Based on their function, business reports typically fall into one of two categories:
instructional or persuasive.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
A communication channel
a. is anything that interrupts the transmission of a message.
b. should be selected before idea formation.
c. includes only digital means for transmitting messages.
d. is the medium over which the message travels.
Answer:
When the interviewer asks you questions about the future, you should provide answers
that
a. show ambition and interest in succeeding with the company.
b. are vague because no one can predict the future.
c. indicate that you want the interviewer’s job.
d. focus on your needs.
Answer:
When the interviewer says Describe a time when you worked successfully as a member
of a team, your best response will be to
a. reply that you have been a member of so many successful teams that no particular
instance stands out.
b. say that you not only enjoy teamwork, especially problem-solving groups, but also
work well independently.
c. tell a success story about a specific group project, your contributions, and the results.
d. list the names of all work teams on which you participated and stress that all were
successful.
Answer:
Techniques to elicit audience desire and overcome reader resistance in a marketing
message include all of the following except
a. testimonials.
b. money-back guarantees.
c. application forms.
d. free samples or trials.
Answer:
When answering interview questions, interject many verbal pauses to give yourself time
to formulate appropriate answers.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Which of the following is a simple sentence?
a. If health insurance costs continue to rise, employee copays may increase.
b. Having healthy employees decreases the cost of monthly premiums; therefore, we
will be implementing a wellness program.
c. HMO and PPO insurance plans offer additional cost savings.
d. Because we will be reducing employee health insurance benefits, some employees
may be unhappy; however, we must make sure that they understand the reason for the
change.
Answer:
Physical barriers to listening include only environmentally produced noises.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
The budget in a proposal should
a. reflect careful research because a proposal is a legal contract.
b. provide only rough estimates so that you can raise the price later if costs increase.
c. never itemize hours and costs, but offer only a total sum.
d. include a disclaimer to ensure that the budget is not legally binding.
Answer:
Operating a computer is an example of a ‘soft” skill.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
To maintain audience interest in a multimedia presentation, add as many animation and
sound effects as possible.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
What kind of sentence reveals the main idea of a paragraph?
a. Pivoting
b. Supporting
c. Topic
d. Transitional
Answer:
Which of these is the best statement to present a job candidate’s information in the body
of a cover message?
a. I am a qualified and fully licensed pediatric nurse.
b. Your posting description closely matches my experiences assisting dysfunctional
families in crisis, and recently I’ve taken seminars in family dynamics to develop the
additional skills that your ad indicates are essential.
c. You need a licensed, registered nurse, and I meet those qualifications.
d. Having graduated summa cum laude from Southwest College, I am well-prepared
and eager to apply my knowledge in nursing.
Answer:
Psychological barriers to listening include hearing disabilities, poor acoustics, and noisy
surroundings.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
According to B.A. Tuckman, when teams are in the ____________________ phase of
team development, they identify problems, collect and share information, establish
decision criteria, and prioritize goals.
Answer:
Which statement about margins and text alignment is true?
a. Margins define the reading area and provide important visual relief.
b. Nearly all text in Western cultures is aligned at the right.
c. Business letters and memos usually have side margins of 2 inches.
d. Ragged right margins decrease white space and readability.
Answer:
As a frontline employee, you can expect to have more managers in the workforce.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Which of the following statements best describes the use of letters, e-mails, and memos
in businesses today?
a. Businesses use memos to deliver positive messages internally and externally, but they
use formal business letters to deliver negative messages.
b. E-mail delivers most internal communication, hard-copy memos deliver most
external communication, and letters communicate only legal issues.
c. Despite the popularity of e-mail, in certain situations letters remain the preferred
channel of communication for delivering messages outside an organization.
d. Businesses today use e-mail, memos, and letters interchangeably for all audiences,
purposes, and messages.
Answer:
If an employment position has been announced and applicants are being solicited, you
can write your cover message using a direct approach.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Follow all of these guidelines to deliver your presentation effectively except
a. present your first sentence from memory.
b. begin speaking immediately; that is, speak as soon as you are behind the lectern.
c. control your voice and your vocabulary.
d. show enthusiasm.
Answer:
Which of the following uses parallel structure?
a. Our new paralegal must be smart, efficient, and have flexibility.
b. The accident shattered her pelvis, dislocated her foot, and her spinal column was
broken in three places.
c. Big business demands superior forecasting, reporting, and analyzing.
d. A good financial planner must be certified, competent, and must possess ethical
standards.
Answer:
In which section of an informal proposal would you most likely include a timetable for
a project to be completed?
a. Staffing
b. Authorization
c. Budget
d. Proposal
Answer:
Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing?
a. Every physician must carry his own malpractice insurance.
b. Every physician must carry their own malpractice insurance.
c. All physicians must carry their own malpractice insurance.
d. Every physician must carry his or her own malpractice insurance.
Answer:
An effective persuasive technique is to tie the facts to writer benefits.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Which of these tips regarding the use of handouts as a visual aid is most accurate?
a. Handouts should be discussed during the presentation, but they should not be
distributed until the presentation is finished.
b. Savvy speakers no longer distribute handouts because audiences view the lowly
handout as outdated and environmentally unfriendly.
c. Handouts should be included in the registration packet, along with name tags, lunch
tickets, and other event materials distributed prior to the presentation.
d. All answer choices are correct statements about handouts.
Answer:
To emphasize an important sentence within a business document, type the entire
sentence in capital letters.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Which statement about direct-mail messages is most accurate?
a. Direct mail is an effective channel for personalized, tangible, three-dimensional
messages that are less invasive than telephone solicitations.
b. Today’s companies no longer send direct-mail messages to market their products or
services; they rely exclusively on electronic media instead.
c. Direct-mail marketing is less effective than online marketing.
d. All answer choices are accurate statements about direct-mail messages.
Answer:
Information that is common knowledge requires no documentation.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Which of the following situations would most likely require persuasion within an
organization?
a. Outlining company policy on personal use of e-mail
b. Explaining a new procedure that will go into effect next month
c. Asking employees to accept a pay cut to avoid layoffs or plant closings
d. Informing employees about the new process for reporting overtime hours
Answer:
Using a hierarchy such as an outline can help you to organize ideas and information.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Mikhail’s claim has been denied once. Now, he is writing a second persuasive claim
message to his digital media services company asking for a promised rebate package.
Because he expects resistance, what should he do?
a. Appeal to the receiver’s sense of responsibility and pride in the company’s good
name.
b. Begin by presenting his resolution to the problem.
c. Address the message to a department or “To Whom It May Concern.”
d. Show specifically how the receiver or the receiver’s company caused the problem.
Answer:
____________________ is needed when we are making more than routine demands
and facing skeptical audiences.
Answer:
____________________, also known as business etiquette or protocol, soft skills,
social intelligence, polish, or civility, refers to a whole range of desirable workplace
behaviors.
Answer:
Following an interview you should send a(n) ____________________ note, e-mail, or
letter to the individual(s) who interviewed you.
Answer:
Use Empowered Team Decision-Making Without Losing Control is an example of a(n)
____________________ heading.
Answer:
Effective businesspeople use ____________________ mail to intercept and screen
incoming calls.
Answer:
____________________ is defined as “trying to see the world through another’s eyes.”
Answer:
____________________ is composed of informal words with arbitrary and
extravagantly changed meanings. These words quickly go out of fashion because they
are no longer appealing when everyone begins to understand them.
Answer:
A(n) ____________________ is a digital audio or video file that can be downloaded to
a computer or watched on a smartphone.
Answer:
Revise the following sentence to demonstrate direct, concise language:
This is to inform you that due to the fact that health care costs are rising, there is a new
employee wellness program that will be offered starting on May 1.
Answer:
To soften bad news, many business writers choose to use the ____________________
organizational strategy.
Answer:
A(n) ____________________ is a collection of information stored digitally so that it is
accessible by computers and mobile electronic devices.
Answer:
____________________ involves storing applications and data in remote locations.
Answer:
You should motivate action in the ____________________ of a persuasive request.
Answer:
Revise the following sentence to avoid misplaced modifiers:
Waiting for the interview, sweat formed on Rich.
Answer:
____________________ reports present data without analysis or recommendations.
Answer:
Messages that offer thanks, recognition, or sympathy are called
____________________ messages.
Answer:
Describe one effective technique to gain audience rapport in a presentation.
Answer:
In an adjustment message, the use of a(n) ____________________ line to identify the
previous correspondence is optional.
Answer:
Sam is collecting and organizing information for a marketing report he is writing. Sam
is involved in the second phase of the writing process, which is the
____________________ phase.
Answer: