The best opening for a positive message includes the single most important information
you need to give the audience.
Answer:
Valid surveys measure what they’re intended to measure.
Answer:
Time constraints always reduce the effectiveness of a presentation.
Answer:
In reports focused on recommendations, it is best to avoid the direct approach.
Answer:
A message that is intended to mislead or manipulate the audience is unethical, even if
its content is true.
Answer:
Because external communication is carefully orchestrated, it rarely occurs informally.
Answer:
Detailed images that look fine on a printed page are well suited for presentation slides.
Answer:
Generally speaking, a line chart should not contain more than 2-3 lines for comparison.
Answer:
During a stress interview, you might be asked pointed questions designed to anger or
unsettle you.
Answer:
Sites such as Flickr, Facebook, and YouTube are valuable for social communication, but
not for business.
Answer:
The Statistical Abstract of the United States provides access to more than 750
periodicals and newsletters that focus on specific trades or industries.
Answer:
Although readability formulas are easy to apply, they ignore some factors that
contribute to reading ease.
Answer:
Poorly organized messages are unlikely to be effective, regardless of their content.
Answer:
Screencasting allows you to capture what takes place on your screen and create a video
that you can email to other users, so they can view how to use software programs.
Answer:
If your purpose is to analyze, persuade, or collaborate, organize your speech around
conclusions and recommendations or a logical argument.
Answer:
Born after 1996, Generation Z is the first full generation to be born after the World
Wide Web was invented.
Answer:
Abstract words should be completely avoided in business writing.
Answer:
The Library of Congress is archiving every public tweet from every Twitter user.
Answer:
On slides for business presentations, minimize the use of white space.
Answer:
An email summarizing an employee’s trip to a trade show would be an example of a
personal activity report.
Answer:
At the beginning of the revision process, you should evaluate the content of your
message, and then review the effectiveness of its organization.
Answer:
A wiki is an ideal solution when a company wants to encourage individual effort.
Answer:
The pronoun “who” is in the nominative case; the pronoun “whom” is in the objective
case.
Answer:
It is potentially illegal for an interviewer to ask about your religious affiliation or
marital status.
Answer:
Because the first thing that readers will notice about your message is its appearance,
you should pay special attention to design and page layout.
Answer:
The nature of business communication hasn’t changed much in the past decade.
Answer:
The more decorative elements you can add to a graphic, the more interesting and useful
it will be to the audience.
Answer:
The median value of a group is the sum of all the values in a series divided by the
number of values in that group.
Answer:
When creating a work plan, it’s important to begin by developing a problem statement.
Answer:
Flip charts are particularly effective for recording ideas during group brainstorming
sessions.
Answer:
If your company’s social media content draws criticism, it is best to respond promptly
and honestly.
Answer:
A job interviewer will expect you to raise the issue of salary.
Answer:
A disadvantage of using too many closed questions in an interview is that they
A) do not take full advantage of the interview format.
B) prevent any important information from being revealed.
C) diminish the interviewer’s control over the interview.
D) none of the above.
Answer:
An effective introduction to a presentation will accomplish all of the following except
A) arousing the audience’s interest in your topic.
B) establishing your credibility.
C) preparing the audience for the rest of the presentation.
D) telling the audience how to take action based on your recommendations.
Answer:
Twitter-ready bites of information, extracted from a blog post or other message, are
called
A) sound bites.
B) tweetables.
C) epigrams.
D) clickables.
Answer:
When preparing review sections in a report,
A) always write them in narrative form, not as lists.
B) use multiple review sections if the report is long and complex.
C) introduce new facts and information to support the review points.
D) do all of the above.
Answer:
After you’ve chosen the right media for creating visuals to support your presentation
A) don’t hesitate to start creating your visuals.
B) think through your presentation plan carefully before you get to work.
C) search your archives for existing visuals that you can recycle in your new context.
D) check your system for awesome special effects and download anything that’s
missing.
Answer:
Rehearsing your presentation on video will
A) help you check your voice, timing, phrasing, and physical gestures.
B) increase your nervousness.
C) most likely ruin your ability to make an effective presentation.
D) rob you of the confidence you need.
Answer:
Choosing the right medium for your message
A) is not important as long as the content of your message is accurate.
B) is important only when communicating with managers and supervisors.
C) is vital for external communication, but not important for internal communication.
D) can make an important difference in how your message is perceived.
Answer:
Which one of the following is NOT one of the traits possessed by professionals?
A) Meeting minimum qualifications
B) Demonstrating a sense of etiquette
C) Maintaining a positive outlook
D) Being dependable and accountable
Answer:
Effective transitions in business reports
A) are limited to key words and short transitions.
B) should not exceed the length of one sentence.
C) may be as long as a paragraph.
D) are included between major sections but never within each section.
Answer:
When making a routine request, you should
A) use the inductive plan.
B) assume that the audience is willing to comply.
C) demand immediate action.
D) explain the consequences of failing to comply.
Answer:
The Segway Social network, which connects owners of these unique personal vehicles,
is an example of a
A) specialized social network.
B) privatized social network.
C) location-based social network.
D) general-purpose social network.
Answer:
When emailing your résumé to a prospective employer and you have a specific
reference/job number, include that number in the ________ of the email message.
A) subject line
B) introduction
C) closing section
D) signature block
Answer:
People are more likely to respond to a questionnaire if
A) they can complete it within a short time.
B) you allow them plenty of time to research their answers.
C) the questions are open ended.
D) all of the above are the case.
Answer:
Match the style and quality of the visuals you use in a business message with
A) whatever’s available to you on the Internet.
B) your personal communication preferences.
C) the subject matter and the situation at hand.
D) none of the above.
Answer:
Which of the following visual aids would be particularly helpful for recording ideas
during a group brainstorming session?
A) Flip charts
B) Linear slides
C) Prototypes and working models
D) Individual mobile devices
Answer:
A contractor submitting a weekly report on work done to date would be providing the
client with
A) a progress report.
B) a compliance report.
C) a justification report.
D) a periodic operating report.
Answer:
When you have two or more similar ideas to express in writing, use parallelism to show
that the ideas
A) are related.
B) of similar importance.
C) are on the same level of generality.
D) all of the above.
Answer:
In order for audience members to respond appropriately to a business message, they
must
A) remember the message.
B) be able to respond to the message.
C) be motivated to respond to the message.
D) do all of the above.
Answer:
According to the indirect approach for delivering bad news, you should place the
negative news
A) immediately after the buffer.
B) immediately before the reasons.
C) immediately after the reasons.
D) at the very end.
Answer:
A social media release includes ________ that’s suitable for use in blog posts, tweets,
and other social media formats.
A) share-ready content
B) newsroom chatter
C) virtual verbiage
D) unfiltered data
Answer:
Being sensitive to the needs of your audience is important because
A) long technical documents put heavy demands on readers.
B) audience members can have widely different information needs.
C) today’s readers may lack the time or inclination to read a report from top-to-bottom.
D) all of the above.
Answer:
A key advantage of oral communication is
A) the ability to plan and control the message.
B) the opportunity to meet an audience’s information needs.
C) the ability to transmit highly complex messages.
D) the opportunity to get immediate feedback.
Answer:
The opening of a request for a recommendation should include
A) a buffer statement to distract the reader.
B) a statement implying that you’re applying for a position.
C) a statement on why the recommendation is needed.
D) an apology for bothering the reader.
Answer:
Interviews in which job candidates are asked how they would respond to various
hypothetical situations on the job are known as ________ interviews.
A) stress
B) structured
C) screening
D) situational
Answer:
When answering requests and a potential sale is involved, one important goal is to
A) leave your audience with a good impression of you and your firm.
B) provide negative information about any possible competitors.
C) use hard sell techniques to pressure the reader into making the purchase.
D) none of the above.
Answer:
Marketers can use ________ to link the virtual world of online social networking with
the physical world of retail stores.
A) near-field collaboration
B) location-based social networking
C) rapid-response enumeration
D) cloud-based social monetization
Answer:
An ethical persuasive argument
A) is a contradiction in terms.
B) focuses on how the audience’s actions will benefit the sender.
C) includes any evidence the sender can come up with, whether or not it’s relevant.
D) focuses on being both truthful and non-deceptive.
Answer:
You create a survey and administer it five times under identical conditions. Because it
yielded completely different results each time, you should conclude that this survey is
A) not valid.
B) not reliable.
C) valid.
D) reliable.
Answer:
________ automatically monitor blogs and other online sources to see what people are
saying about their corporate clients.
A) Behavior analysts
B) Content curators
C) Reputation analysts
D) Media mavens
Answer:
The approach you take for an application letter depends on whether
A) you’re looking for other career opportunities.
B) you’re presenting your résumé in a chronological or a functional format.
C) you think the salary requirements of the job are appropriate.
D) you’re applying for an identified job opening or whether you’re prospecting.
Answer:
When you prepare a speech or presentation, your first step involves
A) analyzing the situation.
B) choosing the right words.
C) planning the content, length, and style of your speech or presentation.
D) doing all of the above.
Answer:
Which of the following is the best solution to technology-related problems such as
inappropriate use of the web and social media in the workplace?
A) Forbidding employees to use the web while they are in the office
B) Requiring employees to turn off their smartphones when they arrive for work
C) Developing clear policies that are evenly enforced
D) Rewarding employees who call your attention to those who are using these
technologies inappropriately
Answer:
Within the context of preparing formal reports and proposals, the term limitations refers
to
A) the boundaries of your proposal, what you can and can’t do.
B) excuses for inadequate research or a poorly written report.
C) factors beyond your control that have affected the report’s outcome.
D) the risks, rewards, costs, and benefits of a specific course of action.
Answer:
Some email users employ ________ to express emotional nuances in casual or informal
email messages.
A) emoticons
B) monograms
C) cyphers
D) cryptograms
Answer:
Identify the typical sequence of employment interviews and describe what employers
tend to look for at each stage.
Answer:
Define bias-free language.
Answer:
How can your audience’s level of understanding help you determine the appropriate
amount of information to include in a business message?
Answer:
What is the difference between a solicited and an unsolicited proposal?
Answer:
Explain why taking the initiative to find job opportunities is essential in today’s job
market.
Answer:
Why is it especially important in marketing and sales messages to avoid implying offers
or promises you cannot fulfill?
Answer:
A new employee who speaks English as a second language has just joined the design
team you lead. You notice that she often looks confused during conversations. Describe
at least three useful strategies for this situation.
Answer:
What are the four general categories of informational reports?
Answer:
Briefly explain the difference between a planning outline and a speaking outline.
Answer:
As a presenter, what could you do to use mobile devices to enhance your presentations
not only for yourself but also for your audience?
Answer:
What are the “five Cs” to consider when you’re deciding which points to illustrate with
visuals?
Answer:
What are the five most common techniques for developing paragraphs?
Answer:
List at least three guidelines that can help you avoid being accused of defamation.
Answer:
What is the difference between a reliable survey and a valid survey?
Answer:
Briefly describe two strategies for clarifying sentence structure.
Answer:
Explain each phase of the three-step writing process.
Answer:
What are user-generated content (UGC) sites? Why are these sites useful in business?
Answer:
List three strategies to become more sensitive to your audience’s needs.
Answer:
In evaluating your performance in mock interviews, what sorts of things should you
(and your interview partner) pay particular attention to?
Answer:
Identify and discuss several points that writers must understand before they can be
effective wiki collaborators.
Answer: