COM 231: Chapter 1 SmartBook

Which of the following is not true of public speaking? A. It is irrelevant because of the Internet. B. It is influential communication. C. It is used by world leaders. D. It is a form of communication that businesses often ask employees to conduct.

A. It is irrelevant because of the Internet.

Choosing a speech topic that has personal meaning to you allows you to A. build your confidence. B. end the speech in half the time. C. avoid practicing. D. skip doing research.

A. build your confidence.

The 2012 study about public speaking confidence showed which of the following? A. Significantly more people fear public speaking than fear dying. B. Most people actually believe they will die if they give a presentation. C. People fear dying twice as much as they fear speaking. D. People with a fear of dying usually have no fear of public speaking.

A. Significantly more people fear public speaking than fear dying.

Which one of the following is not considered to be public speaking? A. Speaking on the telephone with a friend B. Orally sharing ideas with a company team C. Speaking face-to-face in front of an assembly D. Orally influencing a group of people at a meeting

A. Speaking on the telephone with a friend

Andreas is giving a speech to convince audience members that they can become millionaires by investing 20% of their income in stocks or real estate. He uses a microphone to make sure they can hear him. As he is talking, it begins to rain loudly, so he closes the windows. After he is done, Aya thanks him and says she did not realize how quickly investments can grow. Which action concerns the speech channel? A. Using the microphone B. Closing the windows C. Thanking the speaker D. Investing income

A. Using the microphone

The study of the process of public speaking originated A. in many locations thousands of years ago. B. among monks within the Catholic Church. C. in the United States. D. with the invention of devices to record people's voices.

A. in many locations thousands of years ago.

An absolutely mistake-free speech delivery A. is impossible to achieve. B. is a typical requirement for students to pass speech class. C. is more important than the message being presented. D. occurred with Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

A. is impossible to achieve.

It is important for speakers to realize that when they make a minor mistake A. it is not an issue because they are communicating a message, not performing. B. the speech must be restarted in order to make sense. C. it actually makes them seem more confident and knowledgeable. D. the audience will easily spot it because the speaker is the center of their attention.

A. it is not an issue because they are communicating a message, not performing.

The top fear cited in a study of more than 9,000 people was fear of A. public speaking. B. going to parties. C. an interview. D. meeting new people.

A. public speaking.

Mentally rehearsing for a speech A. should be done repeatedly before speaking. B. creates unrealistic expectations of how successful you will be. C. guarantees that the speech will be successful. D. should be done once right before delivering the speech.

A. should be done repeatedly before speaking.

In the process of communication, feedback is defined as A. the message that is sent back to the speaker. B. interference. C. one-way communication. D. the static noise from the sound system during a speech.

A. the message that is sent back to the speaker.

Experts recommend that people who fear giving a speech should deal with it by A. turning the negative fear into a positive excitement. B. letting the fear control their actions. C. ignoring it until it goes away. D. preventing yourself form creating mental images of the speech.

A. turning the negative fear into a positive excitement.

With what or whom does the process of communication begin? A. A receiver B. A speaker C. Feedback D. A channel E. Some interference

B. A speaker

Which of the following is the best definition of ethnocentrism? A. Trying to persuade people to change their behavior B. Believing that one culture is better than another C. When a speaker always wants to talk about himself or herself rather than listening to others D. Agreeing with the traditions or practices of all groups and cultures

B. Believing that one culture is better than another

Which of the following is what is communicated by the speaker? A. The channel B. The message C. The feedback D. The venue

B. The message

Believing that your group or culture is superior to all other groups or cultures is called A. anthropomorphism. B. egocentrism. C. ethnocentrism. D. multiculturalism.

C. ethnocentrism.

Martina has a lot of thoughts in her head about an upcoming speech. Some of her thoughts are positive, and some are negative. What would be the best advice to help her manage these thoughts? A. Alternate days in which she has positive and negative thoughts B. Try to have at least five positive thoughts for each negative one C. Eliminate the negative thoughts D. Balance the number of negative and positive thoughts equally

B. Try to have at least five positive thoughts for each negative one

In the process of communication, effective public speakers should usually do all of the following except A. display enthusiasm. B. answer questions during the speech. C. demonstrate personal credibility. D. be knowledgeable about the subject. E. be sensitive to the audience.

B. answer questions during the speech.

Most symptoms of nervousness that a speaker feels A. are readily visible to an audience. B. are not noticeable to others. C. appear amplified to an audience. D. must be hidden from the audience.

B. are not noticeable to others.

During a lecture, the teacher briefly shows her class a picture of a red-tailed hawk, and she asks them to tell her what they saw. One says it was a hawk, another says it was a bird of prey, and a third simply says it was a large bird. The variety of descriptions would be a result of the students' different A. situations. B. frames of reference. C. sets of instructions. D. channels.

B. frames of reference.

The nervousness you feel before giving a speech A. means you are overconfident. B. is similar to the nervousness felt by others performing publicly. C.will go away after you've become more experienced. D. usually increases during and after a speech.

