Unit 1: Mastering Communication Fundamentals

Select one of the following that is a better rewrite of this sentence: Plans for the WCC Fitness Center cannot move forward without full community support. A. With full community support, we can move forward with the WCC Fitness Center plans. B. We cannot move forward with the WCC Fitness Center plans if the community does not support it.

A. With full community support, we can move forward with the WCC Fitness Center plans.

What are the three tasks in the writing step of the 3-step process? A. Analyze, anticipate, adjust B. Plan, write, perfect C. Revise, proofread, check D. Research, organize, compose

A. analyze, anticipate, adjust

Tyler is organizing an extensive scientific research presentation on global warming for his professor. Which organizing triad would be the most appropriate? A. 123 B. FCR C. PPF D. HTE

NOT D, Thinking B

Dan is an experienced accounting professional who values conservative and practical decisions. What would be the best way to communicate with him? A. Collaborate with him on numerous ideas during the meeting. B. Give him factual evidence during a meeting so he can make a recommendation. C. Ask him about his weekend and tell him about yours for 30 minutes before the meeting. D. Send him an email with minimal information asking him to make a decision prior to the meeting

B. Give him factual evidence during a meeting so he can make a recommendation.

The first step in planning your message includes A. Entertaining your audience. B. Analyzing the purpose of your message. C. Researching credible information. D. Anticipating your audience's reactions.

B. Analyzing the purpose of your message.

Why is a residual message an important factor to consider when writing a document or giving a presentation? A. Because the audience will forget all of what you write or say so it's important to send out a reminder. B. Because some of the information in the document or presentation will stay with the audience after the communication is over. C. Because the residual message is very specific information such as a statistic or detail. D. Because the opening of a document or presentation will be the only part that the audience will remember.

B. Because some of the information in the document or presentation will stay with the audience after the communication is over.

Select one of the following that is a better rewrite of this sentence: Customers show a preference for vibrant paint colors. A. Vibrant paint colors are preferred by our customers. B. Customers prefer vibrant paint colors.

B. Customers prefer vibrant paint colors.

Select one of the following that is a better rewrite of this sentence: Dell offers several products. A. Computers, printers and accessories are offered by Dell Computers. B. Dell Computers offers computers, printers and accessories.

B. Dell Computers offers computers, printers and accessories.

What is the best way to anticipate your audience's reaction when designing your message? A. Make important decisions beforehand and not offer choices. B. Spend time in understanding different perspectives. C. Have your manager proofread your message. D. Analyze your main points.

B. Spend time in understanding different perspectives.

Examples of graphics include: A. Bar graphs, pictures and punctuation. B. Tables, bar graphs, pie charts and maps. C. Maps, tables and audio-text . D. Pie charts, photographs and typeface.

B. Tables, bar graphs, pie charts and maps.

An effective way to split up text in a long document is to use A. Bullet points in every paragraph. B. Headings. C. A large point size. D. Titles at the top of every page.

B. headings

There are seven essential components of communication: source, message, channel, receiver, _________ A. Feedback, grammar and organization. B. Feedback, grammar and body language. C. Feedback, context and noise. D. Feedback, structure and purpose.

C. Feedback, context and noise.

When would sending a text message be appropriate in a business setting? A. Asking your manager for a pay raise. B. Sending your manager information regarding customer complaints. C. Sending your co-worker the location of the next meeting. D. Asking your co-worker why she is always turning her reports in late.

C. Sending your co-worker the location of the next meeting.

An example of external communication involves A. An administrative assistant talking to her manager. B. An inter-office memo. C. A 30-second television commercial. D. A company newsletter to its employees.

C. A 30-second television commercial.

All of the following are examples of spoken channels except A. Speeches B. Telephone conversations C. Blogs D. VoIP

C. Blogs

Which of the following statements explaining communication is true? A. Shared meaning between participants is only established at the beginning of the conversation. B. Oral communication is constantly changing, but written communication stays the same. C. Communication is a dynamic process that involves interactions between different participants. D. Communication is a process of developing words for only friends and family.

C. Communication is a dynamic process that involves interactions between different participants.

How should the margins be structured in most of your written messages? A. Fully ragged B. Fully justified C. Left justified, right ragged D. Left ragged, right justified

C. Left justified, right ragged

If Jorge is standing tall with his arms folded, he is displaying A. Verbal communication B. Professional communication C. Nonverbal communication D. Spoken communication

C. Nonverbal communication

Fernando is mapping out his time using the 3-step process to complete his business project on Marketing to Millennials. Which stage in the 3-step process should he dedicate the majority of his time to? A. All three steps should use equal time. B. Perfecting C. Planning D. Writing

C. Planning

Three common types of business messages include: A. Persuasive, standard and negative. B. Routine, persuasive and positive. C. Routine, persuasive and negative. D. Positive, persuasive and proactive.

C. Routine, persuasive and negative.

If Chris is using positive phrasing and language, he A. Smiles constantly until the negativity disappears. B. Makes discouraging remarks. C. Tells the recipient what can be done. D. Doesn't suggest alternatives.

C. Tells the recipient what can be done.

In composing your message, what does the indirect approach refer to? A. No Big Idea B. Big Idea First C. Big Idea Later D. Big Idea Strategy

C. big idea later

Abrasive, hostile or confrontational language portrays A. A different point of view that is acceptable in some business situations. B. Unorganized content. C. A negative perspective. D. A positive perspective.

C. negative perspective

Abdullah is gathering information from a company website for his research paper on Corporate Social Responsibility. What type of research is he using? A. Technology research B. Primary research C. Secondary research D. Ethnographic research

C. secondary

Jennifer prefers a collaborative approach to problem solving and tends to be enthusiastic and goal-oriented in conveying her ideas. What social style is she portraying? A. Amiable B. Driver C. Enthusiast D. Expressive

D

What would you do if you are communicating with a person whose social style is predominantly a driver? A. Use many facts and be straightforward with your logic. B. Not communicate because this person is too demanding. C. Spend a lot of time socializing before getting down to business. D. Provide options for a course of action so that person can make the final decision.

D

Which of the following is an example of your Instructor using agreeable words? A. Don't forget to turn your assignment in on time. B. Don't forget to turn your assignment in early. C. Remember to turn your assignment in on time otherwise you won't be able to earn an A. D. Remember to turn your assignment in before the due date to receive maximum earned points.

D

What is one difference between formal and informal tone? A. Formal is casual and informal is personal. B. Both tones are similar. C. Formal uses first person point of view and informal uses third person point of view. D. Formal uses professional language and informal uses colloquialisms.

D. Formal uses professional language and informal uses colloquialisms.

When designing your written messages, you should A. Design for visual appeal. B. Design for readability. C. Design for emphasis. D. All of these answers are correct.

D. All of these answers are correct

Which of the following statements is incorrect when creating clear messages? A. Avoid jargon. B. Avoid euphemisms. C. Avoid slang. D. Avoid transitions.

D. Avoid transitions.

The ethical communicator should be: A. Legal, logical and intelligent. B. Dishonest, passive and quiet. C. Respectful, enthusiastic and dramatic D. Egalitarian, trustworthy and respectful.

D. Egalitarian, trustworthy and respectful.

If you are retail salesperson and talk to your store manager, who then talks to the regional manager, who then talks to the company's vice-president. What type of communication network has been used? A. Routine B. Conversational sales C. Informal D. Formal

D. Formal

Most business messages have three specific parts: A. Intro, Main and Finale B. Main, Sub-parts and Visuals C. Beginning, Points and Hand-outs D. Intro, Body and Closing

D. Intro, Body, Closing

A supervisor notices that an employee has been late to work for three days this week. What is the best way for the supervisor to foster open communication? A. Write the employee a disciplinary memo about the lateness. B. Call the employee to ask him/her about the lateness. C. Send the employee an email message about the lateness. D. Meet with the employee face-to-face to discuss the lateness.

D. Meet with the employee face-to-face to discuss the lateness.

Emily is working at her desk when her manager enters. He starts telling her about the Accounts Receivable information that she should be submitting later in the day. During their conversation, the air conditioner starts and she grabs her sweater, the phone rings and she answers it, and a co-worker gives her a party invite and she reads it. What is her problem in effective decoding? A. Productivity problems B. Short attention span C. Accounting errors D. Noise

D. Noise

After writing her message, Marissa notices that she has made several grammar errors. Which step should she spend time on in order to correct these mistakes? A. Fact checking B. Content organization C. Sentence comparison D. Perfecting the message

D. Perfecting the message

What category of typeface would be a better choice in electronic documents? A. Semi serif B. Serif C. Unicode D. Sans serif

D. Sans serif

_____ is an important step in perfecting your message. A. Analyzing B. Researching C. Composing D. Proofreading

D. proofreading

An American businessperson who thinks that all Swiss are hard-working, efficient and neat is illustrating an example of A. Stereotyping B. A cultural norm C. Tolerance D. Ethnocentrism

A. Stereotyping

For many readers, words such as octothorpe and ampersand would be considered A. Unfamiliar and not Plain English. B. Homonyms. C. Legalese. D. None of these are correct.

A

The first step in planning your message includes A. Analyzing the purpose of your message. B. Anticipating your audience's reactions. C. Entertaining your audience. D. Researching credible information.

A

You are preparing a message to a group of potential stockholders about the history of your company. Which of the following organizing triads would you use? A. Chronological (PPF) B. Problem Cause Solution (PCS) C. Problem Action Result (PAR) D. Importance (Most, Somewhat, Least)

A. Chronological (PPF)

All of the following are barriers to communication except A. Consequences B. Diversity C. Perceptions D. Distractions

A. Consequences

Why shouldn't underlined words be used in electronic communication? A. It confuses the reader in thinking that the words are a link. B. It confuses the reader in thinking that this information is important. C. It identifies a mistake in writing. D. It complicates the paragraph by making a design.

A. It confuses the reader in thinking that the words are a link

As she received her performance review, Jenna was surprised by several criticisms that she felt were inaccurate. How should she react to the criticism? A. Jenna should ask for clarification of the comments when necessary. B. Jenna should blame others in the department for any negative comments. C. Jenna should interrupt her supervisor frequently to comment on the suggestions being made and defend her position at every opportunity. D. Jenna should agree with all the comments being made in order to avoid any type of conflict or confrontation with her supervisor.

A. Jenna should ask for clarification of the comments when necessary.

Jawon is a training and development manager who has been asked by a professor to speak to her class about careers in training. However, since he is currently conducting an important staff development program, his schedule is very busy, and he must refuse the request. Which one of the following is the best way to end his message? A. My training assistant, David, has extensive experience and would enjoy speaking to your class. You can reach him at 800-000-0000. B. Again, I am very flattered by your request. C. I apologize that I am so busy right now. Maybe next semester I can speak to your class. D. I'll call you if I have some time next month.

A. My training assistant, David, has extensive experience and would enjoy speaking to your class. You can reach him at 800-000-0000.

The prepared communicator is A. Organized, clear and concise. B. Structured, smart and brief. C. Effective, efficient and effervescent. D. Organized, social and selective.

A. Organized, clear and concise.

"I like walking in the park, hiking in the mountains and swimming in the ocean" is a sentence that demonstrates A. PO3 for Emphasis. B. PPF. C. The 3-step process. D. Action activities important in business.

A. PO3 for Emphasis.

What type of message tries to change the attitudes, beliefs or actions of others? A. Persuasive B. Sales C. Sensational D. Standard

A. Persuasive