Demographic information includes people’s psychological characteristics, such as
personality, attitudes, and lifestyle.
Answer:
Respecting the chain of command is an important element of effective email messages.
Answer:
You usually do not need permission to use a person’s name or photograph in a
marketing or sales message.
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Reports do not need an introduction if they have a synopsis and a letter of transmittal.
Answer:
Most companies expect you to use texting acronyms in professional business writing.
Answer:
At the close of an interview, you should impress the interviewer with your assertiveness
by pressing for an immediate decision.
Answer:
Observations, surveys, and experiments are all considered secondary sources of
information.
Answer:
In a long report, including review sections at the end of every major section is
redundant and distracting.
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Electronic presentations do not necessarily eliminate the need for you to provide the
audience with handouts.
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Writing “teasers” on microblogging sites can be effective, as long as the payoffs to
which they lead are valuable and legitimate.
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If you are frustrated that virtually no one responds to your emails, you should set the
message priority to “High” for all the messages you send.
Answer:
When selecting people to participate in a survey, the most critical task is getting a
representative sample.
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When you need to consult government documents, your only option is to go to the
appropriate government office in your city.
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Most persuasive messages take the direct approach.
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Skilled communicators include only the information that their audience has specifically
requested.
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A justification report is an internal report designed to persuade top management to
approve a proposed investment or project.
Answer:
There are no differences between written English in the United States and written
English in the United Kingdom.
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“Do you think the styling of the new Mini Cooper is a departure from previous
styling?” is an example of an open-ended question.
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“Our clients have become more knowledgeable, and we need to accommodate them” is
a complex sentence.
Answer:
In business-related email messages, it is a good idea to make frequent use of
background colors and colored type to add visual appeal to the text.
Answer:
The difference between “lie” and “lay” is that “lie” is an intransitive verb and “lay” is a
transitive verb.
Answer:
Some of the most useful and up-to-date resources available at libraries are online
databases.
Answer:
When using the Internet to conduct research, you can be reasonably sure that any
information you find will be accurate.
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Revising your message is important because readers are likely to equate the quality of
your writing with the quality of your thinking.
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Multitasking generally enhances the quality of employees’ communication.
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You can help establish the right tone in a negative message by using positive words
rather than negative, counterproductive ones.
Answer:
The best general-purpose search engines are capable of reaching information on the
hidden Internet.
Answer:
Face-to-face communication is the richest medium.
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In business communication, it is best to use words that are low in connotative meaning.
Answer:
Blogs are useful tools for crisis communication.
Answer:
When allocating your time among the three stages of the writing process, you should
use about a fourth of the time for planning, half the time for writing, and a quarter of
the time for completing.
Answer:
Because using a mobile device is so convenient, most mobile users aren’t pressed for
time; so, they enjoy receiving intricate promotional messages.
Answer:
Most persuasive messages combine logical and emotional appeals.
Answer:
You will communicate more successfully with an international audience if you speak
slowly and distinctly and pause frequently.
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The basic communication process consists of only two steps: sending and receiving
messages.
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Internal reports are more likely to be misinterpreted than external reports.
Answer:
When writing content for slides, it is best to use passive voice whenever possible.
Answer:
Multi-page websites are easy for mobile users to navigate.
Answer:
In the second stage of interviews, your best approach is to
A) stick to brief yes and no answers to the interview questions.
B) relate your training and experience to the organization’s needs.
C) inquire about salary and benefits.
D) do all the above.
Answer:
Most simple requests can be handled by explaining
A) what you want to know or want the reader to do.
B) why you’re making the request.
C) why it may be in your reader’s interest to comply.
D) all of the above.
Answer:
Communication is the process of
A) transferring information and meaning.
B) listening actively.
C) writing messages.
D) none of the above.
Answer:
Consider the statements below. Which one of them is true?
A) Contemporary audiences don’t expect messages to contain visual elements.
B) Today’s video and graphic technology is so complex that only professionals can use
it.
C) Visuals can help you communicate your messages to audiences with lower reading
skills.
D) Your ability to create and interpret visuals will have little to do with your success in
business.
Answer:
To gain credibility with your audience in a business report, do all of the following
except
A) research all sides of your topic.
B) use credible sources to support your findings.
C) avoid setting unrealistic expectations.
D) allow your desires to determine the length of the report.
Answer:
If you’re responding to a claim and your company is at fault, it is best to
A) avoid sympathizing with the customer, since it can lead to lawsuits.
B) do all you can to discourage further correspondence.
C) take (or assign) personal responsibility for setting matters straight.
D) be vague about when the claim may be resolved.
Answer:
During conversations with non-native English speakers, you should
A) immediately rephrase statements they don’t seem to understand.
B) avoid paying too much attention to nonverbal feedback.
C) avoid including any words or phrases from their native language.
D) do none of the above.
Answer:
Microsoft Visio is one example of specialized software used to create
A) professional-quality illustrations.
B) complex spreadsheets.
C) cash flow tracking systems.
D) none of the above.
Answer:
An example of a specific purpose for a business message would be
A) to impart information to the audience.
B) to inform employees about the new vacation policy.
C) to persuade readers to take action.
D) to obtain audience participation and collaboration.
Answer:
Whereas ________ focus on what the product does, ________ focus on what the user
experiences or gains.
A) wants; needs
B) selling points; benefits
C) benefits; selling points
D) actionable features; desirable benefits
Answer:
Use the ________ if you must deliver bad news that will shock or surprise your
audience.
A) indirect approach
B) discretionary approach
C) direct approach
D) introverted approach
Answer:
In an unsolicited proposal, the letter of transmittal should follow the pattern for
A) informative messages.
B) educational messages.
C) persuasive messages.
D) collaborative messages.
Answer:
If your company or client expects you to distribute a report online
A) double-check that you’ve uploaded the correct file.
B) make sure that you put the file in the right location.
C) verify how the report displays and functions on screen.
D) all of the above.
Answer:
Online communities of interest that form around a specific product are known as
A) brand communities.
B) tangential markets.
C) product co-ops.
D) interest enclaves.
Answer:
A ________ is written to validate a decision that has already been made.
A) project proposal
B) progress report
C) compliance report
D) justification report
Answer:
A presenter who is using free-form slides is
A) released from the constraints of place and time.
B) responsible for conveying more of the content.
C) more likely to present complex subjects in a cohesive, integrated manner.
D) able to rely on each slide to function as a multimedia teleprompter.
Answer:
To avoid being accused of defamation, you should
A) refuse to communicate with unhappy clients.
B) make it clear to disgruntled customers that you refuse to be intimidated.
C) avoid any kind of behavior that could be considered abusive.
D) frequently refer to company policy.
Answer:
Use the model for positive messages when you write a
A) letter of resignation.
B) letter of acceptance.
C) letter declining a job offer.
D) none of the above.
Answer:
A public corporation filing a quarterly tax report would be providing
A) a progress report.
B) a compliance report.
C) a justification report.
D) a periodic operating report.
Answer:
If your readers will want to know what they ought to do in a given situation, then your
report should focus on
A) your conclusions.
B) your writing process.
C) your recommendations.
D) your sources of information.
Answer:
Web designers must think through the ________ of a website in order to create a
rewarding experience for all of the site’s visitors.
A) relevancy ratio
B) media matrix
C) strategic superstructure
D) information architecture
Answer:
Word combinations such as basic fundamentals, anonymous stranger, and future plans
are examples of
A) predicates.
B) redundancies.
C) squinting modifiers.
D) camouflaged verbs.
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.
Answer:
Business-related blogs and microblogs
A) are generally not very helpful to job applicants.
B) can help you get comfortable with the jargon and buzzwords in a particular field.
C) can be useful in a job search, but only for those seeking positions in technical fields.
D) are very difficult to find online.
Answer:
The practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms is known as
A) ethnocentrism.
B) cultural pluralism.
C) ethnography.
D) stereotyping.
Answer:
Email hygiene refers to
A) the absence of slang and informal language in email messages.
B) a nationwide movement to do away with information overload.
C) all the efforts companies make to keep email clean and safe.
D) refraining from using foul language in email.
Answer:
A(n) ________ interprets the data in a visual and extracts the main idea from it.
A) descriptive title
B) informative title
C) illustrative title
D) prescriptive title
Answer:
When you begin the ________, focus your attention on content, organization, style, and
tone.
A) production process
B) editing process
C) revision process
D) research process
Answer:
If you expect your audience to disagree with you, use the 2 + 2 = 4 approach or the
yardstick approach to focus on
A) logical arguments.
B) your conclusions.
C) your recommendations.
D) feelings and opinions.
Answer:
While ________ presentations usually follow a predefined flow from start to finish,
________ often don’t flow in any particular direction.
A) tagged; untagged
B) linear; nonlinear
C) corporate; entrepreneurial
D) unidirectional; sequential
Answer:
Regarding the three-step writing process, all of the following except ________ are
important elements of the completing step.
A) proofreading the message
B) revising the message
C) forecasting the message
D) producing the message
Answer:
To establish credibility with your audience, you should
A) impress them with a long list of your accomplishments.
B) be modest and deferential.
C) show that you are confident and that you believe in yourself and in your message.
D) use hedging words (“maybe,” “perhaps”) to demonstrate you’re willing to tell your
audience what they want to hear.
Answer:
An ethical ________ involves choosing between conflicting alternatives that are not
clear-cut.
A) lapse
B) riddle
C) enigma
D) dilemma
Answer:
A group of managers who must make an important decision can request a ________ to
explore the implications of that decision.
A) failure analysis report
B) due diligence report
C) market analysis report
D) feasibility report
Answer:
A claim is ________; an adjustment is ________.
A) a goodwill message; a means to an end
B) an emotional reaction; a calculated response
C) a formal complaint; a settlement of a claim
D) an informal complaint; an emotional reaction
Answer:
Describe at least five types of employment interviews.
Answer:
List at least three factors that can help you decide what parts to include in a business
report.
Answer:
How can the journalistic approach help you include all required information in your
business messages?
Answer:
What is a letter of transmittal?
Answer:
Why is choosing a design strategy an essential element of producing your résumé?
Answer:
Briefly explain why the ability to work effectively in teams is so important in business.
Answer:
In a formal proposal, where does the Work Plan section normally appear, and what
information does it contain?
Answer:
List at least three strategies to help ensure the accuracy of information you include in
business messages.
Answer:
What is content curation? What is its potential effect on business communication?
Answer:
Briefly explain the difference between a structured interview and an open-ended
interview.
Answer:
List at least five items to you should take to every interview.
Answer:
What is a synopsis? What’s the difference between an informative synopsis and a
descriptive synopsis?
Answer:
What is the difference between tone and style in business writing?
Answer:
List at least three strategies to keep your mind from wandering while listening to a
speaker.
Answer:
Describe each of the three stages of a successful employment interview.
Answer:
You’re tired of wasting hours making design changes to one slide at a time in your
electronic presentations. What software feature (common in presentation software such
as PowerPoint) would be helpful in this situation, and what is its function?
Answer:
What are the characteristics of an effective email subject line?
Answer:
In a formal proposal, how do you determine the organizational approach to use in the
letter of transmittal?
Answer:
Briefly distinguish between the direct and indirect approaches to organizing business
messages.
Answer:
While having lunch with a client, what should you do with the business papers you
brought to discuss? Why?
Answer: