Instead of just investigating which new computers your company should buy, you
decide to also explore other options like leasing equipment or upgrading your current
machines. This means that you have narrowed down your research questions.
Answer:
Goodwill techniques are just embellishments to make a message sound more polite.
Answer:
A report often has a smaller audience than typical correspondence, such as emails.
Answer:
When you write a recommendation using a presentation software like PowerPoint, each
slide should be designed to support at least five main ideas.
Answer:
In business, communication is typically goal-oriented.
Answer:
If bad news is expected, then you shouldn’t try to soften the blow of the bad news.
Answer:
Preliminary interviews give you the opportunity to learn about an employer and capture
a recruiter’s interest.
Answer:
During an interview if you are communicating by telephone, try to use a cell phone
rather than a landline to increase the chances of a good connection and minimize the
possibility of a dropped or lost call.
Answer:
A business presentation always emerges from a specific business question.
Answer:
Mary wants to focus her audience’s attention on the text and graphics of her slides and
using background graphics would be an effective way to accomplish this.
Answer:
The sales proposal that Julia is planning to send to a new client is five pages long, so
she should consider choosing a report format.
Answer:
Social media provides you with a unique opportunity to put triggers in the paths of
motivated people.
Answer:
Survey research uses a predetermined list of questions, also known as a survey
instrument, to collect a structured set of information from a selected audience.
Answer:
Communication skills can improve your salary.
Answer:
Minutes are written reports of meetings.
Answer:
Imposing bad news on a client may lead to negative business results.
Answer:
The storming stage of team development begins when team members start to manage
conflict and establish a consensus about how to work together efficiently.
Answer:
When writing a report to your boss trying to persuade her to upgrade the database
system, you should omit your own issues and frustrations with the system since it is
inappropriate to include personal experience as evidence in support of your argument.
Answer:
Most experienced business writers know that it’s more efficient to treat their first draft
as a final draft.
Answer:
Persuading your boss to implement a new flex-time schedule in your office is an
example of a routine business message.
Answer:
While following up after an interview, make sure that you contact the employer using
multiple methods as this will ensure that your message is received by your employer.
Answer:
In a noncompetitive proposal situation, your audience will not be considering any offers
other than yours.
Answer:
Messages have either primary audiences or secondary audiences, not both.
Answer:
If Samantha doesn’t listen closely to her supervisor’s instructions and ends up sending a
shipment to the wrong address, this costly mistake can be attributed to passive listening.
Answer:
A targeted sample is selected broadly from all available members of the population you
want to study.
Answer:
A group interviewinvolves several people, such as a search committee, who gather in a
conference or seminar room with a job applicant to discuss the position.
Answer:
Analyzing your audience helps you develop content.
Answer:
If you are writing a formal informational report, you should include an abstract.
Answer:
Lexis-Nexis is an online database that allows paid subscribers to search articles from
thousands of publications, like newspapers, magazines, professional publications, and
academic journals.
Answer:
It is not a good idea to mention your education, experience, and expertise when
introducing yourself to your audience, as this will come across as boastful and diminish
your credibility.
Answer:
Brynn has designed web pages for her friends, but shouldn’t consider this expertise
when analyzing her strengths and skills since it is not related to her employment history.
Answer:
In the ACE process for communication, “E” stands for evaluating.
Answer:
Starting every sentence in your cover letter with “I” leads to a monotonous writing
style.
Answer:
Understanding the meaning of an email message uses totally different skills than
understanding the meaning of a conversation.
Answer:
An appendix in a proposal consists of supplemental information and often includes
examples of past projects, client testimonials, and technical specifications.
Answer:
Quotations are any phrases, sentences, paragraphs that you take from any of your
sources.
Answer:
If you are pursuing a career in which professional presentation skills are important such
as sales, public relations, or training you might consider creating a video résumé.
Answer:
If you use a photo published on the Internet in your widely distributed presentation, you
don’t need to get a permission to use it from the original owner of the photograph if you
acknowledge the source in your presentation.
Answer:
A proposal sent to a client is an example of an internal proposal.
Answer:
The work plan ________.
