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1. Unlike dyadic communication, public speaking is one-way communication.
A) True
B) False
2. College students spend more time listening than they do on any other communication
activity, except for speaking.
A) True
B) False
3. Selective perception is a process in which people pay attention to certain messages while
ignoring others.
A) True
B) False
4. Monologues feature an open sharing of ideas in an atmosphere of respect.
A) True
B) False
5. Active listening is focused and purposeful.
A) True
B) False
6. A listening distraction is anything that competes for attention you are trying to give to
something else.
A) True
B) False
7. Listening is another word for hearing.
A) True
B) False
8. Daydreaming or recovering from a poor night’s sleep can be considered internal listening
distractions.
A) True
B) False
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9. Scriptwriting occurs when we focus on what we, rather than the speaker, will say next.
A) True
B) False
10. When engaging in defensive listening, audience members decide either that they won’t
like what the speaker is going to say or that they know better.
A) True
B) False
11. Differences in dialects or accents, nonverbal cues, word choice, and physical appearance
can sometimes serve as cultural barriers to listening.
A) True
B) False
12. Because selective perception is a natural part of listener behavior, the listener is solely
responsible for countering it.
A) True
B) False
13. Active listeners listen for the speaker’s main ideas and watch for his or her nonverbal
cues. A) True
B) False
14. “Listenable language” is prepared for the listener rather than the reader.
A) True
B) False
15. One must be able to hear to listen.
A) True
B) False
16. Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate claims on the basis of well-supported reasons.
A) True
B) False
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17. We cannot know a speaker’s biases, so we should not try to identify them.
A) True
B) False
18. Appreciative listening is the appropriate listening purpose when a friend is upset about a
romantic breakup.
A) True
B) False
19. Critical evaluation of others’ speeches can help listeners assess their own strengths and
weaknesses as speakers.
A) True
B) False
20. Listeners who do not like a speaker’s topic cannot be honest and fair in evaluating the
speech.
A) True
B) False
21. Accents, awkward grammatical phrases, and word choice are acceptable reasons for
listeners to “tune out” a speaker.
A) True
B) False
22. When evaluating a speech, you should always start out with criticism so you can end on
a positive note.
A) True
B) False
23. A study of young adults in the United States, Germany, and Israel found that Germans
tended toward action-oriented listening, while Israelis and Americans exhibited both people-
and time-oriented styles.
A) True
B) False
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24. Listening that is focused and purposeful is
A) active listening.
B) passive listening.
C) comprehensive listening.
D) appreciative listening.
25. More than any other single communication act, college students
A) write.
B) listen.
C) speak.
D) read.
26. People competent in ______ tend to be more successful and efficient in both their
personal and professional lives.
A) dialogic communication
B) selective perception
C) listening
D) empathy
27. The conscious act of recognizing, understanding, and accurately interpreting the
messages communicated by others is called
A) hearing.
B) listening.
C) perceiving.
D) retaining.
28. The reflexive or automatic process of perceiving sound is called
A) hearing.
B) listening.
C) circular response.
D) the message-perception gap.
29. Paying attention to information that is important to us, paying attention to information
that touches on our own experiences and backgrounds, and sorting and filtering new information
based on what we already know are key elements of
A) subjective perception.
B) selective perception.
C) comprehensive listening.
D) critical listening.
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30. Listeners tend to pay attention to
A) people to whom they are attracted.
B) information that is associated with their beliefs and expectations.
C) things they disagree with.
D) what they find pleasant.
31. Speakers who engage in dialogic communication
A) try to impose their beliefs on the audience.
B) approach a speech as an argument that must be won.
C) approach a speech as an opportunity to achieve understanding with audience
members.
D) demonstrate dyadic communication.
32. Active listening is
A) the physiological, largely involuntary process of perceiving sound.
B) a focused, purposeful process.
C) communicated through listenable language.
D) also known as scriptwriting.
33. Construction noise, automobile traffic, slamming doors, and poor ventilation are
examples of
A) external listening distractions.
B) internal listening distractions.
C) physical listening distractions.
D) environmental listening distractions.
34. Daydreaming, fatigue, illness, and strong emotions are examples of
A) psychological listening distractions.
B) internal listening distractions.
C) external listening distractions.
D) physiological listening distractions.
35. When listeners engage in scriptwriting, they
A) try to predict what the speaker will say next.
B) concentrate on the speaker’s motives.
C) focus on what they will say next.
D) imagine the exchange as a story.
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36. The primary danger of laziness and overconfidence in listening is that we may
A) offend the speaker.
B) embarrass ourselves.
C) miss important information.
D) have to ask questions.
37. When trying to identify a speaker’s main points, a listener can
A) find clues anywhere but in the conclusion.
B) look to the speaker’s visual aids for clues.
C) listen for transitions.
D) watch for the speaker to emphasize the main points through delivery techniques.
38. To ensure you hear and retain the speaker’s most important points, you should
A) try to suspend your biases.
B) pay attention to introductions, transitions, and conclusions.
C) watch the speaker’s delivery for clues.
D) listen critically.
39. ______ involves evaluating evidence, analyzing assumptions and biases, and assessing
the speaker’s reasoning.
A) Critical thinking
B) Comprehensive listening
C) Active listening
D) Eliminating cultural barriers
40. ______ listeners enjoy evaluating information and making reasoned judgments on it.
A) People-oriented
B) Action-oriented
C) Content-oriented
D) Time-oriented
41. Listening to a lecture at an art museum would require ______ listening more than any
other type.
A) comprehensive
B) critical
C) empathic
D) appreciative
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Answer Key
1. B
2. B
3. A
4. B