Ch. 7: Selecting a Topic and Purpose
The thesis statement, the theme or central idea of a speech, should be expressed in the form of :
A single declarative sentence.
The specific purpose statement focuses more closely on the speeches goal than does the general purpose.
True
The theses statement is the theme or central idea of the speech.
True
To narrow a topic, you need to consider time constraints, audience expectations, and the nature of the occasion.
True
When preparing a speech, the speakers first task is to select:
A topic and purpose appropriate to the audience and occasion.
When narrowing a topic, the speaker need not consider:
Audience seating arrangements.
To generate ideas for topics, try _______ also known as topic mapping.
Brainstorming
As long as your speech topic interests you, it will be inappropriate to the audience and the occasion.
False
If a speech is informative, its thesis statement represents what you are going to prove to the audience.
False
If a speech topic is assigned to you, you are not accountable for tailoring it to the audience and the speech situation.
False
Speeches that try to change core values about highly charged topics tend to be successful.
False
The general speech purpose answers the question, what is my topic?
False
The thesis statement and the specific purpose statement are not related.
False
There are no tired or overused topics, as long as the speaker is good.
False
The _______ speech purpose answers the question, "What is my objective on this topic to this audience on this occasion?"
General
The purpose of the ______ speech is to increase an audiences understanding and awareness of a topic.
Informative
The ________ speech purpose expresses exactly what the speaker wishes the audience to get from the speech.
Specific
When giving your classroom presentation, which of the following should you do to avoid boring your audience and raising tension in the classroom?
Steer clear of overused and trivial topics
Because the entire speech rests on it, the thesis statement must be clearly stated in the speech.
True
Before giving a speech presentation, it is important for a speaker to identify whether he or she is seeking to inform, persuade, or mark a special occasion.
True
Brainstorming is a topic-generating technique using word association or topic mapping.
True
