Public speaking week 15 study guide

Which of the following is not a proposition of fact?

"NASA should focus its energies on sending astronauts to Mars." This is a proposition of policy, not fact.

Which of the following is an example of a statement whose goal is to refute an argument?

"Beef is not better than tofu." Refuting an argument means making a case against an opposing idea or belief.

Dr. Smith's assignment to his speech students requires them to deliver informative speeches that illustrate new applications of knowledge about a familiar topic. Which of the following introductory statements meets Dr. Smith's guidelines?

"Did you know that orange juice can be used as a household cleaning product?" None of the other choices indicate that any new or unusual information will be presented.

Sylvia's persuasive speech must be based on a proposition of policy. Keeping in mind the characteristics of effective propositions, which of the following propositions should Sylvia use?

"Each member of this audience should donate at least five nonperishable items to the local food bank." Only this choice provides a clear statement of a policy proposition (whether or not something should happen).

Of the following statements, which is the best example of a red herring argument?

"Marv Albert is a talented broadcaster, so he should not be punished for biting his ex-girlfriend." The red herring fallacy offers irrelevant information that distracts from the main argument.

Camilla is developing a speech on the cosmetic industry around a question of policy. Which of the following would Camilla most likely ask?

"Should cosmetic companies be allowed to test their products on animals? "The word "should" is often a clue that a question of policy is being discussed.

In Anthony's last speech evaluation, his instructor explained that Anthony's topic sentence lacked specificity. Anthony is delivering an informative speech about the many roles television plays in people's lives. His main points will be to discuss television as educational, entertaining, and destructive. Which of the following topic sentences should he use to avoid repeating his previous mistakes?

"Today, I am going to discuss the ways in which television serves as an educational tool, an entertainment outlet, and a negative influence on young children in the United States." Only this topic sentence is both specific and meant to be informative. The other choices are either vague or meant to be persuasive.

Nicholas is giving a speech on dramatic series on television. If he wants to use a causal organizational pattern, which of the following topic sentences should he use?

"Today, I am going to explain why the dramatic series has gained popularity since the mid-1980s." Of the four choices, only this topic sentence introduces a speech clearly based on a cause-and-effect relationship. The word "why" is often a clue that a causal relationship is being examined.

Angela plans to give an informative speech on recycling to a local women's organization. Which of the following topic sentences would best suit her purpose and audience?

"Today, I will discuss three materials available for recycling in our community: aluminum, paper, and plastic." This sentence indicates that the speech intends to be informative and to address the topic in a way relevant to the audience.

Katherine's latest speech assignment requires her to develop and present an informative speech on vacation destinations. Which of the following introductory statements should Katherine choose?

"Today, we're going to take a look at the three most popular vacation destinations in California." The other three choices would be appropriate for persuasive speeches.

All of the following involve questions of fact except

"Was it ethical for the United States to become involved in the Vietnam War?" This question deals with an issue of morality; therefore, it is a question of value.

All of the following questions can help you determine your informative purpose except

"Will my speech try to change my audience's attitudes or behaviors?" This question applies to persuasive speeches.

Jennifer wants to give a descriptive informative speech about some aspect of Paris. Which of the following topics should she choose?

A representation of the architecture of Notre Dame cathedral Of the four choices, only this topic, which decribes the cathedral's appearance, offers a descriptive informative approach.

Tom, a former flight attendant, plans to give an informative speech on airline travel. Since his speech club consists mostly of well-traveled adults, which of the following should he do?

Explain some unusual complications of airline travel Only this choice will extend the audience members knowledge of airline travel.

Mason has to give a demonstration speech. Since he does tai chi every morning, he decides to use tai chi as the subject of his speech. Which of the following techniques would be least effective for Mason's speech?

Explaining the historical development of tai chi A discussion of the historical development of tai chi belongs in an explanatory speech rather than in a demonstration.

Greg begins a persuasive speech about welfare reform with this statement: "The government should spend the money it throws away on space exploration on efforts to increase the educational and career options of welfare recipients." Which of the following criteria about propositions is Greg violating?

Propositions should not imply prejudice. Claiming that money spent on space exploration is wasted shows prejudice. A proposition should be balanced, not prejudiced.

All of the following are examples of persuasive messages except

an instruction manual for a new television. An instruction manual is analogous to an informative speech.

In developing a speech about the life of Gertrude Stein, you would usually use which organizational pattern?

chronological When discussing the life of a historical figure, generally you should arrange the main points in a temporal sequence.

The goals of persuasive speaking may include the following except

describing a concept. Informative speaking describes and explains concepts.

Sasha is preparing a persuasive speech about how Marilyn Monroe died, and so she is basing her speech on a question of

fact Since Sasha will be arguing that a particular event occurred for specific reasons, her speech will be based on a question of fact.

Because persuasion often involves emotional appeals, persuasive speakers do not need to pay much attention to ethical issues.

false Persuasive speakers must pay special attention to ethical issues such as presenting credible propositions supported by reputable sources. Persuasive speakers may so identify with the viewpoint of their speech that their application of ethical standards is less than rigorous.

You need not be prepared to answer questions about your topic after giving an informative speech.

false You need to know your topic well enough to handle a question-and-answer period.

As long as you are intensely interested in your topic, you can assume that your audience will catch your enthusiasm and become interested in it also.

false You will have to work deliberately to help your audience develop an interest in your topic.

Enrique needs to choose a topic for an explanatory informative speech. Which of the following would be the best choice for him?

forestry regulations An explanatory speech is used to clarify an issue. The other choices would be better subjects for other types of informative speeches.

Sandy is delivering a speech about how to save money. She tells her audience to remember three things: save at least 20 dollars every two weeks; spend less on nonessential items; and, start investing immediately. Which organizational pattern is Sandy using?

gimmick Sandy begins all main points with the letter "s" to make them easier to remember.

When delivering a persuasive speech, a speaker

is an advocate. Persuasive speakers promote one side of an issue over the others to try to encourage audience members to change their beliefs or behaviors.

An informative speech that involves telling a story is an example of which of the following types?

narrative A narrative informative speech bases its point around a story or narrative sequence.

It is essential that you present balanced, unbiased viewpoints when presenting a speech organized according to the

pro-con pattern The pro-con pattern is used to explore both sides of a particular issue.

In persuasive speeches, a statement that a speaker wants an audience to consider or accept is called a

proposition A proposition is the central idea of a persuasive speech. It acts as a clear indication of the speaker's position on an issue.

Yukio gave a speech in his public speaking class on the films of the Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. Yukio's aunt, who is president of a local film society, has asked him to give the speech to her group. Yukio should

rewrite his speech, making it more technical. For such an unfamiliar topic, Yukio would have given an introductory speech to his class. The same speech would bore the amateur experts in a film society.

All of the following would be acceptable topics for a descriptive informative speech except

the historical significance of Ellis Island. Descriptive speeches describe places, people, objects, and events. This topic, since it concerns a particular concept, would be suitable for an explanatory speech.

If you are giving an informative speech to deepen your audience's knowledge of a familiar topic, you should do all of the following except

thoroughly review the familiar information in your speech before moving on to the new material. Do not bore your audience members by going into great detail about things they know.

Matt is giving a speech on cars. He begins by saying, "Today, I am going to talk to you about three different types of cars: sports-utility vehicles, convertibles, and minivans." Matt is using the ____________________ pattern.

topical The topical pattern is used to divide a broad topic like automobiles into smaller subtopics.

Questions of policy concern whether or not something should happen.

true

An informative speech should provide a balanced and objective look at a topic.

true Informative speeches should be as objective as possible. Persuasive speeches can be opinionated and biased.

To be effective, informative speeches must avoid

using all of the information available on a topic. Effective speeches use only the most helpful, relevant information. Limiting the amount of information will prevent you from overwhelming your audience.

All of the following help ensure a successful informative speech except

using carefully planned gestures. Use natural, unplanned gestures. Forced or planned gestures make you look artificial and harm your credibility.

Mark begins his persuasive speech by saying, "It is wrong for public schools to impose dress codes on their students." Mark is offering a proposition of

value A proposition of value deals with the rightness or morality of an idea or action.