The secret to a successful action phase in the AIDA model is
A) getting readers to change their minds.
B) increasing the audience’s awareness of your product or service.
C) emphasizing how taking the action you propose will benefit the audience.
D) creating a win-lose situation, with you as the winner.
E) reproaching the audience for not taking action on their own.
Answer:
All of the following except ________ are elements in the planning phase of the
three-step writing process.
A) gathering information
B) adapting to the audience
C) selecting the right medium
D) organizing the information
E) analyzing the situation
Answer:
Which of the following is not a common nonverbal difference among various cultures?
A) Personal space
B) Formality
C) Facial expressions
D) Greetings
E) Tone of voice
Answer:
The term typeface refers to
A) a set of characters in a specific style.
B) the lettering commonly used on the title-pages and covers of business documents.
C) the part of a laser printer that imprints letters on the page.
D) the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters.
E) the margin settings of a document.
Answer:
When you’re creating a list for a business document,
A) always use bullets, rather than numbers or letters.
B) keep in mind that the items need not be parallel.
C) include a short sentence or paragraph to introduce the list.
D) use ALL CAPS to display the information.
E) make sure it contains at least 7 items.
Answer:
When you’re planning a negative message, ________ to minimize the damage to
business relationships and encourage acceptance of your message.
A) analyze the situation carefully
B) be assertive and direct at all times
C) emphasize your needs and concerns
D) quote the policies and regulations of your company
E) avoid stating the bad news in the message
Answer:
The best time to choose between the direct and indirect approach for organizing
messages is before you’ve decided on the main idea.
Answer:
Using hyperbole when offering praise to fellow employees
A) is a great way to show them how much you appreciate their work.
B) bolsters your credibility by showing that you are results-oriented.
C) is less effective than pointing out specific qualities that warrant praise.
D) is effective as long as you know the employee(s) well.
E) shows that you truly mean what you say.
Answer:
Business communication is often more demanding than social communication because
communication on the job is affected by the
A) pervasiveness of technology.
B) growing reliance on teamwork in business.
C) globalization of business.
D) increasing value of business information.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
When you’re writing routine replies and positive messages, use the direct approach
because
A) it will help skeptical readers understand your argument.
B) your readers will be indifferent to the content of your message.
C) recipients will generally be interested in what you have to say.
D) inquisitive readers will enjoy exploring the rhetorical context of your message.
E) presenting your reasoning before your bottom line will grab each reader’s attention.
Answer:
Form letters in business
A) can be helpful when communicating about routine matters.
B) were once very common, but have now all but disappeared due to software
advancements.
C) are rarely used, since companies now realize how much customers dislike
impersonal messages.
D) are still common, but only for negative messages.
E) are now linked by statistics to reduced profits and loss of customers.
Answer:
In a working interview,
A) the candidate meets with an interviewer as the interviewer performs normal duties.
B) no questions are askedthe candidate simply shows up and begins working so that
those involved with the hiring decision can evaluate him or her.
C) interviewers avoid asking about anything other than work: hobbies and other
personal matters are not addressed.
D) the candidate ‘shadows” several employees, and is asked to explain which job seems
best and why.
E) the candidate actually performs a job-related activity during the interview.
Answer:
You can use an agreement strategy to write an effective buffer if you
A) find an attribute or achievement to compliment.
B) thank the reader for contacting you.
C) demonstrate that you understand the reader’s goals and needs.
D) discover a point on which you and the reader share similar views.
E) all of the above
Answer:
If you choose not to list your GPA in the “Education” section of your résumé,
A) most employers will not interview you.
B) employers will generally respect you for being humble.
C) you should be prepared to answer questions about it during the interview.
D) you should always state it in your application letter.
E) you should simply include a statement that reads, “GPA withheld for privacy
reasons.”
Answer:
An ideal approach to proofreading a formal report or proposal is to
A) skim it quickly as soon as you finish drafting it, and then send it ASAP.
B) have two people review itone who is an expert on the topic and one who is not.
C) never rely on anyone other than yourself.
D) completely avoid using spell checkers, grammar checkers, and other software tools.
E) send the draft to a competing company, and ask for their feedback.
Answer:
If you are planning a career change and want to deemphasize lengthy unemployment or
lack of career progress, the best organizational plan for your résumé would be
A) chronological.
B) functional.
C) targeted.
D) indirect.
E) fundamental.
Answer:
During the ________ of the group-development process, the members of a
problem-solving team will begin to discuss their differing opinions and perspectives
and become more assertive in establishing their roles.
A) conflict phase
B) reinforcement phase
C) orientation phase
D) brainstorming phase
E) intensification phase
Answer:
Clip art cluttering a bar chart is an example of
A) a pictogram.
B) chartjunk.
C) a good way to grab reader interest.
D) a pictograph.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
Marketers use quantifiable characteristics known as ________ and psychological
characteristics known as ________ to help them understand the needs of an audience.
A) social graphics, intuitional data
B) demographics, psychographics
C) crowd sourcing, regionalisms
D) psychometrics, cryptography
E) selling points, desirable benefits
Answer:
You want to prepare a speaking outline for an upcoming presentation. Which one of the
following will help you get off to a good start?
A) Remove all transitions and key words from your planning outline.
B) Ignore your planning outline and chart a new course based on your personal agenda.
C) Start with the planning outline; then strip out anything you don’t plan to say to the
audience.
D) Keyboard your script on your slides. That way, you can read the slides
word-for-word.
E) Insert additional examples, details, and data into your original planning outline.
Answer:
The two most common purposes of business presentations are to
A) analyze and synthesize.
B) regulate and validate.
C) inform and persuade.
D) illustrate and entertain.
E) observe and comment.
Answer:
Messages should contain additional detail and background information when
A) you expect a favorable response.
B) you are unsure about the audience’s level of understanding.
C) you and your audience share the same general background.
D) you are worried about possible legal action.
E) all of the above are the case.
Answer:
“Business Communication 2.0” refers to
A) high-level correspondence as opposed to routine documents.
B) a new approach to business communication, emphasizing interaction and
conversation rather than one-way publication.
C) specialized software that enables professionals to create impressive documents
easily and efficiently.
D) the informal, abbreviation-laden writing style of today’s younger generation.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
In a complex formal report, it is often helpful to include
A) a table of contents that lists every heading in the report plus titles of illustrations and
tables.
B) two tables of contents: a high-level table that shows only major headings, followed
by a detailed table that includes all headings and subheadings.
C) everything but prefatory parts in the table of contents.
D) everything but supplementary parts in the table of contents.
E) asterisks beside the titles of all key parts in the table of contents.
Answer:
One important goal of a buffer is to
A) delay stating the bad news.
B) establish common ground with your reader.
C) leave your reader wondering about the purpose of your message.
D) divert the reader’s attention to a more pleasant subject.
E) shift the blame from yourself to the reader or some other party.
Answer:
Compared to younger employees, older workers
A) are less respected in all cultures.
B) are more respected in all cultures.
C) can offer broader experience and high degrees of “practical intelligence.”
D) are generally not highly respected in Asian societies.
E) almost never find themselves in generational conflict with coworkers.
Answer:
Proofreading reports is different from proofreading other kinds of business messages in
that
A) reports usually have more typographical errors.
B) the visual aids in reports don’t usually need proofing.
C) reports often have elements that aren’t included in other business messages.
D) audience expectations are usually lower when it comes to reports.
E) None of the abovereports do not differ significantly from other business messages.
Answer:
For general business messages, gear your writing toward readers at the
A) first-grade to fourth-grade level.
B) fifth-grade to sixth-grade level.
C) eighth-grade to eleventh-grade level.
D) twelfth-grade to fourteenth-grade level.
E) none of the above
Answer:
When making an unusual or complex request, it is best to
A) ask all at once, even if it makes results in one long and complicated question.
B) use passive voice to state the request.
C) break it down into specific, individual questions.
D) use a particularly demanding tone.
E) warn the audience that they might struggle to understand it.
Answer:
To downplay a dependent clause in a complex sentence, you should
A) place it at the beginning of the sentence.
B) place it at the end of the sentence.
C) place it in the middle of the sentence.
D) set it off with a semicolon.
E) use plenty of slang in your wording.
Answer:
List at least three guidelines to follow if you want to achieve a conversational tone in
business messages.
Answer:
What is culture?
Answer:
What elements are normally included in the body of a formal proposal?
Answer:
What is a hidden agenda?
Answer:
How can your audience’s level of understanding help you determine the appropriate
amount of information to include in a business message?
Answer:
Rewrite the following negative message using positive words rather than negative ones:
“Since you failed to send payment, we cannot ship your order.”
Answer:
What are the two benefits of stating the bad news at the beginning of a negative
message?
Answer:
What is brand socialization? Why is it important in business?
Answer:
You have been asked to help a company find ways to reduce the amount it spends on
employee health and dental benefits. Write a purpose statement for the report you will
produce.
Answer:
If a job candidate receives a job offer while other interviews are still pending, how
should he or she ask the employer for a time extension?
Answer:
Explain the “information technology paradox.”
Answer:
Briefly explain the concept of corporate culture.
Answer:
As the leader of a new task force, you notice that one of your team members remains
silent during meetings. What should you do?
Answer:
Briefly explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse.
Answer:
List three types of reports commonly used to monitor and control operations in
business.
Answer:
List at least five types of visual aids commonly used to present data in business
documents. Provide an example of a specific task for which one type would be
especially useful.
Answer: