Chapter 5: Analyzing and Adapting to the Audience
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Your success as a speaker depends on all of the following EXCEPT
a. reaching the audience.
b. building your relationship with the audience.
c. sharing your message with the audience.
d. arguing with the audience.
2. Which of the following is NOT true regarding audience diversity?
a. You should adapt your speech based on your audience.
b. The language of your speech should not change based on your audience.
c. You should not make assumptions about individual members in your audience based
on the groups they belong to.
d. The more you know about your audience, the easier it is to speak to them.
3. A speaker which is not self-centered, but motivated by an understanding of receivers
is
a. ineffective.
b. audience centered.
c. unclear.
d. not interesting.
4. To penetrate the invisible shield they use to protect themselves from information
irrelevance, relate your ideas to all of the following EXCEPT
a. their values.
b. their beliefs.
c. their needs.
d. their sympathy.
5. All of the following should be considered when composing a demographic snapshot
EXCEPT
a. age.
b. gender.
c. eye color.
d. socioeconomic background.
6. If you were talking to an audience of parents about what your university can offer,
which topic would be least appropriate based on this demographic snapshot?
a. The personal attention from professors
b. The social “party” scene on campus
c. The resources available for struggling students
d. The high graduation rate of the university
7. A ______ audience is one whose members are similar in age, have similar
characteristics, attitudes, values, and knowledge.
a. homogenous
b. heterogeneous
c. united
d. divided
8. A ______ audience is one composed of persons of diverse ages with different
characteristics, attitudes, values, and knowledge.
a. homogenous
b. heterogeneous
c. united
d. divided
9. Which of the following is true regarding generational differences of your audience?
a. Baby boomers tend to be less cynical.
b. Individuals born before 1945 tend to lean politically liberal.
c. Baby boomers tend to be less competitive.
d. Generation Y individuals tend to be focused on both friends and safety.
10. According to sociolinguist Deborah Tannen, “women speak and hear a language of
connection and intimacy” whereas “men speak and hear a language of ______ and
______.”
a. power; control
b. status; independence
c. humor; power
d. status; control
11. Which of the following would be sensitive to and respectful of differing sexual
orientations?
a. Not asking the audience to indicate sexual orientation
b. Using heteronormative standards if discussing hypothetical couples
c. Including information that is relevant to a wide variety of orientations
d. Making jokes about sexual orientation to break the ice
12. When speaking before a more knowledgeable audience, you will want to deliver a
______ presentation, that is, a presentation that considers alternative perspectives.
a. one-sided
b. two-sided
c. focused
d. unfocused
13. If you have an audience of religiously diverse listeners, you are encouraged
a. to completely avoid controversial topics
b. to acknowledge that your listeners might disagree with you
c. to avoid questions or comments from the audience
d. to separate the audience by religion
14. If you have an audience of diverse listeners, it is helpful to acknowledge that some
of your listeners may
a. agree with your stance.
b. disagree with your stance.
c. be neutral to your stance.
d. not hear what you will say.
15. All of the following are examples of identity affiliations EXCEPT
a. religious groups.
b. political groups.
c. civil groups.
d. social groups.
16. A wealthy audience might not appreciate what it means to
a. be a good speaker.
b. grow up in poverty.
c. be a good listener.
d. speak about wealth.
17. When you learn about your audience member’s ______, you understand how they
see themselves: their personality, values, attitudes, etc.
a. value orientation
b. value profile
c. psychological profile
d. psychographics
18. Our ______ are the standards by which we judge what is right or wrong.
a. values
b. beliefs
c. attitudes
d. ethics
19. Our ______ are what we hold to be true and false.
a. values
b. beliefs
c. attitudes
d. ethics
20. It is important to understand how your audience views your topic for all of the
following reasons EXCEPT
a. you can adapt your speech to address their values and concerns.
b. you can choose what information to keep from them.
c. you can demonstrate how your messages matches their beliefs or values.
d. you can be prepared to address misconceptions.
21. Which of the following is NOT true regarding how the audience perceives you?
a. They are more likely to believe you if they think you are credible.
b. What they think of you can change how they accept your message.
c. If they believe you are credible, they are more likely to pay attention.
d. You cannot gain credibility in your speech, you either have it beforehand or you don’t.
22. When you consider the reason for why audience members are in attendance, you
are analyzing the
a. speaking situation.
b. attendance situation.
c. speaking purpose.
d. attendance purpose.
23. Which of the following is NOT a question you should ask yourself when analyzing
the occasion?
a. Is the audience here voluntarily?
b. What kind of speech is the audience expecting?
c. What type of room will the speech be in?
d. How should the audience be entertained?
24. Considering the speaking situation includes all of the following EXCEPT
a. considering the location.
b. considering the time.
c. gauging audience size.
d. understanding the audience’s mood.
25. Questionnaires generally contain three different kinds of questions, which is NOT
one of the common question types?
a. Closed-ended questions
b. Scaled questions
c. Opened-ended questions
d. Opinion questions
26. “Should carrying a concealed weapon be legal, yes or no?” is an example of which
type of question:
a. open-ended
b. closed-ended
c. scaled
d. response
27. Asking respondents to report their feelings on organ donation using a continuum
from “extremely negative” to “extremely positive” would be which type of question?
a. open-ended
b. closed-ended
c. scaled
d. response
28. All of the following are true for open-ended questions EXCEPT
a. they generate more detailed responses.
b. they generate clear, unambiguous responses.
c. they may be harder to interpret.
d. they may not deliver the desired information.
29. “What are your feelings on same–sex adoption?” would be an example of which type
of question?
a. Open-ended
b. Closed-ended
c. Scaled
d. Response
Short Answer
30. When you are gathering and interpreting information about receivers, you are
conducting an______.
31. A ______ profile is a composite of characteristics such as age; gender; educational
level; racial, ethnic or cultural ties; group affiliations; and socioeconomic background.
32. You should use a ______-sided presentation if you have a more knowledgeable
audience.
33. When you are bearing in mind an audience member’s income, you are considering
their ______ background.
34. Our values and our beliefs feed into the ______ that we hold.
35. It is important to follow this advice: “If the time is short, don’t talk faster. Talk
______.”
36. Audience size and ______ are directly related.
True/False
37. The audience serves as the speaker’s compass.
38. You can easily reach, influence, motivate, or entertain an audience without knowing
about its members.
39. If you center attention on audience members, they will make you the center of their
attention.
40. Audience members will often filter out the information that they deem less important.
41. It is rare to have a heterogeneous audience.
42. The age of the audience is rarely a factor to consider.
43. Each member of your audience is a unique individual not simply a composite of a
set of demographic factors.
44. Before class starts or right after it finishes are good times to make small talk with
your peers in an effort to discover what they think about certain topics.
Essay
45. Discuss and exemplify why it is important for a speaker to be an audience-centered
speaker.
Ans: Areas to discuss: By focusing on what your audience needs, you can more
46. Why would it change a speech on college life if you were speaking to students as
opposed to parents?
Ans: Areas to discuss: Parents and students would be interested in different issues, so
47. Discuss and exemplify what might happen if you speak below an audience’s
knowledge level.
48. How would it benefit us as speakers to understand our own values, beliefs, and
attitudes?
Ans: Areas to discuss: As these factors shape how we view the world, they will impact
49. What are some questions you can ask yourself if you discover your audience does
not view you favorably?