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Test Item File for Excellence in Business Communication, Fourth Canadian Edition
Chapter 7
1) Video podcasts are often called vidcasts or vodcasts.
A) True
B) False
2) Your email will be more effective if you email a complaint straight to the top person in
your company because it will cut down on forwarding and copying your messages
throughout the chain of command.
A) True
B) False
3) For basic podcasts, your computer probably has most of the hardware you already
need, and you can download recording software.
A) True
B) False
4) Syndication is the process of distributing web pages and instant messages to over 5000
users.
A) True
B) False
5) Aggregators automatically collect information about new blog postings and podcasts.
A) True
B) False
6) Printed letters are the still the most common medium for formal internal business
communication.
A) True
B) False
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7) Many businesses are replacing email with instant messaging and other tools that
provide better support for instant communication.
A) True
B) False
8) Email is now a primary communication medium for many companies.
A) True
B) False
9) One advantage of blogging for business is that it makes it so easy to stand out from the
crowd.
A) True
B) False
10) One limitation of podcasts is that they can be played only on Apple iPods.
A) True
B) False
11) Compared to blogs, podcasts require more work to create.
A) True
B) False
12) It is safe to assume that the usual standards and expectations of business
communication do not apply to email.
A) True
B) False
13) In a court of law, email messages can have the same weight as more traditional
printed documents.
A) True
B) False
14) In email, “cc” stands for “courtesy copy.”
A) True
B) False
15) Email etiquette requires that you respect the chain of command.
A) True
B) False
16) Only about 10 percent of all employers monitor incoming and outgoing email.
A) True
B) False
17) Leaving the subject line out on important email messages will spark your audience’s
curiosity and increase their desire to read your email.
A) True
B) False
18) If you and someone else are replying back and forth based on the same original
email, you should always use the exact same subject line with each new email response.
A) True
B) False
19) An effective email subject line is very short and describes only the general topic of
the message.
A) True
B) False
20) Spelling, punctuation, and grammar do not matter in email; getting your message out
quickly should be your only concern.
A) True
B) False
21) If you write an emotionally charged email message, let it sit for at least one day
before sending it.
A) True
B) False
22) Set the message priority to “urgent” for all the emails you send—it is the only way to
make sure everyone will read them.
A) True
B) False
23) Compared to email and phone calls, IM is less costly.
A) True
B) False
24) “Spim” is the term used to describe the IM version of email spam.
A) True
B) False
25) Blogs are useful in business for communicating during a company crisis.
A) True
B) False
26) One drawback of current blogging software is that it takes a great deal of time to post
new material.
A) True
B) False
27) Blogging is a great way to promote your company’s products through viral
marketing.
A) True
B) False
28) If you do not frequently have new information to post, a traditional website will be
more effective than a blog for your business.
A) True
B) False
29) Unlike other business presentations, podcasts require little planning and are most
effective when delivered impromptu.
A) True
B) False
30) To create the most basic podcasts, inexpensive equipment is all you’ll need.
A) True
B) False
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31) Tagging the contents of your blog makes it easy for audiences to read everything
you’ve written on a specific subject.
A) True
B) False
32) One way to make your podcast more effective in business is to create a blog that
contains similar content.
A) True
B) False
33) Although RSS is the most common format for publishing blogs and podcasts, it is
complicated to use and requires special training.
A) True
B) False
34) A popular Microblogging tool is _________
A) Digg.
B) Twitter.
C) Vimeo.
D) Flickr.
35) Follow the PDF approach for single-screen emails. Here PDF means ____________
A) portable, details, for everyone.
B) purpose, details, finish.
C) purpose, details, follow-though.
D) purpose, directive, follow-through.
36) To avoid sending a flaming email message, _________________
A) be spontaneous.
B) let it sit for at least a day and then revise or delete it.
C) copy your superior on the message.
D) turn your computer off for a while because it is obviously overheated.
37) Potential drawbacks of IM include security problems, incompatibility between
competing IM systems, and __________
A) archiving.
B) interception.
C) enterprise.
D) sensitive messages.
38) Bloggers can help each other find audiences by listing favourite blogs
______________
A) in an instant message.
