Unsolicited application letters to prospective employers
A) require more research than solicited letters.
B) irritate the personnel office staff.
C) are never read.
D) almost never result in a job offer.
E) are none of the above.
Answer:
The quality of paper is measured by
A) length and width.
B) weight and cotton content.
C) color and texture.
D) style of letterhead and corporate logo.
E) how much it costs per ream.
Answer:
Improving your communication skills will enhance your career because
A) having great ideas won’t help you much, unless you can communicate them
effectively.
B) the higher you rise in an organization, the more important your communication skills
will be.
C) you’ll need to connect with decision-makers outside of your area of expertise.
D) you may need to communicate without the support of an established company
network.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
Which of the following meeting technologies would be most effective for negotiations,
collaborative problem solving, and other complex discussions?
A) Instant messaging
B) Teleconference
C) Telepresence
D) Wiki
E) None of the above
Answer:
The logical fallacy of circular reasoning involves
A) reducing a wide range of choices to “either/or” scenarios.
B) using insufficient evidence to support your argument.
C) trying to support a claim by restating it in different words.
D) attacking an opponent’s character, rather than countering his or her argument.
E) comparing two objects or situations that don’t share enough similarities.
Answer:
If your interviewer asks you a potentially unlawful question,
A) you are required by law to end the interview and report it to the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission.
B) it is often a sign that the interview is going well.
C) you have several options, including trying to answer “the question behind the
question.”
D) you should ignore it unless it happens more than once.
E) you should demand an immediate job offer and threaten to sue if you do not receive
it.
Answer:
Questions such as, “What is one job-related achievement that best illustrates your work
ethic?” are likely to be asked during a ________ interview.
A) structured
B) stress
C) behavioral
D) situational
E) working
Answer:
Which of the following is the best example of an effective email subject line?
A) Website redesign is on schedule
B) Status Report
C) Employee Parking
D) Read This!
E) All of the above are effective.
Answer:
Twitter users consider ________ to be the most valuable kind of tweets.
A) somebody’s random musings about a personal issue
B) spontaneous messages, such as saying “good morning”
C) engaging messages, such as asking followers for advice
D) complaints from someone who’s stuck in traffic or having a bad day
E) conversations between a Twitter account owner and a specific follower
Answer:
Because readability indexes can assess ________, they offer a useful reference point for
improving your writing.
A) the overall design elements of a document
B) the length of sentences and paragraphs
C) the degree to which you’ve applied the “you” attitude
D) the connotative meaning of words in a message
E) the overall style and tone of a message
Answer:
In the middle section of a job application letter, you should
A) present your strongest selling points in terms of their potential benefit to the
organization.
B) give your entire work history, in case the employer doesn’t review your résumé.
C) address your shortcomings and stress that you’re willing to learn.
D) state your minimum salary requirements, even if the employer has not requested
them.
E) ask for an interview and include your contact information.
Answer:
Within the context of social media, the term ________ refers to a sense of openness, of
giving all participants access to the information they need to understand the messages
they are receiving.
A) transformation
B) transubstantiation
C) transparency
D) transcendence
E) translucency
Answer:
Cross-functional teams
A) are rare, and generally less effective than other types of teams in business.
B) are vulnerable to tensions because of the diversity of opinions and experiences they
bring together.
C) consist of employees from the same department, tasked with addressing a wide array
of issues.
D) are effective only in large organizations.
E) should never contain more than three members, if they are to be effective.
Answer:
When writing content to post on the web, keep in mind that careful readers tend to be
A) resentful of online content.
B) receptive to online content.
C) skeptical of online content.
D) indifferent to online content.
E) bored by online content.
Answer:
Suppose that you’re editing a message for conciseness, and you find a sentence that
starts with “There are,” an indefinite pronoun and a form of the verb to be. What should
you do?
A) Rest assured that you’re writing in the active voice.
B) Include a prepositional phrase before the indefinite pronoun.
C) Use the pattern as a model for other sentences in the message.
D) Revise the sentence to make it shorter and more active.
E) None of the above
Answer:
Most ________ express a concept, quality, or characteristic. Most ________ represent
something you can see, touch, or visualize.
A) abstract words, concrete words
B) interpretive words, explanatory words
C) incisive words, generalized words
D) selective words, common words
E) derivative words, connotative words
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
E) “Going green” by removing all electronic devices (except telephones) from the office
Answer:
When writing to audiences whose first language is not English, using plenty of
transitions
A) will help your readers follow your train of thought.
B) is insulting, since it will seem that you are talking down to them.
C) will confuse readers, since it will make your message longer.
D) is useful only if your readers belong to a high-context culture.
E) should be avoided, since it will make your writing sound simple and unsophisticated.
Answer:
When writing a persuasive claim message, you should
A) assume that the other person has no interest in helping you.
B) use a confident and positive tone.
C) mention as many additional complaints as possible about the company.
D) say you have already contacted an attorney (even if you really haven’t).
E) repeatedly say how disappointed you are in the company.
Answer:
Which of the following is not a good way to deal with speaking anxiety?
A) Prepare more material than necessary.
B) Concentrate on your nervousness.
C) Take a few deep breaths before speaking.
D) Have your first sentence memorized and on the tip of your tongue.
E) Visualize success.
Answer:
Which of the following would be the best opening for a routine request?
A) Please send me a summary of last month’s east region sales data.
B) As soon as you get this, send me last month’s sales data.
C) I know you may not want to, but send me last month’s sales data.
D) I am very sorry to ask you to do this.
E) Hopefully, this will not be too much trouble for you.
Answer:
When selecting the right medium for a report, you should
A) choose the one that’s most convenient.
B) pick the one that’s most cost effective.
C) choose the one that reflects your audience’s expectations.
D) always select a high-tech option.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
In a formal proposal, a synopsis or executive summary may be
A) essential for highlighting your competitive advantage.
B) useful if the proposal is short.
C) placed in an appendix.
D) unnecessary.
E) most effective if it does not mention the RFP to which you are responding.
Answer:
When you need to maintain a close working relationship with someone to whom you
are sending a negative message, you should generally
A) use the direct approach.
B) use the indirect approach.
C) have someone else deliver the message.
D) combine the direct and indirect approaches.
E) delay the message as long as possible.
Answer:
The MLA style uses ________ to document sources in text.
A) the author-date system
B) the author-page reference system
C) superscripts and footnotes or endnotes
D) full citations within the text itself
E) an institutional approach
Answer:
When you’re considering the best way to distribute a business message, consider
A) cost of distributing the message.
B) convenience for you and your audience.
C) security and privacy concerns.
D) time constraints.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
A flatter organizational structure
A) tends to increase the chance of communication breakdowns.
B) helps make communication flow more efficiently.
C) is obsolete now that social networking is so widespread.
D) is helpful for small companies only.
E) makes internal conflict more difficult to manage.
Answer:
Your goal in the initial screening interview is to
A) explain your greatest strengths in depth.
B) distinguish yourself from other candidates.
C) clinch the deal.
D) provide as much detail as possible about positions you’ve held in the past.
E) convince the interviewer that you need a decision right away.
Answer:
When speaking with someone from another culture, avoid
A) talking down to the other person.
B) using any foreign phrases.
C) paying any attention to the person’s body language.
D) asking for clarificationit might offend them.
E) doing all of the above.
Answer:
Which of the following would be the most effective preview in a formal report?
A) Our sales in the eastern region have plummeted.
B) First, let me begin by introducing our team.
C) The next section discusses the advantages of advertising on the Internet.
D) Okay, now for the mundane part.
E) You probably won’t like this, but here it comes.
Answer:
Which of the following is not a characteristic of effective business messages?
A) They provide practical information.
B) They present the writer’s opinions as facts.
C) They state precise audience responsibilities.
D) They highlight and summarize essential information.
E) They are short.
Answer:
When responding to rumors and countering negative information in a social media
environment, a company should not
A) respond appropriately.
B) rely on its reputation.
C) engage stakeholders early and often.
D) monitor online conversations.
E) evaluate negative messages.
Answer:
If you encounter a group member who is resistant to change,
A) be aggressive and confrontational.
B) use logic to overcome the resistance.
C) empathize with his or her concerns.
D) tell that person to quit whining and get back to work.
E) expel that person from the team to show that a poor attitude won’t be tolerated.
Answer:
In an unsolicited proposal, the writer
A) must convince readers that a problem or opportunity exists.
B) analyzes the client’s business in light of the competition.
C) uses a style approved by the American Association of Business Writers.
D) follows the customer’s RFP while preparing the proposal.
E) has the upper hand.
Answer:
The ________ of a message involves the total effect of elements such as page or screen
design, typography, and graphics.
A) visual resonance
B) semantic structure
C) information value
D) production quality
E) structural balance
Answer:
Briefly explain how nervousness can actually improve the quality of your presentation.
Answer:
When should you include a separate list of illustrations with your report?
Answer:
Briefly describe at least three strategies for writing effective multicultural messages.
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:
Briefly explain what the opening of a document should accomplish.
Answer:
Briefly explain the difference between descriptive headings and informative headings.
Answer:
Explain what you should include in an effective recommendation letter.
Answer:
Differentiate among the three primary types of listening.
Answer:
What is a title slide?
Answer:
In marketing terms, what are champions?
Answer:
What three functions do effective headings serve in business documents? Explain each
one.
Answer:
Describe the typical pattern for sharing routine information.
Answer:
What is credibility, and when is it especially important to establish?
Answer:
When evaluating employees, why is it important to document performance problems
carefully?
Answer:
When doing business in other cultures, what are some strategies you can use to promote
effective intercultural communication?
Answer:
Briefly define media richness, and provide at least one example each of a rich medium
and a lean medium.
Answer:
How have the Internet and social media changed the way many companies use news
releases?
Answer:
Describe several ways you can de-emphasize price in sales messages.
Answer:
Briefly explain the best time to begin designing a personal job-search strategy.
Answer:
Briefly describe at least three meeting technologies that make it easy for virtual teams
to interact.
Answer: