When discussing topics of profound importance to your audience, you can usually
count on having their attention as soon as you introduce your main idea.
Answer:
Writing in ________ is key to attracting and keeping blog readers.
A) a carefully scripted style
B) a personal, authentic voice
C) an impersonal corporate tone
D) an objective third-person style
Answer:
Forecasting your audience’s reaction to your message is
A) impossible there’s no way to know what it will be.
B) vital, because potential audience reaction affects message organization.
C) helpful only for internal communication.
D) helpful only for external communication.
Answer:
Written messages from Japanese businesspeople tend to be ________ than those written
in the United States.
A) more direct
B) less direct
C) less interesting
D) shorter
Answer:
When you’re outlining your report, using ________ requires you to really think through
the content, whereas using ________ simply requires you to identify topic areas.
A) prescriptive headings; parallel headings
B) effective headings; ineffective headings
C) informative headings; descriptive headings
D) multilateral headings; unilateral headings
Answer:
The ________ of an email is important because it helps readers decide whether to read
the message or delete it.
A) subject line
B) final paragraph
C) signature block
D) complimentary close
Answer:
If you’re writing an unsolicited proposal, you may have to
A) convince readers that a problem exists that must be addressed.
B) analyze the client’s business in light of the competition.
C) use a style approved by the American Association of Business Writers.
D) enumerate the client’s options regarding such business decisions as product-line
expansion.
Answer:
When writing a persuasive request for action, you should
A) use the hard-sell approach.
B) demonstrate that helping you will solve a significant problem.
C) ask for more than you actually want so that you’ll have a cushion for negotiation.
D) avoid flattery.
Answer:
When selecting typefaces for most business documents, you should
A) generally avoid using more than two typefaces on a page.
B) make generous use of all caps, underlining, and boldface.
C) choose typefaces such as Magneto, Harrington, or Comic Sans.
D) use a large type size (at least 14 points) for your basic text if you need to fill up
space.
Answer:
To make your communication more effective,
A) clearly address your audience’s wants and needs not yours.
B) include as much information as possible, even if you’re not sure it’s necessary.
C) prepare the message as if the audience is not interested.
D) do all of the above.
Answer:
When making a routine request, you should begin with
A) an indication of the importance of your request.
B) a statement of who you are.
C) a clear statement of the main idea or request.
D) a question.
Answer:
Business communicators can use visual parallelism to promote ________ among all the
visuals in a document.
A) duality
B) contrast
C) variety
D) consistency
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT one of the five ways to get the audience to notice your
messages?
A) Stressing your wants and needs
B) Practicing empathy
C) Emphasizing familiarity
D) Considering audience expectations
Answer:
When you’re using a mobile device, making any of the following choices except
________ will reflect negatively on your professionalism.
A) talking loudly in open offices or public places
B) texting during a meal or while someone is talking to you
C) allowing incoming calls/texts to interrupt meetings or discussions
D) asking for permission before using your device’s camera
Answer:
Messages that combine powerful visuals with supporting text can be effective because
A) visuals lower communication barriers for multilingual audiences.
B) visuals are easier to remember than purely textual descriptions or explanations.
C) visuals are effective at describing complex ideas and processes.
D) all of the above.
Answer:
________ means you reproduce the material exactly as you found it (giving full credit
to the source).
A) Quoting
B) Channeling
C) Summarizing
D) Paraphrasing
Answer:
Direct-to-consumer news releases are
A) specialized documents used to share relevant information with the news media.
B) compliance documents written for governmental regulatory agencies.
C) financial statements intended for the use of top corporate managers.
D) general purpose tools for communicating directly with customers and other
audiences.
Answer:
If your interviewer asks you a potentially unlawful question,
A) you are required by law to end the interview and report it to the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission.
B) it is often a sign that the interview is going well.
C) you may choose to answer or not to answer.
D) you should ignore it unless it happens more than once.
Answer:
A ________ is a logical interpretation of the facts and information in a report; a
________ is a suggested course of action.
A) recommendation; conclusion
B) problem statement; summary
C) conclusion; recommendation
D) trend analysis; synthesis
Answer:
When conducting an information interview, it is a good idea to
A) learn about the person you are interviewing ahead of time.
B) stick to using just one type of question.
C) save the most important questions for last.
D) avoid making an appointment, since you don’t want the subject to think ahead about
answers.
Answer:
When you have covered all the main points in your speech
A) wrap up the presentation as quickly as possible.
B) get ready to end your message on a strong, positive note.
C) avoid using such phrases as “To sum it all up” and “In conclusion.”
D) conclude with a detailed explanation of how hard you worked when preparing for
your speech.
Answer:
If you have mildly disappointing information to deliver as part of a positive message,
you should
A) put the negative information in a favorable context.
B) simply omit it from the message.
C) put the negative information first.
D) put the negative information last.
Answer:
When preparing a formal report that will be bound, leave at least a
A) uniform 2-inch margin on all sides.
B) 2-inch margin at the top and bottom and a 1-inch margin on the sides.
C) 1-inch margin on three sides and a 1 1/2-inch margin on the bound side.
D) uniform 1 1/2-inch margin on all sides.
Answer:
In high-context cultures,
A) people rely more on nonverbal circumstances and cues to convey meaning.
B) people rely less on the environmental setting to convey meaning.
C) the rules of everyday life are highly explicit.
D) all of the above occur.
Answer:
When you’re preparing an introductory statement for your résumé, all of the following
except ________ can be a good choice.
A) a career objective
B) a qualifications summary
C) a personal preferences statement
D) a career summary
Answer:
As soon as a crisis hits, companies should set up a news center for company
representatives and the media. Best practices for the news center will include all of the
following except
A) releasing contact information for everyone involved.
B) having trained personnel on site around the clock.
C) directing incoming inquires to a designated spokesperson.
D) providing complete information packets to the media as soon as possible.
Answer:
In general, the best persuasive messages ________ the audience’s motivations.
A) avoid mentioning
B) downplay
C) openly address
D) dismiss
Answer:
Your policy for using clip art in presentations should be
A) not to use any clip art, ever.
B) to use clip art sparingly, if at all.
C) to use clip art as much as possible in those presentations that need spicing up.
D) to use just those pieces that you particularly like.
Answer:
The ________ of a word is its literal or dictionary meaning.
A) figurative meaning
B) denotative meaning
C) connotative meaning
D) contextual meaning
Answer:
When you’re writing a message of appreciation,
A) keep it brief and superficial.
B) avoid drawing attention to specific circumstances.
C) mention the names of those whom you want to acknowledge.
D) give yourself a “pat on the back” for taking the time to recognize a job well done.
Answer:
All of the following except ________ can help you convert presentation anxiety into
positive energy.
A) knowing your subject matter
B) concentrating on your message and your audience
C) focusing on delivering a perfect presentation
D) making eye contact with friendly audience members
Answer:
When you’re using an inverted pyramid style to write content for the web,
A) put the least important information at the top of the message.
B) put the most important information at the top of the message.
C) put the least important information in the middle of the message.
D) put the most important information at the bottom of the message.
Answer:
Because of its natural feel and versatility, the ________ approach is generally the most
persuasive way to develop an analytical report for skeptical readers.
A) 2 + 2 = 4
B) yardstick
C) direct
D) hypothetical
Answer:
Every attempt at communication between two people from the same culture occurs
within the same
A) cultural context.
B) communication portal.
C) nexus of convenience.
D) cone of reciprocity.
Answer:
If you do all of the following except ________, you’ll be able to ask and answer
questions effectively during an employment interview.
A) taking control of the conversation
B) pausing before answering difficult questions
C) avoiding one-word answers as much as possible
D) waiting until the interviewer finishes a question before answering it
Answer: