According to Chapter 17, which of the following is NOT a typical informational report?
A) an incident report about the response of your company’s security team to an
unauthorized visitor on your property
B) a proposal to study why a piece of your company’s machinery failed at a customer’s
site
C) a directive about where employees should park while a construction crew will be
blocking some parking spaces
D) meeting minutes recording decisions reached during a committee meeting
According to Chapter 4, one advantage of collaboration is that it can yield a more
coherent document.
A) True
B) False
You are writing an internal proposal to suggest that your company purchase a new
ticket-tracking system, called Tick-Track, for the company’s information-technology
help desk. Which of the following is the best point to make in the introduction of your
proposal?
A) Tick-Track is made by a company that was just bought by Google.
B) Tick-Track is designed to take advantage of the latest developments in
database-search technology.
C) We estimate that the response delays caused by our current ticket-tracking system
are costing the company $1,000 per day in lost productivity.
D) Tick-Track is a web-based system.
Which of the following forms of delivery is the best one to use if a presenter must
clearly communicate precise safety data?
A) impromptu
B) extemporaneous
C) scripted
D) memorized
Your supervisor might have several purposes in mind as he or she reads your
documents. Which of the following describes one possible purpose?
A) to determine whether you should be assigned to this kind of project in the future
B) to determine the current status of the project you are describing
C) to evaluate part of your job performance
D) All responses are correct.
Which of the following statements is true about applying for jobs outside the United
States?
A) Information disclosed in job applications is standard and universal around the world.
B) You might have to include information about your marital status.
C) With the prevalence of the Internet, the job-application process is standard around
the world.
D) None of the responses are correct.
When your state’s revenues for the year are 40 percent below estimates, the state
legislature cuts education funds by 40 percent but reduces farmers’ subsidies by only 20
percent. Which moral standard does this action violate?
A) care
B) utility
C) justice
D) rights
According to Chapter 18, which of the following is NOT an acceptable way to present
your conclusions in a recommendation report?
A) Rank all of the options.
B) Refer the reader to an appendix.
C) Present a compound conclusion.
D) Classify the options as either acceptable or unacceptable.
Which of these activities is NOT essential as you prepare to communicate technical
information?
A) listening
B) reading
C) writing
D) speaking
You are a technical writer for Landson Toy Company. Landson has just designed a new,
more durable swing set for 6- to 10-year-olds. Which of the following should you
include in the Introduction to the swing-set installation guide?
A) a list of the tools the user needs to assemble the swing set
B) the reasons the user should carry out the instructions
C) the safety precautions the user must take
D) a list of parts included with the swing set for assembly
The chronological rsum is popular among job candidates who are re-entering the
workforce or who have changed jobs frequently.
A) True
B) False
The only proper way to create a sentence list is by using bullet points.
A) True
B) False
The introduction to a recommendation report should never mention your
recommendations; only the recommendations section should inform the reader of your
recommendations.
A) True
B) False
A presenter is preparing to deliver a presentation at an annual conference. Over 200
people are expected to attend this presentation. Which of the following is the least
effective technique for making a lasting impression on the audience?
A) Open with a joke.
B) Focus on the audience’s interests.
C) Describe the topic in human terms.
D) Use specific numbers, dollars, or percentages.
Proofreading is the process of looking again at your draft to see if your initial
assumptions about your audience, purpose, and subject still pertain, then making any
necessary changes.
A) True
B) False
Plagiarism is a legal issue and not an ethical issue.
A) True
B) False
Whether you have good news or bad news to share, it is important to keep a
professional, measured tone in an informational report.
A) True
B) False
What are common formats for written informational reports? Select all that apply.
A) memos
B) reports
C) web pages
D) emails
E) All responses are correct.
One factor affecting the usability of a document or website is its efficiency of use. What
are two other factors? (Select both answers.)
A) subjective satisfaction
B) ease of learning
C) length
D) price of the document or website
E) None of the responses are correct.
According to Chapter 20, what is the primary way to indicate the nature and the scope
of a description?
A) writing an effective title or section heading to precede the description
B) using color cues and formatting changes
C) describing the nature and scope in the introduction to the report
D) creating a sentence definition that mentions the nature and the scope of the
description
Science and engineering journals usually instruct authors to use the Modern Language
Association (MLA) style guide.
A) True
B) False
According to Chapter 20, an effective process description fully describes which of the
following?
A) a glossary
B) substeps
C) subplots
D) frames of reference
Chapter 1 identifies three sets of factors to consider when communicating technical
information. Which of the following is on this list?
A) image-related factors
B) technology-related factors
C) purpose-related factors
D) none of the above
According to Chapter 16, which of these is NOT a useful guideline for creating a
proposal for an audience in a different culture?
A) Budget time for translation.
B) Understand that what makes an argument persuasive can differ from one culture to
another.
C) Focus on costs.
D) Ask if the prospective customer will do a read-through.
When you are communicating technical information on the job, your audience tends to
be the same every time.
A) True
B) False
Which of these types of proposals is NOT discussed in Chapter 16?
A) solicited external proposals
B) unsolicited external proposals
C) unsolicited internal proposals
D) None of the responses are correct.
How does money affect the decision to conduct a usability test?
A) Participants in a usability test need to be compensated for their time.
B) You must pay to file a copy of the usability report with your industry’s central office.
C) Each test must be reviewed by a lawyer or board-certified specialist.
D) You must purchase special software for recording participants’ comments.
Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the lack of an
acknowledgments section in the sample lab report in Chapter 19?
A) The writer of the report is unethical.
B) The work in the lab took so long that the writer ran out of time to include
acknowledgments.
C) The writer of the report did not receive funding or extraordinary assistance to
complete this report as part of a class assignment.
D) None of the options is correct.
A consulting company hired by Best Builders has just completed a study to determine
the best fencing for a condominium complex Best Builders will construct. The technical
writer preparing a recommendation report of the feasibility study has compiled the
following information to be used in the report:
Because the complex will be located in an environmentally sensitive area, the fence
must visually enhance the property while blending in with its surroundings, yet at the
same time adding a measure of safety. In order to keep monthly condominium dues as
low as possible, the fence must not require a high degree of maintenance. Its minimum
life should be 25 years, and it should cost under $70,000.
The options researched were stone, vinyl, vinyl-coated iron, and wood.
Both types of vinyl fencing will last up to 25 years, stone up to 50 years, and wood up
to 15 years. Wood fencing must be painted or stained periodically. Maintenance for
vinyl and stone fencing consists of occasionally washing with water. Based on two bids
for each type of fencing, all types fall within the maximum allowable cost. Wood was
cheapest, followed closely by vinyl. Stone and vinyl-coated iron were the most
expensive.
We think the best course of action is to have a stone wall built by Masonry Builders,
Inc., to enclose the new condominium complex.
What additional information is needed for the recommendation report?
A) recommendations for each type of fencing
B) conclusions about each option studied
C) a budget
D) a task schedule
Which word best summarizes the role of a test administrator relative to a participant in
a usability test?
A) teacher
B) director
C) facilitator
D) contributor
The engineering firm you work for is submitting a proposal to create an amphitheater at
a state park. Proposals must be submitted in three-ring binders. You are in charge of
assembling the binders. You decide to put section divider tabs and an index into each
proposal binder. Which measure of excellence in technical communication does this
decision reflect?
A) honesty
B) clarity
C) comprehensiveness
D) accessibility
What are two questions to consider when you address an informational report to people
from other cultures? (Select both answers.)
A) How will your readers react to your choice of application?
B) How many years of English classes have your readers had?
C) How will your readers react to your writing style?
D) All responses are correct.
E) None of the responses are correct.
According to Chapter 13, what is a prototype?
Why is the ability to prioritize and respond quickly more valuable in the contemporary
workplace than ever before?
Why are cause-and-effect relationships difficult to describe?
What are the three types of descriptions discussed in Chapter 20?
Chapter 20 lists three steps in writing definitions. One is analyzing the writing situation.
What are the other two steps?
What fundamental question does the recommendations section of a recommendation
report answer?
The standard of utility is concerned with what?
Chapter 7 gives three guidelines for organizing information spatially. One is to provide
signposts. What are the other two?
What type of argument is one made against the writer, rather than against the writer’s
argument?
According to Chapter 15, what should you do after interviewing for a job?
Chapter 12 suggests that you consider four factors when planning a graphic. One is
audience. Name two other factors you should consider.
In what way is the definition “In a bankruptcy action, a nonsecured debt is a debt that is
not secured” flawed?
What kind of information is found in a periodical index?
Chapter 1 lists six defining characteristics of technical communication. One
characteristic is that technical communication addresses particular readers. What are
three other characteristics mentioned in the chapter?
What are the four signal words commonly used to indicate the levels of seriousness in
comments?
Chapter 21 lists a number of points to keep in mind if you become nervous before
giving an oral presentation. One is to realize that you are prepared. What is one other
mentioned in the chapter?
Identify three of the issues you should be sure to address in a field report?
According to Chapter 17, what are the two organizational patterns frequently used in
progress reports?
The acknowledgments section of a lab report is typically used to identify and thank
people who have assisted the author during a study or while preparing the report. What
is another typical use of the acknowledgments section?
What are the five basic formats for informational reports discussed in Chapter 17?