45) All of the following are true about vocal delivery EXCEPT
A) if you speak so loudly that it sounds as though you are shouting, it may seem offensive to the
audience.
B) audiences often interpret a soft voice as a sign of timidity.
C) if you lack enthusiasm when you present your speech, your audience isn’t likely to become
enthusiastic about your topic.
D) you should maintain an unvarying pitch and volume throughout your speech.
46) Which is NOT true about disfluencies?
A) Your audience will notice each disfluency, even if you speak only one or two of them.
B) With a lot of concentration, you can learn to eliminate all disfluencies.
C) If you speak with an excessive amount of disfluencies, you will probably appear nervous and
uncertain.
D) If you deliver a speech without a single disfluency, your talk may sound canned and stilted.
47) Which is NOT true about pauses?
A) Pausing briefly after a statement emphasizes the importance of the point you’ve made.
B) Pause after you ask a rhetorical question to give the audience time to ponder how they would
answer that question.
C) Avoid pausing because audiences will interpret this as a sign of low confidence.
D) A pause can give the audience time to digest what you have said.
48) Which of the following techniques will help you generate enthusiasm for a presentation?
A) Remind yourself of the importance of your presentation.
B) Before the presentation, remind yourself why you are speaking.
C) Tell yourself that the presentation isn’t that important to lower your stress.
D) Before the presentation, take several deep breaths.
49) When giving a speech, which of the following is often seen as being offensive?
A) varying the volume
B) varying the pitch
C) pausing occasionally
D) shouting
50) Corinne is planning to give a presentation to a group of investors concerning her company’s
new line of paper products. She wants to carefully control the order in which she reveals
information during her presentation. When would the best time be for her to answer questions from
the audience?
A) during the presentation
B) after the presentation
C) before the presentation
D) in the form of a handout
51) If you had only a specific amount of time to present your ideas, when would be the most
appropriate time for the audience to ask questions?
A) before the presentation
B) during the presentation
C) after the presentation
D) after all the other speakers have presented their material
52) If you are giving a presentation, which of the following would be an effective response to a
premature question?
A) “That’s not an appropriate question at this time.”
B) “That’s a good question; I’ll get to that in a moment.”
C) “If I have time, I’ll get to that question.”
D) “If you’ll just wait a few seconds, I’ll answer your question.”
53) Which of the following is the best advice for handling audience questions?
A) They are risky; avoid them whenever possible.
B) Never answer them during a presentation.
C) Answer friendly ones and ignore hostile ones.
D) Prepare answers in advance for likely questions.
54) Which of the following is an effective method for managing audience questions during and
after the presentation?
A) Wait for the audience to start the ball rolling.
B) Address your answer only to the individual asking the question.
C) Never summarize your remarks.
D) Anticipate likely questions.
55) Which of the following would NOT be an appropriate way to manage questions from the
audience?
A) Clarify confusing questions before you answer them.
B) Address your answer only to the individual who is asking the question.
C) Follow the last question with a summary.
D) Start the question session with a question of your own.
56) You can minimize audience interruptions by
A) asking the audience to turn off cell phones and laptops during your presentation.
B) serving refreshments during your presentation.
C) keeping the doors open during your presentation to encourage latecomers to enter.
D) completing your entire presentation (if it is lengthy) without any breaks.
57) Monica is giving a sales presentation that will try to convince people to buy Fine Edge Cutlery.
Before giving her talk, she wants to anticipate what questions the prospective customers might ask.
Which of the following questions should she prepare for?
A) What does this cutlery offer that other cutlery doesn’t?
B) How will the cutlery impact my cooking?
C) Will Fine Edge Cutlery keep its promises?
D) How many people does Fine Edge Cutlery employ?
58) To help anticipate what questions will be asked during your presentation, which of the
following questions should you ask yourself?
A) What questions will the audience ask about this topic?
B) Have I allowed enough time for questions?
C) Will the audience find parts of my subject matter difficult to understand?
D) Will some of my points antagonize the audience?
59) Which of the following are effective strategies for buying time with a question?
A) wait for the questioner to finish speaking
B) reflect the question back to the person who asked it
C) move on to another question
D) turn the question to another audience member
60) When answering a question, you should address your answer to
A) the person asking the question.
B) the people seated nearby.
C) two or three people in the audience.
D) everyone in the audience.
61) In order to become a more confident speaker, you should
A) recognize that a certain amount of anxiety can be an asset.
B) avoid over-preparing for the presentation.
C) tell yourself that you can achieve everything you want during the presentation.
D) expect perfection.
62) Which of the following are effective confidence-building strategies for giving a presentation?
A) Before a presentation, walk around to burn off excess nervous energy.
B) If needed, drink beverages with caffeine to give you a boost of energy.
C) Before speaking, walk around the room and talk with people.
D) During a presentation, seek out friendly faces and establish eye contact.
63) Which of the following is an accurate statement about anxiety while giving a presentation?
A) A certain amount of anxiety can help a speaker to convey enthusiasm.
B) A speaker needs to eliminate anxiety to be effective.
C) Experienced speakers often do not feel anxious before giving a presentation.
D) Most speakers feel the most anxiety near the end of a presentation.
64) Which of the following guidelines works best when rehearsing for a presentation?
A) Rehearse on your feet.
B) Do not rehearse in the room where you will be speaking.
C) Expect the worst to happen so you will be pleasantly surprised if it doesn’t.
D) Focus mainly on the body of your speech because it is more important than the introduction and
conclusion.
65) Which of the following are helpful tips for rehearsing a presentation?
A) If possible, rehearse in the room where you will actually speak.
B) As you rehearse, make sure all your equipment works correctly.
C) If possible, rehearse before a live audience.
D) During rehearsals, pay special attention to the body or main section of your presentation.
66) Which of the following are accurate statements about presentations?
A) A talk can be effective without being flawless.
B) Expecting your presentation to be perfect will calm your anxiety about giving the presentation.
C) Rehearsing your presentation can make it better, but it will never make it perfect.
D) Most listeners will not notice if you rearrange an idea during a presentation.
67) Roberta is a sales person for Handy Cookware. Before giving a sales presentation to a group,
she feels a lot of pressure to convince each of her prospective customers to buy at least one Handy
product. Which of the following myths is influencing Roberta?
A) The worst will probably happen.
B) A presentation must be perfect.
C) It is possible to persuade an entire audience.
D) A presentation will have problems that the speaker cannot prepare for.
68) Monologues are appropriate for large audiences and formal occasions.
69) It is easier to generate audience buy-in with a monologue than with a guided discussion.
70) A manuscript style of delivery is often boring, even if it is delivered flawlessly.
71) If you memorize every word of your presentation, your voice will show expressiveness and
your speech will sound natural.
72) While memorizing an entire presentation is not advisable, memorizing key passages is often a
good idea.
73) An extemporaneous presentation should sound spontaneous, but in fact it should be
memorized word for word.
74) A good extemporaneous presentation should sound exactly the same each time you deliver it.
75) To save time, it is often best to deliver a presentation in an off-the-cuff manner (that is, “wing
it”), instead of developing it in advance.
76) Because an impromptu speech is not rehearsed, it does not need to be organized.
77) To dress effectively for presentations you should always wear formal attire.
78) The attire you wear will not make any difference to the audience, as long as your speech is well
organized and well-rehearsed.
79) The recommended stance for a speaker is to lean against a desk or lectern, so you will look
relaxed.
80) If you use animated facial expressions, you will probably create the impression that you are
open and confident.
81) Avoid addressing a listener by name during a presentation.
82) If you make a mistake during your speech, no matter how minor, show respect by apologizing
before you continue.
83) As you speak, the way you use your voice sends a message to your audience regarding your
attitudes about yourself, your topic, and your listeners.
84) Frequent filler words (e.g., “okay,” “um,” “er,” etc.) are natural and unavoidable, so it doesn’t
matter if you use a lot of them.
85) You should try not to have any pauses in your speech because pauses communicate to the
audience that you are unsure of yourself.
86) If you can’t immediately think of an effective answer to a question, show your confidence by
answering without pausing, speaking the first words that jump into your mind.
87) One advantage to answering questions during a presentation is that it allows you to respond
immediately to objections made by audience members.
88) A “yes, and” answer is often an effective response to a complaint or negative question.
89) Surveys show that speakers who are nervous consistently receive written evaluations that are
significantly lower than speakers who are not nervous.
90) One way to reduce speech anxiety is to speak in front of others frequently.
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91) When you rehearse, pay extra attention to the opening and closing moments of your
presentation.
92) A presentation must be perfect to be effective.
93) Name and describe four styles of delivery. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each
of these styles?
94) Explain the advantages of the extemporaneous delivery mode compared to each of the other
modes. What does this mode of delivery allow the speaker to do that other delivery modes do not?
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95) Describe at least five elements that contribute to VISUAL effectiveness in public speaking.
Why is each of these elements important? Next, name at least three elements of body language that
detract from visual effectiveness, and explain their visual impact.
96) What can you do as a speaker to enhance your VERBAL delivery? How do these verbal
elements contribute to a speaker’s effectiveness or ineffectiveness?
97) Why is an oral style of delivery different from a written style of language? Summarize five
aspects of an effective oral style of delivery. Give an example of each.
98) Describe several characteristics of an effective VOCAL delivery. Illustrate each one with an
example. Which will be the most challenging for you to master? What will you do, personally, to
improve?
99) What are the top three strategies you’d recommend for conducting a question-and-answer
period at the close of a presentation? Explain your answer.
100) Discuss some of the common beliefs about delivering a presentation that contribute to
speaker anxiety. What do you believe are the best strategies for dealing with speech anxiety?
Why?