Chapter 13

In a question-and-answer session, answers to simple questions should be about ______, and answers to more complicated questions should be ______.

30 seconds; 2 to 3 minutes

In which situation is a speech most likely to be memorized?

A toast to a new couple

In her speech, Jacqueline said, "I wanna show you jus' what to do to prepare your kite for flight." Which part of her vocal delivery needs practice?

Articulation

Michelle would like to add more vocal variety to her speeches. Which aspects of delivery should she work on?

Changes in rate Pitch fluctuation Changes in volume

Concerning movement, a speaker should remember which of the following?

Distracting motions will negatively affect listeners. Fidgety movement makes the speaker appear nervous.

Which of the following pitch patterns are likely to distract or bore an audience?

Ending all sentences with an upward inflection Speaking in monotone Ending all sentences with a downward inflection

Which of the following are examples of body movements that have been shown to affect listeners' reception of a speech?

Facial expressions Eye contact Posture

True or false: The amount and form of eye contact considered appropriate in everyday conversation is the same across cultures.

False

True or false: The world's most famous orators have all been blessed with golden voices that were naturally pleasing to their listeners.

False

Which of the following movements should be avoided when giving a speech?

Gathering notes before finishing the speech

Drew showed up for his classroom speech with his normal torn jeans and a sweatshirt with the word "crazy" written across the front in giant letters. If this was not a costume illustrating his topic, which of the following statements apply to Drew's situation?

He should not have worn torn jeans. He should have chosen a different shirt.

Elaine is listening to a speech on endangered salmon habitat. She pays close attention to what the speaker is saying but disagrees with some of his points. After the speech audience members are asked to speak if they have comments or questions. Elaine raises her hand. What type of speech will she make?

Impromptu speech

Which of the following are advantages of extemporaneous speaking?

It encourages the speaker to adopt a conversational tone. It is more precise than impromptu speaking.

Which of the following are basic guidelines for good delivery that should be implemented by a beginning public speaker?

Make eye contact. Speak intelligibly.

Aaron is running for a city council position in his home town and is giving a speech to voters on why they should trust him more than his opponent. Which of the following actions would be the most likely to undermine his speech?

Not making eye contact with listeners

Sheila is preparing a speech on the technical topic—the role of neural networks in machine learning. After the speech, she will be participating in a brief question-and-answer session. Which of the following should she consider preparing?

Plain-language explanations of complex terms and concepts A handout for people who want more information

Which of the following is not one of the four basic methods of speech delivery?

Playing a recording

Which of the following statements about articulation are true?

Poor articulation is more common than mispronunciation among college students. You can articulate a word clearly and still mispronounce it. Poor articulation can be corrected with effort.

Which of the following are potential pitfalls of reading a speech from a manuscript?

Poor pacing Wooden or artificial delivery Not making eye contact

Speakers can help ensure proper pronunciation by doing which of the following?

Practicing in front of friends who can give gentle correction Consulting a dictionary for any words about which they are unsure

A political leader gives a speech about generating energy. She adds a "u" to the word nuclear so it sounds like "nucular." Which of the following is true?

She has mispronounced the word "nuclear."

Derek just finished giving a speech to his class, and asked for his classmates' feedback. The class thought Derek was well prepared and found the subject matter informative and easy to follow, but they noted that at certain points they felt as if Derek was shouting at them. Which aspect of the speech should Derek work on?

Speaker's voice

Which method of delivery is preferred by most speakers and teachers?

Speaking extemporaneously

Susan gave a speech to incoming college student about their rights and responsibilities, followed by a question-and-answer session in which students asked a lot of questions that Susan found boring. Although the reception to the speech was largely positive, after the question-and-answer session, many audience members appeared disappointed and frustrated. Which of the following would be a likely explanation?

Susan evaded questions or appeared annoyed.

Which of the following statements about audience question-and-answer sessions is true?

They can make or break a presentation.

May Ellen is from a small town in Georgia. She is attending college in the state of Oregon, and most of her classmates are from the Pacific Northwest. How would her classmates most likely react if May Ellen's speech makes heavy use of her dialect?

They would make negative judgments about her intelligence and competence.

What is the primary purpose of practicing and improving your style of speech delivery?

To enhance the impact of your ideas To allow the audience to clearly understand your ideas

Which of the following is the primary rule for using gestures during a speech?

Use any gestures that feel natural as long as they do not distract from your message.

When called upon suddenly to give an impromptu speech, which of the following strategies should you employ?

Use signposts. Act calm.

Which of the following are aspects of conversational speaking that audiences tend to prefer in formal speeches?

Vocal and facial expressiveness Directness

If a speaker sees listeners leaning forward with strained looks on their faces and their hands cupping their ears, the speaker's first reaction should be to increase which aspect of his or her voice?

Volume

Ellen is preparing to give an important speech at a company conference in which several senior managers will be present. To make sure she avoids embarrassing mistakes or oversights, Ellen had decided to read her script from a manuscript. Which of the following are methods Ellen should use to prepare for her speech?

Work on establishing eye contact with the audience. Practice aloud to make sure the speech sounds natural.

The use of "um" and "uh" instead of brief silence is referred to as

a vocalized pause.

When a speaker does not produce the sounds of letters properly, the problem is ______. When a speaker does not say a word properly, this is a different problem, known as ______.

articulation; mispronunciation

When delivering a speech from memory, speakers must remember to

concentrate on communicating with the audience.

In the United States, speakers may be seen as dishonest if they fail to make adequate

eye contact.

The best way to maintain effective eye contact during a speech is to

look briefly at one person, then another, then another.

Concerning gestures, speakers need to

refrain from playing with rings. avoid wringing their hands together.

When speakers want to be more expressive with their voice, they focus most on ______.

vocal variety

Which of the following is the most likely to detract from a speaker's credibility and may create negative perceptions about the speaker's intelligence?

vocalized pauses

How seriously should a speaker take the question-and-answer session?

As seriously as the speech

Which of the following are basic methods of speech delivery?

Extemporaneous Impromptu Read from a manuscript From memory

What is the best way to ensure that your pitch matches the meaning of your words?

Record and listen to yourself as you practice your speech.

Which of the following are techniques for improving the rate of your speaking?

Record and listen to yourself practicing. Include notes on pacing in your speaking outline.

Ray was self-conscious about his Philadelphia accent when giving speeches at his college in Texas. He was afraid some people in the audience would make fun of his dialect. Which of the following recommendations would help Ray?

Remember that no dialect is inferior to another. If the dialect is heavy, consider neutralizing it for audiences not familiar with it.

Sonya delivered a speech to her managers about some new technologies that she thought could make her team more efficient. After she finished her speech, she was out of breath and realized that she hadn't even paused to take a real breath when she was speaking. Nevertheless, she felt that she did a good job following her speech outline. Although they were paying close attention during the speech, the managers seemed confused about how the ideas she presented fit into the company's business model, and asked Sonya several questions. Which of the following would be a factor most likely to have been the problem with Sonya's speech?

She spoke too quickly.

Aidan is delivering an extemporaneous speech on diversity in literature. He speaks slowly, makes sure he speaks loudly enough, uses inflections appropriately, and pronounces his words carefully. Despite this, he notices that many of his listeners losing interest. What can Aidan do to improve his delivery?

Speak at a rate that keeps the audience's interest

Before beginning a presentation, a speaker should do which of the following?

Take time to get set Stand quietly while waiting for the audience's attention Appear calm

Which of the following statements about speaking volume is true?

Your voice will sound louder to you than to a listener.

During Jessica's question-and-answer session, she listened carefully to a question that she was sure she covered in her presentation. How should she approach her answer?

She should assume that her original explanation was not completely clear and use the time as an opportunity to expand on the point.

How should you approach public speaking if you want your voice to be lively and expressive?

As an opportunity to share with your listeners ideas that are important to you.

Which of the following are ways to practice your delivery? (Select all that apply.)

Perform a dress rehearsal. Practice aloud with visual aids.

During his question-and-answer session, Don is confused by a question. What actions should he take?

He should rephrase the question to make sure he understands it. He should ask the audience member to repeat the question.