A) is created before you establish the scope of your research
B) involves setting the limitations of your research
C) must not be modified as you progress with your research
D) begins with the research questions, which form the basis for the research activities
E) should not include space for recording results
Answer:
Amy is preparing for her first interview. She knows that the dress code at the company
is business casual, but no one there has given her any instructions on how to dress for
the meeting.
Which of the following tips would help Amy dress appropriately for her interview?
A) Amy should avoid wearing close-toed and closed-heel shoes.
B) Amy should wear bright makeup.
C) Amy should wear skirts that have either front or side slits.
D) Amy should avoid sleeveless tops.
E) Amy should ensure that her shoe color is much lighter than her suit.
Answer:
Facebook is a members-only website that allows its users to interact and connect with
each other. It is an example of a(n) ________.
A) online message board
B) blog
C) social networking site
D) crowdsourcing site
E) media sharing site
Answer:
English has more words than most other languages, ________.
A) which makes it an imprecise language for communicating with non-native English
speakers
B) which means that you have a much greater chance of being understood by
non-native English speakers
C) which means that many non-native English speakers will not be familiar with all the
vocabulary
D) which can specifically benefit you when communicating with non-native English
speakers
E) which makes it difficult to articulate precisely what you’d like to say
Answer:
Which of the following statements best expresses the goal of communication?
A) The goal of communication is that the receiver should be able to receive the
message.
B) The goal of communication is that the sender should be able to transmit the message.
C) The goal of communication is to develop shared meaning by communicating in a
dynamic loop.
D) The goal of communication is to select the appropriate channel for sending an
encoded message.
E) The goal of communication is to maximize the potential for feedback.
Answer:
Which of the following is true of analyzing your strengths and skills?
A) It should be done after composing résumés and cover letters.
B) It helps you determine which jobs you are best qualified to pursue.
C) It builds a strong occupational network around you.
D) It helps you gain experience in the particular field.
E) It helps you gain transferrable skills that relate to your career goals.
Answer:
Which of the following questions is recommended for evaluating the authorship of a
source?
A) Do other sources agree with this information?
B) Is the source published by a reputable press, or is the website sponsored by a
reputable organization?
C) Does the author acknowledge and respond to opposing points of view?
D) How current is this information?
E) Does the source provide a copyright?
Answer:
Which of the following statements would be the best to use in a proposal?
A) Our equipment does the job in half the time it takes for our competitor’s equipment.
B) Our equipment will do the job in half the time it will take for our competitor’s
equipment.
C) Our equipment did the job in half the time it took for our competitor’s equipment.
D) Our equipment had done the job in half the time it had taken for our competitor’s
equipment.
E) Our equipment has done the job in half the time it has taken for our competitor’s
equipment.
Answer:
At a job interview, Dara speaks confidently and enthusiastically about her prior
experience. With a smile on her face, she leans forward in her chair while speaking, as
does her interviewer. Dara’s nonverbal communication ________.
A) conflicts with her message
B) will make her audience perceive her as arrogant and aggressive
C) increases her chances of getting a positive response
D) undermines her persuasiveness
E) will make it more likely that her audience will forget what she said
Answer:
“After company X used this ad agency, their sales increased by 30% the following
quarter. Obviously, our sales will go up 30% if we choose this ad agency.”
Which of the following types of logical fallacies is illustrated in this example?
A) appeal to popular opinion
B) false cause
C) false dilemma
D) red herring
E) ad hominem attack
Answer:
Kurt needs to send an unformatted copy of his résumé to a prospective employer. To
accomplish this in Microsoft Word, he ________.
A) only needs to change the font of the document to a less contemporary looking one,
like Times New Roman
B) should remove all capital letters in the résumé
C) should start by copying and pasting his résumé’s content into blank Word file using
Paste Special
D) should change the line spacing to two blank lines
E) should ensure that there is extra spaces before or after paragraphs
Answer:
Trevon has considered his situation and has already decided what information he must
include in the bad-news email he is about to draft. However, he is now stuck trying to
decide whether he should jump right to the bad news or build up to it gradually. Which
stage of the ACE process is Trevon engaged in?
A) analyzing
B) assessing
C) composing
D) contending
E) evaluating
Answer:
Which of the following excerpts from a sales message is an example of the social proof
technique?
A) Act now! our special limited time offer expires soon!
B) Did you know that our product has almost twice the computing power of the other
handheld devices available today?
C) Be the envy of your friends and coworkers by purchasing this first-generation
product today.
D) This device gives you the functionality of a laptop and the portability of a PDA.
E) Several fortune 500 companies have purchased over 200,000 of these devices for
their top executives.
Answer:
Audiences easily get lost and bored if they cannot anticipate the twists and turns the
presentation may take. To avoid this, the presenter should ________.
A) open the presentation with a genuine question
B) establish a rapport with the audience at the beginning of the presentation
C) mention the audience benefits at the end of the presentation
D) provide a framework for the presentation during the opening of the presentation
E) open the presentation with a an anecdote
Answer:
A colleague stops by your desk and asks if you have some time to help her right now.
You reply, “Sure.”
Which of the following nonverbal signals would most likely support your affirmative
verbal response and give the impression that you would prefer to help her?
A) continuing to stare at your computer screen
B) sighing
C) smiling
D) frowning
E) tensing up your body
Answer:
Which of the following is recommended for effectively designing a slide deck?
A) Use background graphics for the slides.
B) Size your title box to accommodate only one-line headlines.
C) Leave space for “road-signs” on the upper-left or upper-right corner of your slides.
D) Avoid using footers.
E) Do not include a copyright marking in the slides.
Answer:
In the context of sharing bad news, a text message ________.
A) is not considered to be appropriate under any circumstances
B) is typically used to share the news with the public
C) is used so that the news does not seem impersonal or evasive
D) may be seen as an informal approach
E) avoids immediate discussion of the news
Answer:
Although people often use the term “conflict ________” to discuss handling conflict,
“conflict ________” is a more helpful term.
A) eradication; resolution
B) resolution; management
C) management; eradication
D) resolution; eradication
E) management; resolution
Answer:
The ________ lists all the headings in the report, along with the page numbers where
the report sections begin.
A) reference list
B) glossary
C) bibliography
D) executive summary
E) table of contents
Answer:
A solicited sales communication ________.
A) is a response to a request for sales information
B) is also called a “cold-call sales message”
C) tends to reduce the audience’s desire to comply with your request
D) does not require you to reduce the audience’s resistance to the sales message
E) is written to an audience that is not interested in your product
Answer:
You want to postpone a meeting to a week later than arranged, and plan to send an
email to notify participants about this change. In the context of this message, which of
the following best articulates a benefit for the audience?
A) I would really appreciate it if we could meet next week instead.
B) If we can meet next week, the data you are interested in will be ready and we can
discuss that as well.
C) If you can reschedule it, it will enable me to honor my other commitment, and have
our meeting too.
D) The meeting with you isn’t very time-sensitive, so I’m sure you won’t mind
postponing it since it would really help me out.
E) Yes, I know it may be inconvenient for you but it’s really the only way I am able to
juggle everything.
Answer:
When you are using a search engine, the main body of the results page is most likely to
begin with sites ________.
A) that are least relevant to your search
B) that are being accessed by other users at that very moment
C) that are accessed least frequently
D) that are updated most recently
E) that are frequently accessed or that most closely match your search terms
Answer:
Which of the following is a “for-your-information” message?
A) telling a colleague about a workshop, you think he will be interested in
B) informing a client about a price increase in your services
C) convincing your customer to extend your deadline
D) announcing the launch of a new product on your website
E) sending a tweet about the positive review of your product in a trade magazine
Answer:
________ are abilities that make you an asset to a company.
A) Related hobbies
B) Personal preferences
C) Skill inventories
D) Sellable qualities
E) Motor skills
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT true about a reference page in a formal report?
A) It is necessary if a report uses secondary research sources.
B) It should begin on its own page immediately after the body of the report.
C) It can include such varied sources as books, articles, company websites, and blog
messages.
D) It should use an appropriate documentation style, such as APA, CMS, or MLA.
E) It should be omitted if the report has an appendix.
Answer:
Which of the following must be avoided to create a well-designed résumé?
A) using Arial as your font
B) creating columns with spaces
C) using a larger font size for headings
D) formatting headings in bold
E) separating sections with lines
Answer:
Internal proposals ________.
A) are typically structured like a formal report
B) cannot take the form of an email
C) should not be casual or unstructured
D) always take the form of a proposal letter
E) do not need to be convincing or detailed
Answer:
Generally, the work experience section of your résumé should include ________.
A) detailed bullet points describing duties at all prior jobs
B) supervisors’ information
C) salary information
D) reasons for leaving past employment
E) related internship experiences
Answer:
Which of the following would be the best to include in your executive summary?
A) Almost half of American children aren’t getting enough exercise to develop healthy
hearts and lungs.
B) Our program stimulates young minds and at the same time it strengthens their
bodies.
C) Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic.
D) Many people don’t realize just how important physical fitness is.
E) Current guidelines say that children should get 60 minutes or more of moderate to
vigorous exercise each day.
Answer:
You want to inform your colleague about a change to the project schedule. You decide
to call him to inform him about this change. By deciding to use the telephone to
complete this communication, you have ________.
A) encoded the message
B) closed the dynamic communication loop
C) filtered the noise in the communication process
D) selected the communication medium
E) decoded the feedback
Answer:
When writing a message, you determine audience benefits by ________.
A) analyzing the positive outcomes for you if your readers comply with your request
B) analyzing the positive outcomes for you if your readers do not comply with your
request
C) analyzing the positive outcomes for your readers if they comply with your request
D) analyzing the positive outcomes for your readers if they do not comply with your
request
E) analyzing which positive outcomes you are most likely to achieve if you do not
divulge all the available information to the audience
Answer:
You are organizing a charity event to raise funds for the renovation of the community
tennis court. This event is going to include a two-day sports tournament among the high
school students in your locality. This will involve communicating with students, their
parents, school administrators, coaches, local businesses, and the general public. One of
your first tasks is to attract sponsors who will provide funding for the event in exchange
for promotional considerations. When you draft the letter trying to secure this funding,
your audience will be ________.
A) students
B) students’ parents
C) school administrators
D) coaches
E) local businesses
Answer:
Martin was asked to keep the minutes at a committee meeting which was called for
planning the company picnic. During the meeting, the members discussed the venue for
the picnic whether they should conduct it on the office grounds, bringing in food and
recreation vendors, or hold it off site at a facility that provides a comprehensive
package. Several people were given follow up tasks including estimating the costs of
conducting it on company grounds and whether special permission or permits would be
required. There were also action steps to research three offsite locations’ prices. The
date of the event was not determined because though it was usually held in May, the
tech department was planning to roll out a big project during the same time. So the
picnic in May was going to be problematic. So the committee had to discuss the date
with the IT director and verify with the office manager if the picnic could be conducted
in June. Give a sample of what Martin’s minutes would look like.
Answer:
Describe the significance of a web résumé.
Answer:
Explain with example, physiological barrier, language barrier, and psychological
barrier.
Answer:
How might a lack of confidence impede the drafting process?
Answer:
Explain the steps involved in analyzing your message.
Answer:
Diana is preparing to write a response to an RFP. Describe how Diana should approach
this task.
Answer:
Discuss the significance of analyzing the setting of your presentation.
Answer:
Discuss how persuasion is a process.
Answer:
Discuss the appropriate methods for designing data objects, axis, axis labels, and scales
for a graph.
Answer:
How would you suggest improving this message?
Answer:
Discuss the significance of analyzing audience benefits.
Answer:
You are giving a presentation, attempting to persuade your audience to approve a
redesign of your retail website. Give examples of ways of building rapport with your
audience by stating a fact, telling an anecdote, quoting a familiar saying, or asking a
question.
Answer:
Discuss why selection of the communication medium is so important.
Answer:
Ruth recently graduated from college and entered the workforce. After her first business
trip, her supervisor asked her to write a trip report. Ruth submitted a carefully written
report, chronologically narrating the events and meetings that took place on her trip.
Has Ruth created her trip report in an accurate format?
Answer:
Why might a thank-you note that is considered perfectly appropriate in America be
considered inappropriate in an Asian culture?
Answer:
Why shouldn’t you speak negatively about your current job in an interview?
Answer: