If the audience for your report is likely to accept what you have to say, focus on
A) the logical arguments in your report.
B) your conclusions or recommendations.
C) the benchmarks used to compile your results.
D) the criteria used in your decision-making process.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
Consider the following sentence: “We can’t start planning next year’s budget this week
we have to wait until next month.” It’s an example of
A) a comma splice.
B) a run-on or fused sentence.
C) an indefinite pronoun starter.
D) a convoluted sentence.
E) a compound-complex sentence pattern.
Answer:
The introduction of a solicited proposal
A) need not be as detailed as that of an unsolicited proposal.
B) should refer specifically to the RFP that initiated it.
C) should downplay the magnitude of the problem you’re addressing.
D) is expected to be much longer than that of an unsolicited proposal.
E) should always shock the audience in order to get their attention.
Answer:
Condolence messages should
A) focus on your own sense of loss.
B) be philosophical and poetic.
C) be short, simple, and sincere.
D) always be sent via electronic media.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
Differences in organizational culture
A) don’t affect persuasive messages.
B) can profoundly affect the success of a persuasive message.
C) are important when addressing international audiences, but not those in the U.S.
D) are so complex that no one can truly understand them.
E) are important to consider for negative messages, but not for persuasive messages.
Answer:
A contractor receives a request from the owner of a company to bid on a large-scale
construction project. The contractor will prepare
A) an unsolicited proposal.
B) a solicited proposal.
C) a business plan.
D) a request for proposal.
E) an operations report.
Answer:
One task in effective paraphrasing is to
A) avoid using any business language or jargon.
B) check your version against the original to make sure that you didn’t alter the
meaning.
C) make sure your version is the same length as or longer than the original.
D) write in the passive voice.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
Skilled business writers
A) use long sentences to emphasize important information.
B) keep their sentences to an average length of 40 words or fewer.
C) vary the length of their sentences to maintain reader interest and convey information
effectively.
D) never use sentences that contain fewer than 10 words.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
The opening of a request for a recommendation should include
A) a buffer statement to establish common ground.
B) a statement implying that you’re applying for a position.
C) a statement of why the recommendation is needed.
D) an apology for bothering the reader.
E) a request for the writer to overstate your qualifications.
Answer:
For a formal meeting, appoint one person to record a ________ to summarize the
important highlights of the meeting.
A) detailed meeting agenda
B) set of meeting minutes
C) pro-forma meeting matrix
D) list of personal impressions
E) work-process timetable
Answer:
In an online report regarding your region’s potential for market growth, the best way to
include a spreadsheet containing last year’s sales figures would be to
A) embed the spreadsheet in your report.
B) include the spreadsheet in an appendix.
C) simply insert the spreadsheet using Microsoft Word.
D) link the spreadsheet to your report.
E) send a hard copy.
Answer:
The best salutation for an application letter is
A) “Dear Hiring Manager.”
B) “To Whom It May Concern.”
C) one that addresses a specific individual by name.
D) “Dear Sir or Madam.”
E) one that is very informal, such as, “Hi.”
Answer:
“Knowledge workers” are
A) employees who are responsible for orienting new executives.
B) charged with periodically testing all employees for proper training.
C) employees who are not on the payroll, but instead work for the knowledge they can
gain from the experience.
D) employees at all levels of an organization who specialize in acquiring, processing,
and communicating information.
E) no longer needed, since the Internet provides employees with all the information
they require.
Answer:
The body of a proposal should
A) capture the reader’s attention.
B) explain the complete details of the solution.
C) make whatever promises it takes to win the contract.
D) aggressively attack any other companies competing for the audience’s business.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
In requesting a sales report from a co-worker, you should
A) use the indirect approach.
B) get straight to the point.
C) maintain a formal style and tone.
D) use circular reasoning to justify your request.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
“Visible to the eye” is an example of
A) a cliché.
B) redundancy.
C) the passive voice.
D) obsolete language.
E) hedging.
Answer:
In the body of a proposal, you should describe
A) what you have to offer.
B) any advantages you have over your competitors.
C) the methods or resources you will use.
D) all of the above.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
Much of your workplace communication will occur during in-person or online
meetings. If you’re leading a meeting, you can help to make sure it’s productive by
A) preparing carefully.
B) conducting the meeting efficiently.
C) using meeting technologies wisely.
D) all of the above.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
The term ________ includes an appreciation for cultural differences that affect
communication and the ability to adjust one’s style when communicating across
cultures.
A) cultural intuition
B) cultural appreciation
C) cultural reflection
D) cultural competency
E) cultural dexterity
Answer:
In business messages, errors in grammar and usage
A) can be annoying, but are only a concern for external audience members.
B) are expected since everyone is busy.
C) cause you to lose credibility with your audience.
D) are no longer an issue thanks to the spelling and grammar checking features of word
processing software.
E) none of the above.
Answer: