Communicating at Work, 12e (Adler)
Chapter 9 Developing and Organizing the Presentation
1) Which of the following is NOT a reason for presenting your ideas in person rather than in
written form?
A) If a presenter speaks with knowledge, enthusiasm, and confidence, an oral message can be
more persuasive than a written message.
B) It is more efficient to present your ideas in person than in writing because a verbal presentation
requires less preparation time than a written presentation.
C) By presenting your ideas enthusiastically in person, you can influence people in a way that a
written document might not.
D) When you deliver your presentation in person, you can answer questions and clarify points.
2) If Ron determines through his audience analysis that his audience wants to be entertained by his
comments, which of the following questions about the audience has Ron answered?
A) Who are the key audience members?
B) What are the demographic characteristics of the audience?
C) What does the audience know?
D) What are the personal preferences of audience members?
3) Katie presented what she thought was a detailed speech about new dental techniques to a group
of dental hygienists. After the presentation, Katie found out that her remarks were so general that
the hygienists felt they hadn’t learned anything worthwhile. Which aspect of the audience did
Katie neglect to analyze prior to giving her presentation?
A) how much the audience knows
B) the audience’s personal preferences
C) the size of the group
D) demographic characteristics
4) During a speech to a group of animal rights activists, Tiago, who is an enthusiastic hunter,
talked about his proposal for a year-round deer hunting season rather than a season that is only one
month long. Not surprisingly, Tiago’s speech was not well received. Which of the following did
Tiago neglect to consider prior to giving this presentation?
A) the economic status of the audience
B) the size of the group
C) the audience members’ attitudes about the subject
D) who the key audience members are
5) Which of the following is NOT a demographic characteristic of an audience?
A) gender
B) economic status
C) cultural background
D) audience size
6) Lin is planning to give a sales speech to prospective customers. The most important thing for
Lin to do is to identify the
A) needs of the customers.
B) wants of the customers.
C) knowledge of the customers.
D) interests of the customers.
7) Elena will be giving a speech to a mixed audience of experts and nonexperts. Considering this,
which of the following should Elena do?
A) gear the speech for the nonexperts to make sure they all understand the topic
B) select a few key points that will help the nonexperts understand the topic
C) gear the speech for the experts, hoping the nonexperts will understand the topic enough
D) select one key point that will help the nonexperts understand the topic
8) As you analyze yourself as a speaker, it is NOT recommended that you ask yourself which of
the following questions?
A) How can I imitate my favorite public speaker?
B) What do I want my listeners to gain from my presentation?
C) Am I enthusiastic about my topic?
D) Do I have sufficient knowledge about my topic?
9) For a public speaking class, Kim selected “the ethics of cell stem research” as her topic for a
persuasive speech. While she was giving the speech to the class, it became apparent that she did
not believe in the position she was attempting to persuade the audience to accept. Which of the
following aspects did Kim neglect to analyze prior to developing this presentation for class?
A) the personal preferences of the audience
B) the speaker’s knowledge of the topic
C) the listeners’ attitudes
D) the speaker’s feelings about the topic
10) If you are only mildly interested in giving a speech, which of the following should you
probably do?
A) pretend to be more interested than you are
B) apologize at the beginning of the speech about your lack of interest
C) research your speech extensively
D) change the idea of your speech
11) Which of the following statements is NOT true about occasion analysis?
A) Know your time limit and stay within it.
B) Visit the facilities ahead of time to check out the equipment available.
C) If possible, adapt the layout of the room to the specific needs of your presentation
D) Never adapt your remarks to fit the setting.
12) When you are speaking to a group of 15 people, which of the following room arrangements
should you choose?
A) conference
B) horseshoe
C) classroom
D) herringbone
13) Which of the following is NOT a general goal of a presentation?
A) to inform
B) to entertain
C) to evaluate
D) to persuade
14) Juan is preparing a speech to a prospective client who has been using the services of a different
advertising firm for the past 10 years. Juan’s goal is to influence the client to switch firms and
begin working with his company. What is the general purpose of Juan’s presentation?
A) to inform
B) to persuade
C) to manipulate
D) to entertain
15) Keith is a trainer for a new computer software company and is responsible for teaching people
the skills required to use the various products his company creates. What is the general purpose of
Keith’s presentations?
A) to inform
B) to persuade
C) to frighten
D) to entertain
16) If you were giving a presentation and your primary goal was to expand your audience’s
existing knowledge on a topic, which of the following types of general purposes would you be
using?
A) to inform
B) to persuade
C) to manipulate
D) to entertain
17) Which of the following general purposes would a salesman have when giving a presentation to
influence a customer to buy a product?
A) to inform
B) to persuade
C) to manipulate
D) to entertain
18) Dmitri has been selected by his company to present an after-dinner speech at the company’s
annual summer party. The general purpose of Dmitri’s presentation is most likely to ________.
A) inform
B) persuade
C) evaluate
D) entertain
19) Which of the following should a good specific goal statement include? Check all that apply.
A) when you want the audience to think or do something
B) why you are giving the speech to the audience
C) what you want the audience to think or do
D) how you want the audience to think or do something
20) As you begin to develop your presentation, you should determine whom you want to influence
and what reaction you want from them. This is called a ________.
A) general goal
B) specific goal
C) rationale
D) thesis statement
21) Your specific goal should
A) set forth a realistic reaction you want from your audience.
B) point to a general focus.
C) explain which organization pattern you will be using.
