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
