Chapter 12 - SmartBook

Consider the vague statement, "The guy said your vehicle would be ready in a while after a small problem is fixed." Which of the following revisions puts this sentence in the most concrete terms?

"Pete said your truck will be ready at 3 p.m. He needs to replace a cracked hose in the cooling system."

Which of the following are benefits of using repetition to create rhythm?

1) Creating a strong emotional effect 2) Unifying a sequence of ideas 3) Emphasizing a single idea by stating it more than once

Joyce, a college student, used the words "dudes" and "you guys" when addressing her school's faculty about her concerns. Which are true of these word choices?

1) She did not use language that was appropriate to the occasion. 2) She did not use language appropriate to the audience.

To ensure that your speech uses language appropriately, you should make sure it is appropriate to which of the following?

1) The audience 2) The speaker 3) The topic 4) The occasion

Which of the following are alternatives to the use of the generic "he"?

1) They 2) He or she

Which of the following are strategies for improving the clarity of a speech?

1) Use familiar words. 2) Eliminate verbal clutter.

What method for creating rhythm did Mildred use in her presentation when she said, "Your boat must be ready to launch immediately, stem, sail, and stern"?

Alliteration

At a retirement party for a colleague, Eric used plain, unemotional language to describe his colleague's time with the company. Afterward, a coworker mentioned that the speech did not pay proper tribute to how much the departing colleague meant to the company. Which rule of using language appropriately did Eric violate?

Appropriateness to the topic

Which of the following is the most likely to call up mental images of specific sights, sounds, tastes, or smells?

Concrete words

True or false: It is safe to assume that if the meaning of a word is clear to you, it will be clear to your audience.

False

True or false: The word waitress is an inclusive term.

False

Which aspect of United States society does inclusive speech reflect?

Growing respect for diversity

How does rhythm help create more vivid speeches?

It reinforces and enhances the impact of the speaker's words.

Which of the following is true of the connotative meaning of a word?

It will be different for different people.

What method of creating imagery did Lana use when she said, "He slithered into town quietly so that no one would notice when he dug in his fangs and slowly poisoned their minds."

Metaphor

Which of the following is an example of a concrete word?

Notebook

What method of creating rhythm did Miguel employ when he said, "In Venice and Paris, in London and Berlin, all of Europe watched with anticipation."

Parallelism

Which of the following statements about the relationship between rhythm and meaning is true?

Rhythm enhances the meaning of language.

Which of the following words is an example of stereotyping jobs by gender?

Salesman

What guideline for using language effectively did Deshari violate when she used basketball terms such as "zone defense" and "pick and roll" to discuss her ideas to her speech class?

She did not use language appropriate to the audience.

Ben is giving a speech in his chemistry class in which he describes a recent experiment he conducted. Which of the following language should he use in his speech?

Technical language

Which of the following is an example of a metaphor?

The earth is a blue marble spinning in space.

The speech excerpt, "If you want to produce a prevalent brownie, you must use superseding chocolate," illustrates which of the following?

The language is not used accurately.

Which of the following sentences is an example of antithesis?

These martyrs died so that we may live.

Why is it important to avoid clichéd similes, such as "busy as a bee," when giving a speech?

They make the speaker appear dull, and they bore the audience.

True or false: Including rhythm and vivid imagery in your speech will make it more interesting for your listeners.

True

What guideline for effective language did Kathy violate when in 2018 she referred to her cousin, who cannot walk and thus uses a wheelchair, as "handicapped" rather than "disabled"?

Use names that groups use to identify themselves.

Which of the following is the best way to revise the sentence "We need the best man for the job" to use inclusive language?

We need the best person for the job.

Stacy uses slang and abstract words during her everyday speech, but during her speech on a recent change to her state's tax laws, she uses her own developed style that avoids both of these things. By using her own developed style, Stacy is using language that is

appropriate for the speaker.

A word's literal meaning (without emotional associations) is its ________ meaning.

denotative

To make your speech clear and understandable, use words with which the audience will be

familiar.

The primary aim of antithesis is to create rhythm by

juxtaposing contrasting ideas, usually in parallel structure.

Words that refer to which of the following are considered concrete words?

1) People 2) Places 3) Things

Thomas is giving a keynote speech at a formal convention of highly respected medical researchers. Which of the following greetings would be the most appropriate to the occasion?

Distinguished guests:

During his speech, Ari quoted article 1, section 9, of the U.S. Constitution to his class without further explanation: "The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed." In what ways did Ari not follow rules of good language?

1) He did not use language clearly. 2) He did not use words likely to be familiar to the audience.

Which words distinguish a simile from a metaphor?

1) Like 2) As

What is the best way to develop a personal speaking style that is clear, vivid, and appropriate?

Read and listen to effective speakers and blend their techniques with your own language style.

Which of the following is a method for reducing verbal clutter in a speech?

Record the speech and listen to it for wasted or distracting words that can be removed.

Tanya, a web development expert, is preparing to give a speech at a conference on the future of Internet technologies. Knowing that some of the attendees would have very little experience in Web development, she decided to use plain language rather than complicated technical jargon. In this case, Tanya made her speech appropriate to the

audience.

Using a similar arrangement for a series of related words to create rhythm and enhance meaning is known as

parallelism.

Hilario includes the following passage in a speech on his recent visit to a national park: "Even though it was the height of summer, I felt cool standing in the dappled shade beneath the ancient trees. All around me I could hear the chirp of small birds and the rustle of leaves stirred by a breeze." By including this passage, Hilario has created

vivid imagery.

Hiro gave a speech on the plight of an endangered bird species. After the speech, an audience member thanked him and explained that, despite having never heard of the bird prior to the speech, she now had a very clear mental picture of the bird's habits and could "almost hear the bird calling to its mate." Given this response, Hiro's speech most likely included

vivid imagery.

Which of the following questions would be the most likely to improve the accuracy of the language used in a speech?

1) What am I really trying to say? 2) What exactly do I mean?

Erin is preparing a speech that includes discussion of the expected effects of a policy proposal on members of a specific ethnic group. Which term should she apply to the group?

The term used by members of the group

During his speech, Tim said, "Tell your veterinarian about any sudden changes in your animal. He needs to know all the details before he can make a diagnosis." Which guideline for effective language did he violate?

Avoid the generic use of "he."

What guideline for using language effectively is violated in the statement, "Man should be thankful that our planet continues to produce the natural resources needed for survival"?

Avoid using "man" when referring to both men and women.

Marcee will be speaking about a trip she took to Africa to help build wells in villages with limited access to clean water. Marcee wants to use vivid language in order to move her audience emotionally. Which of the following is her best option?

Detailed descriptions of how the villagers reacted to the new wells

Which of the following is the primary guideline violated by the statement, "Due to the fact that the ideas were reviewed by those who hoped to be empowered by the process of voting, the final analysis would be worthy"?

Eliminate clutter.

Which of the following best describes inclusive language?

Language that does not stereotype or demean people on the basis of gender, age, race, and other factors.

Barack Obama once said, "Tonight, if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion that I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do, if we do what we must do, then I have no doubt that all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November." Which of the following did he use to create rhythm in this passage?

Repetition

Which of the following is a good rule of thumb to follow when considering whether language is appropriate to an audience?

When in doubt—don't.

Bill Clinton once said, "Somewhere at this very moment a child is being born in America. Let it be our cause to give that child a happy home, a healthy family, and a hopeful future." Which methods for creating rhythm did he use in the second sentence?

1) Alliteration 2) Parallelism