D) describe lofty outcomes.
22) Which of the following would be the BEST specific goal statement for a persuasive speech
about solar heating?
A) My purpose is to explain the advantages of solar heating.
B) I want to talk about solar heating.
C) After hearing my presentation, at least a quarter of the audience will sign up to receive
additional information about solar heating.
D) Try solar heating.
23) Loretta is planning a specific goal statement for her presentation. In this statement, she should
try to do which of the following? Check all that apply.
A) describe the organization structure she is planning
B) be idealistic
C) be realistic
D) describe the reaction she is seeking
24) The purpose of Santiago’s presentation is to teach people how to play cricket. The main goal of
this presentation is to be
A) entertaining.
B) inspirational.
C) informative.
D) persuasive.
25) In your introduction, you should clearly state the key central idea of your speech in one short
sentence. This sentence is called your ________.
A) specific goal
B) general goal
C) descriptive sentence
D) thesis statement
26) Which of the following options does NOT describe a good thesis?
A) It is a single sentence.
B) It leaves the audience wondering what your key idea is.
C) It features the key central idea of the speech.
D) It is stated out loud to the audience in the introduction.
27) Which of the following would be the BEST thesis statement?
A) I will teach my audience how to lease equipment.
B) A critical look at equipment purchasing.
C) I want to persuade my audience that it’s better to lease equipment than to purchase it.
D) Leasing your equipment can help you save money.
28) Chiara is preparing a thesis statement for a speech. Which of the following should she do for
her preparation? Check all that apply.
A) explain her idea for the speech in a few seconds
B) plan not to say the main idea out loud during her speech
C) ask herself what is the minimum she want her audience to learn
D) write a one-sentence e-mail that conveys the essence of her speech
29) Which of the following shows an accurate difference between a specific goal and a thesis
statement?
A) A specific goal consists of one sentence; a thesis statement consists of two or three sentences.
B) A specific goal is directed toward the audience; a thesis statement is directed toward the
speaker.
C) A specific goal should be repeated at least three times during a presentation; a thesis statement
should be said only once during a presentation.
D) A specific goal is often not said out loud to an audience; a thesis statement is often said several
times to an audience.
30) After you have created your specific goal and thesis statement, the next step is to
A) choose an organizational pattern.
B) develop your introduction.
C) create a PowerPoint presentation.
D) gather information about the topic through brainstorming and research.
31) All of the following are benefits of a well-organized speech EXCEPT
A) taking more time to get your point across.
B) keeping your audience happy.
C) boosting your image as a speaker.
D) making your message understandable.
32) All of the following except ________ are typical organizational problems of presentations.
A) getting to the point too quickly
B) leaving out necessary information
C) including irrelevant material
D) getting ideas mixed up
33) Which of the following statements best summarizes the overall format for organizing your
presentation?
A) Tell your audience whatever comes to your mind in the moment.
B) Do not tell the audience what is really on your mind.
C) Tell them what you are going to tell them; then tell them; then tell them what you told them.
D) Tell them so well that you do not have to tell them again.
34) The three main parts of a speech are:
A) attention-getter; thesis; preview.
B) preview; view; review.
C) introduction; body; conclusion.
D) point 1; point 2; point 3.
35) Among U.S. businesspersons, the most acceptable method for organizing ideas is the
________ pattern.
A) star
B) wave
C) spiral
D) linear
36) While giving her presentation, Da-eun skipped a step in her explanation of a mathematical
formula. Which of the following mistakes did Da-eun make?
A) taking too long to get to the point
B) including irrelevant material
C) leaving out necessary information
D) getting ideas mixed up
37) In his talk about scientific developments in the Czech Republic, Milos covered important
information about this topic. However, he also overloaded his presentation with information about
the tourist attractions in Prague. Which of the following mistakes did Milos make?
A) including irrelevant materials
B) leaving out necessary information
C) getting ideas mixed up
D) getting to the point too quickly
38) After listening to Takumi’s introduction, the audience clearly knew what his talk was about but
expected it to be rather boring. Which of the following did Takumi most likely fail to address
effectively in his introduction?
A) attention-getter
B) thesis
C) preview
D) review
39) Of the steps listed below, which should come first as you begin to organize the ideas you have
brainstormed and researched into an outline?
A) identifying the key points
B) writing the introduction
C) creating transitions
D) writing the conclusion
40) A logic tree
A) shows a chronological pattern of organization.
B) visually shows the relationship among thesis, main points, and subpoints.
C) provides a way of combining research cards for an introduction.
D) is useful for speeches about biology.
41) Chronological patterns are useful for
A) explaining the steps in a process.
B) organizing material according to its location.
C) grouping ideas into categories or logical themes.
D) showing how certain events result from certain circumstances.
42) Radoslav is responsible for developing a presentation to demonstrate the appropriate steps for
developing a Web page. If Radoslav leads his audience through each step in a linear fashion, which
of the following organizational patterns is he using?
A) chronological
B) spatial
C) problem-solution
D) cause-effect
43) If you were describing your company’s facilities to a group of investors and you organized
your speech based on the locations of the various divisions, which of the following organizational
patterns would you be using?
A) chronological
B) spatial
C) topical
D) motivated sequence
44) “All medical facilities are designed with three essential parts: the admissions desk, the
examining room, and the doctor’s office.” This thesis statement reflects which type of
organizational pattern?
A) chronological
B) spatial
C) topical
D) criteria-satisfaction