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:
In business writing, the topic sentence of a paragraph
A) is of minimal importance.
B) may be implied rather than stated.
C) should be very general, and not specifically related to the paragraph’s actual content.
D) should always be written in the passive voice.
E) is generally explicit (rather than implied) and is often the first sentence in the
paragraph.
Answer:
When it comes to persuasive messages, the completing step
A) is much simpler than it is for other types of messages.
B) is less important than it is for negative messages.
C) is especially important.
D) is unnecessary.
E) generally involves nothing more than a quick review.
Answer:
In participative management
A) employees are involved in the company’s decision making.
B) all top-level managers participate in profit sharing.
C) teams are discouraged in favor of individual achievement.
D) an authoritarian management model is used.
E) managers have exclusive control.
Answer:
A letter rejecting a job applicant should
A) avoid explaining why he or she was not selected.
B) point out the applicant’s shortcomings.
C) be as personal as possible.
D) be as long as possible.
E) always include a lengthy apology.
Answer:
Applied to nonwhite U.S. residents, the term minority is
A) increasingly inaccurate.
B) still accurate in states such as California and Texas.
C) accurate only for the female population.
D) the only politically correct option.
E) more accurate than ever before.
Answer:
You’re writing an analytical report outlining the benefits of starting a recycling
program. You need to explain how the program meets numerous criteria including
reasonable cost, ease of implementation, and long-term impact. The ________ approach
will probably be the best way to organize your report.
A) 2 + 2 = 4
B) scientific
C) direct
D) yardstick
E) modal
Answer:
Unlike more traditional promotional messages, those written for social media
A) are less interactive.
B) enable companies to engage in conversations about their products and services.
C) allow for less transparency and openness with customers.
D) save money by allowing companies to rely on the news media to distribute
important messages.
E) are effective only for audience members between 18 and 25 years of age.
Answer:
When it comes to assessing human needs,
A) psychologists have identified a number of common ones most people share.
B) it is impossible to generalize, since everyone is different.
C) money is at the top of everyone’s list.
D) everyone’s are exactly the same.
E) none of the above are true.
Answer:
When choosing the clothing you will wear for an interview, the best policy is to
A) pick something that will make you stand out from the crowd.
B) wear only dark colors.
C) dress as comfortably as possible.
D) dress conservatively.
E) dress in a way that expresses your individuality.
Answer:
Of the following media, which is the richest?
A) a wiki
B) an interactive website enabling audiences to participate in the communication
process
C) a presentation on DVD
D) a formal business letter
E) a posting on an electronic message board
Answer:
When a company grants a customer’s claim or request for adjustment,
A) the customer is still likely to take his or her business elsewhere.
B) the customer is likely to tell more people about it than if the matter was handled
poorly.
C) it opens the door to frivolous lawsuits.
D) the customer is likely to be even more loyal than before.
E) it sends the message that the company is unsuccessful.
Answer:
Which of the following sentences is the most concisely worded?
A) The project manager is in charge of furnishing specifications until such time as the
project gets underway.
B) All specifications should be provided by the project manager prior to the start of a
project.
C) Project managers have the capability of changing specifications before the official
start date.
D) Before the project begins, the engineers need the revised specifications from the
project manager.
E) When it comes to specifications, the project manager must certainly be the only one
to change them.
Answer:
Which of the following is an informative heading?
A) Cost Considerations
B) Production Costs
C) Costs and Other Items
D) Redesigning Material Flow to Cut Production Costs
E) Costs
Answer:
Most employers interview an applicant ________ before deciding to make a job offer.
A) once
B) multiple times
C) via email
D) anonymously
E) None of the above—most companies have dispensed with the interview process
entirely.
Answer:
If you are just graduating from college and have limited professional experience,
A) a traditional chronological résumé is your only option.
B) a functional résumé is your only option.
C) your chronological résumé should probably list educational qualifications before
listing experience.
D) your résumé can be written in a casual, informal tone.
E) applying for a full-time position is a waste of time.
Answer:
During a screening interview, your best approach is to
A) ask as many questions as possible.
B) keep your answers short, providing a few key details to distinguish you from other
candidates.
C) expand on your answers as much as possible so that the interviewer knows you are
at ease.
D) keep as low a profile as you can; this is not the time to try to differentiate yourself
from other candidates.
E) ask for feedback on how you compare to other candidates.
Answer:
Flowcharts are used to
A) summarize large amounts of statistical data.
B) show the relative sizes of the parts of a whole.
C) show how something looks or operates.
D) illustrate processes and procedures.
E) none of the above
Answer:
Which of the following would not be an effective technique for gaining audience
attention in sales messages?
A) Stating your product’s strongest benefit.
B) Emphasizing how badly you need to make some sales.
C) Explaining how your product offers a solution to a problem.
D) Promising savings.
E) Giving insider information.
Answer:
When you react ethnocentrically, you
A) assume that your culture is superior to others.
B) recognize the differences that exist between your culture and other cultures.
C) focus on the possibility that your words and actions will be misunderstood.
D) show respect for other cultures.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
Which type of software feature inserts a ready-made block of text when you type the
first few characters?
A) Machine translation
B) Mail merge
C) Autocompletion
D) Autocorrection
E) Autoerase
Answer:
Generally speaking, limitations of the formal communication network
A) discourage employees from taking advantage of social media.
B) have not affected the popularity of social media in the business environment.
C) have helped to spur the growth of social media in the business environment.
D) tend to decrease employees’ dependence on the Internet.
E) do none of the above.
Answer:
The connotative meaning of a word is
A) its dictionary meaning.
B) its literal meaning.
C) all the associations and feelings the word evokes.
D) its objective meaning.
E) the same as its denotative meaning.
Answer:
The primary difference between titles and captions of visuals is that
A) titles are usually longer than captions.
B) captions usually appear above visuals, whereas titles appear below.
C) captions offer discussion of the visual’s content.
D) titles provide detailed descriptions of visuals, but captions give only short
descriptions.
E) none of the above—they are simply different terms for the same thing.
Answer:
Which type of interview would be likely to include a question such as, “You seem
wholly unqualified for this job, and your answers so far have been terrible. Why should
we continue with this?”
A) stress
B) structured
C) screening
D) situational
E) panel
Answer:
When conducting a job search, you can use the Internet to
A) look for job openings.
B) respond to job openings.
C) research various companies.
D) learn buzzwords and jargon associated with a particular industry.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
Customizing your résumé for each job opening is
A) a waste of valuable time, since your qualifications are the same no matter where you
apply.
B) necessary only if you are slightly exaggerating some aspect of your qualifications.
C) a good way to get into trouble, since you might forget what you wrote on one of the
versions.
D) not necessary unless you are applying for senior executive positions.
E) an important step in showing each employer that you will be a good fit.
Answer:
Do not include on your résumé items that could encourage discrimination, such as
A) home address.
B) hobbies.
C) marital status.
D) military service.
E) management experience.
Answer:
In the opening paragraph of an application letter, it is vital to
A) demonstrate that you are desperate to find a job.
B) let the employer know that you have other options.
C) give the recipient a reason to keep reading.
D) let the employer know that he or she can skip the rest and go straight to your résumé.
E) make sure the employer understands that you need a response within 24 hours.
Answer:
Which of the following would be the best opening sentence for a solicited application
letter?
A) “I am clearly the best person for the job you’ve advertised.”
B) “I’m sure you get these letters all the time, but I hope you’ll read mine carefully.”
C) “I want a job, and you’ve got one that I could do.”
D) “Based on your company’s remarkable growth over the past three years, I can
appreciate your need for highly qualified and experienced sales personnel.”
E) “Like many people, I have been searching for a job for a very long time.”
Answer:
Contacting people in a job candidate’s online network for background information
A) is illegal unless the candidate has listed them as references.
B) occurs very rarely, since most employers don’t have time to check online networks.
C) is impossible if the candidate does not provide contact information.
D) violates Facebook and LinkedIn user agreements.
E) is becoming more common among employers.
Answer:
In general, employers are looking for two things: proof that a candidate can handle the
responsibilities of the position and
A) excellent references.
B) high employment test scores.
C) evidence that the person will fit in with the organization.
D) long-term commitment to the organization.
E) advice on how their company can meet the candidate’s needs.
Answer: