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1. Cognitive scientists and communication researchers agree that hearing is a __________
activity.
A) complex
B) cognitive
C) passive
D) learned
2. What are the two main aspects of listening?
A) Hearing and multitasking
B) Hearing and processing
C) Multitasking and retaining
D) Processing and retaining
3. According to the Attentiveness Curve, poor listeners are likely to __________.
A) pay attention throughout the entire speech
B) pay attention only during the first few minutes of the speech
C) stop listening near the end of the speech
D) start paying attention again at the end of the speech
4. Which style of listening is effective in crisis situations but not in relationship
communication?
A) Hearing oriented
B) Action oriented
C) Content oriented
D) Time oriented
5. What would be the best approach to take if your supervisor wanted you to sit in on a
group presentation and then provide critical feedback?
A) Action oriented
B) Time oriented
C) People oriented
D) Content oriented
6. __________ listeners are likely to express more empathy toward the speaker than are
people with other listening styles.
A) Time-oriented
B) Content-oriented
C) Action-oriented
D) People-oriented
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7. If you are running late and a neighbor stops to talk about the upcoming block party, it
would be best to take a __________ approach to listening.
A) people-oriented
B) time-oriented
C) action-oriented
D) content-oriented
8. If you are having trouble listening to someone because he or she is speaking too fast, you
should __________.
A) seek a quieter environment
B) focus on what is being said and filter out any distractions
C) ask someone else what was just said while the speaker is still speaking
D) try to keep your blood sugar fairly level
9. What would be the best time of day to deliver a presentation in class?
A) Early morning
B) Late morning
C) Early afternoon
D) End of the day
10. Which of the following would be an appropriate place to have a presentation on
sickle-cell disease?
A) At an aquarium
B) In a cafeteria
C) In a public park
D) In a conference room
11. Which culprit of poor listening primarily results from the human brain having a limit to
the amount of information it can meaningfully process at one time?
A) Information overload
B) Interruptive listening
C) Nervous listening
D) Distracted listening
12. __________ listening means not paying any attention to what is being said.
A) Distracted
B) Defeated
C) Nervous
D) Interactive
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13. Blurting out questions before the speaker is ready to entertain them is an example of
__________ listening.
A) nervous
B) superficial
C) interruptive
D) distracted
14. When people feel personally attacked by questions in a conversation, they are likely to
display __________ listening.
A) distracted
B) argumentative
C) superficial
D) nervous
15. One way to show that you are listening is to __________.
A) look away from the speaker while he or she is speaking
B) lean forward and put your head down
C) check your cell phone for messages
D) ask thoughtful questions
16. If someone asks a question during your presentation, you should __________.
A) look down at your notes while the person is speaking
B) maintain a stone-faced expression rather than smile
C) paraphrase the person’s question before responding
D) shake your head slightly from side to side as the person speaks
17. What should a speaker do to avoid confusion due to jargon?
A) Explain concepts and define key terms
B) Increase your volume level
C) Read the speech slowly
D) Read the speech as planned
18. When using presentation aids, you should __________.
A) present them to the audience all at once
B) limit yourself to only one or two per presentation
C) wait until the end of the presentation to display them
D) display them only when referring to them
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19. What can a speaker do to prevent defeated listening?
A) Pause occasionally to ask questions
B) Ask that people turn off their cell phones and devices
C) Acknowledge opposing viewpoints early
D) Speed up the delivery to bring the speech to an end more quickly
20. One way to prevent superficial listening is to __________.
A) avoid making direct eye contact with audience members
B) refrain from using any type of presentation aid while speaking
C) discourage questions during your presentation
D) request that people turn off their cell phones
21. When listening to a presentation for which you will provide a speech critique, you
should __________.
A) maintain direct eye contact with the speaker throughout the entire presentation
B) write down everything the speaker says, verbatim
C) jot down your thoughts about the speaker’s delivery and message
D) prejudge the speaker, then look for evidence to support your position
22. Which of the following would be the BEST feedback for a speaker?
A) “Good eye contact.”
B) “When you defined the term ‘conjunctivitis,’ the audience better understood your
presentation.”
C) “Your fashion sense is lacking.”
D) “Your speech needs to be better organized.”
23. Which is an example of unethical feedback?
A) “The speech was long, as it took two hours to complete.”
