Those who speak a nonstandard dialect of English in the U.S. tend usually end up in
lower level jobs than those who speak standard English.
Answer:
If you are not enthusiastic about your speech topic, it’s a good idea to change your
topic or your approach.
Answer:
The first phase of Dewey’s reflective-thinking sequence is to suggest solutions to the
problem.
Answer:
One important pointer for job interviews is to refrain from criticizing others, such as a
former boss or coworkers.
Answer:
Because a career research interview is not a formal job interview, there is no need for
any written communication before or after the interview.
Answer:
It is advisable to use abstract, vague language instead of blunt remarks if your goal is
to promote harmony among feuding group members.
Answer:
Accomplishing a task that has a single correct, verifiable answer is an appropriate
reason for calling a group meeting.
Answer:
According to social judgment theory, if you are an eloquent speaker, it is likely that
you can persuade an audience to agree with a position that they currently oppose.
Answer:
Research shows that a high level of cohesiveness will ensure a high degree of
productivity toward organizational goals.
Answer:
Cigarette smoke blowing in front of your face can create a listening distraction that
would be classified as “environmental noise.”
Answer:
Persuasion can be an ethical and honorable form of communication.
Answer:
“Withdrawer” is one of the relational functions that helps a group perform well.
Answer:
A culture where tasks are performed in a scheduled order, one at a time, with full
attention given to each task, is called a polychronic culture.
Answer:
“No one ever thanks me for anything I do” is an example of a high-level abstraction.
Answer:
Teleconferences and videoconferences are two types of virtual meetings.
Answer:
It is a good idea to leave your visual on display after you have finished discussing it so
audience members who are especially interested can continue to study the visual.
Answer:
The interviewer who wants to exert a lot of control over the interview should choose a
structured format.
Answer:
Our nonverbal expressions, such as our paralanguage, often convey our feelings more
powerfully than our words do.
Answer:
Back up a point with relevant and typical examples, rather than a nontypical example.
Answer:
The PAR approach to answering interview questions stands for “problem, action,
results.”
Answer:
Communication skills are important in people-oriented careers but not in high-tech
jobs.
Answer:
The most straightforward way to organize a proposal is to use the motivated sequence.
Answer:
In an effective comparison, both parts of the comparison should be unknown to your
audience.
Answer:
Internal summaries and internal previews are recommended during a training session
because they help the audience understand the structure of the material you are
presenting.
Answer:
One way you can define a word in a speech is by explaining what the word does not
mean.
Answer:
Because messages can be decoded in more than one way, misunderstandings often
arise.
Answer:
When you are using presentation software, it’s best to resist the temptation to use
elaborate and dazzling animation.
Answer:
Members of generation Y are good at multitasking, but tend to ignore tasks they aren’t
interested in (which can be detrimental to their jobs and to themselves).
Culture and Communication in a Diverse Society: Regional Differences
Answer:
Our own culture impacts our behaviors significantly, yet it is hard for us to describe
those cultural expectations, because we follow them unconsciously.
Answer:
Most middle-class Americans prefer to stand 18 inches apart or closer when holding
conversations with their most intimate friends.
Answer:
An effective salesperson identifies her client’s needs first; then she shows how the
product specifically satisfies those needs.
Answer:
“Would you prefer to work the morning shift, the afternoon shift, or the evening shift?”
is an example of closed question.
Answer:
Cohesiveness refers to the degree to which group members consider themselves to be a
part of the group.
Answer:
A win-lose approach to negotiating is advisable when parties are competing over
resources that are truly scarce.
Answer:
In your speech you can tell stories that are fictional, hypothetical, or factual, but you
can only use the factual type to prove a point.
Answer:
Your specific goal should
A. set forth a realistic reaction you want from your audience.
B. point to a general focus.
C. explain which organization pattern you will be using.
D. describe lofty outcomes.
Answer:
For sales presentations, all of the following are suggested except
A. Plan what you will say in advance.
B. Plan to speak only about 30 percent of the time, and let your client do the rest of the
talking.
C. If your clients want to interrupt your presentation, ask them to hold their questions
until you have completed your remarks.
D. Show compassion toward the needs of your client.
Answer:
Antidotes to groupthink include all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Appoint a devil’s advocate.
B. Encourage members to voice a variety of opinions.
C. Examine the ethical consequences of your team’s decisions.
D. Promote self-censorship.
Answer:
Eye contact indicates
A. respect
B. disrespect
C. honesty
D. any of these; the meaning of eye contact varies depending on the culture.
Answer:
You are likely to feel a strong sense of cohesiveness with your group when
A. the members of your team are competing against each other to win the ‘best idea of
the year’ award.
B. the assignment your team is working on is complex, so you need to rely on research
done by other team members.
C. you dress more professionally than the rest of the group members.
D. your team missed its deadline for submitting your marketing proposal.
Answer:
“All medical facilities are designed with three essential parts: the admissions desk, the
examining room, and the doctor’s office.” This thesis statement reflects which type of
organizational pattern?
A. chronological
B. spatial
C. topical
D. criteria-satisfaction
Answer:
To maintain your credibility, use proper
A. articulation.
B. pronunciation.
C. vocabulary.
D. All of these are important for maintaining credibility.
Answer:
Constructive advice for responding when you receive a troubling message online is:
A. Find someone whose judgment you trust, and ask them for their perspective.
B. Respond to the message immediately.
C. If the message has a bullying tone, mirror that same bullying tone in your response.
D. Forward the message to all your Facebook friends.
Answer:
Liam was giving a persuasive presentation to his class about the need to increase
recycling efforts in the United States. To support his main point, he provided a
hypothetical account of what he expected the world to look like in 50 years if recycling
efforts were not stepped up. Which of the following forms of verbal support is Liam
using during his presentation?
A. quotation
B. story
C. statistic
D. definition
Answer:
Which of the following would NOT provide feedback to the sender?
A. deciding not to answer a phone message from your ex-girlfriend
B. browsing through a company’s catalog to see what styles of shoes they offer
C. falling asleep during a boring meeting
D. sending a letter to the editor of your local newspaper in response to an article the
paper published
Answer:
In a culture where conflict is avoided, it is appropriate to
A. express negative emotions openly.
B. say “no” if you mean “no.”
C. say “I’ll consider it” if you mean “no.”
D. explain unpleasant news in a matter-of-fact manner.
Answer:
Which of the following is an effective guideline for expressing messages clearly?
A. State your main idea using high-level abstraction, then illustrate with low-level
abstractions.
B. In most cases, it is best to talk only in low-level abstractions.
C. Use specialized jargon when you are talking with persons outside your profession.
D. You can help others understand your meaning by using equivocal terms.
Answer:
Informal communication includes all of the following except
A. the grapevine.
B. a comment about your boss that you overhear as you walk down the hall.
C. performance appraisals.
D. conversations around the water cooler.
Answer:
As an interviewer, if you wanted to be able to maintain as much control as possible
over the conversation, which of the following types of questions would you use?
A. secondary
B. indirect
C. open
D. closed
Answer:
The definition for a formal communication network is
A. a system designed by management that determines who talks to whom to get a job
done.
B. management by walking around.
C. downward communication.
D. interacting with people who share your career interests.
Answer:
To manage potential problems when feminine and masculine styles of language clash
in the workplace, the text recommends all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Learn to switch between feminine and masculine styles.
B. Use a mixed-gender strategy.
C. Select your favorite style and stick with it. If others don’t react well, explain why the
style you are using works the best for you.
D. Be aware of the characteristics of both styles.
Answer:
After hearing that a local tire company was looking for a new firm to handle their
advertising, Kevin scheduled a sales presentation to try to persuade the company to sign
on with his advertising business. For the presentation, Kevin wanted to use a style of
delivery that would enable him to cover all his prepared material in an organized way,
yet would still appear spontaneous. Which delivery method should Kevin select for his
presentation?
A. extemporaneous
B. impromptu
C. manuscript
D. memorized
Answer:
In some cultures, employees have a great deal of respect for persons in positions of
authority. This cultural dimension is called
A. high-context versus low-context.
B. power distance.
C. uncertainty avoidance.
D. short-term versus long-term orientation.
Answer:
One characteristic of a masculine style of communication is
A. instrumentality.
B. apology.
C. building rapport.
D. tentativeness.
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT recommended for helping you emphasize the
organization of your material in a training session?
A. use signposts
B. number your main points
C. avoid redundancy
D. add internal previews and summaries
Answer:
In most cases, interviewees should not
A. make corrections if the interviewer has misunderstood their meaning.
B. evade the interviewer’s questions.
C. try to cover their own agendas.
D. give detailed answers.
Answer:
Which of the following should NOT be included in your written request for an
informational interview?
A. Introduce yourself in writing.
B. Point out that you would eventually like to be employed by this person or at their
company.
C. List several times when you could be available for a meeting.
D. Promise that you will be making a follow-up telephone call.
Answer:
The LAST step in conducting a win-win negotiation is to
A. follow up to evaluate how well the solution has been working.
B. evaluate possible solutions.
C. implement the solution.
D. brainstorm possible solutions.
Answer:
Which type of story can be used not only to add interest, but also as proof of your
point?
A. factual
B. hypothetical
C. fictional
D. fantasy
Answer:
Which of the following steps should come first in planning the interview?
A. Think up possible questions to ask.
B. Identify and assess the interviewee.
C. Prepare a list of topics.
D. Define your goal.
Answer:
When choosing your wardrobe, it’s advisable to
A. inquire with Human Resources about the company dress code.
B. choose blouses with a plunging neckline.
C. wear casual clothing.
D. dress the part of a lower-level employee so you won’t seem too cocky.
Answer:
Imagine that you are a female executive who has been sent to a Muslim country as part
of a decision-making team. Although you hold the highest rank on the team, the locals
will not talk to you until they have spoken to all the men on the committee. As an
effective intercultural communicator, your best immediate response would be to
A. assert yourself and take control of the meeting before the men begin chatting.
B. stop all committee work and deliver a brief lecture on the rights of women.
C. accept the difference in standards for the time being.
D. insist that the locals acknowledge your rank by talking to you first.
Answer:
The purpose of a proposal is to
A. introduce a problem.
B. solve a problem.
C. advocate that your audience take specific action.
D. explain the impact of a program.
Answer:
Three nurses from the evening shift at the Holy Heart Hospital told their supervisor
their ideas for some new procedures that would improve the way patients’ needs are
tracked. The supervisor listened to the nurses’ suggestions and implemented them. The
nurses’ suggestions illustrate
A. downward communication.
B. upward communication.
C. horizontal communication.
D. inappropriate communication.
Answer:
Employees whose values match the values of the organization they work for generally
________________ than employees whose values don’t match the organization.
A. are less successful
B. show more commitment to their jobs
C. seem less satisfied
D. change jobs more frequently
Answer: