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Test Item File for Excellence in Business Communication, Fourth Canadian Edition
Chapter 12
1) Communicating with people in other cultures often calls for more formality.
A) True
B) False
2) If a short proposal is directed toward an audience outside your organization, use a
letter format.
A) True
B) False
3) As with other written business communications, the text of reports and proposals has
three main sections: an introduction (or opening), a body, and a close.
A) True
B) False
4) The body of your report presents, analyzes, and interprets the information you
gathered during your investigation.
A) True
B) False
5) Tables are ideal when your audience needs information that would be either difficult or
tedious to handle in the main text.
A) True
B) False
6) Line charts are commonly used to show trends over time.
A) True
B) False
7) Word tables are not as useful as numerical ones.
A) True
B) False
8) In line charts showing trends, the vertical axis indicates time or quantity, and the
horizontal axis indicates amount.
A) True
B) False
9) If at all possible, use only one line on any given line chart.
A) True
B) False
10) A surface chart is a type of bar chart in which the bars are represented by symbols.
A) True
B) False
11) Bar charts have limited use because they can only be used to compare two sets of
data.
A) True
B) False
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12) Pie charts are a good way of illustrating the composition of a whole.
A) True
B) False
13) When you are preparing a pie chart, place the largest segment in the 12 o’clock
position.
A) True
B) False
14) If you want to illustrate a sequence of event from start to finish use a flow chart.
A) True
B) False
15) An organization’s normal communication channels are almost impossible to describe
without the use of an organization chart.
A) True
B) False
16) The visuals most commonly used to present data include tables, line and surface
charts, bar charts, pictograms, Gantt charts, and pie charts.
A) True
B) False
17) Because of the costs of reproduction, photographs are not used in business reports.
A) True
B) False
18) Thanks to improved technology, it is now possible for businesspeople to produce
high-quality visual aids without the services of graphic designers.
A) True
B) False
19) Computer software offers a variety of tools that automatically give you the design
sensibility that is needed for effective visuals.
A) True
B) False
20) Making arbitrary changes in colour, shape, size, or texture is one way of stimulating
an audience’s interest in your presentation.
A) True
B) False
21) Audiences assume that the most important point will receive the most visual
emphasis.
A) True
B) False
22) By switching from tense to tense when describing the same research results,
you can confuse your readers.
A) True
B) False
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23) In the text of a report, every visual aid is clearly referred to by number.
A) True
B) False
24) The best place to put a visual aid is right next to or immediately following the
paragraph it illustrates.
A) True
B) False
25) Titles, captions, and legends provide more opportunities to connect your visual and
textual messages.
A) True
B) False
26) Using I and you gives a report a more informal tone.
A) True
B) False
27) To make your tone more formal, use the impersonal style: emphasize objectivity,
ensure that content is free from personal opinion, and build your argument on provable
facts.
A) True
B) False
28) Readers should be able to follow the structure of your document and pick up key
points of your message from the headings.
A) True
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B) False
29) Previews and reviews are NOT effective types of transitions.
A) True
B) False
30) Reports and proposals that are highly technical, complex, or lengthy can put heavy
demands on your readers, so _______________________________
A) the report or proposal is put in a broader context.
B) the “you” attitude takes on even greater importance with these long messages.
C) company policy becomes even more important.
D) the nature of the subject matter should be emphasized.
31) Generally speaking, when designing documents, formal balance ______________
A) is calming and serious.
B) dynamic and engaging.
C) boring and obsolete.
D) is for high-level management.
32) If you want to present a large set of numerical values or detailed textual information,
___________
A) use a table.
B) use a pie chart.
C) use a diagram.
D) put it all in the main body of the report.
33) The best type of visual aid for showing trends over time is ______________
A) a table.
B) a pie chart.
C) a line chart.
D) an organization chart.
34) A surface chart is ______________
A) a type of three-dimensional pie chart.
B) a form of line chart in which all the lines add up to the top line.
C) a type of map showing various terrains.
D) used to show interrelationships within an organization.
35) A bar chart would be particularly useful for ______________
A) summarizing the salaries of presidents at 20 corporations from 1987 to 1990.
B) comparing market shares of three breakfast cereals from 1987 to 1990.
C) showing the stages in production of a jet engine.
D) depicting the proportion of advertising dollars spent on various major media.
36) The best way to illustrate the composition of a whole is with a ______________
A) pie chart.
B) line chart.
C) bar chart.
D) flow chart.
37) When preparing a pie chart, you ______________
A) limit the number of slices to no more than three.
B) place the largest segment at the 12 o’clock position.
C) arrange wedges of decreasing importance in a counterclockwise direction.
D) do all of the above.
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38) Flowcharts are used to ______________
A) summarize large amounts of statistical data.
B) show the relative sizes of the parts of a whole.
C) show how something looks or operates.
D) illustrate processes and procedures.
39) One of the most common uses of maps in business reports is ______________
A) to show physical differences in variables.
B) to show concentrations of variables by geographic area.
C) to show quality differences in variables.
D) to show business locations.
40) Drawings, diagrams, and photographs are ______________
A) commonly used in business reports.
B) occasionally used in business reports.
C) never used in business reports.
D) used in oral presentations but not in written reports.
41) If you’re addressing an audience with multiple language backgrounds or varied
reading skills, what can you do to take your readers’ specific needs into account?
A) You can shift the balance toward more visual elements.
B) You can make the report longer so as to add much detail and explanation.
C) You can ensure your grammar and spelling are correct.
D) You can shift the balance toward a more informal tone.
42) Legends are not _____________
A) necessary for simple graphs.
B) helpful in communicating your key points.
C) used for complex graphs.
D) often read.
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43) Which of the following is an example of a descriptive title for a visual aid?
A) How CamCo Reduces Costs
B) How Cost Reductions Have Been Made at CamCo
C) Reducing Costs is a Number-One Goal at CamCo
D) CamCo Cuts Costs Through Outsourcing and Downsizing
44) Review each visual to ensure __________________
A) that your readers will enjoy it.
B) that it will fit into the length of your report.
C) that it doesn’t distort the meaning of the information.
D) that it doesn’t contain more than six colours.
45) The writing style for a report should be more formal if ______________
A) you know your readers reasonably well.
B) your report is internal.
C) the subject is controversial or complex.
D) the report is relatively short.
46) When it comes to time perspective in your report, ______________
A) you should feel free to shift back and forth between the past and present tenses.
B) you should be careful to observe the chronological sequence of events.
C) you should make sure that none of your material is dated.
D) you should keep everything in the past tense.
47) Your report introduction needs to ____________________
A) introduce the purpose of the report.
B) emphasize the main points of the message.
C) present your credentials.
D) present conclusions and recommendations.
48) Where transitions are concerned, it is best to ______________________
A) use as few as possible because they can confuse your audience.
B) use descriptive headings instead of transitions.
C) use short words to make it easier for your audience to read.
D) use them to guide readers from one thought to the next.
49) Transitional words and phrases ______________
A) tie ideas together and keep readers moving along the right track.
B) help overcome poor organization.
C) are essential to analytical reports but unnecessary in informational reports.
D) do all of the above.
50) A(n) __________ is a type of visual aid that includes vertical columns and horizontal
rows.
51) A(n) __________ chart illustrates trends over time.
52) __________ charts are a form of line chart with a cumulative effect; all the lines add
up to the top line.
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53) Nothing is better for showing the composition of a whole than a(n) __________
chart.
54) A(n) __________ illustrates a sequence of events.
55) To illustrate the positions, units, or functions of an organization and the way they
interrelate, use a(n) __________ chart.
56) A(n) __________ title on a graphic simply identifies the topic, while a(n)
__________ title calls attention to the conclusion that ought to be drawn from the data.
57) __________ are useful tools for helping readers grasp what they’ve learned so far
while preparing to receive new information.
58) __________ problems can range from photos that play on racial or gender
stereotypes to images that imply cause-and-effect relationships that may not exist.
59) You can quickly convert reports and proposals to __________ files that are easy and
safe to share electronically.
60) When writing a business report, how can you make your tone less formal?
61) List at least three strategies for increasing the formality of your writing in business
reports.
62) What are the three main sections of a business report?
63) Describe how the approach (direct or indirect) and the length (short or long) affect
the close of a report.
64) If you find relevant information that does not support your line of reasoning, should
you still include it in your report? Why or why not?
65) To help readers find what they’re looking for and stay on track as they navigate
through your documents, explain the use of three navigational aids.
66) Remember that the report close is your last chance to convince the reader, so it is
okay to introduce new facts if these help your case. Discuss.
67) In what forms can previews and reviews be written in a business report?
68) Briefly explain the primary difference between linking and embedding files in
business reports.
69) List at least two specific guidelines to follow in creating effective pie charts.
70) List and briefly explain five characteristics of effective report content.
71) Describe six strategies (in addition to using the AIDA format) for strengthening your
argument in business proposals.
72) What four topics are commonly covered in the introduction to a business proposal?
Briefly explain each one.
73) In a formal proposal, where does the Work Plan section normally appear and what
information does it contain? Can it be changed later?
74) List and explain the function of five important technology tools for developing
effective reports and proposals.