FINAL EXAM

all of the following are potential pitfalls of summaries except

a summary does not work well on the internet

mean

add numbers, divide by how many terms,

in quoting source that involve nonsexist standards, consider these options: a. paraphrase instead of quoting b. substitute/insert nonsexist words in brackets c. use ellipses to to omit sexist phrasing d. insert [sic] after the first instance of sexist language e. all of these

all of these

all of the following are true of thank you letters except

always send a thank you letter via email

meta-analysis

examination of a range of studies done on one topic

a nontechnical audience expects:

only the big picture instead of complex facts and figures

the four general categories of visuals are

tables, graphics, charts, illustrations

mode

value that occurs most often

a note or notice which warns of potential hazard to life or limb is what kind of notice

warning

examples of plagiarism include all of the following except

you own personal story -- using the word "I", -- without mentioning a source

which document style is commonly used in the natural and applied sciences

CSE/CBE

all of the following are true of PDF documents except

a PDF may look different in print than on a computer screen

what is the difference a graph and a chart

a chart displays relationships that are not plotted on a x and y axis

asking the question "to who can I turn to for help" is an example of

a collaboration probelm

what is an advantage of a line graph

a line graph can accomodate more data points than a bar graph

in writing, and "orphan" is

a paragraph's opening line alone at the end of a page

asking the question "how can i recommend improvements everyone can live with" is an example of

a persuasion problem

an application (or cover) letter sent in response to an advertised job opening is

a solicited application letter

what is "flaming"? a. angry, personal attacks b. confidential information c. unusual formatting/font e. humor or idioms which the audience might not understand

a. angry, personal attacks

which of the following would be appropriate to handle in an email message at work? a. announcement of a company meeting b. request for a raise c. complaint about a coworker d. complimenting a coworker on her new shoes

a. announcement of a company meeting

an effective technical communicator does all of the following except: a. consistently applies on cultural perspective b. anticipates readers' questions c. uses appropriate media d. works well as part of a team

a. consistently applies on cultural perspective

technical communication is a digital and human activity a. true b. false

a. true

technical communication rarely focuses on the author's personal feelings or thoughts a. true b. false

a. true

the less specialized your audience, the less acronyms you should use. a. true b. false

a. true

instructions need to be especially accessible for all of the following reasons except

accesible instructions are always easier to write

when creating an online resume

add hyperlinks which link to scanned documents and relavent websites

letter of transmittal

addressed to certain readers; usually acknowledges sources of help and points out sections of interest in the report itself

readers expect the following from a summary except

all details found in the original

when documenting within a formal report or essay, you must include documentation for

all ideas, words, or creations found in any source you used, whether they are quoted summarized or plagiarized

paragraph coherence can be damaged by a. short, choppy sentences b. sentences in the wrong order c. insufficient transitions d. all of these

all of these

when writing a summary, do all of the following except

always use words or numbers

asking the question " how can i tell the truth without causing harm" is an example of

an ethics problem

what is the difference between a symbol and an icon

an icon tends to resemble the object it represents, a symbol can be more abstract

asking the question "how do i make readers understand the program's positive features, as well as those that need improving?" is an example of

an information problem

when must you document information posted on the internet

anytime you use any words, ideas, perspectives, OR images from a source

in a job interview, you should

arrive 10 min early

in a useful document, the body does all of the following except: a. attract the readers attentions b. deliver on the promises implied earlier in the essay c. explain and support the writer's attention d. present information in a unified and coherent way

attract the readers attention

when a person says "yes" because the person suggesting the idea is an expert, the person is saying "yes" because of: a. reciprocation b. consistency c. social validation d. authority

authority

a standard memo has the word "memo" or "Memorandum" at the top of the page (flush to right margin) a. true b. false

b. false

few technical documents have a persuasive purpose a. true b. false

b. false

memos generally focus on one topic a. true b. false

b. false

use the "bcc" feature if you want to hide from the recipient the other people who recieved the email: a. true b. false

b. false

__________-centered documents focus on what people need to learn, do, or decide a. learner b. reader c. writer d. ego

b. reader

to format a memo, a. indent the first line of a paragraph b. single-space within paragraphs and double-space between paragraphs c. double-space between and within paragraphs d. do not use paragraphs

b. single-space within paragraphs and double-space between paragraphs

convincing evidence with which to back a claim includes all of these except: a. factual statments b. strong opinion c. statistics d. expert testimony

b. strong opinion

all of the following are true of blogs except

blogs allow for the exchange of social cues

unjustified text is preferred for all the following types of documents except

books

make questions in inquiry letters a. broad and general, to allow readers flexibility in their response b. long and involved, to stimulate readers interest c. brief and focused, to save readers' time and to ensure definite responses d. all of the above

brief and focused, to save readers' time and to ensure definite responses

effective technical documents __________ a. use obfuscation b. avoid combining text, visuals, and sound c. are easy to navigate d. a and c

c. are easy to navigate

if you recieve negative reactions to a persuasive idea, you should do all of the following except: a. invite people to help improve the idea b. try to build support c. become defensive d. admit mistakes

c. become defensive

emails to global recipients should _________ a. use complex sentences b. be blunt c. convey respect d. incorporate humor

c. convey respect

all of these are benefits of emails EXCEPT: a. email communication are not constrained by time/work schedules b. email is a quick and efficient means of communication c. email is a formal type of business communication d. email provide an electronic paper trail

c. email is a formal type of business communication

coherence is: a. carrying a line of thought from sentence to sentence in logical order b. presenting a viewpoint c. attracting the readers' attention d. remaining focused on a viewpoint

carrying a line of though from sentence to sentence in logical order

analysis reports designed to reveal a problem at its source are called

causal analysis reports

a note or notice which warns of possible mistakes that could result in injury or equipment damage is what kind of notice

caution

logically ordered steps are usually arranged

chronologically

employers are not legally allowed to inquire about any of the following except

college name

because formal analytical reports usually have an impact on decisions within a company or organization, they are usually written for audiences of

company or organization decision makers

analysis reports designed to rate competing items on the basis of specific criteria are called

comparitive analysis reports

a highly technical audience expects:

complex facts and figures without long, drawn-out explanations

redundancy, needless repetition, and wordy phrases primarily harm a sentence's _______ a. fluency b. rythm c. clarity d. grammaticality e. conciseness

conciseness

trouble shooting is usually found in the

conclusion

when and where should you include a review of the major steps in instructions

conclusion/ when the document is complex

which of the following statements is accurate? a. technical comunication helps us interact with technology in our daily lives. b. technical communication helps us advance in workplace goals c. technical communication helps specialists solve complex problems d. all of the above are correct

d. all of the above are correct

people often say "no" out of fear because: a. the unknown b. disruption (change) c. failure d. all of these

d. all of these

a good technique to use when presenting your case in an arguable document is to: a. make a claim the audience will immediately reject b. make a claim for something less than you actually want c. negatively distort the opposing view d. concede something to the opposition

d. concede something to the opposition

when presenting an arguable idea, consider all of the following except: a. be sure everyone involved is included in the correspondence b. invite the responses of others c. seek a second opinion before releasing any documents d. never give up

d. never give ip

which of the following are the required elements of a business email? a. recipient line, sender line, complimentary closing, enclosure notation b. recipient line, sender line, date, enclosure notation c. recipient line, sender line, subject, distribution notation d. recipient line, sender line, date, subject

d. recipient line, sender line, date, subject

causation

demonstrate the production of a fact

when you want the recipient to know immediately the point of a letter, use a. indirect organizing pattern b. direct organizing pattern c. forward organizing pattern d. opening conversations e. the assertive organizing pattern

direct organizing pattern

works cited list

documentation of the source used in the report

all of the following are true of unjustified text except

each line ends at an identical vertical space

to combine a series of short, choppy sentences, use ___ a. description b. coordination c. subordination d. either b or c e. association

either b or c

achieve conciseness by: a. using passive construction b. substituting nouns for verbs c. eliminating negative constructions d. replacing words with phrases

eliminating negative constructions

if you produce a document as part of your employment, who holds the copyright

employer

the standard part of a letter include everything but a. salutation b. complimentary close c. enclosure notation d. inside address e. heading

enclosure notation

technical communication should generally avoid a. short sentences b. active voice c. topic sentences d. euphemisms e. concreteness

euphamisms

which of the following is often found in a repair or maintenance manual to show how parts of an item are assembled

exploded diagram

list all of the following in a contact portion of the resume except

facebook page URL

in a workplace letter, head each additional page with a notation identifying the date only a. true b. false

false

revising a document will always guarantee you will improve it

false

the passive voice is usually more forceful and direct than the passive voice a. true b. false

false

use "you" to blame the reader because otherwise the reader won't know how angry you are a. true b. false

false

analysis reports designed to assess the practicality of an idea or plan are called

feasibility analysis reports

all of the following are hard evidence except

findings that have not been reviewed by experts

to convey bad news in a letter a. apologize in the last paragraph b. use "you" to blame the reader c. give an honest explanation d. use letterese e. all of these

give an honest explanation

informative abstract

gives readers a condensed version of a complete document; offers the main points of a complete document

all of the these are examples of internet conferencing except

google drive

if you are writing a document explaining diabetes, and your audience is doctors, what kind of audience will you be addressing?

highly technical audience

all of the following are true of serif type fonts except

ideal for technical materials

when others yield to persuasion because of perceived common ground, they are yielding to persuasion due to: a. compliance b. identification c. internalization d. resistance

identification

when presenting activities, awards, skills, and a resume

include only items which are relavant to the job

the length of a summary

is secondary to the need for accuracy and clarity

appendices

large blocks of useful information which could not be included in the report itself

what is fair use

legal and limited use of copyrighted material without permission

all of the following include extra spacing between lines with each paragraph indented or with extra space regarding each paragraph except

letters

list of tables and figures

list page numbers for figures/tables

in a resume, reverse chronological format order does what

list the most recent experience first

table of contents

list the page numbers for each major section of the report

what is the 90/10 rule in active listening

listen 90% of time and speak 10% of the time

employers are impressed by a resume that

looks professional and reads easy

workplace letter are used to a. make inquiries, make a complaint, or market services or a product b. make inquiries c. make a complaint d. make services none of these

make inquiries, make a complaint, or market services or a product

all of the following are true of sans serif fonts except

make printed copy more readable

what is public domain

material not protected by copyright or material on which copyright has expired

to avoid confusing anyone is a large and unspecified audience, make your summary

nontechnical

sanitized statistics

numbers which are manipulated to obscure the facts

which types of visuals do expert audiences prefer

numerical tables, flow charts, schematics, and complex graphs or diagrams so they can interpret for themselves

in a useful document, the introduction does all of the following except: a. preview what will follow b. offer a solution c. announce the writer's viewpoint d. attract the reader's attention

offer a solution

hazard notices are legally required to

offer instructions for avoiding the hazard

title page

offers author and publication information on the report itself

a semitechnical audience expects:

only the necessary facts and figures with explanations tailored to the lowest levels of understanding

which communication restraint requires that you consider the "unspoken rules" of your company/organization a. legal constraints b. organizational constraints c. time constraints c. ethical constraints

organizational constraints

visuals should

parallel the user's angle of vision when performing the action

valid research

produces correct findings

all of the following are examples of communication abuse except

releasing knowledge the public needs

statistics from the U.S. Census

secondary research source

website created by a professional organization related to your topic

secondary research source

all of the following are true about supporting paragraphs except a. should end with a topic sentence b. should begin with a topic sentence c. usually stand alone in meaning d. the introduction to the support paragraph is the topic sentence

should end with a topic sentence

ethical dilemmas are

situation in which no single choice seems acceptable

which of the following collaborative techniques is useful for live real-time meetings of small groups

skype

the ______ line announces the topic of the memo

subject

in a useful document, the conclusion can do all of the following except

suggest further study

to limit direction quotations in your writing, you should

summarize or paraphrase (and document) material instead of quoting it

all of the following are true about a summary except

summary is usually written first

obligations are

the responsibilities you have to everyone involved

all of the following are true of justified text except

the right margin in uneven

when producing written literature about a product distributed in another country, which country's legal standards must be met

the standards of the country which the document will be distributed

all of the following are appropriate reasons to use visuals except

to decorate a document

which of the following does a flowchart do

traces procedure from beginning to end

a ______________ memo accompanies a package of materials and indicates that information is being sent from one place to another

transmittal

claim (or complaint) letters fall into two categories: routine claims and arguable claims a. true b. false

true

glossary

used for definitions if the report contains more than 5 technical terms

misleading terminology

using words to hide meanin

under what conditions might an employee simply repeat everything a boss says instead of offering new ideas

when employees are intimidated by a dominate personality

block quote format should be used for a quote

when the direct quote exceeds 4 typed lines

Hasty Generalization

when we accept findings uncritically and jump to conclusions about their meanin

an underlying assumption

when we accept ideas without proof

inference

when we derive conclusions about what we do not know by reasoning from what we know

faulty causal reasoning

when we explore causes that are not so obvious, but only possible or probable

on a standard 8.5 x 11 inch page, how wide should the margins be?

1 to 1 1/2 inch

multiple-bar graphs can confuse a reader if too many relationships are included. what is the maximum number of relationships you should include in a multiple-bar graph

3

which documentation style is used in English courses and humanities

MLA

Of the following statements, which is the least accurate? a. as long as a document is persuasive, it need not be clear and efficient b. at some point, all professionals engage in technical communication c. technical documents must account for cultural differences among readers d. instructions and procedures are two different types of documents e. consistency applies one cultural perspective

a. as long as a document is persuasive, it need not be clear and efficient

the format of an email includes all of the following EXCEPT: a. double-spacing throughout b. single-spacing with double between paragraphs c. end with a signature block d. an electronic signature if possible

a. double-spacing throughout

which of the following are accepting in business email? a. professional tone and style b. text-message style and abbreviations c. all caps d. emoticons

a. professional tone and style

memos __________ a. provide appropriate formality for the workplace b. are commonly addressed to people outside a company c. should always take a direct approach d. should be sent via paper rather than email

a. provide appropriate formality for the workplace

a memo is most appropriate for a. relaying information within an organization b. asking a quick question c. resolving a simple issue d. addressing a simple topic

a. relaying information within an organization

employers may legally monitor the work emails of their employees a. true b. false

a. true

employers seek technical communicators with portable skills a. true b. false

a. true

information memos are increasingly being sent via email a. true b. false

a. true

longer memos are often converted to PDF files and attached as messages a. true b. false

a. true

all of the following are true of text messaging in the business world EXCEPT: a. do not discuss confendential information in a text b. use only abbreviations everyone will understand c. use the same informal style you would use with friends d. texting can be an efficient way to address a simple topic or question

c. use the same informal style you would use with friends

Summary or follow-up memo a. covers virtually infinite variety of and may request info or action, reply to an inquiry, or describe a procedure b. insure that each recipient has the same understanding of what was decided in a meeting c. provides a written record of a meeting/conversation, or just a recap of topic discussed in a meeting that was not resolved at the time d. both b and c

d. both b and c

closing summary

helps readers review and remember the preceedings major findings

all of the following are true of formal outlining EXCEPT: a. revise the outline throughout the process of writing the document b. use either decimal notation or alphanumeric notation within the outline - but not both c. a formal outline can easily convert into a table of contents for the completed document d. include as much detail and as many subtopics as possible within the outline

include as much detail and as manu subtopics subtopics possible within the outline

all of the following are true about copyright except

information on the internet is never copyrighted

when others yield to persuasion because the idea meets their own goals and values: a. compliance b. internalization c. identification d. resistance

internalization

executive abstract

motivates the readers to act on information

if you are writing a document explaining a treatment for diabetes, and your audience is patients, what kind of audience do you have?

nontechnical audience

correlation

numerical measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables

the following statement is an example of ______ voice: a. passive b. first person c. soprano d. active

passive

all of the following are considered trade secrets except

plagairism

the introduction of a formal report does all of the following except

present a detailed picture of the evidence, interpretations, and the reasoning

an interview you conduct with an expert in the field

primary research source

results from a survey you conducted in a community

primary research source

results of an experiment you conducted in a lab

primary research source

unsolicited inquiry you sent to an expert in the field

primary research source

reliable research

produces findings that can be replicated

what do libel laws do

prohibit any false written statement that attacks or ridicules anyone

what do laws against fraudulent advertising do

prohibit false claims or suggestions

all of the following are single-spaced with double-spacing between paragraphs and with no indenting except

proposals

how and when should wikipedia be used in a research process

questionable source and should only be used to gain a broad understanding of the topic and to find more reliable sources within its bibliography

when a person says "yes" because he/she owes the person a favor, that person is saying "yes" because of: a. reciprocation b. consistency c. social validation d. authority

reciprocation

track changes is a digital tool that

records all suggested changes from team members, may be too limited to handle complex ideas, records comments from team members

descriptive abstract

report in very brief form; doesn't offer the main points of a complete document

median

result of ranking values from high to low, then find middle value

blog written about your topic

secondary research source

book written about your topic

secondary research source

magazine article written about your topic

secondary research source

pamphlet published by a group related to your topic

secondary research source

if you are writing a document explaining a treatment for diabetes, and your audience is medical students, what kind of audience would you be addressing?

semitechnical audience

american writing: a. tends to be more poetic than other countries b. tends to be more focused on paragraph unity that writing from other countries c. tends to be longer than the writing from other countries d. tends to be more direct

tends to be more focused on paragraph unity

consequences are

the beneficial or harmful results of your actions

ultimately the most reliable tool for producing effective technical documents is

the human brain

a primary audience is:

the immediate audience; the decision makers, the people who requested the document

information considered "common knowledge" does not have to be documented. which of the following would be considered common knowledge

the name of the first 16 US presidents

a secondary audience is:

the people outside the immediate source; people who advise the decision makers; people somehow indirectly affected by the document

ideals are

the values you believe in or stand for

in an inquiry letter, if your questions are too numerous or complex to be answered in print, you might alternatively request an interview (assuming the respondant in nearby) a. true b. false

true

most technical writing is done in teams a. true b. false

true

research indicates that people read more perceptively (and with less fatigue) from a printed page than a computer screen

true

social media is an inappropriate tool for researching a topic

true

when creating a workplace letter, the reaction you anticipate should determine the organizational plan of your letter a. true b. false

true

whether you write alone or collaborate in preparing a document, whether you are recieving feedback or providing it, no one step in the process is complete until the whole is complete

true

when working on a global team, all of the following are important except

use informal and conversational language

all of the following are techniques to insure readability except

use negatives as often as possible

all of the following are requirements for all visuals except

use several colors for visual interest

when paraphrasing, do all of the following except

use the exact words from the original source

abstract

usually written last but read first; briefly summarizes the findings

prefer the passive voice _____________ a. when discussing a past due bill with a customer b. to report bad news c. when discussing a past due bill with a customer and when it isn't important the for the audience to know the agent (subject) d. to request an action from the reader

when discussing a past due bill with a customer and when it isn't important the for the audience to know the agent (subject)

under what conditions should you include your company's name after your complimentary closing in the signature line

when your company holds legal responisiibility for the letter

all of the following are true about chunking except a. chunking breaks information into digestable units b. you can chunk information through page design c. white space is not helpful in chunking d. you can chunk information verbally

white space is not helpful in chunking

gender tends to affect communication in all of the following ways except

women tend to make commands, not requests

when considering an audience primary and secondary users with differing technical backgrounds, you should:

write different documents at varying levels of technicality if the documents does not exceed 2 pages

when writing instructions for an unknown audience

write for laypersons (nontechnical)

when in doubt about an audience's level of technical understanding, you should:

write to the lowest level of understanding

inside a direct quotation, brackets [ ] indicate:

you have added some information to a direct quotation for clarification

inside a direct quotation, ellipses (...) indicate:

you have some deleted material within the direct quotation that you did not need