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Chapter 6: Select a Topic and Purpose
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Choosing the right topic means choosing a topic that is appropriate for all of the
following EXCEPT
a. you.
b. your detractors.
c. your audience.
d. the occasion.
2. The goal of ______ is to generate as many ideas as possible without fear of critique.
a. brainstorming
b. topic selection
c. thesis formulation
d. general purpose formation
3. Brainstorming is a process of free ______ in which your goal is to generate as many
ideas as possible without fear of critique.
a. manipulation
b. association
c. interpretation
d. collation
4. When you mix and match ideas you’ve generated to form interesting combinations,
you are ______ ideas.
a. marrying
b. piggybacking
c. gathering
d. joining
5. In a brainstorming exercise of listing on the left side of a sheet of paper everything
you are able to see, hear, taste, smell, or touch from your present location and on the
right side of your paper topics that might naturally evolve from each observation or
experience, you are focusing on
a. the then and there.
b. the here and now.
c. human nature.
d. the senses.
6. One brainstorming technique is that of dividing a sheet of paper into seven columns
and writing down words associated with each of the following: ______, processes,
phenomena, possessions, products, and programs.
a. postures
b. presences
c. plots
d. people
7. The _______ approach is particularly useful in helping prevent “idea paralysis.”
a. ABC
b. 123
c. letter
d. chart
8. All of the following are media you can scan to brainstorm speech topics EXCEPT
a. newspapers.
b. jokes.
c. broadcast news.
d. sitcoms.
9. A ______ is a visual means of showing the relationship between brainstormed ideas.
a. mind map
b. brain map
c. mind chart
d. brain chart
10. Virtually all speeches fulfill one of the following general rhetorical purposes EXCEPT
a. to inform.
b. to persuade.
c. to entertain.
d. to control.
11. An informative speaker acts like a ______ for his or her audience.
a. parent
b. law enforcement officer
c. lawyer
d. teacher
12. Speakers deliver informative speeches for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
a. to explain a process, procedure, organization, or function.
b. when they describe a person, place, or thing.
c. to convince their audience of something.
d. when they define a word or concept.
13. Which of the following would NOT be a good topic for an informative speech?
a. Why soda should be eliminated from schools
b. The health effects of soda
c. History of soda manufacturers
d. The effects of caffeine on the human body
14. A persuasive speaker pursues all of the following EXCEPT
a. hoping to alter what the audience members know.
b. hoping to alter how the audience members feel and/or act.
c. often speaking on controversial topics.
d. explaining a concept to the audience members.
15. Which of the following would be a good topic for a persuasive speech?
a. The effects of the flu
b. How to prepare for a job interview
c. Why public schools should provide free lunches to all students
d. How a smartphone works
16. A humorous toast about your best friend would be considered a speech to
a. mock.
b. inform.
c. persuade.
d. entertain.
17. Which of the following would be a poor instance for speech to entertain?
a. A monologue at a club
b. A toast at a wedding
c. A speech during a casual lunch
d. A memorial speech on Veterans Day
18. Which of the following would be the specific purpose of an informative speech?
a. to motivate individuals to run
b. to explain the signs of a heart attack
c. to encourage audience members to donate to earthquake relief
d. to convince people to vote for a specific candidate
19. Which of the following is NOT true of the specific purpose?
a. It should be stated as an infinitive phrase.
b. It should be clear and concise.
c. It should be for your personal use.
d. It should focus on two or three related ideas.
20. The specific purpose should be written
a. in abstract language.
b. about three to four subtopics.
c. from your perspective.
d. from the audience’s perspective.
21. A good specific purpose is ______ but does not ______.
a. trivial; disappoint
b. ambitious; overreach
c. trivial; overreach
d. ambitious; disappoint
22. The specific purpose is stated as
a. an infinitive phrase.
b. a full sentence.
c. several full sentences.
d. one word.
23. In addition to formulating a specific purpose written from your own perspective, it is
also helpful to assess the speech from the audience’s perceptive, including the
composition of a desired ______ objective.
a. social
b. behavioral
c. cultural
d. political
24. “Donating blood can help save three lives, can encourage others to help their
community, and can sense of personal accomplishment” is an example of
a. a topic.
b. a general purpose.
c. a specific purpose.
d. a thesis.
25. Which of the following is another name for the thesis statement of an informative
speech?
a. Proposition
b. Primary argument
c. Central idea
d. Call to action
26. Which of the following is the least likely to be the behavioral objective of a
persuasive speech?
a. attend a blood drive and donate blood
b. explain how media sharing sites work
c. register as organ donors
d. sign a petition for a political candidate
27. Which of the following is true regarding evaluating the language of your thesis
statement?
a. It should be phrased diplomatically.
b. It should inflame.
c. It should be complex.
d. You should use figurative language.
28. An effective thesis statement fulfills all of the following criteria EXCEPT
a. it supports the specific purpose.
b. it forecasts the development or organization of the speech.
c. it focuses the attention of audience members on what they should know, do, or feel
after
experiencing the speech.
d. it is formulated in multiple sentences.
Short Answer
29. When you list everything you are able to see, hear, taste, smell, or touch from your
present location as a technique to brainstorm, you are focusing on the ______.
30. The ______ approach uses the alphabet to help find a potential topic.
31. The ______ of a speech is the overall effect you hope to have on your audience.
32. The ______ of a speech is your personal statement of the speech’s main objective.
33. A ______ makes a clear point about the topic in addition to dividing the speech into
components.
34. The thesis statement should be ______ sentence(s).
35. The speech to persuade is designed primarily to ______ the thoughts and/or the
behaviors of receivers.
True/False
36. When brainstorming, it is preferable to censor yourself.
37. An online topic generator can help you find a topic.
38. After you have picked a topic, you should ask yourself “What purpose do I want to
fulfill by speaking on this topic?”
39. Informative speeches are often controversial.
40. The speech to entertain is designed to amuse an audience.
41. A thesis statement for a persuasive speech is also called the claim.
42. Whether the speech is informative or persuasive, the thesis statement is your
speech “in a nutshell.”
43. The specific purpose should be supported by the thesis statement.
Essay
44. Discuss and exemplify how you brainstorm using categories as stimuli.
Ans: Areas to discuss: List the seven categories of people, processes, problems,
45. Compose a specific purpose for an informative speech you might give on a health-
related topic, and explain what elements you have included in the specific purpose and
why.
Ans: Areas to discuss: The specific purpose of a speech is your statement of the
46. Compose a sample behavioral objective for a persuasive speech on blood donation
and explain what you have included and why.
Ans: Areas to discuss: The behavioral objective is formulated by completing the
47. Discuss and exemplify how to formulate a thesis statement.
Ans: Areas to discuss: A thesis is a declarative sentence that divides a topic into its
48. Discuss and exemplify how to evaluate a thesis statement.
Ans: Areas to discuss: An effective thesis statement fulfills five criteria: it is a single