B) in an email message.
C) in their blogrolls.
D) in their bookmarks.
39) The process of publication for blogs and podcasts is often referred to as
____________
A) publishing.
B) podcasting.
C) syndication.
D) production.
40) Which one of the following is generally not used for routine, internal
communication?
A) Memo
B) Email
C) Letter
D) Telephone call
41) When it comes to writing messages in today’s business environment,
_________________
A) printed letters are obsolete.
B) printed letters are still used often for external communication.
C) email has completely replaced printed memos for all internal communication.
D) electronic messages have no weight in a court of law.
42) Email can be used for external communication _____________
A) regularly—it is now a primary medium for most companies.
B) only for formal documents that you need to keep a record of.
C) in response to letters your customers have sent.
D) only in very informal corporate cultures.
43) Compared to email, instant messaging _____________
A) is slower and more complicated to use.
B) has not caught on in the business community.
C) is much faster, but more costly as well.
D) offers greater speed and is less susceptible to privacy problems.
44) Many businesses are now using podcasts to replace or supplement _____________
A) letters.
B) memos.
C) conference calls.
D) email.
45) When you want your message to stand out amidst the flood of electronic messages
your audience receives, you should ______________________
A) consider sending a printed message.
B) flag your email messages as “high priority” or “urgent.”
C) send multiple copies of the same email message.
D) consider sending an IM.
46) Using email in the workplace _____________
A) requires no more formality than using it for personal correspondence.
B) is frowned upon by most executives.
C) has dramatically different demands than using it for personal messages.
D) is a good idea only in technological fields.
47) When it comes to legal issues, _____________
A) email messages mean nothing—only printed documents can be used in court.
B) email and other electronic documents have the same weight as printed ones.
C) your email messages are off limits—using them in court would violate your privacy.
D) none of the above.
48) To minimize the potential problems associated with email many companies have
_____________
A) abandoned the use of email altogether.
B) adopted formal email policies governing appropriate usage.
C) stopped monitoring the messages employees send and receive.
D) limited the number of messages employees can send each day.
49) Email hygiene refers to _____________
A) the absence of slang and informal language in email messages.
B) a nationwide movement to do away with information overload.
C) all the efforts companies make to keep email clean and safe.
D) the practice of using etiquette when composing email messages.
50) The subject line of an email message _____________
A) is an option rarely used in business.
B) helps recipients decide whether or not to read the message.
C) should do nothing more than describe the general topic of the message.
D) should be mysterious enough to make the audience want to read the message.
51) Which of the following is an example of an effective email subject line?
A) Website redesign is falling behind schedule
B) Status Report
C) Employee Parking
D) Please read
52) When exchanging multiple emails with someone on the same topic _____________
A) use the same subject line to avoid confusion.
B) write a descriptive kind of subject line.
C) periodically modify the subject line.
D) change the topic whenever the date changes but not before.
53) To make an email more readable do all of the following except _____________
A) limit the subject line to describing the general topic of your message.
B) make your message easy to follow.
C) personalize your message.
D) observe email etiquette.
54) Which of the following is an example of an effective subject line for an email
requesting information about an upcoming staff meeting?
A) Information needed
B) Meeting
C) Please send staff meeting agenda items
D) What will be covered?
55) Drawbacks of IM include the _____________
A) challenge of logging messages for later review and archiving.
B) need for users to learn complicated software.
C) ability to use it only on expensive, highly specialized devices.
D) need to learn how to use complicated hardware.
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56) Advantages of using IM rather than email include _____________
A) lower cost than phone calls and email.
B) availability on a wide range of devices.
C) its ability to mimic conversation more closely.
D) all of the above.
57) “Spim” refers to _____________
A) unwanted email from unknown sources.
B) email that contains computer viruses.
C) the IM version of email spam.
D) none of the above.
58) If you do not have a constant supply of new information to post on a business blog,
_____________
A) your audience will appreciate not having to process information that changes
constantly.
B) re-post old material so your audience will not lose interest.
C) audiences are likely to stop paying attention to your blog.
D) none of the above.
59) If you receive criticism from readers based on a business blog, _____________
A) your should respond openly and honestly.
B) ignore it unless the critic is incorrect.
C) post it, and follow with a blog entry to show your audience that it will not be tolerated.
D) do not acknowledge it publicly, since doing so will reduce your credibility.
60) Many businesses now use ___________ to keep project teams up to date, inform
employees about general business matters, and replace email.
A) social networking software
B) bots
C) blogs
D) all of the above
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61) “Viral marketing” is _____________
A) the unethical practice of marketing products through computer viruses.
B) advertising products and services related to the health-care industry.
C) spreading the word about your company and products in much the same way that
biological viruses are spread from person to person.
D) the process of creating computer viruses to promote your company’s anti-virus
protection software.
62) When it comes to blogging for business, _____________
A) don’t worry about proofreading—your audience doesn’t expect it.
B) you should apply the three-step writing process as you would for any other business
message.
C) don’t spend a lot of time trying to define your audience: you’re writing for everyone.
D) it is less important to post new material frequently.
63) Podcasts are _____________
A) great for entertainment, but not useful in business.
B) helpful for training in business, but not much else.
C) too technical to be practical for business use.
D) none of the above.
64) One of the greatest drawbacks of using podcasts in business is the _____________
A) costly, specialized equipment you’ll need to purchase regardless of the production
quality you want.
B) increased difficulty of editing your material.
C) challenge of scanning back and forth to find specific parts of the message.
D) all of the above.
65) Compared to blogs, podcasts are _____________
A) much easier to edit.
B) more difficult to edit.
C) equally challenging when it comes to editing.
D) none of the above.
66) You may be familiar with podcasts as the online equivalent of recorded radio or
video __________.
67) Blogs, podcasts, bookmarking and tagging sites, photo-and video-sharing sites, wikis,
and other electronic tools should be viewed as __________.
68) To capture your audience’s attention, make sure your subject line is compelling and
__________.
69) In most instances, don’t use Instant Messaging at work for confidential messages,
complex messages, or __________ messages.
70) For many companies, email has replaced the more traditional __________ as the
primary means of internal communication.
71) A video podcast is often called a __________ or __________.
72) A __________ is the online equivalent of recorded audio or video broadcasts.
73) Email __________ refers to all the efforts companies are making to keep email clean
and safe—from spam blocking and virus protection to content filtering.
74) The __________ of an email is important because it helps readers decide whether to
read the message or delete it.
75) An email message that contains insensitive, insulting, or critical comments is called
a(n) __________.
76) In an email message, “cc” refers to __________.
77) One feature of instant messaging software is __________ awareness, which enables
users to see which people are at their desks and available to IM.
78) Benefits of IM include its rapid response to urgent messages and its __________ cost
than phone calls and email.
79) The IM version of email spam is known as __________.
80) Another term for a video blog is __________
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81) Blogs have also become a popular medium for __________ support—enabling
employees to answer questions and offer tips and advice.
82) Viral __________ refers to spreading the word about your company and its product
in much the same way that biological viruses are transmitted from person to person.
83) When creating a basic __________ for clients to download and listen to, a
microphone, a sound card, and free recording software are all you need.
84) In business contexts, what are the primary benefits and disadvantages of instant
messaging?
85) You need to send an email to the employees you supervise informing them of an
important meeting coming up on Friday. You want to make sure they bring a copy of a
recent consultant’s report with them. Explain what subject line you would use and how
you arrived at your decision.
86) Give three situations in which you should use a printed message over electronic
alternatives.
87) You can help keep electronic messages from causing problems in your organization
by following certain tips or guidelines. List four of these guidelines.
88) List five ways businesses are using blogs.
89) Give three examples of how podcasts could replace more traditional message formats
in business.
90) Define “RSS” and briefly describe its function.
91) Explain how inappropriate use of email at work can lead to legal problems.
92) Explain why it is so important to avoid sending unnecessary email messages at work.
93) Explain why it is important to pay attention to issues such as spelling, punctuation,
and grammar when composing email messages in business.
94) Define “flames” and explain how to avoid them in business.
95) Explain how to apply the three-step writing process to instant messages.
