Q&A Hero

Q: Plain language is a style of writing used primarily for communicating to those who do not have a college degree.

Q: A 100% column chart ________. A) shows the pattern of distribution for a continuous series of data B) compares parts of multiple items C) compares multiple items, according to a single characteristic D) shows changes over time for a relatively small number of discrete time periods E) shows changes over time to emphasize a trend

Q: A conversational tone is not appropriate for most business messages.

Q: The giving of gifts is a shallow and materialistic act and certainly does not express one's love toward another.

Q: A ________ compares multiple items according to a single characteristic. A) frequency polygon B) line chart C) horizontal bar chart D) histograph E) paired bar chart

Q: According to the textbook, your communication style involves the choices you make to express yourself. Which one of the following will not have an effect on your communication style? A) The words you select B) The way you use words in sentences C) The way you build paragraphs from individual sentences D) None of the above.

Q: Listening is easier to do than speaking.

Q: Researchers have found that "I/we" combinations have a good chance of being received favorably.

Q: Using the passive voice makes sense when A) you want to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error. B) you want your sentence to be easier to understand. C) you need to make your sentences shorter. D) you want to emphasize the subject.

Q: A histograph is also known as a ________. A) line chart B) horizontal bar chart C) histogram D) frequency polygon E) paired bar chart

Q: Only women are affected by changes in mood.

Q: If you want to represent the percentage of respondents in a survey who preferred your product to products from four of your competitors, the best graph to use would be a ________. A) histograph B) pie chart C) line chart D) histogram E) scatter plot

Q: Identify the voice in the following sentence: "Based on negative client feedback, the marketing department abandoned the campaign." A) Active B) Passive C) Vocative D) State of being

Q: Acquiring as many "friends" as we can on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter ensures that we will have many qualitatively interpersonal relationships.

Q: While drawing a graph, you plot the independent variable on the x-axis and dependent variable on the y-axis. Then you add a trend line and start plotting the variables. Which of the following types of graphs is being created by you? A) paired bar chart B) histograph C) scatter plot D) histogram E) pie chart

Q: Which of the following sentences contains the strongest and most effective wording? A) Given the parameters of the situation, the most propitious choice would be to make adjustments in certain budget areas. B) We need to cut the operating budget by 12 percent or profits will decrease. C) Someone's going to need to do some budget cutting around here or heads will roll. D) Perusal of budgetary figures reveals that a 12 percent reduction in operations is called for if we are to stave off a negative impact on profits.

Q: Studies of different cultures and conflict reveal that a. assertiveness is valued worldwide. b. North Americans avoid confrontation more than other cultures studied. c. individualistic cultures are less assertive than collective ones. d. the assertiveness appropriate in North America could be perceived as rude and insensitive in collectivist cultures. e. All of these answers are correct are true.

Q: Plain language is a style of writing A) used only for casual correspondence. B) designed to make complex materials more understandable to the audience. C) aimed primarily at readers for whom English is a second language. D) inappropriate for business communication.

Q: A paired bar chart is also known as a ________. A) line chart B) 100% column chart C) histogram D) tornado chart E) histograph

Q: The love language that expresses love more clearly than any other is "words of affirmation."

Q: ________ arrange data in columns and rows, allowing you to read down or across to see different relationships. A) Pie charts B) Tables C) Histograms D) Line graphs E) Bar charts

Q: Using humor in business messages is A) an effective way to build strong relationships with international clients you are not familiar with. B) usually not effective, and is always inappropriate for formal and intercultural messages. C) appropriate for external messages, but never for internal. D) none of the above.

Q: Insulated listeners respond only to the parts of your remarks that interest them.

Q: Most business communication should aim for a ________ tone. A) formal B) colloquial C) conversational D) confrontational

Q: Slides in a report deck ________. A) should each communicate a clear and complete point B) have less text on them than a traditional presentation slide C) include headlines with periods at the end D) should not use graphics E) include headlines that are centered and have every word capitalized

Q: There are some occasions when less powerful forms of speech can enhance a speaker's effectiveness.

Q: What's the problem with phrases such as, "attached please find" and "we are in receipt of"? A) They are rude. B) They are too intimate. C) They are stale and pompous. D) They involve preaching and bragging.

Q: In the context of report decks, trackers on the slides are sometimes called ________. A) headers B) dot leaders C) markers D) road signs E) footers

Q: People's occupations have little bearing on their perception of the world.

Q: The acronyms and shortcuts used in texting and IM are A) incompatible with professional business writing. B) your ticket to the inside track in today's multinational corporations. C) a great way to show coworkers and managers that you're tech-savvy. D) commonly used to communicate with top management.

Q: A "road sign" on the upper-left or upper-right corner of your slides that indicate the section of the deck, is analogous to a ________ on a word-processed report. A) title page B) header C) footer D) page number E) table of contents

Q: The principle "communication is irreversible" doesn"t apply to communication through social media because we can physically delete our posts.

Q: Which of the following is recommended for effectively designing a slide deck? A) Use background graphics for the slides. B) Size your title box to accommodate only one-line headlines. C) Leave space for "road-signs" on the upper-left or upper-right corner of your slides. D) Avoid using footers. E) Do not include a copyright marking in the slides.

Q: List at least three personal characteristics that can help establish credibility with your audience.

Q: All of the following are true about conflict, except a. conflict is natural. b. every relationship of any depth at all has conflict. c. conflict can be beneficial. d. people typically have similar conflict styles. e. b and d.

Q: A copyright marking ________. A) is legally required for all slides in all presentations B) should always be included in the header of a slide C) is a common convention that serves no real purpose D) is occasionally done but is not recommended E) indicates that the slide is a part of the report deck that you or your company produced

Q: You can build credibility by letting your audience know that you believe in yourself and your message.

Q: Assuming your partner speaks the same love language as you is the key to success.

Q: Audience responses to your messages depend heavily on your ________, a measure of your believability based on how reliable you are and how much trust you evoke in others. A) persona B) savoir-faire C) credibility D) none of the above

Q: A coworker needs help to effectively design his report deck. You should advise him to ________. A) invest time in designing a master slide whose formats will be applied to all his slides B) design the format and elements of each slide separately to uniquely represent its particular content C) use background graphics or dramatic shading effects D) include a footer at the bottom of only the first slide E) size the title box to accommodate only a single line heading with font size of 10 points

Q: Interruptions are one characteristic of stage-hogging.

Q: Report decks ________. A) are never used to disseminate information internally B) are poorly equipped for science-based reports C) are not a viable medium for progress reports D) can only be used for reporting analyses to external clients E) can be used for any type of report.

Q: In business messages, using terms such as "if," "hope," and "trust" is A) usually a bad idea since it takes away from the writer's credibility. B) a good way to show your modesty. C) common courtesy. D) acceptable for very formal contexts.

Q: Affiliation can be seen in online communities by increased use of "we."

Q: The "halo effect" is a perceptual tendency which causes us to be more generous in our judgment of ourselves over others.

Q: To establish credibility with your audience, you should A) impress them with a long list of your accomplishments. B) be modest and deferential. C) show that you are confident and that you believe in yourself and in your message. D) use hedging words ("maybe," "perhaps") to demonstrate you're willing to tell your audience what they want to hear.

Q: Brynn hasn't created a report deck before, but thinks it would be an effective medium for her report. Her science-based analytical report will need to include a number of diagrams and photographs, and she is expected to present it at a meeting. Which of the following is true? A) This is a poor choice, since as a novice she will find report decks difficult to work with. B) This is a poor choice, since it will be more costly and time-consuming than drafting two separate documents, one for written report and one for presentation. C) This is a good choice, since it will allow her to easily integrate diagrams and photographs into her report. D) This is a good choice, since most of her audience will see a presentation in this medium for the first time and will be impressed by her technical knowledge. E) This is a poor choice, since the report decks cannot be used for analytical reports.

Q: Which of the following statements is true regarding report decks? A) A report deck is a cost effective way to fill the need of a written report and a presentation. B) While costlier and more time-consuming to produce, report decks are highly effective. C) Report decks can only be used for certain kinds of reports, but they do them extremely well. D) Compared to word processing software, placing pictures, tables, and graphs in precise locations is more difficult in report decks. E) Report decks can be used only for informational reports but not for long analytical reports.

Q: Disinhibition is one of the challenges presented by social media.

Q: What is the difference between delivering negative news and being negative?

Q: In the Communication Transcript in Chapter Eleven, Chris tries to resolve a conflict with her roommate Terry over cleaning their apartment by a. relying on authority as a source of power. b. using the "Vesuvius" method to get Terry's attention. c. appealing to their mutual self-interests. d. employing "crazymaking" strategies. e. None of these answers are correct

Q: List at least two types of biased language and explain how to avoid each type.

Q: A(n) ________ has a hybrid status, which means that it is partly report and partly presentation. A) formal report B) report deck C) analytical report D) recommendation report E) evaluation report

Q: Define bias-free language.

Q: PowerPoint report decks ________. A) are designed to be read as well as presented B) are rarely sent as email attachments C) cannot be printed out for participants at a meeting D) require the presence of a presenter E) contain slides that are less detailed than those in traditional presentations

Q: One researcher suggests that if couples maintain a "magic ratio" of positive to negative interactions they will be likely to be more successful.

Q: You are scheduled to discuss a negative performance evaluation with one of the employees you supervise. How can you emphasize the positive during your conversation?

Q: The ________ lists all the headings in the report, along with the page numbers where the report sections begin. A) reference list B) glossary C) bibliography D) executive summary E) table of contents

Q: The residual message is the part of the message that we actually remember.

Q: List three strategies to become more sensitive to your audience's needs.

Q: Pragmatic rules are stated rules that help us make sense of another's messages.

Q: Which of the following is NOT true about a reference page in a formal report? A) It is necessary if a report uses secondary research sources. B) It should begin on its own page immediately after the body of the report. C) It can include such varied sources as books, articles, company websites, and blog messages. D) It should use an appropriate documentation style, such as APA, CMS, or MLA. E) It should be omitted if the report has an appendix.

Q: The introduction to a report ________. A) typically includes the headings and the corresponding page numbers B) is not intended to preview the structure of the report C) should be written with the assumption that the reader has already read the executive summary D) typically explains the problem or issue that motivated the report E) should avoid mentioning the conclusions of the report

Q: Using the word "young" to describe an employee can have negative implications.

Q: After using the "Pillow Method" you should typically conclude that the issue being considered is not important enough to worry about.

Q: You are preparing a formal report. You want to include some raw data and large tables in your report which you think the readers will find useful. But if you include this information in the body of the report then it will interrupt the flow of the report. In such a situation, you should include this information in the ________ of the report. A) executive summary B) appendix C) introduction D) table of content E) glossary

Q: Selection is an objective process.

Q: You should always avoid using euphemisms, because they are inherently dishonest.

Q: If a report uses secondary research sources, then which of the following sections should be included in the report to list the secondary sources? A) glossary B) executive summary C) reference D) title page E) table of content

Q: Seeing a situation from multiple points of view is called self-monitoring.

Q: In general, the word "you" should be avoided when you are assigning responsibility for a mistake or problem.

Q: Conflict rituals are a. inherently wrong. b. the best way to solve the variety of conflicts that are part of any relationship. c. almost always positive. d. unacd but repeating patterns of dealing with conflict. e. All of these answers are correct.

Q: Adopting a "you" attitude in business writing is simply a matter of using the pronoun "you" as much as possible.

Q: Which of the following elements of a report contains information that would interrupt the flow of the report but that readers may find useful? A) executive summary B) table of content C) glossary D) body of the report E) appendix

Q: Whether consciously or not, most readers in the workplace greet incoming messages by A) anticipating the new knowledge they will gain. B) setting aside enough time to read every one of them. C) tossing them all into the trash without opening them. D) asking the question, "What's in this for me?"

Q: A(n) ________ is a mini-version of the report designed to communicate the most important ideas to an audience of decision makers. A) glossary B) reference list C) table of content D) executive summary E) bibliography

Q: The first big fight in a relationship is a common romantic turning point.

Q: Replacing harsh, unpleasant terms with ________ can help you state your message without using words that may hurt or offend your audience. A) abstractions B) euphemisms C) redundancies D) idiomatic expressions

Q: Mindless listening can be potentially valuable.

Q: Which of the following sections of a formal report contains detailed discussion that is always organized with headings? A) executive summary of the report B) introduction to the report C) body of the report D) glossary of the report E) bibliography of the report