Which of the guidelines below should you follow when organizing information by the
comparison-and-contrast pattern of development? (Select all that apply.)
A) Choose either the whole-by-whole or the part-by-part pattern or some combination
of the two. Then order the second-level items.
B) Once you’ve ordered the second-level items, arrange them spatially.
C) Evaluate each item according to the criteria you have established.
D) Consider using graphics to complement the text.
To test a title, you should ask whether readers will be able to paraphrase it in a clear,
meaningful sentence.
A) True
B) False
The purpose of debriefing after a usability test is to thank the participant for giving you
information.
A) True
B) False
The guidelines for preparing text to be translated are generally similar to the guidelines
for writing clearly and concisely.
A) True
B) False
Whenever possible, you should combine two or more ideas into one paragraph to create
a paragraph of 75 to 125 wordsthe ideal paragraph length.
A) True
B) False
Which of the following words or phrases should be used in the excerpt below to signal
to readers that because land-use problems are causing high bacteria levels, landowners
must take action.
Bacteria levels are often above state standards and are due to localized, specific
land-use problems. _______, landowners must take action to address these problems
and reduce the high bacteria levels.
A) Nevertheless
B) For example
C) Next
D) Consequently
What are the two major types of rsums discussed in the chapter? (Select both answers.)
A) descriptive rsum
B) skills rsum
C) narrative rsum
D) chronological rsum
E) developmental rsum
Chapter 3 lists eight steps that are often involved in planning a document. One is
generating ideas about your topic. What are two other steps listed in Chapter 3? (Select
both answers.)
A) analyzing your purpose
B) proofreading
C) freewriting
D) devising a schedule and a budget
Which of the following graphics would be best suited to showing the stages of a
procedure or a process?
A) checklist
B) drawing
C) organization chart
D) flowchart
Companies hiring technical professionals such as engineers, scientists, and
programmers focus primarily on the technical abilities of the candidates they consider
for employment.
A) True
B) False
Which word best describes the kind of information found in reference works?
A) exploratory
B) experimental
C) cutting-edge
D) foundational
Your company, Acme Co., is sponsoring a three-hour field day for children at a local
park, featuring games, sports, and snacks. Parents must sign up their children online.
Your company wants to take pictures of children at the event, but it needs parents’
permission. Which option below best describes an ethical way to get parents’
permission?
A) Place a checkbox on the online form that reads “I agree to the terms and conditions
of the field day” and provide a link to a separate page of terms and conditions. Design
the form so that this checkbox is already checked when the parent gets to that page.
B) Provide a link to a separate page of terms and conditions. Have the company lawyers
write the terms and conditions in legal language and with citations of relevant laws in
case another lawyer reads them.
C) Place a checkbox on the online form that reads “I agree to allow Acme Co. to take
pictures of my child or children to record and promote field-day activities.” Design the
form so that this checkbox is not checked when the parent gets to that page.
D) All options are equally ethical.
ABC Electronics wants someone to install a top-of-the-line burglar-alarm system for its
two buildings, a system that not only sounds an alarm but also simultaneously notifies
authorities and the company president. Video surveillance of the premises should also
be a capability of the security system. In order to obtain price quotes, what should ABC
Electronics write?
A) an unsolicited proposal
B) an internal proposal
C) an external proposal
D) a request for proposals
One of the main challenges of document design is using as few pages as possible while
still making the document easy to read.
A) True
B) False
Chapter 21 discusses four aspects of the speaking situation that you should take into
account when planning the graphics you’ll use in an oral presentation. One is the length
of the presentation. What are the other three aspects? (Select the three that apply.)
A) audience aptitude and experience
B) size and layout of the room
C) equipment
D) formality of the presentation
E) color schemes
You work for a semiconductor manufacturer. You are writing a quarterly report on the
activities within your section of the company. One of the people who will read your
report is Lila Waltman, divisional vice president. You search online for information
about her. Which piece of information is most likely to help you as you write the
report?
A) Lila is an active member of the local chapter of IEEE, a professional society for the
electronics industry.
B) Lila is an active member of the local chapter of her university’s alumni association.
C) Lila is an active member of the community board for a local animal shelter.
D) Lila is an active member of a distance-running group.
If you are presenting to nonnative speakers of English, which of the following should
you do?
A) Survey your audience for the most frequently spoken languages and arrange for
translations of your slides into those languages.
B) Offer to provide free translations of the slides to any interested audience members
following the presentation.
C) Include, directly on your slides, brief translations of the most essential content in the
most commonly spoken languages.
D) Use simple vocabulary and slow down the pace of your delivery.
When critiquing the work of a team member, save a big compliment for the last
comment in order to end on a positive note.
A) True
B) False
New and important information should come at the beginning of a sentence, where
readers will be sure to notice it.
A) True
B) False
Why is it important to use care in creating graphics for multicultural audiences?
A) Culture affects how people read images and what they see in them.
B) Differences between cultural interpretations of graphics tend to be slight.
C) Multicultural audiences are happy if at least a short caption for the image is in their
native language.
D) All responses are correct.
A page grid is a drawing, or map, in which areas of white space and text in a document
are arranged clearly and consistently.
A) True
B) False
What are two common ways of concluding a set of instructions? (Select both answers.)
A) with a summary of the steps in the process
B) with a list of resources for additional information about the task
C) with maintenance tips
D) with a troubleshooting guide
Descriptions are rarely incorporated into longer documents; instead, they usually appear
as separate documents.
A) True
B) False
Which of these is a quality shown by a successful workplace communicator?
A) keeping new information about your field to yourself
B) prioritizing your own needs
C) displaying emotional intelligence
D) sharing proprietary information openly
You are writing a report about sales of your company’s products over the past three
months. Sales are not growing, but instead appear to be steady. You have identified
three factors contributing to this situation. Which of these options is the most effective
lead-in for a paragraph list discussing these factors?
A) Certain factors are affecting our sales channels.
B) Three factors include:
C) I have identified three factors that are contributing to the plateau of product sales.
D) The following factors are contributing to the plateau of product sales.
Chapter 11 identifies five goals of document design. One goal is to make a good
impression on readers. What are two other goals mentioned in Chapter 11? (Select both
answers.)
A) to help readers find the information they need
B) to use several different colors
C) to help readers remember the information
D) to help readers get through the document quickly
E) to prevent readers from becoming bored or distracted
It is most effective to present emotional appeals in isolation rather than in combination
with other types of evidence.
A) True
B) False
According to Chapter 19, which of these is NOT an element common to most lab
reports?
A) task schedule
B) title
C) discussion
D) conclusion
When warning users about the dangers of products, writers should avoid using
mandatory language such as must and shall.
A) True
B) False
A sentence with a negative construction uses a word or phrase to describe what
something is not. One example is the use of not manyrather than few.
A) True
B) False
In some cultures, it would be considered rude to create a document that contains
information the audience already knows.
A) True
B) False