81) Which of the following statements would be appropriate in the conclusion of a presentation?
Check all that apply.
A) “As I asked at the beginning of my talk, why does the government process take so long?”
B) “So now I ask you to go out and vote for the school referendum.”
C) “It is hard to say what we should do at this point.”
D) “You can continue doing business as usual or take a risk, be bold, and do more.”
82) Isabella is planning to give a presentation that encourages the audience to boycott a
corporation. Considering this, Isabella should conclude her presentation with
A) a challenge.
B) a joke.
C) a list of statistics.
D) a compliment of the audience.
83) The functions of transitions include all of the following EXCEPT
A) promoting a clear presentation of ideas.
B) emphasizing important points.
C) keeping listeners interested.
D) providing evidence to support a key point.
84) The characteristics of an effective transition include all the following EXCEPT
A) calling attention to itself.
B) moving listeners from one point to another.
C) listing several main points.
D) referring to preceding and upcoming ideas.
85) Which of these is a transition?
A) In addition to attaining better gas mileage, the Honda also requires fewer repairs.
B) The advantages of the Volkswagen include cost, safety, and reliability.
C) Tonight I’d like you to think back to the day you got your first car.
D) So I hope you go out and WIN!
86) To emphasize the most important point of a speech, you should
A) tell an anecdote before saying the point.
B) take a long pause before saying the point.
C) use a transition to introduce the point.
D) keep the tone of the speech the same as you explain the point.
87) Patrick’s presentation includes a few complicated ideas. To emphasize how these ideas relate
to each other, he connects them by using
A) statistics.
B) transitions.
C) jokes.
D) anecdotes.
88) Isla is having difficulty in putting transitions in her speech. This situation most likely shows
that
A) Isla’s ideas are not logically related.
B) Isla’s speech is too long.
C) Isla’s speech outline is too detailed.
D) Isla’s ideas don’t need to be clarified.
89) If you effectively introduce a written report in an oral presentation, this is likely to decrease the
chances that your business colleagues will read the written version of the report.
90) The higher you move up the career ladder in an organization, the more presentations you are
likely to give.
91) Research shows that proper training improves speakers’ effectiveness.
92) A topic that fascinates you could seem quite boring to your audience unless you assess their
interests and adapt your message accordingly.
93) An important part of audience analysis is to find out what your listeners know and do not
know.
94) Economic status is an important demographic feature to consider when you are planning a
sales presentation.
95) The size of the group you will be speaking to should not affect the way you prepare your
speech.
96) It is good to demonstrate your knowledge by speaking a little longer than the suggested time
allotment.
97) A general goal indicates whether you want your speech to be informative, persuasive, or
entertaining.
98) A specific goal statement should indicate the reaction you want from your audience.
99) The specific goal for a presentation should be somewhat vague so you do not get boxed in by it.
100) A thesis statement summarizes in a single sentence the message you want to get across to the
audience.
101) Your specific goal is a note to yourself about what you hope to accomplish; your thesis
statement tells your audience what your main idea is.
102) A truly effective thesis statement should be stated once and only once in a speech.
103) After you decide on your thesis, your next step should be to brainstorm and research ideas
about your thesis.
104) Speakers who do not organize their ideas before they speak are likely to sound disjointed to
their audience.
105) If you include information that is not relevant to your main point, your speech will sound
chaotic.
106) The most effective business presentations are those that demonstrate creativity by not
following an organizational plan.
107) If you gather material about your topic before you have completed the supporting points of
your outline, you will be wasting your time because you might not use all of the information you
find.
108) A common example of the chronological organizational pattern is giving instructions.
109) Spatial and chronological organizational patterns are identical.
110) A topical pattern is sometimes called a “catch-all” approach.
111) A comparative advantages organizational plan presents several alternatives at the same time
and then shows why yours is best.
112) The motivated sequence is a five-step scheme designed to boost your audience’s involvement
with your topic.
113) It is best to express all your main points in single words instead of in complete sentences.
114) Regardless of its length, a presentation should contain no more than five main points.
115) When you choose the main points for your presentation, use all the points from your
brainstorming list, no matter how many there are.
116) Whenever possible, you should state your main points in parallel construction.
117) The introduction to the speech is the same thing as the attention getter.
118) If the audience is not already aware of your qualifications, it is helpful to establish your
competency early in the speech.
119) It is usually unwise to begin a presentation with a question, because the audience might think
you do not know your topic.
120) Telling a joke is a good way to begin a speech, even if the joke does not relate to your thesis.
121) The conclusion of your presentation should contain a restatement of your thesis.
122) Transitions are more appropriate when they are embedded within the introduction of a
presentation rather than in the body of a presentation.
123) Transitions should be so obvious that they call attention to themselves.
124) Explain why it is important to analyze the audience, yourself, and the occasion before you
develop your presentation.
125) Choose five key aspects of audience assessment. For each, explain what to look for and why
this knowledge is important.
126) When you are preparing a presentation, what aspects of self-analysis should you consider?
Write two or three specific examples that illustrate how a strong self-analysis could impact the way
you prepare and present your speech.
127) What are the three general purposes of speeches? Discuss the differences between a general
purpose and a specific goal. Can a specific goal ever be the same as a general purpose? Why or
why not?
128) Explain the relationship between a specific goal and a thesis statement. Can they be the same?
Why or why not? Write an example of a specific goal. Now, write a corresponding thesis statement
(use different wording for the two).
129) Why is it important to organize a presentation? How does organization assist the speaker?
How does it assist the listeners?
130) Many presentations suffer from four organizational problems. Describe these problems, and
explain why they detract from a presentation. For each, provide a suggestion you could use to
prevent that problem from occurring in your speech.
131) What basic organizational pattern do most effective workplace presentations in
Euro-American cultures follow? Describe the basic elements of this pattern. Why is it important to
be aware of this format as you prepare a speech?
132) Select two organizational patterns for informative speeches and two organizational patterns
for persuasive speeches. Identify the key elements of each pattern. Provide an example of a topic
that would lend itself well to each pattern.
133) What functions should a speaker accomplish in the introduction phase of a presentation? Why
is it important to accomplish each of these?
134) What functions should a speaker accomplish in the conclusion phase of a presentation? Why
is it important for the speaker to accomplish each of these?
135) Explain several functions transitions serve in a presentation. Next, identify two essential
characteristics of an effective transition. Finally, write two examples of effective transitions.