45) One of the drawbacks of using email is its ________.
A) high cost
B) slow speed
C) privacy risks
D) formality
E) urgency
46) Diane needs to send out a certain query to a number of clients. She must also keep a record
of the responses. Which of the following communication methods is the most appropriate for the
purpose?
A) telephone calls
B) videoconferencing
C) letters
D) instant messaging
E) email messaging
47) In which of the following methods of communication are privacy and security concerns the
highest?
A) electronic
B) visual
C) oral
D) written
E) audio
48) Richness is a medium’s ability to ________.
A) maintain a permanent record
B) minimize the cost of transmitting the message
C) send the message as quickly as possible
D) deemphasize inappropriate emotional cues
E) establish personal focus
49) ________ is the richest medium of communication.
A) Telephonic communication
B) Face-to-face communication
C) Visual communication
D) Multimedia communication
E) Written communication
50) Media richness depends on ________.
A) the cost of using the medium
B) a medium’s ability to facilitate feedback
C) how well a medium repeats the main idea
D) a medium’s ability to quickly deliver the message
E) the formality of the medium
51) ________ media communicate in the simplest ways, provide no opportunity for audience
feedback, and aren’t personalized.
A) Direct
B) Traditional
C) Lean
D) Uniform
E) Rich
52) Which of the following forms of communication is the richest?
A) a phone call
B) a memo
C) an email
D) a face-to-face conversation
E) a letter
53) Leaner media are best used for messages that ________.
A) are routine
B) are highly emotional
C) are non-periodic
D) require feedback
E) must be personalized
54) Which of the following types of messages sent by a company to its employees will require
the richest media?
A) a message about smoking restrictions
B) a message welcoming a new manager
C) a message about a change in lunch times
D) a message about leave policy
E) a message conveying the organization’s goals
55) Dan needs to explain the new leave policy to the 50 employees in his company. Which of the
following will NOT be appropriate for the message?
A) IM
B) email
C) letter
D) memo
E) in-person presentation
56) Stella is working on a tourism brochure for the Bahamas. She needs to find new and
interesting ways of presenting information that has been covered many times before. She begins
to write as many ideas, questions, and possibilities she can think of, without considering order or
importance. She looks for connections among the various ideas to help her find the best way to
present the information. Which of the following methods is Stella using?
A) the journalistic approach
B) mind-mapping
C) brainstorming
D) a question-and-answer chain
E) a storyteller’s tour
57) Brainstorming ________.
A) wastes valuable time
B) is useful in the completing stage of writing messages
C) is not helpful when several people are collaborating on a message
D) can be effectively used by one person or many people
E) uses a graphic method to organize information
58) Which of the following approaches asks who, what, when, where, why, and how questions to
distill major thoughts from unorganized information?
A) the storytelling approach
B) the journalistic approach
C) the brainstorming approach
D) the question-and-answer chain approach
E) the mind-mapping approach
59) Jeremy writes articles on personal finance for a local paper. He often needs to simplify
financial concepts and reduce them to everyday terms to reach his audience. In order to structure
his articles, he starts with a key query from the audience’s perspective, and works back toward
the message. Each solution generates new queries, until he can identify the information that
needs to be in the article. Jeremy’s method of working is known as ________.
A) groupthinking
B) mind mapping
C) the question-and-answer chain
D) storyteller’s tour
E) augmented reality
60) When writing, Alyssa finds it best to talk through a communication challenge before
beginning to write. She records herself describing what she intends to write. When she listens to
the playback, she identifies ways to tighten and clarify the message. The process Alyssa uses is
known as ________.
A) brainstorming
B) mind mapping
C) the journalistic approach
D) a question-and-answer chain
E) the storyteller’s tour
61) ________ is the process of using a graphic method to generate and organize ideas. It begins
with a main idea and then branches out, connecting all other related ideas to the main idea.
A) Groupthinking
B) Journalistic approach
C) Brainstorming
D) Mind mapping
E) Question-and-answer chain
62) Which of the following statements about the scope of a message is true?
A) The amount of information in a message should be reduced for a skeptical or hostile
audience.
B) A knowledgeable audience will necessitate a longer message with more supporting points.
C) Limit the scope of a message in order to convey the main idea as briefly as possible.
D) A greater number of supporting points will ensure that audience interest remains high.
E) Routine messages will generally be longer and more detailed than non-routine messages.
63) Leo needs to create a presentation on a controversial topic. Before beginning work, he
outlines the major points and plans the flow of the presentation. Which of the following should
Leo avoid in order to express his ideas clearly and concisely?
A) explaining the implications of the main idea
B) increasing the number of supporting points
C) limiting the scope of the presentation
D) providing examples and evidence
E) providing only a few strong examples
64) The direct approach of presenting information is best when ________.
A) the audience is likely to be receptive to the message
B) the audience is likely to react negatively to the message
C) the writer does not know the audience well
D) the message is highly emotional
E) the message is controversial
65) Which of the following is true of the direct approach to presenting information?
A) It is generally used when the audience is uninterested in the message.
B) It is used when the audience may react negatively to the message.
C) It generally presents evidence to build a case before reaching a conclusion.
D) It generally starts with the main idea and follows up with the evidence.
E) It is used when audience receptivity to the message is not known.
66) Which of the following is true of the indirect approach to presenting information?
A) Tough issues are avoided as the audience is hostile.
B) It usually begins with a conclusion or recommendation and follows up with evidence.
C) Messages which are routine and noncontroversial are usually presented using this approach.
D) The main idea is withheld until a logical and persuasive case can be built up.
E) It is used when a positive reception is expected from the audience.
67) In which of the following cases will a direct approach be the appropriate message strategy?
A) when the audience is hostile to the message
B) when the audience’s reaction to the message is unknown
C) when the message is extremely long
D) when the message is nonroutine or unusual
E) when the audience is likely to disbelieve or doubt the content of the message
68) In the indirect approach to drafting a message, ________.
A) the main idea is usually followed by the supporting points
B) the main idea requires no explanation or argument
C) the main idea is usually presented at the beginning of the message
D) the main idea usually appears towards the end of the message
E) the main idea is usually uncontroversial and routine
69) Anna oversees the content management system for her company. She has to write a set of
instructions for new employees, explaining how to add and edit content on the system. She
begins by creating an outline of the major points to be included. Which of the following will be
the most convenient way to structure this explanation?
A) Major points should deal with steps in the process.
B) Major points should represent events in the chronological chain of events.
C) Major points should develop a line of reasoning that proves the central message.
D) Major points should correspond to the sections of the system.
E) Major points should develop an argument that motivates the audience to act.
70) ________ is an important element in the storytelling technique for business communication
because it helps readers personalize the message.
A) A real time update
B) Persuasive message
C) An outline structure
D) A knowledge-management system
E) An electronic medium
71) Defining the purpose of your message, gathering the necessary information, and selecting the
medium for delivering the message take place in the planning stage of the writing process.