Public Speaking- Midterm

Both public speaking and conversation involve adapting to listener feedback.

True

One of the most common mistakes students make on their first speech is trying to cover too much.

True

Research shows that a well-organized speech can increase the speaker's competence and trustworthiness in the minds of listeners.

True

The specific purpose of Stephanie's informative speech is "To inform my audience about economics." Are there any flaws in Stephanie's specific purpose?

Yes. Stephanie's specific purpose is too broad.

Which of the following is an example of a commemorative speech?

a eulogy at a funeral praising the life and accomplishments of the deceased an address at the site of the World Trade Center praising the people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 a speech at a new elementary school praising the work of the woman for whom the school is named

Which of the following is inappropriate in a speech to inform?

advocating

When preparing main points for a speech, you should

balance the amount of time devoted to each point.

Adapting your message to the needs of a particular audience means that you must inevitably compromise your beliefs

false

Of all the kinds of speeches, perhaps none depends more on the creative and subtle use of language than does the commemorative speech.

true

Speechmaking becomes more complex as cultural diversity increases.

true

The central idea of a speech often emerges after you have done your research and have decided on the main points of the speech.

True

Questions are particularly effective as signposts because they invite subliminal answers and thereby get the audience more involved in the speech.

true

You should never cite an article in your speech on the basis of the abstract alone.

true

According to your textbook, a common mistake students make when developing their first speech is

trying to cover too much material

Under normal circumstances, a speech of introduction should be no more than ____________minutes long.

two to three

As your textbook explains, many of the skills used in public speaking are the same as those used in everyday conversation. These skills include

Telling a story for maximum impact, tailoring your message to your audience, and organizing your thoughts logically.

The following is an effective central idea for a speech to persuade: "You should vote a $10 increase in student fees to pay for a new fitness center because the current one is too small and its equipment is out of date."

True

Audience-centeredness involves keeping your audience foremost in mind

at every step of speech preparation and presentation.

According to your textbook, brainstorming is especially helpful when you are having trouble

choosing a speech topic

The purpose of a(n) ____________Blank speech is to pay tribute to a person, a group of people, an institution, or an idea.

commemorative

A ____________is a word or phrase that connects the ideas of a speech and indicates the relationship between them.

connective

Your textbook recommends __________ as the most effective method of note taking for listening to a speech.

creating a key-word outline

What are the two types of audience analysis discussed in your textbook?

demographic and situational

According to your textbook, the tendency of people to be concerned above all with their own values, beliefs, and well-being is called

egocentrism.

Speechmaking is a form of power and therefore carries with it heavy __________responsibilities.

ethical

A(n) ____________ is a specific case used to illustrate or represent a group of people, ideas, conditions, experiences, or the like.

example

According to your textbook, what type of supporting material would you be using if you quoted Yale physicist Daniel Timbie on the compatibility of the big bang theory with religious philosophies?

expert testimony

Because a speech of introduction focuses on the main speaker, there is little need to adapt to the audience.

false

Even if you can't identify the author or sponsoring organization for an Internet document, you can still use the document in your speech as long as it is up to date.

false

Extemporaneous delivery means delivering a speech "off the cuff," with no advance preparation.

false

In most cases, statistics speak for themselves and do not require a lot of explanation when used in a speech.

false

It is important to know your main points before you begin researching your speech.

false

Keeping speeches within strict time limits is an artificial constraint of classroom speeches and is less important for speeches outside the classroom.

false

Listeners usually find generalizations more interesting and convincing than specific statements.

false

Most speeches should have six to ten main points.

false

Most successful speakers do not experience stage fright.

false

One key to successful speaking is determining which audiences are worthy of your best efforts to communicate your ideas.

false

Public speaking is essentially like acting because once you learn a speech, you can give it over and over without adapting to the different audiences you address.

false

The main purpose of using statistics in a speech is to make the speech more vivid.

false

The purpose of a speech of introduction is to reveal the major points that will be made by the main speaker.

false

You should usually avoid using detailed examples because they will bore your audience.

false

While listening to a speech about gun control, Scott thought back to his experiences as an intern with the police department and decided that the speaker was knowledgeable about the subject. What was Scott doing?

filtering the message through his frame of reference

Which of the following is one of the four major causes of poor listening discussed in your textbook?

focusing on a speaker's appearance or delivery

As the size of your audience increases, your presentation should usually become more

formal.

According to your textbook, effective listening can help you do which of the following?

gather information and communicate it accurately to others. learn effective techniques that you can use in your own speeches. get promoted in your job. Both gather information and communicate it accurately to others and get promoted in your job. all of there answers are correct

According to your textbook, which of the following is a demographic characteristic of a speech audience?

gender identity

Which of the following is appropriate when using humor in a public speech?

gently making fun of common human quirks

When the general purpose of your speech is to _________, you act primarily as a teacher or lecturer.

inform

If the following statement occurred in the body of a speech, it would be an example of what kind of connective? As I shall explain next, solving the problem of groundwater contamination involves two steps: limiting new development and requiring builders to use more efficient septic systems.

internal preview

Matt's political science professor announces that next week there will be a guest lecture by peace activist Rachel Phelps entitled "The History of War, the Prospects for Peace." Matt decides to skip class that day, saying to himself, "What can a peace activist possibly tell me about war?" What aspect of poor listening identified in your textbook is Matt exhibiting in this example?

jumping to conclusions

Audience-centeredness means that public speakers should

keep the audience foremost in mind throughout the speechmaking process.

"To explain the three major benefits of cycling as a form of exercise" is a poorly phrased specific purpose statement because it

lacks a reference to the audience.

According to your textbook, skilled listeners do not try to absorb a speaker's every word. Rather, they focus on three major aspects of a speech. Those aspects include

main points, evidence, technique. All of these answers are correct

The term for the statistical measure popularly known as the "average" is the

mean

According to your textbook, __________plagiarism occurs when a speaker copies word for word from two or three sources.

patchwork

According to your textbook, if you quoted your sixteen-year-old niece on the impact of media violence on high-school students, you would be using

peer testimony

If you present another person's language or ideas as your own, you are guilty of

plagiarism

A ____________ is a list, compiled early in the research process, of works that look as if they might contain helpful information about a speech topic.

preliminary bibliography

The main purpose of a speech of presentation is to

present a gift or an award.

Which organizational pattern would be most effective for arranging a speech with this central idea: "The problem of adult illiteracy can be solved by a combination of individual and government action"?

problem-solution order

Words such as "First," "Next," "Finally," and "Above all" are often used as ____________to indicate where a speaker is in the speech or to help focus attention on key issues.

signposts

"To inform my audience about the three basic steps in preventive medicine" is an example of a

specific purpose

The __________expresses precisely what you hope to accomplish with your speech.

specific purpose

is anxiety over the prospect of giving a speech in front of an audience.

stage fright

The three kinds of supporting materials discussed in your textbook are

statistics, examples, and testimony.

As defined in your textbook, channel in the speech communication process refers to

the means by which a message is communicated.

As the speaker explains in the introduction, Trisha is

the speaker's sister.

The most effective order of main points in a speech depends on your

topic, purpose, and audience.

Here are the main points for a speech about swing music: Swing music involves a slight rhythmic hesitation. Swing music is rooted in jazz forms such as ragtime and blues. Swing music is closely identified with the "Big Band" sound. These main points are arranged in ____________Blank order.

topical

A sentence or two that lets the audience know that a speaker has finished one thought and is moving on to another is called a

transition

Which organizational pattern would be most effective for arranging the main points of a speech with this specific purpose: "To inform my audience about the four major elements in a landscape painting"?

tropical

As a general rule, the larger your audience is, the more formal your speech presentation should be.

true

Avoiding ethnocentrism is important for listeners as well as for speakers.

true

Critical listening involves listening to evaluate a message for purposes of accepting it or rejecting it.

true