Page 1
1.
Listening is the conscious act of receiving, constructing meaning from, and ________ to
messages.
2.
Paying attention to certain messages and ignoring others is called ________ ________.
3.
Anything that competes for the attention you are trying to give to something else is
called a listening ________.
4.
Setting listening ________ helps active listeners get the most from the speaker’s
message.
5.
________ ________ is the open sharing of ideas in an atmosphere of respect.
6.
When offering constructive feedback, be honest, fair, compassionate, and ________ in
your criticism.
Page 2
Answer Key
Page 3
1.
In any given communication situation, all listeners will process information in exactly
the same manner.
A)
True
B)
False
2.
Selective perception is a process in which listeners pay attention to certain messages and
ignore others.
A)
True
B)
False
3.
Audience members will listen carefully even if they believe the speaker’s message is of
no importance.
A)
True
B)
False
4.
Active listening is focused and purposeful.
A)
True
B)
False
5.
Differences in dialects or accents, nonverbal cues, and physical appearance sometimes
serve as cultural barriers to listening.
A)
True
B)
False
6.
A listening distraction is anything that competes for the attention you are trying to give
to something else.
A)
True
B)
False
7.
Noise, movement, light, darkness, heat, and cold are all examples of internal
distractions.
A)
True
B)
False
8.
Daydreaming as you listen can be considered an internal distraction.
A)
True
B)
False
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9.
When we engage in scriptwriting, we focus on what the speaker will say next.
A)
True
B)
False
10.
In defensive listening, audience members decide that they like what the speaker is going
to say.
A)
True
B)
False
11.
Laziness and overconfidence occur when we expect too little from speakers, ignore
important information, or display an arrogant attitude.
A)
True
B)
False
12.
Active listeners listen for the speaker’s main ideas and watch his or her nonverbal cues.
A)
True
B)
False
13.
Though speakers should set goals, it is unimportant for listeners to do so.
A)
True
B)
False
14.
An active listener will try to detect the speaker’s main points.
A)
True
B)
False
15.
When evaluating evidence, the listener should determine if the speaker’s sources are
credible.
A)
True
B)
False
16.
When listening to a speech, it is important to consider different perspectives and realize
that there are multiple ways to view an argument.
A)
True
B)
False
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17.
Listeners who do not like a speaker’s topic are not required to be honest and fair in
evaluating the speech.
A)
True
B)
False
18.
Listeners rarely pay attention to
A)
information that they deem important.
B)
information that is associated with their experiences.
C)
information that relates to their backgrounds.
D)
information that is unrelated to their interests.
19.
Paying attention to information that is important to us, being interested in information
that touches our own experiences and backgrounds, and sorting and filtering new
information based on what we already know are key elements of
A)
imaginative perception.
B)
selective perception.
C)
simplistic perception.
D)
attentive perception.
20.
Active listening is
A)
vague and abstract.
B)
focused and purposeful.
C)
a time-consuming one-step process.
D)
undesirable when listening to public speeches.
21.
Listening distractions are
A)
always external.
B)
external and internal.
C)
not something a speaker needs to be concerned with.
D)
only experienced by poor listeners.
22.
Construction noise or competing conversations are examples of
A)
external distractions.
B)
internal distractions.
C)
defensive listening.
D)
active listening.
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23.
Daydreaming and fatigue are examples of
A)
scriptwriting.
B)
internal distractions.
C)
external distractions.
D)
defensive listening.
24.
Scriptwriters tend to
A)
focus on the speaker.
B)
concentrate on the speaker’s motives.
C)
plan what they, not the speaker, will say next.
D)
know what the speaker will say next.
25.
In order to deal with a sudden distraction while you are giving a speech, you might
A)
speak softly so listeners will have to listen more carefully.
B)
ignore any interruptions or audience reactions.
C)
refuse to continue until the distraction is removed.
D)
minimize your response and proceed as soon as possible.
26.
Active listeners
A)
are often distracting to other listeners.
B)
usually set listening goals and listen for main ideas.
C)
ignore the speaker’s nonverbal cues.
D)
apply the same goals to every speech.
27.
When actively listening, a person should
A)
ignore the speaker’s words altogether.
B)
take into account only the conclusion.
C)
take note of the speaker’s key points.
D)
concentrate on the speaker’s body language.
28.
Listeners should evaluate evidence in terms of
A)
accuracy and credibility of the source.
B)
personal biases held about the topic.
C)
the speaker’s delivery.
D)
personal feelings toward the speaker.
Page 7
Answer Key
Page 8
1.
Which two major factors influence what people listen to and what they ignore?
2.
Describe two types of internal distractions, and explain how they detract from a
communication situation.
3.
Describe how a listener can plan ways of coping with common listening distractions.
4.
How does scriptwriting differ from defensive listening?
5.
From your own experience, identify something you perceive to be a cultural barrier to
listening.
6.
Write a brief list of ways you can become a more active listener. Tailor these goals to
your own strengths and weaknesses as a listener.
7.
Identify three guidelines for evaluating speeches and presentations.
8.
What does dialogic communication mean to the speaker? To the audience?
9.
When you evaluate a speech, what does compassionate criticism look and sound like?
Page 9
Answer Key