B. is similar to the nervousness felt by others performing publicly.

The process of visualization A. increases stage fright. B. reduces stage fright. C. has no effect on stage fright. D. completely eliminates stage fright.

B. reduces stage fright.

Katie yells to Carly that the speech will be given at 3 p.m. in Smith Hall. Katie has just described the ______ of the speech. A. channel B. situation C. message D. feedback

B. situation

When nervous speakers finish presentations, they usually learn that A. their nervousness prevented the audience from getting their message. B. the audience had no idea how nervous they were. C. the audience could hear their heart pounding. D. they appeared far more scared than they really were.

B. the audience had no idea how nervous they were.

Terrance is giving an outdoor speech when he sees people worriedly looking in the direction of dark clouds building on the horizon. He quickly decides how he can shorten his speech and assures the audience he'll wrap up well before it rains. What has Terrance done? A. Displayed ethnocentrism B. Ignored feedback C. Adapted to interference D. Changed the channel

C. Adapted to interference

Fran, a spokesperson for her company, gives a speech harshly criticizing the mayor and his business policies. Fran's boss, however, was upset by the speech and tells her the criticisms were too personal and crossed over the line of decency. The comments made by Fran's boss represent' A. the speech message. B. the speech channel. C. speech feedback D. speech interference.

C. speech feedback

The United States is A. slowly losing its cultural diversity. B. less culturally diverse than most other developed nations. C. the most culturally diverse society in the world. D. politically diverse but religiously homogeneous.

C. the most culturally diverse society in the world.

Which of the following describes the situation of a wedding speech? A. Images projected onto a large screen with sound B. Kindness and faithfulness to each other C. The annoying sound of jets flying overhead D. A reception hall on a Saturday afternoon

D. A reception hall on a Saturday afternoon

Terrance is giving an outdoor speech when he sees people worriedly looking in the direction of dark clouds building on the horizon. He quickly decides how he can shorten his speech and assures the audience he'll wrap up well before it rains. What has Terrance done? A. Ignored feedback B. Displayed ethnocentrism C. Changed the channel D. Adapted to interference

D. Adapted to interference

George is giving a speech to a culturally diverse audience. Which is least necessary for him to pay attention to as he tries to connect with multicultural listeners? A. His gestures B. His language C. His appearance D. His breathing

D. His breathing

Janice is attending an off-campus event featuring a well-known political figure. Toward the end of the speech, the microphone goes out, and Janice cannot hear the speaker's last comments. According to the communication model, which element caused a failure in the communication process? A. The feedback B. Internal interference C. Speaker credibility D. The channel

D. The channel

Experienced speakers are most likely to view nervousness as A. something abnormal. B. something that can be completely eliminated. C. something that is undesirable. D. a way to generate mental vitality for a speech.

D. a way to generate mental vitality for a speech.

Experience makes public speaking easier, because the biggest cause of stage fright is A. improving on an already good speech. B. overconfidence. C. remembering others' mistakes. D. fear of the unknown.

D. fear of the unknown.

Bronson sends a text message to his friend in China. His friend responds immediately with "great to hear from u!" In the context of the communication process, Bronson's friend's response is called A. nonverbal communication. B. a situation. C. interference. D. feedback.

D. feedback.

The objective of public speaking is for the ______ message to be the message that is ______. A. nonverbal; remembered. B. most lighthearted; most powerful C. introductory; most complicated D. intended; actually communicated

D. intended; actually communicated

Critical thinking is important, because the structure of your speech A. is determined by audience criticisms during delivery. B. is a simple exercise in rearranging your ideas. C. comes from your emotions at the time of the speech. D. mirrors the structure of your thinking.

D. mirrors the structure of your thinking.

Speech experts suggest that speakers A. prepare for exactly the same length of time as the speech. B. begin preparing at least two years in advance for a speech. C. prepare at least one full day for each minute of the speech. D. prepare two hours for each minute of the speech.

D. prepare two hours for each minute of the speech.

Misha, an international sales representative for exercise products, has spoken to audiences across the globe about his company's products. He is returning to the United States to promote the products. When he speaks to audiences in the United States, Misha should A. avoid eye contact with the audience in order to show respect. B. recognize that the American audience is probably less diverse than most of his audiences. C. be aware that his audience will be composed entirely of Christians. D. remember that the American audience is probably more diverse than most of his audiences.

D. remember that the American audience is probably more diverse than most of his audiences.

An example of external interference for a speech in class would be A. the microphone used to deliver a speech. B. stress that audience members have about a test next period. C. the audience response to a speech. D. sirens from a passing emergency vehicle.

D. sirens from a passing emergency vehicle.

Katie yells to Carly that the speech will be given at 3 p.m. in Smith Hall. Katie has just described the ______ of the speech. A. feedback B. channel C. message D. situation

D. situation

In the process of communication, situation is defined as A. feedback. B. anything that impedes message delivery. C. the response to the initial message. D. the time and place of the communication.

D. the time and place of the communication.

Stage fright is most likely to be experienced by someone A. who has done hours of preparation. B. has spoken many times before. C. with positive thoughts. D. thinking negatively.

D. thinking negatively.

Jeron has a terrible headache. Because of this, he completely misses the teacher's homework instructions. Which of the following elements caused the communication process to be a failure for Jeron? A. External interference B. Feedback C. Channel D. Ethnocentrism E. Internal interference

E. Internal interference

Joe is speaking at a funeral, so he decides not to open with a joke. He is responding to the situation. As he begins to speak, someone in another room begins hammering on the wall, causing _____________. At the end of his speech, everyone stands up and enthusiastically claps, providing _______________.

Interference; Feedback

Which of the following are characteristics of a listener in a communication situation? a. A listener filters a message through a particular frame of reference. b. A listener might give feedback to the speaker. c. A listener and speaker will always agree about what message is communicated.

a. A listener filters a message through a particular frame of reference. b. A listener might give feedback to the speaker.

Caitlin has no experience giving speeches, and she is worried that she will not do well in her public speaking class. Which of the following are everyday communication skills similar to those Caitlin will need to succeed in class? a. Adjusting the message for maximum impact b. Paying attention to how listeners receive her messages c. Noticing the facial expressions of the people she talks to d. Not worrying about the order in which she presents her ideas

a. Adjusting the message for maximum impact b. Paying attention to how listeners receive her messages c. Noticing the facial expressions of the people she talks to

Which of the following are reasons why speakers must consider the cultural diversity of their audience? a. Nonverbal signals differ from culture to culture and thus can make effective communication more challenging. b. Different cultures attach different meanings to gestures. c. Most cultures attach the same meanings to facial expressions. d. Language barriers can result in misunderstandings.

a. Nonverbal signals differ from culture to culture and thus can make effective communication more challenging. b. Different cultures attach different meanings to gestures. d. Language barriers can result in misunderstandings.

Which of the following are true of critical thinking skills practiced in a public speaking class? a. Organizing speeches is related to critical thinking. b. Critical thinking skills can help you listen more effectively. c. Disjointed thinking probably leads to cohesive speech structure. d. Critical thinking skills can be applied to other disciplines. e. Listening critically to speeches will not help you assess writers' ideas.

a. Organizing speeches is related to critical thinking. b. Critical thinking skills can help you listen more effectively. d. Critical thinking skills can be applied to other disciplines.

In the process of communication, which of the following are examples of a channel? a. Television b. The Internet c. A live voice d. Frame of reference e. The radio

a. Television b. The Internet c. A live voice e. The radio

In the process of communication, the situation includes which of the following? a. The physical setting of a speech b. The message that is communicated c. The public speaking venue d. The time the communication happens

a. The physical setting of a speech c. The public speaking venue d. The time the communication happens

Select all following items that are true of an effective public speaker. a. The speaker tries to anticipate listeners' questions. b. The speaker tries to effectively organize the ideas to be presented. c. The speaker should make use of slang where possible. d. The speaker tries to avoid vocalized pauses, such as "um."

a. The speaker tries to anticipate listeners' questions. b. The speaker tries to effectively organize the ideas to be presented. d. The speaker tries to avoid vocalized pauses, such as "um."

The seven elements of the speech communication process a. vary widely depending on the type of communication. b. are present no matter what type of speech communication is used. c. are all independent of the other elements. d. are all generated by the audience.

a. vary widely depending on the type of communication. b. are present no matter what type of speech communication is used.

Which of the following actions common in everyday conversation would be unacceptable in a public speech? a. Using proper grammar b. Interjecting stock phrases c. Thinking carefully before making a statement d. Incorporating slang

b. Interjecting stock phrases d. Incorporating slang

Which of the following are conversational skills that will help students in a public speaking class? a. Speaking without concern for time limitations b. Telling a great story c. Sensing when someone does not understand what you are saying d. Communicating to different age groups

b. Telling a great story c. Sensing when someone does not understand what you are saying d. Communicating to different age groups

Which of the following can help most speakers deal with nervousness in a public speaking situation? a. Staying up practicing as long as possible the night before the speech b. Visualizing yourself giving a great speech c. Gaining experience by presenting speeches when given the opportunity d. Making eye contact e. Thoroughly preparing your speech

b. Visualizing yourself giving a great speech c. Gaining experience by presenting speeches when given the opportunity d. Making eye contact e. Thoroughly preparing your speech

By participating in a speech class, which of the following are true? a. You can be confident that any speech you make will be error free. b. You have a sympathetic audience of students who are facing the same tasks you are. c. You can get feedback from a trained professional instructor. d. You get a chance to test your ideas and learn from your mistakes.

b. You have a sympathetic audience of students who are facing the same tasks you are. c. You can get feedback from a trained professional instructor. d. You get a chance to test your ideas and learn from your mistakes.

Ancient examples of the study of public speaking a. bear little resemblance to speech techniques today. b. have been written on papyrus in Egypt. c. existed in China and the Americas. d. were discussed by Plato and Cicero.

b. have been written on papyrus in Egypt. c. existed in China and the Americas. d. were discussed by Plato and Cicero.