When making a direct request, you should state what you want in the first sentence or
two and then follow with an explanation.
Answer:
The primary goal of empathic listening is to solve the speaker’s problem.
Answer:
It would be inappropriate to mention community service activities on a résumé.
Answer:
One drawback of current blogging software is that it takes a great deal of time to post
new material.
Answer:
Unlike a synopsis, an executive summary may contain headings and visual aids.
Answer:
Accuracy of information is less important in business communication than in other
types of communicationeveryone is busy, and mistakes are simply unavoidable.
Answer:
In the phenomenon of groupthink, the team may arrive at poor-quality decisions and
even act unethically.
Answer:
All formal business reports must include the following elements in the introduction:
scope, authorization, problem/purpose, background, sources/methods, definitions,
limitations, and report organization.
Answer:
One of the best ways to gain credibility for your message is to support it with objective
evidence.
Answer:
In the middle part of an application letter, you should spell out your ‘selling points” and
other potential benefits to your employer.
Answer:
Most employers now conduct online searches about promising candidates, and many
have rejected applicants because of what those searches have revealed.
Answer:
Abstract words should be completely avoided in business writing.
Answer:
You should include a comma when a date consists only of the month and year.
Answer:
Unlike source notes, content notes may supplement your main text with comments
and/or cross-references.
Answer:
When you get a vague request for information, the best way to handle it is to provide all
the information you can and allow the audience members to select what is useful to
them.
Answer:
To preserve your company’s reputation, messages granting customer requests for
adjustment should always imply that the customer was at fault.
Answer:
Business communication uses of microblogging are limited to the publication of brief
updates.
Answer:
Most persuasive messages combine logical and emotional appeals.
Answer:
Using polite language in business-related persuasive messages weakens your argument
and reduces your chance of success.
Answer:
After sending your report, you should wait at least three weeks before contacting the
audience, if you don’t receive a response.
Answer:
You should always use APA style for documentation in your reports, even if your
employer or client normally uses a different form.
Answer:
If you are trying to solve a problem or make a decision, the more people in your
meeting the better.
Answer:
The primary purpose of the desire section of a persuasive message is to get the audience
to keep reading (or listening) to your message.
Answer:
If you possess little authority in your organization, the direct approach will generally be
best for the persuasive messages you send.
Answer:
Sites such as Flickr, Facebook, and YouTube are valuable for social communication, but
not for business.
Answer:
Using a spell checker guarantees that your documents will be free of spelling errors.
Answer:
There is no difference between endnotes and a bibliography.
Answer:
“If we can’t meet the deadline, our losses will be significant” is a compound sentence.
Answer:
Knowledge workers specialize in acquiring, processing, and communicating
information.
Answer:
“Our clients have become more knowledgeable, and we need to accommodate them” is
a complex sentence.
Answer:
When you deliver bad news about business transactions (such as a delayed order
shipment), you should always apologize to the audience.
Answer:
In the close of a proposal to install energy-saving light fixtures at a local hospital, it is
not necessary to emphasize reader benefits, if you think they are obvious.
Answer:
Tables presented in printed documents must contain fewer columns and rows than
tables presented online.
Answer:
A résumé is a persuasive message designed to help you get an interview.
Answer:
A linking verb is always followed by a noun, pronoun, or adjective.
Answer:
Using a wiki for employee training purposes is an example of the 2.0 approach to
business communication.
Answer:
If a report does not have a synopsis, the letter of transmittal can summarize the major
findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Answer:
In general, attitudes toward work and success are consistent across the world.
Answer:
The American Psychological Association style uses the author-date system.
Answer:
One effective informal method for learning more about your audience members’
information needs is to ask them directly for input.
Answer:
Which media would be best for keeping in touch with a sales team whose members live
in several different states?
A) Written media
B) Oral media
C) Electronic media
D) Presentations
E) None of the above
Answer:
Accompany your résumé with a ________ when you’re responding to an advertised job
opening.
A) message of inquiry
B) follow-up message
C) message of intent
D) solicited application message
E) prospective application message
Answer:
Which of the following can help you handle requests for recommendations in a social
networking environment?
A) Ignoring the request if you don’t know the person who’s making it
B) Maintaining a policy of not writing recommendations for anyone
C) Writing as much or as little as you’re comfortable sharing about the person
D) All of the above
E) None of the above
Answer:
The business advantages of today’s diverse workforce include
A) a wider variety of ideas.
