Speech 101: Ch 3

How do most people spend the bulk of their communication time? A. listening B. writing C. speaking D. reading

A. listening

Juwan goes to a jiu-jitsu seminar and is shocked to see that the instructor is only five feet tall. Even though the instructor is known as a prodigy, Juwan doubts her techniques because he cannot picture someone who is so small possibly knowing anything about winning a fight. Juwan has exhibited poor listening by A. focusing on appearance rather than content. B. putting words in the speaker's mouth. C. listening too hard. D. over analyzing what the speaker says for hidden meanings.

A. focusing on appearance rather than content.

A speaker's evidence should always be A. relevant. B. controversial. C. brief. D. subjective.

A. relevant.

For the listener, which one of these is most likely to be a major source of interference in the speech communication process? A. Focusing on a speaker's delivery and personal appearance B. Suspending judgment until the speaker is finished C. Listening to a speaker appreciatively D. Listening to a speaker actively

A. Focusing on a speaker's delivery and personal appearance

Resisting distractions while listening is difficult because A. we think much slower than a speaker can talk. B. concentration does not improve with effort. C. note-taking does not help us follow the speaker's ideas. D. we think much faster than a speaker can talk.

D. we think much faster than a speaker can talk.

Which of the following are true about listening for technique? a. Analyzing and improving technique is necessary to become an effective speaker. b. Technique is the most important thing you can listen for in any speech. c. Technique allows you to identify strategies that may work for you. d. The delivery technique should not take your focus away from the message.

a. Analyzing and improving technique is necessary to become an effective speaker. c. Technique allows you to identify strategies that may work for you. d. The delivery technique should not take your focus away from the message.

What are characteristics of focused, effective listeners? a. They can identify a speaker's supporting evidence. b. They can concentrate on a speaker's appearance. c. They can be easily distracted by external interference. d. They can detect a speaker's main points.

a. They can identify a speaker's supporting evidence. d. They can detect a speaker's main points.

Detecting a speaker's main points A. is relatively easy. B. depends on reading his or her body language. C. cannot be done until the end of the speech. D. is very difficult.

A. is relatively easy.

Mr. Steele is speaking to a group of accountants about new tax laws. He presents numerous verifiable facts dealing with tax laws. Some people realize that all his statistics come from extremely politically liberal publications that interpret all the facts in a similar way. Mr. Steele's evidence lacks A. objectivity. B. relevancy. C. accuracy. D. sufficiency.

A. objectivity.

People who listen effectively A. work at listening. B. do not need to practice listening. C. are born that way. D. jump to conclusions to save time.

A. work at listening.

Analyzing the speaker's attention-getters and language are both methods of listening for A. evidence. B. technique. C. main points. D. sufficiency.

B. technique.

Ricardo is listening to Janelle's speech. As Janelle talks, Ricardo evaluates her use of language, gestures, and visual aids. Ricardo is listening for A. evidence. B. technique. C. main points. D. accuracy.

B. technique.

Which of the following is the least likely reason our thoughts wander when we are listening to speeches? A. Our brains process words efficiently, leaving us extra "brain time." B. We interrupt our listening to think about other topics. C. Our brains process words slowly.

C. Our brains process words slowly.

The key-word outline method of note taking A. requires a laptop rather than pen and paper. B. is a great way to write down everything that the speaker says. C. focuses on main points and supporting evidence. D. is not what skilled listeners use.

C. focuses on main points and supporting evidence.

Which of the following would be the most likely cause of distraction for listeners of Stephen Hawking or Abraham Lincoln? A. Lack of authority B. Lack of vocabulary C. Message D. Appearance

D. Appearance

The best way to improve your listening ability is to A. keep listening lighthearted. B. block out sounds and read the speaker's lips. C. think of relevant action verbs to replace passive verbs used by the speaker. D. take listening seriously.

D. take listening seriously.

In any speech, it is most important to listen for A. the main points. B. mannerisms. C. technique. D. supporting evidence.

A. the main points.

Charley saw a commercial with a muscular, well-dressed man using technical terminology to explain why a certain type of annuity is a great investment. Slender and without much of a clothing style, Charley felt compelled by the man in the commercial. He attended one of the man's seminars, was impressed by the man's fitness and style, invested in the annuity, and lost everything. What distracted Charley and caused him to make a bad investment? A. He listened to the message too hard. B. He put too much credit in the speaker's appearance. C. He ignored the mannerisms and appearance of the speaker. D. He did not suspend his judgment of the speaker until the he was done talking.

B. He put too much credit in the speaker's appearance.

As Trent listens to a lecture, he begins drawing a tree. After a few minutes, he realizes he has drawn an entire landscape, but has no idea what the lecturer has said in the past ten minutes. Trent's poor listening was caused by A. listening too hard. B. not concentrating. C. focusing on personal appearance. D. jumping to conclusions.

B. not concentrating.

Good listening skills come from A. socioeconomic standing. B. practice and self-discipline. C. education. D. natural intelligence.

B. practice and self-discipline.

Suspending judgment while listening involves A. making up your mind during the speech. B. putting words in the speaker's mouth. C. evaluating only the ideas you agree with. D. considering the worth of an idea you do not agree with.

D. considering the worth of an idea you do not agree with.

Malinda is listening to a representative of a political action group who is trying to encourage him to make a donation. What type of listening is Malinda primarily doing in this case? A. appreciative B. comprehensive C. empathic D. critical

D. critical

Active listeners a. give the speaker their undivided attention. b. do not prejudge the speaker. c. do not allow themselves to be distracted. d. carry on conversations while thinking about other things. e. argue mentally with speakers to prevent themselves from being persuaded.

a. give the speaker their undivided attention. b. do not prejudge the speaker. c. do not allow themselves to be distracted.

What are the four main questions to ask about a speaker's evidence? a. "Is it interesting?" b. "Is it taken from objective sources?" c. "Is it relevant to the speaker's claims?" d. "Is it accurate?" e. "Is it sufficient to support the speaker's point?"

b. "Is it taken from objective sources?" c. "Is it relevant to the speaker's claims?" d. "Is it accurate?" e. "Is it sufficient to support the speaker's point?"

Which of the following are recommended ways of resisting distractions while listening? a. Listening with your eyes closed b. Summarizing and making sense of what you just heard c. Comparing the speaker's message to what you anticipated the message would be d. Paying attention to external sources of interference

b. Summarizing and making sense of what you just heard c. Comparing the speaker's message to what you anticipated the message would be

The four main causes of poor listening include a. waiting too long to form an opinion. b. listening too hard. c. failing to concentrate. d. focusing on delivery and personal appearance. e. overlooking delivery technique. f. jumping to conclusions.

b. listening too hard. c. failing to concentrate. d. focusing on delivery and personal appearance. f. jumping to conclusions.

Which of the following are recommended ways of resisting distractions while listening? a. Comparing the speaker's message to what you anticipated the message would be b. Summarizing and making sense of what you just heard c. Paying attention to external sources of interference d. Listening with your eyes closed

a. Comparing the speaker's message to what you anticipated the message would be b. Summarizing and making sense of what you just heard

Which of the following demonstrate jumping to conclusions when listening? a. Deciding that a speech will be boring based on its title b. Deciding that a speaker's topic is not worth listening to c. Listening especially hard to catch all the speech's details d. Assuming that the speaker's views are misguided because of political-party affiliation e. Focusing too much on the speaker's body language

a. Deciding that a speech will be boring based on its title b. Deciding that a speaker's topic is not worth listening to d. Assuming that the speaker's views are misguided because of political-party affiliation

Which of the following are true when we listen too hard? a. We are treating everything the speaker says as equally important. b. We are listening empathetically. c. We are listening for too many details. d. We are likely to miss the speaker's main point. e. We are trying to remember everything a speaker says.

a. We are treating everything the speaker says as equally important. c. We are listening for too many details. d. We are likely to miss the speaker's main point. e. We are trying to remember everything a speaker says.

Which of the following demonstrate jumping to conclusions when listening? a. Listening especially hard to catch all the speech's details b. Focusing too much on the speaker's body language c. Deciding that a speaker's topic is not worth listening to d. Deciding that a speech will be boring based on its title e. Assuming that the speaker's views are misguided because of political-party affiliation

c. Deciding that a speaker's topic is not worth listening to d. Deciding that a speech will be boring based on its title e. Assuming that the speaker's views are misguided because of political-party affiliation

Who of the following people gives Aaron the best advice about the way to become a better listener? A. Someone who tells him to be serious about listening. B. Someone who tells him to memorize as much as he can of what he hears. C. Someone who tells him that good listening just comes naturally. D. Someone who tells him to only listen to what he thinks will be important.

A. Someone who tells him to be serious about listening.

The kind of listening used to understand the message of a speaker is called ______ listening. A. comprehensive B. intuitive C. empathic D. appreciative

A. comprehensive

In order to avoid listening too hard, a listener should A. focus on the main points and evidence. B. delay passing judgment until a speech is over. C. make sure to write down every word the speaker says. D. try not to focus on the speaker's mannerisms.

A. focus on the main points and evidence.

The best way to improve your listening ability is to A. take listening seriously. B. keep listening lighthearted. C. block out sounds and read the speaker's lips. D. think of relevant action verbs to replace passive verbs used by the speaker.

A. take listening seriously.

When business managers are asked to rank the communication skills that are most crucial to their jobs, which do they usually rank as number one? A. Public speaking B. Listening C. Conflict avoidance D. Communicating by email

B. Listening

Which of the following is the least likely reason our thoughts wander when we are listening to speeches? A. We interrupt our listening to think about other topics. B. Our brains process words slowly. C. Our brains process words efficiently, leaving us extra "brain time."

B. Our brains process words slowly.

Whenever Peter listens to a speaker, he attempts to understand the speaker's point of view and makes an effort to not become distracted. This is an example of A. jumping to conclusions. B. active listening. C. passive listening. D. listening too hard.

B. active listening.

Reggie was going to tell his employee, Maddie, that he wants her to apply for a higher-paying job. He tells her that he wants to discuss her performance, and she says, "I know I've been slacking and I am willing to work for less to make up for it." Maddie has jumped to a conclusion by A. focusing too much on Reggie's appearance. B. trying too hard to remember every single word Reggie said. C. prematurely dismissing Reggie's ideas. D. putting words into Reggie's mouth.

D. putting words into Reggie's mouth.D. putting words into Reggie's mouth.

Linnea's speech teacher tells her that one way to keep from becoming distracted is to try to anticipate what the speaker will say next. Linnea's dad tells her that is terrible advice. Who is right, and why? A. Linnea's dad is right because there is no way to know what the person might say next. B. Linnea's dad is right because students should be skeptical of their teachers. C. The teacher is right because it forces Linnea to listen. D. The teacher is right because this will allow Linnea to actively stop and question the speaker.

C. The teacher is right because it forces Linnea to listen.

Poor listening often occurs because the brain has A. no ability to estimate the passage of time. B. too little time to process speech. C. spare time to think about other things. D. to receive both words and visual aids in order to comprehend.

C. spare time to think about other things.

The most useful way to take notes for most students is A. writing every third word. B. the chronological timeline. C. the key-word outline. D. writing every word the speaker says.

C. the key-word outline.

Listening for main points and technique are methods used to A. capture every word. B. passively listen to a speaker. C. judge a speaker instantly. D. focus listening.

D. focus listening.

Reggie was going to tell his employee, Maddie, that he wants her to apply for a higher-paying job. He tells her that he wants to discuss her performance, and she says, "I know I've been slacking and I am willing to work for less to make up for it." Maddie has jumped to a conclusion by A. trying too hard to remember every single word Reggie said. B. focusing too much on Reggie's appearance. C. prematurely dismissing Reggie's ideas. D. putting words into Reggie's mouth.

D. putting words into Reggie's mouth.

Bryce listens to a speaker with whom he shares few, if any, views. As Bryce listens, he tries to imagine why the speaker feels as she does, and after the speech he evaluates how he feels about what she said. Bryce primarily demonstrated the listening skill of A. focusing on delivery. B. listening lightheartedly. C. resisting distractions. D. suspending judgment.

D. suspending judgment.