B) “You are not a good speaker.”
C) “The speech would have been better for a more tech–savvy audience.”
D) “The speech was not coherent because there were too many pauses.”
24. When providing feedback in a conversational setting, you should __________.
A) interrupt when you feel your point is more important
B) offer suggestions to improve the other person’s delivery
C) demonstrate indifference to the person’s message
D) listen and wait to provide feedback if it’s necessary
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25. If you are in a conversational setting and unclear about what was said, you should
__________.
A) keep silent and assume what was said
B) provide feedback on everything that was said
C) ask for clarification
D) interrupt the speaker with your point of view on the subject
26. Listening is a vital skill in human communication.
A) True
B) False
27. Listening is the same as hearing.
A) True
B) False
28. Cognitive scientists consider listening a step in the communication process.
A) True
B) False
29. The more carefully you process what you’re hearing, the less you will engage your
powers of retention.
A) True
B) False
30. The best listeners alter their listening behavior depending on the situation.
A) True
B) False
31. Most people will default to a specific style of listening out of habit.
A) True
B) False
32. People-oriented listeners often exhibit impatience during a conversation.
A) True
B) False
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33. By examining common listening challenges, you can learn to overcome them.
A) True
B) False
34. The physical location of a communication event has little impact on the audience’s
ability to listen.
A) True
B) False
35. Studies indicate that multitasking can drastically increase productivity.
A) True
B) False
36. Thoughts or emotions that make it hard to concentrate are called internal noise.
A) True
B) False
37. An agenda-driven listener is not really listening to the speaker’s entire message.
A) True
B) False
38. Argumentative listeners usually listen to the speaker’s entire message before deciding
how they feel.
A) True
B) False
39. In an interview, it is OK to not fill silence with your opinions or ideas.
A) True
B) False
40. In most listening situations, it is best to keep your mind on what you think the speaker is
about to say next rather than on what he or she is saying now.
A) True
B) False
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41. When having a conversation with someone early on a Monday morning, it is best to
speak as if you were delivering a monologue.
A) True
B) False
42. When you front-load your main message, you present it early in your points.
A) True
B) False
43. Speaking too quietly can inhibit listening.
A) True
B) False
44. Superficial listeners appear to be listening but are actually distracted.
A) True
B) False
45. Offering feedback in a conversation is a good way to show that you have been listening.
A) True
B) False
46. A good critique of a speaker provides him or her with specific examples of the points
being made.
A) True
B) False
47. All speakers expect feedback.
A) True
B) False
48. You should be empathetic when providing feedback.
A) True
B) False
49. __________ means merely receiving messages in a passive way.
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50. _____________ means actively paying attention to what you’re hearing.
51. When you engage in ______________, you actively think about a message you’re
receiving from someone else.
52. _________________ is your ability to remember what you’ve heard.
53. ______________ listening challenges come from the outside world.
54. _________________ refers to how fast or slow an individual speaks.
55. _________________ can refer to the part of the day during which a presentation is being
made or to the duration of the presentation.
56. __________ is a condition in which we’re no longer capable of effectively processing
new information.
57. __________________ means attending to multiple tasks at one time.
58. The type of listening in which one member of the communication dyad is focused only
on learning or hearing certain information is called _____________________.
59. People who fall victim to ___________ feel compelled to talk through silences because
they’re uncomfortable with a lapse in the conversation.
60. During ______________________, you filter out distractions, focus on what the other
person or people are saying, and show that you are listening.
61. ______________________ often occurs when listeners feel overwhelmed by your
message and find it too difficult to follow.
62. People who pretend to pay attention but who are in fact distracted by internal or external
noise are called _______________________.
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63. Written or oral feedback offered after a speech presentation is called a(n)
_______________________.
64. Explain how cognitive scientists’ definition of listening differs from the definition used
by communication researchers.
65. Explain how well individuals with poor listening skills retain information that has been
presented to them verbally. Provide an example outside the classroom when you heard
something but were not listening. Were you able to accurately recall what was said?
66. Compare and contrast the four listening styles.
67. Describe the difference between empathy and sympathy. Which is preferable when
giving feedback to a speaker? Which listening style is best linked to being empathetic, and why?
Answer Key
1. C
2. D
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45. A
46. A