B) a broader range of viewpoints.
C) a better understanding of diverse, fragmented markets.
D) a broader talent pool from which to recruit.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
Social media and other communication technologies have created a major new
challenge:
A) competing in the global marketplace.
B) researching and developing new products and services.
C) communicating up and down the corporate supply chain.
D) attracting and recruiting qualified applicants for employment.
E) responding to online rumors and attacks on a company’s reputation.
Answer:
Best practices for the question-and-answer session after a presentation include
A) counting on being able to set ground rules for the session.
B) anticipating likely questions and thinking through your answers.
C) assuming that you’ll be able to handle questions without some preparation.
D) realizing that the question-and-answer session is relatively unimportant.
E) pretending that you know the answer to a question, even when you don’t.
Answer:
Employers use preliminary screening interviews to
A) find out as much as possible about each job candidate.
B) administer pre-employment profiles and drug tests.
C) filter out applicants who’re not a good fit for the job.
D) make on-the-spot offers to the best candidates.
E) determine what they can expect from potential job candidates.
Answer:
When evaluating the work of others, you should
A) make sure you understand the writer’s intent before you begin suggesting or making
changes.
B) talk with the writer about his or her intent only after you suggest changes, since this
is a good way to test the effectiveness of the document.
C) avoid talking with the writer about the document, since other readers may not have
that opportunity.
D) compare the other person’s writing style with your own, and if yours is better,
rewrite the document in your own style.
E) suggest ways to improve the writing, even if you don’t believe the author really
needs them.
Answer:
In high-context cultures, ________ media are often more effective than ________ ones.
A) leaner, richer
B) oral, written
C) foreign, domestic
D) written, oral
E) none of the above
Answer:
Unlike a summary, a paraphrase
A) restates the original material in your own words and with your own sentence
structures.
B) presents the gist of the original material in fewer words.
C) does not require complete documentation of sources.
D) is never acceptable in business documents.
E) is more difficult to understand.
Answer:
Unlike Internet search engines, online databases
A) can be accessed only from a library.
B) often provide access to various parts of the hidden Internet.
C) are rarely up to date.
D) do not require a subscription.
E) are not reliable.
Answer:
In business writing, the topic sentence of a paragraph is
A) usually implied and is rarely included in the paragraph.
B) generally explicit and is often the first sentence in the paragraph.
C) often vague and is usually placed in the middle of the paragraph.
D) most often understated and normally is the last sentence in the paragraph.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
When offering compliments in a goodwill message, you should
A) use over-the-top metaphors and lavish praise.
B) keep them general and non-specific.
C) be sure to back them up with specific points.
D) temper them with comments on areas for improvement.
E) offset them with negative comments about other employees.
Answer:
Effective keywords to list on your résumé include
A) business and technical terms.
B) industry-specific jargon.
C) names or types of products or systems.
D) job titles.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
Using the direct approach for negative messages
A) makes a shorter message possible.
B) is rude and unprofessional.
C) is always preferable when communicating internally.
D) means you end with a statement of your main idea.
E) requires more time for your audience to understand.
Answer:
As you’re in the process of editing your document for clarity, remember to
A) hedge your bets by removing confident, definitive statements.
B) use lengthy prepositional phrases to separate subjects and verbs in sentences.
C) avoid using a parallel grammatical structure when presenting similar ideas.
D) keep the subject and predicate of a sentence as close together as possible.
E) turn strong verbs into nouns whenever you can.
Answer:
To convey meaning in a low-context culture such as the one existing in Germany,
people rely more on
A) gestures and vocal inflection.
B) indirectness and metaphors.
C) situational cues.
D) explicit verbal communication.
E) facial expressions.
Answer:
When reviewing your document for content, you should be concerned with
A) grammar and usage.
B) punctuation and spelling.
C) the accuracy and relevance of the information.
D) style and tone.
E) type styles and typefaces.
Answer:
When writing for multicultural audiences, it is often helpful to
A) use simple sentences and short paragraphs.
B) be direct and assertive.
C) address international correspondence exactly as you would in the U.S.
D) explain that you aren’t sure about what they expect.
E) apologize in advance for any mistakes.
Answer:
A letter of ________ is a specialized cover letter that introduces your report to the
audience.
A) authorization
B) acceptance
C) transmittal
D) introduction
E) appreciation
Answer:
When delivering bad news, wording such as “We must turn down,” “I am unable to,”
and “We cannot afford to”
A) softens the blow by drawing attention away from the reader and onto the sender.
B) will impress the reader as being straightforward and forceful.
C) is likely to cause pain and anger in the reader.
D) is unavoidable.
E) displays your professionalism.
Answer:
Proposals addressed to potential customers and investors
A) are nearly always formal.
B) rarely include a copy of the RFP.
C) are less formal than those addressed to internal audiences.
D) should never include visuals.
E) should always be single-spaced.
Answer:
A ________ is a piece of text copied from the main body of the document and
formatted as a large, eye-catching visual element.
A) boilermaker
B) pull quote
C) footnote
D) sideline
E) cadenza
Answer:
The desire phase of a conventional marketing or sales message should
A) cut through “the clutter” to get your audience’s attention.
B) build interest in the product or service that the message is promoting.
C) expand on your explanation of how what you’re selling will benefit the audience.
D) include a persuasive and persistent call to action.
E) oversell the benefits of your product or service.
Answer:
Workplace writers use ________ to address the overall look and feel of a page or
screen, including color palettes and background images.
A) boilerplate
B) themes
C) macros
D) style sets
E) none of the above
Answer:
To meet the needs of U.S. Postal Service equipment, envelopes used for bulk mailings
A) are never made of colored paper.
B) are addressed in capital letters.
C) include all mailing instructions below the address area.
D) all of the above.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
Consider the following sentence: “We have credited your account in the amount of
$14.95 to cover the cost of return shipping.” It’s an example of ________ buffer.
A) a good news
B) a cooperation
C) an understanding
D) an agreement
E) an appreciation
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) distributing the message
E) all of the above
Answer:
When rejecting a request because of company policy, you should
A) simply cite the policy as the reason for your decision.
B) be sure to include a copy of the policy with your rejection.
C) explain the policy so the audience can try to meet the requirements later.
D) say that violating the policy will get you into serious trouble.
E) admit that you think the policy is unfair, but you have to follow it anyway.
Answer:
Expressing an idea in words or images is known as the ________ step of the
communication process.
A) articulating
B) crystallizing
C) generating
D) inscribing
E) encoding
Answer:
The receiver extracts the idea from the message in the ________ step of the
communication process.
A) decoding
B) interpreting
C) uncovering
D) deciphering
E) extrapolating
Answer:
In which of the following organizational structures do employees report to two
managers at the same time?
A) virtual organization
B) matrix structure
C) network structure
D) modern structure
E) none of the above
Answer:
The prefatory parts of a report should
A) help readers decide whether and how they need to read the report.
B) be prepared and written before the text of the report.
C) include an introduction to the report.
D) not require any revision once they are written.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
If a supervisor approaches a worker who consistently arrives late by saying, “I know
you don’t want to have your pay docked,” the supervisor is addressing the worker’s need
for
A) safety and security.
B) acceptance.
C) status and esteem.
D) self-actualization.
E) power and control.
Answer:
Describe the main sections or elements that are included on most résumés.
Answer:
List the three general purposes of business messages.
Answer:
Provide at least five examples of topical organization strategies for business reports.
Answer:
You have been asked to help a company find ways to reduce the amount it spends on
employee health and dental benefits. Write a problem statement for the report that you
will produce.
Answer:
What is selective perception?
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 aid should
you use to describe the process, and why?
Answer:
What is tagging, and how can it help bloggers promote their blogs?
Answer:
Explain the importance and process of proofreading. Why does it matter and what
should you look for?
Answer:
Define backchannel and describe the risks and benefits it provides for business
presenters.
Answer:
Provide an example of a conclusion, and then give an example of a recommendation on
the same topic.
Answer:
Briefly describe the three tasks that an effective closing to a presentation should
accomplish and give an example of a sentence that would be an ineffective ending.
Answer:
Explain the increasing dependence on knowledge workers in business, and provide at
least two examples that illustrate the value of information in today’s economy.
Answer:
Name at least five types of information that should not be included on résumés when
candidates are applying to companies in the U.S.
Answer:
Explain what you should do when replying to a claim when the customer is at fault.
Answer:
Briefly explain how a wiki can help teams and other groups, and describe at least three
points wiki contributors should keep in mind to increase their effectiveness.
Answer:
Which medium is generally best for delivering bad news to employees?
Answer: