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CHAPTER 12: Supporting Your Ideas Visually
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Enrique has created a slide with a map to document the spread of White-Nose Syndrome, a
disease that is decimating North American bat colonies. He bases the map on information from
the National Wildlife Health Center. To meet his ethical accountability as well as lend
__________.
A) enter his source beneath the map plus cite it orally during his presentation
B) enter his source on a slide preceding the map, to avoid clutter on the map slide
C) enter his source on a slide following the map, to avoid clutter on the map slide
D) cite orally during the presentation but not on the map to keep the map uncluttered
2. In her speech, Avery is using a slide with a line graph she created to convey how enrollment
in technical schools has been trending upward. She bases the graph on information from the
U.S. Bureau of Labor. To meet her ethical accountability as well as lend credibility to her point
A) enter her source beneath the graph plus cite it orally for listeners to hear
B) enter her source on a slide preceding the graph, to avoid clutter on the graph slide
C) enter her source on a slide following the graph, to avoid clutter on the graph slide
D) cite orally during the presentation but not on the graph to keep it uncluttered
3. When it comes to presentational aids and their effect in comparison to purely verbal
messages, which of the following is valid?
A) is quicker but not necessarily more accurate.
B)
C)
D) ccuracy, but listeners
evaluate the material as more interesting.
4. A __________ requires creativity and original labor. If done well, the result communicates
information in ways that audiences find particularly interesting.
A) bar graph
B) line graph
C) pictograph
D) pie graph
5. Mica wanted to demonstrate the increase in medical costs over the past ten years as
compared with the increase in real income for the same period. The best visual aid to
accomplish this would be a __________.
A) pie graph
B) bar graph
C) pictograph
D) line graph
6. When using multiple lines on a line graph, one should __________.
A) restrict content to two or three lines and use shades of a single color
B) restrict content to two or three lines and use strikingly different colors
C) restrict content to five or six lines and use shades of a single color
D) restrict content to five or six lines and use strikingly different colors
7. Researchers have found that human brains extract information more quickly and easily from
__________.
A) a verbal message
B) a message presented in black and white
C) an audiovisual message
D) an auditory message
8. As Mikaela thumbed through the magazine, she noted that all of the ads for gambling
casinos featured attractive, successful-looking, upper-middle class persons, smiling happily and
surrounded by other happy, successful people. She thought about how the ads left out any
acknowledgement of persons who had gambled to excess, creating great financial difficulties as
well as relational problems, like a few gamblers she knew. For example, one person she knew
lost her home due to her gambling habit. She knew another whose marriage crumbled due to the
financial strain his gambling had caused the
about the images used by the casinos to lure customers illustrates the necessity that we all
develop our skill in __________.
A) mental argument
B) visual literacy
C) first impression
D) minimizing distractions
9. DeShawn wanted to compare and contrast the spending of the four candidates running for
President. To do so, DeShawn should use a __________.
A) pie graph
B) bar graph
C) line graph
D) handout
To do so, Shyla should use a __________.
A) pie graph
B) bar graph
C) line graph
D) handout
11. Tia wants to show the number of students who reside in each of the following types of
housing: on-campus housing, apartments, duplexes, condos, and houses. At the same time, she
wants to demonstrate the groups in relation to each other and to the whole. To do so, Tia should
use a __________.
A) line graph
B) bar graph
C) pie graph
D) flipchart
12. Mindy wants to show the number of citizens in each of the following profiles: employer-
provided medical insurance, self-provided health insurance, and no health insurance. At the
same time, she wants to demonstrate the groups in relation to each other and to the whole. To do
so, Mindy should use a __________.
A) line graph
B) bar graph
C) pie graph
D) flipchart
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13. Jakob is creative and quite skilled with computer applications. He is preparing a speech on
gun ownership in the United States as compared with three other major industrialized nations.
He would like to communicate the statistical information in a manner that listeners will easily
process and will find particularly interesting. What sort of visual aid would you recommend that
he use?
A) a line graph featuring black and gray tones on white to provide dramatic effect
B) a pictograph, perhaps with the icon of a miniature gun for the units of measure
C) a 3-D pie graph with the largest sector front and center and pulled out slightly
D) a stacked bar with the largest amount positioned at the top so that it towers
14. _____ are particularly useful for showing how a total amount breaks down into different
parts.
A) Line graphs
B) Bar graphs
C) Pictographs
D) Pie graphs
15. While advocating that the state rush approval of 16 new coal-fired power plants, the
-lit
skylines and remarked upon their beauty. He then displayed pictures of working families,
smiling as they held what was to be a lower monthly electrical bill. While listening to the
governor, Niko thought about other, less favorable images that the governor did not show. For
example, the Harvard School of Public Health revealed that SO2 emissions from power plants
significantly harm the cardiovascular and respiratory health of people who live near the plants,
and EPA studies found that fine particle pollution from power plants is responsible for more
than 20,000 premature deaths a year. Why not show pictures of smoke pouring from the
smokestacks? Why not show pictures of persons on oxygen? Why not show pictures of the
governor illustrates the necessity that we all develop our skill in __________.
A) first impression
B) minimizing distractions
C) visual literacy
D) mental argument
16. Audiences typically prefer the use of __________ in visual communications.
A) vivid color
B) soft color
C) black on white
D) white on black
17. Jasmine used a few vivid graphs during her speech. As a result, her listeners would likely
think __________.
A) little, since we are now so accustomed to visuals and she has embellished, perhaps
to distract from verbal content
B) she is quite organized as a speaker/communicator and she has taken great pains to assist their
understanding
C) she is quite organized as a speaker/communicator and she has embellished, perhaps to
distract from verbal content
D) she has taken great pains to assist their understanding and she has embellished, perhaps to
distract from verbal content
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A) Visual aids may actually lessen credibility since listeners may think the speaker is trying to
overshadow weak content.
B) Visual aids can benefit a speech by enhancing comprehension, yet they have little, if any,
C) Visual aids can enhance credibility because the speaker appears more organized and more
interested in audience understanding.
D) Visual aids lend an unfair advantage to a speaker because they may contribute to an
impression of expertise or goodwill that may not be so.
19. Which type of visual aid is best for helping your audience to follow through on your
message after the speech?
A) transparencies
B) handouts
C) flipcharts
D) slides
20. The president of Big Sky University has recruited several students to chair brainstorming
sessions on how to increase and enhance green spaces around the campus. Which presentational
aid would be the best option for stimulating discussion and for recording and organizing data to
compile in a report to the president?
A) a flipchart
B) transparencies
C) a poster-board
D) the chalkboard
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21. A council member is meeting with a small group of citizens for a brainstorming session on
-up-our-
presentational aid would be the best option for stimulating discussion and for recording and
organizing data to compile in a report to the city?
A) a flipchart
B) transparencies
C) a poster-board
D) the chalkboard
22. Rikki wants to use a chart in her speech. She has software that will allow her to construct
the graph, but the meeting room in which she is to speak is not equipped with a computer and
none is available for her use. The meeting room contains a chalkboard, an easel, and an
overhead projector. How might she best proceed?
A) Rikki should abandon the idea of using software and create a colorful, handmade poster
board.
B) Rikki should abandon the idea of using software and use the chalkboard and colored chalk.
C) Rikki ought to create the chart via computer and print or transfer it onto transparency film.
D) Rikki ought to create the chart via computer and produce enough copies to distribute the chart
as a handout.
23. Rex is creating a handout for his speech. On the handout, he provides the email address of
representative about a particular bill. When should Rex distribute the handout?
A) Rex should hand it out prior to beginning the speech, so it will be ready when he begins the
speech.
B) Rex should ask volunteers to distribute it as he begins the speech.
C) Rex should distribute it himself, as an attention-getter, while he begins his speech.
D) Rex should hand it out at the end of his speech, while he is encouraging the audience to act.
24. To achieve the best contrast in computer-generated slides, use the following color scheme.
A) white text, blue background
B) blue text, white background
C) white text, yellow background
D) blue text, yellow background
25. When using computer-generated graphics, be mindful that __________ guards against
washout.
A) contrast
B) a large font
C) the bolding of characters
D) scanning any images used
26. When advocating the cultivation of hemp to lessen the need for timber, George wore a shirt
A) visual aid
B) prop
C) model
D) depiction
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27. In a speech noting how we can all help fight litter, the mayor set the mood by displaying a
box of trash bags and a tool for picking up litter on a table next to the podium. The trash bags
and the tool are __________.
A) visual aids
B) props
C) models
D) depictions
28. When using a bulleted list in a PowerPoint slideshow, which of the following is a good
guideline?
A) Quickly display and remove list after list to keep the audience stimulated.
B) Duplicate your outline, word for word, to take full advantage of the eyes.
C) Limit each bullet to key words that the audience can process at a glance.
D) Use four or fewer lists per presentation, limited to five lines of five or fewer words.
29. If not used with restraint, __________ can easily become more distracting than useful if the
user allows it to compete with spoken words or to become the presentation.
A) presentational software
B) poster-boards
C) transparencies
D) flipcharts
30. What should you keep in mind about slides and transparencies that feature words or
numbers?
A) Keep the entries concise so the audience can process them with a glance.
B) Use an ornate style so the audience will have more respect for the material.
C) Avoid placing numbers and letters on the same line of text.
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D) Numbers belong in graphs and tables, not in bulleted lists.
31. When creating a slide for a computer-generated slideshow, one should __________ and
__________.
A) create charts, graphs, and diagrams that offer intricate/complex detail; state any idea that is
suggested by the content at the top of the slide
B) illustrate only one idea in each chart, graph, or diagram; state any idea that is suggested by
the content at the top of the slide
C) present one bulleted item per slide, so as to provide detailed wording; state any idea that is
suggested by the content at the top of the slide
D) create charts, graphs, and diagrams that offer intricate/complex detail; illustrate only one
idea in each chart, graph, or diagram
32. Madeleine prepared a transparency featuring a bar graph based on data she found in a book.
To be ethical, Madeleine must __________.
A) not use the transparency in her presentation
B) cite the source orally and at the bottom of the transparency
C) tell her audience that the information came from a book
D) take no further action, because she created the graph herself, so there is no ethical issue
33. Lane has designed a nice poster for his presentation about shaken baby syndrome. The
poster provides a detailed inventory of the physical harms caused by shaking. In order to
maximize the effectiveness of the aid, when should he display it?
A) Lane should display it immediately when it is his turn to speak and leave it in full view while
speaking so listeners can process it thoroughly and it will have time to sink in.
B) It would be best for Lane to display it after he has presented his thesis statement and revealed
his purpose so that it will help establish the tone of his speech.
C) To show his listeners that he has prepared very carefully for his speech, Lane should display
it immediately when it is his turn to speak.
D) It would be best for Lane to display it while he is discussing the physical harms caused by
shaking.
34. Raul is creating a bulleted list of subpoints to highlight various proposals for improving
retention rates in high schools. He knows to keep the list simple confined to key words or
phrases. As he devises and uses the list, Raul should also remember to __________.
A) present the bullets one at a time as each is discussed
B) present all the bullets at once, so to emphasize the merits of all
C) present all the bullets at once, so listeners can process at their own pace
D) present all the bullets at once, in case someone daydreams and loses focus
35. Faune will use a model of the human heart in her speech. When should she display it?
A) Faune should display it prior to beginning the speech, so it will be ready at hand and will
bolster her ethos.
B) It would be best for Faune to wait and display it after she has presented her speech, to help
her answer any questions from the audience.
C) As she begins the speech, Faune should display it to help orient her listeners to her topic.
D) Faune should have it covered, should remove the cover to display it at the precise moment it
is needed, and then re-cover it when she is finished with it.
True/False Questions
36. Speakers should always use presentational to enhance any speech.
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37. Charts and graphs make quantitative information easy to understand.
38. When creating a line graph, the y-axis (vertical) should designate quantity and the x-axis
(horizontal) should show the progression of time.
39. Photographic presentational aids are desirable because photographs mirror reality.
40. Felipe acted unethically when he used an image on his Prezi without crediting the photographer on
whose website Felipe found the image.
41. If using an object as a visual aid, the smaller the better.
42. Using the whiteboard or chalkboard promotes collaboration between speaker and audience.
43. Using the whiteboard or chalkboard can prevent the speaker from connecting with the audience
through a strong physical delivery.
44. Marisol found the perfect YouTube video to highlight her argument on teen pregnancy. It is 3
minutes and 45 seconds long, and even though she only has 10 minutes to speak, the video is so perfect
that she should show it.
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presentational aids to work.
46. Speakers should use blank slides in a PowerPoint presentation to avoid clutter and to display
information only when necessary.
47. Altering an image or chart is ethical as long as the speaker acknowledges and explains the
alteration.
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48. Martine realizes that her speech is too long. To save time, she places a source credit at the bottom
of all her visual aids so that she can omit the oral citation of that material. Martine made an unethical
choice.
49. Speakers should physically demonstrate when the audience should be looking at a visual aid by
looking at the visual aid themselves.
50. Even if there is time before the speech, speakers should not rehearse in their speaking venue. It is
better to channel that energy into the actual performance.
Essay Questions
51. Explain how presentational aids can enhance ethos. Then, explain how presentational aids can
detract from ethos and provide advice to speakers hoping to avoid harming their ethos.
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52. Explain a speaking situation in which each of the following would be the most useful type of
presentational aid (you should describe one speaking situation per presentational aid):
(A) Chalkboard/whiteboard
(B) Objects/props
(C) PowerPoint/Prezi
53. Which of the following is not a true presentational aid? After you identify it, explain in detail why
it is not a true presentational aid.
map of the U.S. with the number of cases of terminal cancer in the past year listed on each state.
(B) In a speech about
slide with many dollar signs ($), which wiggle from side to side and flash different colors.
(C) In a speech about dieting, the speaker holds up a pack of playing cards to explain the
appropriate portion of meat in a typical meal.
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