When conducting business with others who speak a language other than English, it is
best to avoid trying to speak any words or phrases in their language.
Answer:
Search engines and directories use different approaches to find and index websites.
Answer:
Part of preparing for a job interview involves anticipating the questions that will be
asked and rehearsing answers to each one.
Answer:
It is a good idea to use “company policy” as a cushion when presenting reasons for bad
news.
Answer:
If you want to illustrate a process or procedure, the best type of visual to use is a
flowchart.
Answer:
The difference between primary sources and secondary sources is that primary sources
are those you create specifically for your project.
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As part of your job search, it’s essential to stay abreast of business and financial news.
Answer:
Most persuasive claims and requests for adjustment use the direct approach.
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It is not necessary to ask someone’s permission before listing his or her name as a job
reference.
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Using simple language in persuasive messages usually increases your credibility with a
skeptical audience.
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In the close to a negative message, you should repeat the bad news.
Answer:
The statement of purpose for analytical reports will usually need to be more
comprehensive than one for informational reports.
Answer:
No. 10 envelopes used in U.S. businesses measure 8 1/2 inches in length to
accommodate standard letters, which are 8 1/2 inches wide.
Answer:
A memo should always contain a complimentary close and a signature.
Answer:
Many adverbs are formed by adding “-ly” to adjectives.
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Successful professionals understand that persuasion is the attempt to get your audience
to make the choices you want them to make even if those choices are not in their best
interest.
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An analytical report always ends by presenting recommendations.
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If you want to create a podcasting channel, plan on using a wide variety of topics and
themes to keep the audience guessing and coming back for more.
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Few smartphone users get shopping-related information on their devices.
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To draw attention to important points or terms italic type is more effective than
boldface.
Answer:
Altering the horizontal or vertical scale on a line graph can profoundly influence your
audience’s perception of the data you present.
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Part of your preparation for job interviews is an evaluation of your vocal tone and
speaking habits.
Answer:
Timing and media choice are important considerations with condolence letters.
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When you’re filming a business video, move the camera randomly to add creativity and
flair to the footage.
Answer:
Studies have shown that people often have cultural biases of which they’re not even
consciously aware.
Answer:
Plain language is a style of writing used primarily for communicating to those who do
not have a college degree.
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Typical RFPs are nothing more than routine requests.
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As long as your message is clear and interesting, the medium you choose doesn’t really
matter.
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The interest section of a persuasive message emphasizes the relevance of your product
or idea to your audience.
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Since termination letters are highly controversial, you should never deliver them in
person.
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If you have to compose a negative message, keep in mind that your audience will be
indifferent to what you have to say.
Answer:
The 2 + 2 = 4 approach
A) generally works only with lengthy, non-routine reports.
B) is the first logical argument strategy to try.
C) is far more complicated than any other organizational strategy.
D) is the only approach that is appropriate for any business report.
Answer:
When responding to a customer’s complaint about one of your company’s services, you
should
A) soften the situation with excuses such as “Nobody’s perfect” or “Mistakes will
happen.”
B) use a generous, grudging tone.
C) use a standard form letter, with blanks left for filling in unique information in neat
handwriting.
D) avoid blaming anyone in your organization by name.
Answer:
Conducting successful virtual meetings requires ________ before the meeting and
________ during the meeting.
A) less planning; less diligence
B) more planning; more diligence
C) less planning; more diligence
D) more planning; less diligence
Answer:
Researchers, who are analyzing numeric data, look for ________ to identify patterns
that tend to repeat over time.
A) trends
B) causations
C) correlations
D) cross-differentiations
Answer:
The American Psychological Association (APA) style uses the ________ to document
report sources in text.
A) the author-date system.
B) the author-page number system.
C) superscripts and footnotes or endnotes.
D) full citations within the text itself.
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT a general category common to business
communication?
A) To inform
B) To persuade
C) To negotiate
D) To collaborate
Answer:
If you’re sending extremely large files via digital technology, you should
A) use overnight delivery to send a hard copy rather than sending them electronically.
B) consider using a file compression utility, as long as your recipients have the ability to
expand the file.
C) always send them as MS Word attachments.
D) send them through the mail to avoid excessive costs.
Answer:
All of the following except ________ will help to boost a company’s marketing efforts
on social media.
A) facilitating community building
B) using a “we talk, you listen” approach
C) providing information that people want
D) using conversation marketing
Answer:
When conducting a job search, you can use the Internet to
A) look for job openings.
B) respond to job openings.
C) research various companies.
D) do all of the above.
Answer:
The slide master in presentation software
A) allows you to save design elements so that they can be included on any new slides
you add.
B) automatically chooses the same fonts and typefaces for your slides.
C) helps create a consistent-looking design for your entire slide show.
D) does all of the above.
Answer:
According to the concept of emotional intelligence, if you’ll be speaking to people you
don’t know and you can’t find out more about them
A) don’t worry because you can adjust to their needs on the fly.
B) always put your own needs before their needs.
C) rely on chance and circumstance to help you relate to their needs.
D) use common sense and imagination to relate to their needs.
Answer:
Send a ________ to take note of a significant event in someone’s business or personal
life.
A) message of appreciation
B) message of congratulations
C) message of acknowledgement
D) message of recognizance
Answer:
A letter declining a job offer follows the organizational model for ________ messages.
A) positive
B) transactional
C) recursive
D) negative
Answer:
As a new supervisor, you need to introduce yourself to your team of ten employees. The
best medium for this type of non-routine message would be
A) a face-to-face meeting.
B) an email message.
C) a conference call.
D) a text message.
Answer:
When responding to rumors and countering negative information in a social media
environment, a company should NOT
A) engage customers early and often.
B) monitor online conversations.
C) rely on its reputation to protect it.
D) respond appropriately and professionally.
Answer:
In addition to offering information and analysis, ________ can also include
recommendations.
A) indirect reports
B) analytical reports
C) informational reports
D) directive reports
Answer:
Nonverbal communication can be a reliable guide to determining the meaning of a
message
A) in all communication situations.
B) across a wide range of electronic communication media.
C) in the majority of intercultural communication situations.
D) only if the sender and receiver assign the same meaning to nonverbal signals.
Answer:
The best way to clarify your main idea in a presentation is to
A) provide a lengthy handout for your audience to review during your presentation.
B) describe it using jargon and complicated language to emphasize its importance.
C) develop a single sentence that links your subject and purpose to your audience’s
frame of reference.
D) allow your audience to gradually figure it out on their own.
Answer:
The ________ is the form a message takes and the ________ is the system used to
deliver the message.
A) channel; medium
B) medium; channel
C) schema; pipeline
D) package; tunnel
Answer:
If the audience for your report is likely to accept what you have to say, focus on
A) the logical arguments in your report.
B) your conclusions and recommendations.
C) the benchmarks used to compile your results.
D) the criteria used in your decision-making process.
Answer:
If you translate a message from English into another language, it is a good idea to
A) translate it word for word.
B) have it back-translated.
C) use several translators.
D) do all of the above.
Answer:
When conducting an interview, use ________ questions to encourage the person you’re
interviewing to offer an opinion and not just a yes-or-no answer.
A) truncated
B) closed-ended
C) insightful
D) open-ended
Answer:
With an internal audience for your report, you
A) must avoid discussing sensitive information.
B) are more free to discuss sensitive information.
C) must avoid analysis.
D) must include analysis.
Answer:
As businesses become more global, the workforce increasingly consists of employees
with ________ national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
A) similar
B) identical
C) diverse
D) triangulated
Answer:
You can plan for important business exchanges via IM by viewing them as
A) invitations to discuss personal matters.
B) conversations with specific goals in mind.
C) opportunities to save time by multitasking.
D) routine events that don’t require formalities.
Answer:
When responding to a customer’s request for an adjustment, it is usually sensible to
assume that
A) if you handle the situation well, the customer will be even more loyal than before.
B) the customer’s account of the situation is exaggerated.
C) the customer is hostile.
D) the customer is trying to pull a fast one.
Answer:
Companies use ________ to supplement their employees’ talents with services from
external partners via social networking.
A) viral venues
B) personnel pooling
C) virtual organizations
D) asset allotment
Answer:
The challenge of ________ is a direct result of the proliferation of social media and
other communication technologies.
A) researching and developing new products and services
B) communicating up and down a company’s supply chain
C) attracting and recruiting qualified applicants for employment
D) responding to online rumors and attacks on a company’s reputation
Answer:
As presented in the list of possible choices below, ________ is LEAST likely to lead to
ineffective presentation slides.
A) schedule pressures
B) lack of design awareness
C) inherent limitations in the presentation software
D) the instinctive response to do things the way they’ve always been done
Answer:
Each social network is a unique environment with its own communication norms. As
you’re adapting to the expectations of each network, be sure to
A) adopt a different persona for each network that you join.
B) let your feelings and moods determine how you present yourself.
C) maintain a consistent personality across all networks in which you’re active.
D) pay attention to what other community members are doing, and then go with the
flow.
Answer:
According to your textbook, proofreading is
A) unnecessary for digital communication.
B) the quality inspection stage for a document.
C) a casual scan up and down the page or screen.
D) something you do immediately after finishing a document.
Answer:
Rather than subscribing to a public microblogging service, some companies implement
________ that are intended for internal use only.
A) localized transmission systems
B) proprietary message protocols
C) internal micromessaging systems
D) corporate communication circuits
Answer:
What three goals should you have when answering routine requests and a potential sale
is involved?
Answer:
Briefly describe how to meet an unfamiliar audience’s informational needs.
Answer:
List and briefly explain six strategies for holding your audience’s attention during a
business presentation.
Answer:
Briefly describe the three tasks an effective closing to a presentation should accomplish
and give an example of a sentence that would be an ineffective ending.
Answer:
In preparing a presentation for a local community group, you need to describe the
process your plant uses to manufacture home appliances. What type of visual should
you use to describe the process, and why?
Answer:
In designing visuals for business reports, what tasks are best suited for bar charts? List
at least two.
Answer:
Outline the eight steps of the communication process.
Answer:
What is the primary difference between a feasibility report and a justification report?
Answer:
Rewrite the following sentence using more respectful wording: “You shouldn’t have put
the blender into the dishwasher.”
Answer:
List two goals to achieve in the body of a business presentation.
Answer:
List at least three guidelines to follow if you want to achieve a conversational tone in
business messages.
Answer:
Rewrite the following sentence to eliminate the unnecessary phrases: “In view of the
fact that the customer service department is closed, we do not have the capability of
offering refunds until such a time as they reopen.”
Answer:
While working in a country with a high-context culture, you schedule a meeting with a
vendor who lives there. When he shows up 20 minutes after the meeting was supposed
to begin, should you take it as a sign of incompetence or disrespect? Explain.
Answer:
Describe the four steps to organizing a presentation effectively.
Answer:
To adopt an audience-centered approach to communication, what do you need to learn
about your audience? List at least three specific attributes.
Answer: