Suzanne wants to make a good impression during a job interview. What should she do?
a. Avoid eye contact with her interviewer to show respect.
b. Slump down in her chair to show that she’s relaxed.
c. Wear professional business attire.
d. Ask the interviewer to lunch.
Answer:
Several barriers may cause poor listening. Which of the following is a psychological
barrier to effective listening?
a. Focusing on a speaker’s unusual voice
b. Concentrating on a speaker’s unfamiliar words
c. Having noisy surroundings
d. Tuning out speakers whose ideas do not match our own
Answer:
A topic sentence
a. provides specific details, explanations, and evidence that support the main idea of a
paragraph.
b. links sentences within a paragraph.
c. is unnecessary in a paragraph.
d. states the main idea of the paragraph.
Answer:
A summary should be as long as necessary to ensure that all illustrations, examples, and
references used in the report or document are included within the summary.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Only managers and business executives need strong communication skills.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Most analytical reports answer questions about specific problems and aid in decision
making.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
When designing documents, you should place as much text as possible on a page to
save paper and printer toner.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Although you may worry about using the indirect strategy to communicate bad news,
one benefit it has is
a. demonstrating your writing abilities.
b. ensuring that your reasoning will be read while the receiver is still receptive.
c. disguising the bad news.
d. placing the bad news before the explanation.
Answer:
Communication skills
a. are not as important as technical skills for career success.
b. are not necessary in today’s competitive job market.
c. are ranked by recruiters at the top of qualities they most desire in job seekers.
d. cannot be learned; they are innate.
Answer:
One of the best ways to overcome fear is to know what happens in a typical interview.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
The manager noticed that Stephen slammed his desk drawer right after he said that he
was happy to work late. The manager should
a. tell Stephen that he should behave more professionally.
b. respond to the verbal message only and thank him for working late.
c. politely seek additional information by saying, I’m not sure that you really want to
stay late. Do you have somewhere you need to be?
d. fire Stephen for insubordination.
Answer:
Which of the following is the best advice for proofreading long, complex documents?
a. Proofread complex documents immediately after writing while your thoughts are still
fresh.
b. Thoroughly proofread your document only once.
c. Expect to find mistakes.
d. Rely completely on a spell-checking program to find any errors.
Answer:
Goodwill messages should be personalized and include specific incidents or
characteristics of the receiver.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Which statement regarding type sizes and fonts is most accurate?
a. Font styles are a stylistic means of adding emphasis to your words.
b. Readers are generally most comfortable with 8- to 10-point type for body text.
c. Fonts include caps, boldfacing, italics, underlining, outlining, and shadowing.
d. Writers should always use all caps to emphasize their ideas.
Answer:
In deciding to share negative information about another employee to your supervisor,
what question should you consider first?
a. Will I profit personally (promotion, bonus pay, or honors)?
b. Was the act criminal or hostile behavior or just a one-time mistake?
c. How should I time the information delivery (before or after a meeting)?
d. How can I avoid being identified as the tattle tale by other employees?
Answer:
Pronouns should be avoided in business writing.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Which of the following sentences most effectively presents promotional materials in a
message responding to a customer inquiry?
a. We offer an outstanding variety of thank-you gifts for our most valuable customers.
b. You will find that our top-selling host gift baskets not only welcome your guests but
also save you money and time compared to individually purchasing and assembling
your host baskets on site.
c. Can I interest you in anything else?
d. If I can be of further assistance with any of our other fine products, do not hesitate to
contact me.
Answer:
Which of the following statements about instant messaging in the workplace is most
accurate?
a. Although companies have found instant messaging to be a valuable tool for
employees to communicate with one another, they have been hesitant to use instant
messaging for customer service.
b. Unlike text messaging, instant messaging is not subject to discovery in lawsuits.
c. Instant messaging allows people to share information immediately and make
decisions quickly.
d. Instant messaging decreases presence functionality.
Answer:
If you must turn down a job offer, employment experts suggest you should send the
employer a letter
a. declining the offer, providing a thorough explanation of the reasons for declining, and
expanding on your qualifications for a new position.
b. thanking the employer for the offer and briefly declining the position.
c. specifying personal reasons for your decision.
d. declining the position and offering assistance finding your replacement.
Answer:
If a company is conducting a panel interview, a job candidate should establish eye
contact with only the person who asked the question.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
A sales message is wasted if your reader fails to act.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Communicators from North America, Scandinavia, and Germany tend to be logical,
analytical, and action oriented. They also depend little on the context of a situation to
convey their meaning. These communicators represent what kind of culture?
a. High-context
b. Primitive
c. Ancient
d. Low-context
Answer:
When writing or responding to a blog, you should
a. correct any errors in your grammar, spelling, and mechanics.
b. vehemently and honestly disagree with a post using strong language such as Your
ideas are completely unfounded. Do your research before you post your ideas!
c. include long, wordy sentences to demonstrate your writing abilities.
d. repeat ideas and sentences to add length to your response.
Answer:
When you fail to collect all needed research before beginning to organize and write
your business document, you may end up starting over and reorganizing.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Many screening interviews occur on the telephone.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
You are selecting a channel for sending your message. Which of the following is not a
factor to consider when making this decision?
a. Amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required
b. Cost of the channel
c. Confidentiality and sensitivity of the message
d. Your competitors’ channel use
Answer:
You should never send a goodwill message via e-mail.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
On behalf of your civic organization, you are inviting a motivational speaker to your
semiannual meeting. In your request you guarantee the speaker an enthusiastic audience
and a positive impact on the community, both of which emphasize
a. praise for the reader.
b. indirect benefits to the reader.
c. the indirect strategy.
d. the direct strategy.
Answer:
Which of the following is the best opening for a note expressing thanks for a gift?
a. Thank you, Elena, for the e-reader commemorating my twenty years with Brown
Sales; it will make a perfect travel companion.
b. Thanks for the gift!
c. I cannot believe I have been with the company for twenty years.
d. A lot has changed over the past twenty years.
Answer:
Which of the following should be included in the minutes of a meeting?
a. Action items
b. Date and time of meeting
c. Participants’ names
d. All answer choices are items that should be included in the minutes of a meeting.
Answer: