shop owner get robbed at gunpoint. What type of testimony is Jordan writing?
A) personal experience
B) lay testimony
C) expert testimony
D) declaration of faith
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29. Which statement about a specific type of speech is true?
A) Humorous stories are not appropriate in eulogies.
B) Personal stories are not acceptable forms of speech support.
C) Persuasive speeches about public policy often demand more serious forms of
support.
D) Special-occasion speeches do not require support materials.
30. What type of speech support is Lyndsay most likely to use in her training session for the
new hires in her department?
A) examples
B) statistics
C) stories and narratives
D) testimony
31. Which of these is one of the five kinds of speech support?
A) informal logic
B) stories
C) common sense
D) visual aids
32. Austin is preparing a eulogy for his Uncle Jesse. What type of quote would provide the
best type of support for Austin’s speech?
A) poetic
B) technical
C) historical
D) statistical
33. Which form of speech support is popular for conveying factual observations quickly?
A) testimony
B) examples
C) statistics
D) stories and narratives
34. Which of these is defined as quantitative measures of the amount, size, or number of
something?
A) pie charts
B) statistics
C) graphs
D) data points
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35. Why might you choose to present statistics in a visual aid?
A) to show relationships between numbers
B) to make them more credible
C) to make them more appealing
D) to make them easier to read
36. Extended examples that have a beginning, a middle, and an end are defined as
A) outlines.
B) timelines.
C) anecdotes.
D) stories.
37. What is the term for the sharing of viewpoints, perspectives, or opinions of an
individual?
A) storytelling
B) evidence
C) public speaking
D) testimony
38. Which of these represents the where, when, and why regarding the delivery of your
speech?
A) tone
B) setting
C) volume
D) venue
39. Why is caution the best approach when using statistics as speech support?
A) The source of the statistics may not be trustworthy.
B) Most audiences find them boring.
C) They are a weak form of support.
D) They are sometimes collected using surveys.
40. What is speech support dependent upon?
A) process
B) context
C) audience
D) occasion
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41. Roberto is working on a presentation about epilepsy for his science class. He finds a
statistic he would like to include that supports his claim that the number of people with epilepsy
increases every year in the United States. Which of the following is one of the questions Roberto
should ask himself before deciding to include the statistic?
A) Can it be represented in a visual aid?
B) What or who is the source of the statistic?
C) Is his audience likely to believe it?
D) Will the use of numbers bore his audience?
42. Which of the following forms of support is Jacqueline most likely to depend on when
giving a speech about the process of buying a house?
A) statistics
B) testimony
C) facts
D) stories and narratives
43. Which statement best describes how facts and statistics are related?
A) Statistics are objective facts.
B) Statistics are a form of factual support.
C) If a speaker uses statistics to support a claim, we can assume the claim is a fact.
D) Statistics are the only kind of fact that is credible in a speech.
44. Which statement best describes how examples and stories are related?
A) Stories are extended examples that follow the pattern of beginning, middle, and end.
B) Examples are always factual, whereas stories can be factual or fictional.
C) Stories are focused on people, but examples can focus on people, objects, or
concepts.
D) Examples are visual, whereas stories are shared in narrative form.
45. If you ask yourself, “Do the data represent what the speaker claims they represent?” you
are trying to determine whether the
A) data are appropriate.
B) source is biased.
C) source possesses expertise.
D) data are aggregated.
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46. Why is it helpful to use a variety of support materials?
A) Any speech can be made stronger by using all five types of support.
B) No one form of support is sufficient.
C) Doing so makes the speech more interesting.
D) The more support, the better.
47. Why are statistics a popular form of support?
A) They are likely to be believed.
B) They deliver facts quickly.
C) They impress an audience more than other forms of support.
D) They are easy to find.
48. How can you determine what a statistic measures?
A) Assume the statistic is an actual count unless it tells you otherwise.
B) Consult FactCheck.org.
C) Check to see if the source identifies how the number was determined.
D) Visit the website for the U.S. Census Bureau.
49. Emilio is trying to persuade people from his class to join his after-school club. During
his pitch, he shares how he has benefited from the club. What type of speech support is he
using? A) expert
B) hypothetical example
C) personal experience
D) declaration of faith
50. Patrick is speaking to a mixed audience whose members have strongly opposed views.
He wants to unite the group early on in his speech. What type of speech support is most likely to
accomplish this?
A) examples
B) stories or narratives
C) testimony
D) fact
51. When supporting a speech, what do we use to determine how to best use our support
materials?
A) informal logic
B) common sense
C) audience analysis
D) contextual reasoning
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52. The fallacy of incomplete evidence is another name for
A) bias.
B) a declaration of faith.
C) the cherry-picking of data.
D) a hypothetical example.
53. Adriana makes a speech to her church’s youth group about the epiphany she experienced
during her silent retreat. What type of testimony does Adriana give in her speech?
A) expert opinion
B) personal experience
C) lay testimony
D) declaration of faith
54. In which type of situation are declarations of faith most effective as forms of speech
support?
A) at any religious occasion
B) when audience members share the same religious beliefs
C) when an inspirational or a spiritual tone is called for
D) when used to fuel protest movements
55. Which of the following is required by all types of speeches, whatever their level of
formality?
A) support
B) visual aids
C) anecdotes
D) statistics
56. Bias can be defined as a preference for something that benefits you or others unequally.
A) True
B) False
57. When using statistics for speech support, it is important to cherry-pick the most relevant
data. A) True
B) False
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58. The material selected by a speaker to back up his or her claims is called expert
testimony.
A) True
B) False
59. You should always cite your sources at the end of your speech.
A) True
B) False
60. When giving informative speeches, it is best to focus solely on conveying facts.
A) True
B) False
61. One reason that stories can be effective is that they often focus on our shared lives.
A) True
B) False
62. Although it may not be possible to avoid bias completely, it is important to evaluate
speeches for biases and for ways that those biases distort the truth, alter facts, or promote
misinformation.
A) True
B) False
63. As a speaker, you must determine whether a statistic is both fair and debatable.
A) True
B) False
64. When orally citing sources, you should provide full bibliographic data, including author,
publication, and year of publication.
A) True
B) False
65. Facts are a type of belief.
A) True
B) False
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66. The average is also known as the median.
A) True
B) False
67. A sum or total is also referred to as a direct count.
A) True
B) False
68. Strict contextual reasoning guidelines govern all speaking situations.
A) True
B) False
69. Speech support is the same as contextual reasoning.
A) True
B) False
70. The term contextual reasoning refers to selecting the best supporting materials given the
context in which you’re speaking.
A) True
B) False
71. Aaron’s speech as a zoo tour guide is not likely to include declarations of faith as his
speech support.
A) True
B) False
72. One of the four basic types of testimony is eyewitness testimony.
A) True
B) False
73. People are naturally cautious about believing numbers.
A) True
B) False
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74. Statistics are not likely to be useful as a form of speech support for Sebastian’s cooking
demonstration.
A) True
B) False
75. Contextual reasoning concerns the logical reasoning internal to a speech.
A) True
B) False
76. Supporting material refers to anything you use as evidence in a speech.
A) True
B) False
77. Facts are the same thing as testimony.
A) True
B) False
78. Casey’s oral citation of a book on the history of the Trail of Tears for his speech on that
subject should include the author’s credentials.
A) True
B) False
79. Determining what will be included in the speech is a component of context analysis.
A) True
B) False
80. Deciding when it is appropriate to use a statistic or a story is a form of contextual
reasoning.
A) True
B) False
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Answer Key
1. D
2. D
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