Communicating at Work, 12e (Adler)
Chapter 10 Verbal and Visual Support in Presentations
1) If well used, supporting materials can make your presentation more
A) understandable.
B) cumbersome.
C) interesting.
D) convincing.
2) Which of the following is NOT a function of supporting material?
A) to make abstract concept more understandable
B) to make your presentation more entertaining
C) to make a claim
D) to provide evidence in support of a claim
3) Which of the following is NOT a true statement about the use of supporting material as “proof”?
A) If you use information from others to back up your claims, you need to cite the source.
B) You should always use information from credible sources.
C) Supporting material makes your presentation more convincing.
D) Your speech goal can be achieved without citing supporting evidence.
4) During a presentation, all of the following are acceptable ways to define a word EXCEPT
A) citing a dictionary definition of the word.
B) explaining the origin of the word.
C) identifying what the word does not mean.
D) substituting an acronym for the word.
5) Anita wants to encourage her classmates to read their textbooks thoroughly. To support her
point, she says, “Some students think of a book as a heavy object that weighs down a backpack;
other students think of a book as an expensive bill that needs to be paid at the beginning of each
semester. But we can also think of a book as the key to a world of new ideas.” Anita is defining a
book by
A) etymology.
B) negation.
C) describing its various connotations.
D) quoting experts.
6) Rick defined the word “unilateral” by talking about when it was first used in 1802. By doing
this, Rick is defining a word by using
A) negation.
B) denotation.
C) connotation.
D) etymology.
7) Which of the following is true about using examples as supporting evidence for a main point?
A) Examples should not be isolated instances.
B) One example provides sufficient evidence to prove a point.
C) Avoid using examples from your own experience.
D) For the sake of brevity, do not use more than one example.
8) Ilsa wants to use several examples in her presentation. Which of the following would probably
be the most effective?
A) Examples that are filled with accurate statistics, but irrelevant to the topic.
B) Examples that are funny, but irrelevant to the topic.
C) Examples that are relevant and happened to her while on vacation.
D) Examples that are relevant and complex.
9) Liam was giving a persuasive presentation to his class about the need to increase recycling
efforts in the United States. To support his main point, he provided a hypothetical account of what
he expected the world to look like in 50 years if recycling efforts were not stepped up. Which of the
following forms of verbal support is Liam using during his presentation?
A) quotation
B) story
C) statistic
D) definition
10) Stories are effective forms of verbal support because they allow you to create a situation that
illustrates the point you are making to the audience. All of the following are guidelines to consider
when you include a story in a presentation EXCEPT
A) the story should be appropriate for the audience.
B) the story should be brief and get right to the point.
C) only use stories that support the point you are making.
D) a humorous story is effective even if it is not relevant to your speech.
11) Which types of story can be used to add interest to a presentation?
A) factual
B) hypothetical
C) fictional
D) tangential
12) Which type of story can be used not only to add interest, but also as proof of your point?
A) factual
B) hypothetical
C) fictional
D) fantasy
13) Minato gives a presentation to a rancher’s association that supports the consumption of beef.
During the speech, Minato tells a story that was 30 seconds long about cowboys herding cattle in
the old West and how they got tired of eating beef all the time. Which of the following did Minato
do well with his story?
A) He kept the story brief.
B) He told a story that the audience could relate to.
C) He told a story that supported the point he was trying to make.
D) He told a story that did not offend his listeners.
14) Which of the following is NOT true about using statistics in presentations?
A) Statistics are especially strong forms of proof.
B) When statistics are complex or confusing, they should be rounded off.
C) Statistics should be linked to a frame of reference that is familiar to the audience.
D) The more statistics you use, the more interesting your speech will be.
15) All of the following are true about statistics EXCEPT
A) most statistics are collections of examples reduced to numerical form.
B) statistics should not be rounded off because this would make them inaccurate.
C) when you use statistics accurately, you show that you are well informed.
D) statistics are a common form of support in business presentations.
16) Which of the following are accurate statements concerning the use of statistics in
presentations?
A) Statistics are appropriate to use in a printed annual report.
B) If misused, statistics can spoil a presentation.
C) Adding a lot of statistics makes a presentation more entertaining.
D) Statistics speak for themselves and thus do not need to be explained.
17) Yui asks a friend for advice concerning the use of statistics in her presentation. Which of the
following tips should Yui use?
A) “Use visual support, like graphs, for your statistics.”
B) “Use a lot of statistics because they will impress your audience.”
C) “Simplify complex statistics by rounding off the numbers.”
D) “When presenting statistics, use a frame of reference your audience will understand.”
18) Which of the following are correct ways of showing statistics in a presentation?
A) 150,000 people
B) 10.568 centimeters
C) $35.18
D) 10 percent
19) Supporting material that explains the unfamiliar by comparing it to the familiar is called a(n)
A) example.
B) story.
C) statistic.
D) analogy.
20) Carter delivered a presentation about the need to change your car’s oil on schedule. In his
speech, Carter compared driving a car with dirty oil to walking a mile with small bits of gravel in
your socks. This comparison illustrates a type of supporting material called a(n)
A) analogy.
B) story.
C) example.
D) characteristic.
21) The comparisons you use as supporting material should possess all of the following
characteristics EXCEPT
A) the items you are comparing should be similar.
B) the comparisons should stretch a point.
C) the comparison must be valid.
D) the items you are comparing should be well known to the audience.
22) During her presentation to the board of directors, Nadia showed a slide with two graphs, side
by side. One graph showed her company’s current outcomes. The second graph depicted the
outcomes of a similar company that had adopted the GoQuickly Training Program for its
employees. Which type of support was Nadia using to make her point more memorable?
A) quotation
B) story
C) definition
D) comparison
23) Which of the following is a figurative comparison?
A) The immigration policy used by Canada is similar to the one used by Australia.
B) A person hiking a long distance without drinking much water is as risky as a car running
without much gas.
C) Ramon’s use of rhetoric in his speech resembles how Lincoln used rhetoric in the
Gettysburg Address.
D) Jack’s company should use the same hiring policy used by GKD Enterprises.
24) The leading scientist for research on cancer stated, “I believe that with adequate funding we
could have a cure for cancer within the next 10 years.” If Heather were to read this sentence out
loud during her speech to the medical research board, which of the following forms of verbal
support would she be using?
A) example
B) quotation
C) statistic
D) story
25) Which of the following is NOT a guideline for using quotations during a presentation?
A) Use lengthy quotations often, always keeping their original form.
B) Cite the source of the quotation to add credibility to your presentation.
C) Quotations are most effective if the audience recognizes the name of the person you are
quoting.
D) Instead of reading long quotations, paraphrase the ideas into your own words.
26) Emiliano wants to use a long, complicated quote during his presentation. Considering this,
Emiliano should
A) use visual aids while saying the quote.
B) justify why he is using such a long quote.
C) paraphrase the quote.
D) skip citing the source.
27) Which of the following is NOT a guideline for citing sources during a presentation?
A) After you state the quotation, explain why the material is important for members of your
audience.
B) Your quotations should come from sources who are credible.
C) Wait until the end of the speech to list the sources of all your quotations.
D) Identify the source of the quotation out loud in the speech, just before or just after you read the
quotation.
28) Penka is concerned that her presentation will not be credible. To counteract this, Penka should
A) cite the sources of her quotations and explain the validity of the sources.
B) pile on more statistics without citing the sources.
C) make her quotations more humorous.
D) round off the numbers of her statistics.
29) A recommended order for presenting cited material is
A) a) state the point; (b) state the content of the citation; (c) cite the source; and (d) interpret how
this material impacts the audience members.
B) a) cite the source; (b) state the point; (c) state the content of the citation; and (d) interpret how
this material impacts the audience members.
C) a) state the point; (b) cite the source; (c) state the content of the citation; and (d) interpret how
this material impacts the audience members.
D) a) state the content of the citation; (b) cite the source; (c) state the point; and (d) interpret how
this material impacts the audience members.
30) Sasha is afraid the topic of her presentation will bore her audience. To counteract this, Sasha
should most likely use supporting materials such as
A) pie charts to emphasize the validity of her data.
B) professionally made videos to enliven her presentation.
C) definitions to clarity her ideas.
D) examples that prove her points.
31) The impact of a presentation is greater if the information is presented
A) verbally only.
B) visually only.
C) both visually and verbally.
D) visually for some information and verbally for other information.
32) Which is NOT a true statement about visual aids?
A) A professional display of visuals can enhance your professional image.
B) Effective visuals can make your information more memorable.
C) Visuals often reduce listener recall.
D) Visuals can help you explain complicated statistics.
33) Visual aids are used in presentations for a number of reasons. Which of the following is NOT
one of those reasons?
A) Visual aids allow you to take a break from speaking.
B) Visual aids allow you to show how things work.
C) Visual aids allow you to demonstrate steps in a process.
D) Visual aids can help you emphasize your most important points.
34) Surveys show that speakers who use visual aids are usually seen as being more
A) pedantic.
B) concise
C) persuasive.
D) interesting.
35) Visuals should be used to
A) show how things look.
B) convey complicated ideas without words.
C) show how things relate to one another.
D) emphasize important points.
36) Which of the following types of visual aids provides a literal representation to the audience?
A) photograph
B) diagram
C) cartoon
D) pictogram
37) A ________ is an abstract two-dimensional drawing that demonstrates the various properties
of an object or concept.
A) photograph
B) diagram
C) bulleted list
D) flip chart
38) Roger wants to show the chronological steps in the process of applying for a college grant.
Which type of visual aid would work best?
A) photograph
B) pie chart
C) numbered list
D) map
39) During her presentation, Jana wants to convey complex information using various charts and
lists. However, she wants to combine all this information into one visual. Which of the following
would enable her to do this?
A) pictogram
B) multiple-column chart
C) video
D) infographic
40) All of the following are true about the effective design of pie charts EXCEPT
A) each segment of the pie chart should be labeled.
B) you should organize the segments from largest to smallest.
C) you should identify the percentage that each segment represents.
D) the segment you want to emphasize should be located on the bottom of the chart.