Chapter 15 - Speaking to InformAssignment

A speaker can add the words ______ to a speech in order to help relate the topic to the audience.

"you" or "your"

When giving an informative speech on a subject that is highly technical, which of the following strategies should be used?

Assume that the audience knows nothing about the subject and use very simple language throughout the speech.

In an informative speech on supervolcanoes, the speaker uses visual aids to compare the power of a supervolcano eruption to a famous volcanic eruption, Mt. Vesuvius. Which guideline for informative speeches does this illustrate?

Avoid abstraction.

When Conrad assumed that everyone in his audience would understand his reference to "digital zoom" and "medium-format digital" in his speech on photography, which guidelines for effective informative speaking did Conrad fail to follow?

Avoid overly technical language. Do not overestimate what the audience knows.

Which of the following are guidelines for effective informative speaking?

Avoid technical language. Avoid abstractions. Personalize your ideas.

Which type of organizational pattern is the most common in speeches about processes?

Chronological

Which of the following are the recommended ways to avoid abstractions when giving a speech?

Contrast. Describe. Compare.

What quality must a speaker have to achieve all the guidelines for effective informative speaking?

Creativity

In a speech on supervolcanoes, the speaker begins by providing a simple explanation of what supervolcanoes are and how they are formed. Which guidelines for effective informative speeches does this example illustrate?

Don't be too technical. Don't overestimate what the audience knows.

Jo is giving a presentation on benefits to new employees at her company. Several times she references flexible spending accounts that employees can set up. When her speech is over, one new employee asks what Jo means by "flexible spending accounts." What guideline for effective informative speaking did Jo not follow?

Don't overestimate what the audience knows.

True or false: Speakers should be creative in designing visual aids but should not be creative in their use of language.

False

When Joshua gave a speech on heart disease at school, he discussed his grandfather's death from the disease and mentioned a widely liked teacher who was struggling with the disease. By doing this, which speaking guidelines did Joshua follow successfully?

He personalized ideas. He related the topic to the audience.

Chris, a veteran, was invited to talk to middle-schoolers about the role of the Marines in Afghanistan, Chris used many acronyms, such as IED, AADS, MEDEVAC, and CBW. Based on this description, why was Chris not an effective informative speaker?

He was too technical.

If you were giving a speech about foster care, which of the following would be an example of personalizing your ideas?

Including anecdotes about your own experiences with foster care

If you were giving a speech about foster care, which of the following would be an example of personalizing your ideas? Multiple choice question.

Including anecdotes about your own experiences with foster care

Which of the following are important in preparing an informative speech about a process?

Making each step clear Having concise organization Including a chart or other visual aid

Which of the following would be an appropriate topic for an informative speech about a concept?

Mysticism

During her speech on diabetes, Tomia discussed many facts about its causes and how to treat it. However, she forgot to give real-world examples of people who live with diabetes and didn't mention that her mother was recently diagnosed with the disease. What guideline to effective informative speaking did she violate?

Personalize your ideas.

Marco gave an informative speech on a new technique for producing prosthetic limbs using 3-D printing. To illustrate the benefits in human terms, he described a patient who was able to compete in a marathon run despite having had one leg amputated. Which of the following guidelines for effective informative speaking does this scenario illustrate?

Personalize your ideas.

In concluding her speech on supervolcanoes, the speaker says, "In this speech, I have tried to inform you about the sleeping giants beneath our feet. Right now, magma is dripping ever so slowly into giant chambers in the earth. One day, perhaps thousands of years from now, another supervolcano will explode again, changing our world forever." What guideline for informative speeches does this segment best illustrate?

Relate the subject directly to the audience.

When Gabriela explained to audience members the feeling of isolation, she had them imagine life on a deserted island with only animals to talk to. What guidelines for informative speaking did Gabriela follow by doing this?

She avoided abstractions. She was creative.

When Maria wanted to help her audience understand what she meant by "empowerment," she told a descriptive story about how she started her own business. What guidelines for effective informative speaking did Maria fulfill?

She tried to avoid overestimating audience knowledge. She personalized her ideas. She described the abstract term "empowerment."

Kristen tried to tell her audience of inexperienced computer users how to design their own Web page. She used computer terminology but did not clearly define those terms. What guidelines for effective informative speaking did Kristen violate?

She used language that was too technical for a general audience. She overestimated how much the audience knew about computer programming.

Edwin gave a speech about Mt. Everest. He discussed the base camp at the foot of the mountain, the features of the slopes, and the summit. Which type of organizational pattern did Edwin use?

Spatial organization

Which of the following would be a topic for an informative speech about an object?

The Grand Canyon

Which of the following topics would be treated as an informative speech about an event?

The signing of the Declaration of Independence

Which of the following should a speaker assume about his or her audience when giving an informative speech?

They know very little, if anything, about the subject.

Ana gave an informative speech to a driver's education class on how to parallel park a vehicle. Which of the following was most likely her goal?

To teach listeners to perform the process themselves

In a speech on supervolcanoes, the speaker describes the organization of her speech by saying "We'll first examine the mechanics of supervolcanoes. Second, we'll examine the way they shape our world. And third, we'll look at a supervolcano that's located right here in the United States." Based on this description, which organizational pattern did the speaker use?

Topical

What organizational pattern would you use if you wanted to inform your audience about the three major sociological approaches?

Topical

Which organizational pattern would work best for the following specific purpose statement: "To inform my audience about the important symbols of Kwanzaa"?

Topical

Overestimating an audience's knowledge of your topic is a bigger problem than underestimating it.

True

Jun wanted to give an effective informative speech about rock climbing to an audience that was unfamiliar with the activity. In order to avoid abstractions, he should consider doing which of the following?

Use a comparison to an experience listeners could relate to Use concrete language to describe details Contrast the danger of the sport to other sports

In which of the following scenarios is it acceptable to use technical language in an informative speech?

When the audience specializes in the subject

The type of informative speech that explains an idea or belief is a speech about

a concept.

Donna gave a speech on her company's founder. The type of informative speech she gave was a speech about

an object.

In relation to an informative speech, anything that has a visible, tangible, and stable form is

an object.

As a speaker, you must always relate the speech topic to the interests and concerns of the

audience

Beliefs, theories, ideas, and principles are all examples of

concepts

In order to give an interesting, engaging speech, you should not only follow the guidelines for informative speaking but also be ______ and use language imaginatively, descriptively, and clearly.

creative

According to the guidelines for informative speaking, the language used in an informative speech should be

creative. personalized. concrete.

An informative speech about an event would have a topical organizational pattern unless the purpose is to explain the event's ______. In that case, it should have a chronological pattern.

history

Carol is giving a process speech about various gardening techniques. She does not follow a step-by-step order but instead chooses some important elements of the process: picking fruit, preparing the soil, watering plants, and buying seeds. Carol's speech uses ______ organization. Multiple choice question.

topical