All of the following are effective techniques for softening bad news except
a. suggesting a compromise or an alternative.
b. positioning the bad news at the beginning or end of a paragraph.
c. placing the bad news in a subordinate clause.
d. using passivevoice verbs.
Which of the following statements most accurately describes a sequential interview?
a. You must be totally committed to the job and the company to participate in a
sequential interview, which often takes weeks or even months to complete.
b. You can assume that later interviewers know what was said in a previous interview
because sequential interviews are designed to save time.
c. As sequential interviews progress, interviews become more indepth, which means
that you need to know even more about the company.
d. As an applicant, you should never repeat yourself because each interviewer will brief
the other interviewers, making it unnecessary for you to answer the same questions.
In the proposal, plan, and schedule section of a business proposal, your goal is to
explain your plan for solving the problem.
a. True
b. False
Although blogs have proven to be an effective tool for some individuals, businesses are
reluctant to use them because they are limited in the audiences that they reach.
a. True
b. False
Podcasts and wikis are part of the new usercentered virtual environment called
a. the Total Network.
b. Web 2.0.
c. cloud computing.
d. VPN.
The body of a routine request message presents
a. details explaining the request.
b. action responses from the receiver.
c. deadlines and approvals from governmental agencies.
d. costtobenefit ratio analyses.
Before what kind of audience should speakers use a dynamic and entertaining delivery
style and incorporate movement and large gestures?
a. Hostile
b. Friendly
c. Neutral
d. Uninterested
The format of a report depends primarily on
a. its topic, recommendations, and organizational pattern.
b. the writer’s command of the English language.
c. its length, topic, audience, and purpose.
d. the amount of time the writer devotes to the writing process.
The richest communication channel is email.
a. True
b. False
Smart managers deliver bad news to employees promptly and honestly because
receiving bad news via the grapevine can seriously damage workplace morale.
a. True
b. False
No one should leave a meeting without a full understanding of what was accomplished.
a. True
b. False
Learning to compose effective sales and marketing messages benefits you because
a. most employees are expected to write sales and marketing messages.
b. techniques for sales writing can be applied in any persuasive communication.
c. sales campaigns are typically conducted by entrylevel employees.
d. companies in today’s economy cannot afford to hire specialists to write sales and
marketing messages.
List two advantages of properly documenting research data.
How can an individual find career data?
a. Using a library
b. Searching the Web
c. Conducting an interview with someone in a particular field
d. All answer choices are sources for finding career data.
To build paragraph coherence, a writer should
a. repeat a key idea by using the same expression or a similar one.
b. use pronouns to refer to previous nouns.
c. show connections with transitional expressions.
d. All answer choices can build paragraph coherence.
Which of the following subject lines for an email or memo would be most effective?
a. Hello!
b. task force meeting
c. Task Force Meeting March 18
d. Meeting
Headings that provide specific information about the content of a report section are
called
a. talking headings.
b. signposts.
c. functional headings.
d. crosssectional divisions.
Which of the following sentences demonstrates activevoice verbs?
a. Superior writing skills are required by many employers.
b. Employee use of email was monitored by management.
c. Research indicates a correlation between strong writing skills and promotions.
d. The proposals were carefully reviewed by the screening committee.
To save time, you should thoroughly proofread a document as you write it.
a. True
b. False
Some advantages of texting and instant messaging include immediacy and cost.
a. True
b. False
When presenting the reasons for bad news, you should
a. use positive wording.
b. explain the reasons clearly and specifically without revealing confidential
information or creating potential legal liability.
c. cite benefits to the reader or others.
d. All answer choices are correct.
Which of the following statements about facetoface communication is most accurate?
a. Facetoface communication is the least rich communication channel.
b. Facetoface communication increases the likelihood of misunderstandings.
c. Facetoface conversations reduce cooperation and limit problem solving during
conflict.
d. Facetoface interaction is the most effective of all communication channels.
What is the current advice on the use of a greeting on business email?
a. Omit greetings because they make an email appear too casual.
b. Add a greeting only when forwarding an email with a lengthy header.
c. Don’t waste precious digital space on the nonessential keystrokes of a greeting or
salutation.
d. Begin with a greeting to provide a visual cue and to show friendliness.
What is the best advice to followHTMLENTITY#8203HTMLENTITY when revising
and proofreading your multimedia presentation?
a. HTMLENTITY#8203HTMLENTITYRely solely on spellcheck to locate and correct
any errors.
b. HTMLENTITY#8203HTMLENTITYDon’t worry about a few spelling and
grammatical errors on slides because the attention will be on you rather than on the
slides.
c. HTMLENTITY#8203HTMLENTITYProofread your slideshow using a printed copy.
d. HTMLENTITY#8203HTMLENTITYDon’t worry about being consistent with
spacing, capitalization, or punctuation.
How do informational reports and analytical reports differ?
a. Informational reports emphasize facts; analytical reports emphasize reasoning and
conclusions.
b. Informational reports are intended for internal audiences; analytical reports are
intended for external audiences.
c. Informational reports are written using a formal writing style; analytical reports are
written using an informal writing style.
d. Informational reports emphasize reasoning and conclusions; analytical reports
emphasize facts.
The introduction should be the principal section of a formal report.
a. True
b. False
It is important to avoid long leadins because they
a. are grammatically incorrect.
b. contain misplaced modifiers.
c. prevent the reader from reaching the meaning of the sentence.
d. result in faulty parallelism.
One of the best ways to develop audience benefits is to use the “you” view, which
a. means that all messages are written in the active voice.
b. dictates that all sentences be written as commands.
c. emphasizes secondperson pronouns instead of firstperson pronouns.
d. uses slang and abbreviations to personalize the message.
For Americans words are very important, especially in contracts and negotiations.
a. True
b. False
Primary data result from reading what others have experienced or observed and
recorded.
a. True
b. False
The most common format for hiring/placement interviews is the sequential interview.
a. True
b. False
Which of the following is not a helpful tip for apologizing in a negativenews message?
a. Be sincere and explain what you will do to prevent recurrence.
b. Accept responsibility.
c. Focus on your regret.
d. Use good judgment, and do not admit blame without consulting your supervisor.