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Q:
To give the statement "Our company is obsessed with ensuring the complete and total satisfaction of every customer" a more sincere and courteous tone, which of the following would you choose?
a. Our company is working night and day to satisfy every customer.
b. Our company will never rest until every customer is satisfied.
c. Our company works hard to ensure customer satisfaction.
d. Our company is always looking out for you, our valued customer.
e. Our company hopes that every customer is a satisfied customer.
Q:
Which of the following is nota good way to create a courteous, sincere tone?
a. Avoid expressions of disbelief.
b. Avoid platitudes.
c. Avoid exaggerating.
d. Avoid obvious flattery.
e. Avoid nondiscriminatory language.
Q:
Which of the following is a good example of courteous, sincere writing?
a. Your letter has been forwarded to the Tulsa division. One of the service specialists will call you on Friday.
b. Our company is always surprised when customers like you fail to pay their bills on time.
c. Apparently, you did not carefully read the procedures memo before submitting your travel reimbursement request.
d. I find it difficult to believe that your new DVD player is incompatible with your new television.
e. You must realize that full tuition refunds are available only before the first day of class.
Q:
A platitude is
a. a transitional expression that connects ideas in logical fashion.
b. a trite or obvious statement that implies a condescending attitude.
c. a paragraph that lacks both parallel structure and unity.
d. a series of short, simple sentences that explain a single idea.
e. an overconfident statement that implies arrogance.
Q:
Which statement does not appear overconfident?
a. If you know what's good for your company, you'll order these tone cartridges.
b. I'm sure that you will want to subscribe to the new online training series.
c. I know that these clip-art images are perfect for your business.
d. Because I'm sure you want these wrist pads, I will call you tomorrow.
e. After completing two training sessions, you should see your productivity increase.
Q:
Which of the following is nota good strategy for writing with confidence?
a. Leave out details suggesting that a reader might be dissatisfied.
b. Avoid implying that something might go wrong.
c. Use transitional expressions to reinforce reader benefits.
d. Be convinced that your request is reasonable.
e. Write with conviction without being pushy.
Q:
Which guideline about confident writing is correct?
a. Use confident phrases such as "I hope."
b. Encourage the reader to provide excuses for denying your request.
c. Imply that something might not work out satisfactorily.
d. Avoid using presumptuous language such as "I know you will agree."
e. Use helpful statements such as "Let us know if you have other problems."
Q:
Which sentence displays a confident writing style?
a. I hope that my explanations make sense to you.
b. To take advantage of this special offer, call our toll-free number.
c. If you have any further problems, please don't hesitate to call me.
d. Why not order the new exercise equipment today?
e. If you agree with my proposal, please let me know.
Q:
Your message will have a confident tone if you
a. believe that your decision is based on sound logic.
b. start the topic sentence with "I hope."
c. use self-conscious words and phrases.
d. demonstrate arrogance.
e. use transitional expressions to connect related ideas.
Q:
Parallel structure should be used for
a. adding interest to unbroken blocks of text.
b. numbered and bulleted lists.
c. avoiding the appearance of nonsexist language.
d. enhancing the authoritative tone of your message.
e. writing with confidence.
Q:
Which of the following sentences is a good example of parallel structure?
a. Our company offers both vacation pay but also employee discounts.
b. Our company is not only an industry leader and it is highly profitable.
c. Our company will neither merge with a start-up firm nor sell its largest division.
d. Our company is also one of the largest in the field, not only the most profitable.
e. Our company will either boost its profitability or reduce its expenses.
Q:
Which of the following statements about parallel structure is nottrue?
a. It gives sentences and paragraphs a pleasing rhythm.
b. It should be used within bulleted lists on presentations slides.
c. It involves the use of similar grammatical structure for similar ideas.
d. It should be used in report headings that have equal weight.
e. It clarifies unrelated ideas through repetition and reinforcement.
Q:
When you use parallelism, you match
a. transitional expressions to their logical application.
b. short, simple sentences with complex, compound sentences.
c. technical terminology with corresponding definitions.
d. infinitives with infinitives and nouns with nouns.
e. reader benefits with key points in each paragraph.
Q:
Which sentence lacks parallelism?
a. The seminars will be held on February 14, March 15, and April 1.
b. Victoria is proficient not only in word processing but also in database management.
c. Our word processing program includes pull-down menus, scroll bars, and sentences can be checked for grammatical errors.
d. Students will learn how to write effective messages, make persuasive speeches, and handle themselves in interviews.
e. The new smoke detector is both efficient and effective.
Q:
Which of the following is nota passive sentence?
a. The expense report will be prepared by Tony's supervisor.
b. My supervisor submitted the expense report on Tuesday.
c. Ten complaints have been received by headquarters staff.
d. If the power goes out, flashlights will be distributed by the supervisor.
e. Last night's power outage was described as responsible for the decrease in production.
Q:
A passive sentence
a. contains some form of the verb to be.
b. is usually shorter than an active sentence.
c. includes a verb expressed in the past tense.
d. calls reader attention to the doer of the action.
e. is appropriate when using negative language.
Q:
In an active sentence,
a. the subject is the receiver of the action.
b. the subject is subordinated to the action.
c. the action is subjunctive to the doer.
d. the subject performs the action.
e. the verb tense describes the doer.
Q:
Which of the following is nota true statement about passive voice?
a. You want to inform an applicant tactfully that he was not chosen for the job.
b. The identity of the person doing the action is unimportant.
c. It emphasizes the receiver of the action instead of the doer of the action.
d. It may not indicate who performed the action.
e. The verb voice, either active or passive, directly affects the verb tense.
Q:
Which sentence illustrates appropriate use of the active voice?
a. The academic reports were prepared by the associate vice president.
b. The office contest was suggested by Nick Anderson.
c. The First Bank and National Bank announced that they will merge.
d. The national budget reform will be announced later this week by the president.
e. The application for the loan extension is being processed today.
Q:
The point of sentence variety is to
a. subordinate negative language within the document.
b. balance lengthy jargon phrases with more familiar language.
c. retain the goodwill of your readers.
d. mix the subjunctive mood with more abstract language.
e. keep readers interested and clarify relationships between ideas.
Q:
Which is nota reason to avoid slang in business writing?
a. It is too informal.
b. It is not businesslike.
c. It is identified with a specific group of people.
d. It is short-lived.
e. It may not be understood by the general population.
Q:
Which sentence does not contain a clich or overused expression?
a. According to a review of the records, you paid your bill after the due date.
b. Please review the enclosed report and send your comments to the president before November 20.
c. It goes without saying that customer service representatives must be polite at all times.
d. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the development team for its extraordinary effort on the project.
e. Under separate cover you will receive three copies of the contract.
Q:
Which guideline or statement about vigorous language is not correct?
a. Use buzzwords frequently in written documents.
b. Eliminate language that lacks freshness and originality.
c. Use vigorous words to maintain the reader's interest.
d. Select words that have a definite, unambiguous meaning.
e. Avoid general words such as recently and several.
Q:
Which statement about jargon is correct?
a. Jargon is effective when one is communicating with individuals in the same field.
b. Jargon can help a computer technician explain a network problem to a nontechnical manager.
c. Business writers should use jargon to impress their readers.
d. Slangis a synonym for jargon.
e. Jargon should be avoided in all business situations.
Q:
Identify the sentence that does not contain a clich, slang, or a buzzword.
a. If you want to play ball with me, you need to increase your offer.
b. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on your promotion.
c. As you requested, I sent a new catalog to the supervisor.
d. The bottom line is that we must strategize about improving our customer relations.
e. If I can be of further help, please do not hesitate to call me.
Q:
If you use clichs in your business writing, you
a. should balance them with concrete, specific examples.
b. need short, simple words to convey relevant facts and figures.
c. risk having your readers misinterpret the main points you want to convey.
d. send the message that you can't be bothered with tailoring your words to your readers.
e. focus your readers on the content of your message, not on the way it is conveyed.
Q:
Which statement contains a dangling expression?
a. Robert started analyzing the data after he told Jose about the deadline.
b. Mr. Carlton, our treasurer, spoke to the bank's managers on Thursday.
c. When you review a message, you should identify errors to be corrected.
d. David read the memorandum to Sammy, but he didn't like the new policy.
e. Michael asked Heather to make copies of the news article.
Q:
Which statement does not contain a dangling expression?
a. Eric informed Jason about the policy changes, but he doesn't like the changes.
b. While reviewing the corporate report, a few discrepancies were found.
c. During a trip to the Boston office, the auditor will review the financial reports.
d. Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address while traveling to Gettysburg on the back of an envelope.
e. The manager plans to address the use of cell phones in weekly meetings.
Q:
Identify the statement that does not contain an unnecessarily long word.
a. Brian fabricated the events of the accident to circumvent prosecution.
b. Please initiate the modification of the innovative computer system.
c. Try to bring William with you, because he is vital to the meeting's success.
d. The vice president will recapitulate the presentation about how to utilize the new software.
e. Initiate termination procedures for employees who are not indispensable.
Q:
Short and simple words
a. should be used at all times to avoid dangling expressions.
b. are less likely than long, complex words to be misused or misunderstood.
c. are more effective if used in moderation.
d. contribute to an overly conversational tone.
e. are appropriate as supplements for clichs and jargon.
Q:
By using short, simple words, you
a. emphasize the emotional meaning rather than the logical meaning of your message.
b. encourage readers to respond to your message using short slang words.
c. avoid a conversational tone that can distract readers from relevant facts and figures.
d. keep ethnocentrism out of your writing.
e. focus readers on the content of your message, not on how it is conveyed.
Q:
When you choose a medium, you are deciding how you will decode the message for transmission.
Q:
An example of noise in the communication system is an employee who is too busy to read an important email.
Q:
Individual experiences, culture, and personality affect how you filter a stimulus.
Q:
Written messages might be conveyed through a brochure, a blog posting, a web page, or a company newsletter.
Q:
Facial expressions such as frowns and smiles are nonverbal messages that you formulate in response to a stimulus.
Q:
An internal stimulus is one that forms within your own organization.
Q:
The five components of communication are the stimulus, filter, medium, destination, and message.
Q:
Successful communication involves messages that are sent, received accurately, and understood.
Q:
Employers report major deficiencies in the written and oral communication skills of new employees.
Q:
A study of the ten characteristics that employers seek in employees identified communications as the number one skill.
Q:
Employees prefer to receive bad news through the personal medium of email.
Q:
How can an employee avoid negative legal consequences of his or her communication?
Q:
Give examples of situations that might require selecting rich media. Give examples of situations that might require lean media.
Q:
Blogs that allow open comments may generate negative responses from consumers. Why do many companies view them as worth the risk?
Q:
Describe the potential benefits and drawbacks of texting at work.
Q:
In what circumstances should you choose traditional oral communication for your message?
Q:
Identify nonverbal barriers to communication. Give an example of each.
Q:
Give an original example of a nonverbal message that reinforces a verbal message and of a nonverbal message that contradicts a verbal message.
Q:
Define the terms slang, jargon, and euphemism. When is each type of expression appropriate? When do problems arise?
Q:
Do you agree with Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. that "A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged, it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and time in which it is used." Why or why not?
Q:
Explain the difference between denotation and connotation when referring to the meaning of a word. Give an example of each.
Q:
Discuss what causes differences in interpretation. Provide an example of communication that involves interpretation problems.
Q:
When clothing retailer Gap Inc. discovered that some suppliers allegedly used under-age workers to make its clothing, the company quickly stopped selling these products, launched an investigation, and publicly committed to sever ties to any implicated suppliers. These actions are an example of
a. situational ethics.
b. corporate whitewashing.
c. religious ethics.
d. corporate social responsibility.
e. minimal compliance with the law.
Q:
Which of the following guidelines for online communication is least likelyto protect both you and your employer from problems?
a. In your message, you identify yourself as a company employee but add "my opinion only" to messages and posts.
b. You don't cite or reference customers or suppliers without their prior approval.
c. You avoid sharing proprietary company information about products or strategies with anyone outside of the company.
d. You don't insult or disparage your employer or any specific employee, even if specific names are not mentioned.
e. You avoid doing anything online that would not be acceptable in a face-to-face situation in your workplace.
Q:
Which of the following is nota true statement about print communication?
a. It is considered official and formal.
b. Its use is declining.
c. Some companies no longer use it for internal communication.
d. It is still used for individual pay or benefit information.
e. It is not appropriate for job applications.
Q:
A private company network for people outside of the company is a(n)
a. Internet.
b. extranet.
c. blog.
d. intranet.
e. tweet.
Q:
Which of the following would be the best action for building a relationship with a manager in another division?
a. an emailed report on your responsibilities and accomplishments
b. a voice message left on the manager's phone
c. a face-to-face meeting in a neutral meeting room
d. an invitation to download your vlog
e. a Facebook friend request
Q:
Which of the following is notan example of synchronous communication?
a. You send a text while watching a video-conference presentation.
b. You IM the corporate delivery service while talking to a customer about his missing delivery.
c. You deliver a speech with PowerPoint slides while watching the reaction of your manager out of the corner of your eye.
d. You read email with both text and video components open at the same time.
e. You attend a web seminar while forwarding slides to a coworker who is not participating in the seminar.
Q:
Which of the following statements about a strategic communication plan is not true?
a. It may involve both lean and rich media channels.
b. It is typically created by corporate leaders.
c. It is sequenced so that one message never overlaps another.
d. It helps the company reach multiple audiences.
e. It typically involves multiple messages in face-to-face and technology-assisted formats.
Q:
Which of the following is an example of professional ethics?
a. A belief that discrimination is wrong based upon an experience with negative stereotyping.
b. Legal requirements that employees must be US citizens or have a US work visa.
c. The expectation of gifts to potential clients in a foreign country.
d. An understanding with other company salespeople that you will not attempt to sell to each other's current clients.
e. A company policy that prohibits attending sporting events with suppliers.
Q:
Which of the following questions is nota part of The Framework for Ethical Decision Making?
a. How will others be affected by my decision?
b. How likely am I to be discovered doing something unethical?
c. How will I feel after the decision is known?
d. Is this action legal?
e. Is this decision in line with my personal values?
Q:
The triple bottom line includes all of the following except:
a. people
b. profit
c. purpose
d. planet
e. none of these
Q:
Which of the following is nota typical reason for unethical behavior?
a. We rationalize that what is ethical depends upon the circumstances.
b. We do what we must to win.
c. We rationalize that everyone is doing it.
d. We enjoy the thrill of "getting away with it."
e. We take the easy route to accomplish our goal.
Q:
Which of the following is an example of environmental noise?
a. You are expected to attend two different meetings that overlap each other.
b. You miss half the presentation because the speaker is not using a microphone.
c. You have ten minutes to read two reports before you prepare a summary for your boss.
d. You are closing a big sale to one client as another client calls with a question.
e. You receive urgent instant messages from several colleagues who need information right away.
Q:
Which statement contains abstract or ambiguous language?
a. Antwon's email contains five misspelled words.
b. More than 76% of the employees belong to a union.
c. At least eight associates submitted their expense reports after the deadline.
d. The office manager purchased 15 cartons of paper for delivery on Tuesday.
e. The customer service department received some complaints today.
Q:
Which of the following is an abstract word?
a. letter
b. memorandum
c. email
d. report
e. communication
Q:
Which of the following is an example of slang?
a. window of opportunity
b. applet
c. blog
d. e-commerce
e. spam
Q:
Which of the following best describes jargon?
a. a fad expression that is short-lived
b. a polite expression that is used to soften the impact of an unpleasant situation
c. a cultural tradition
d. efficient terminology when communicating within specialized groups
e. a denotative phrase that characterizes vertical communication
Q:
Which of the following is the first verbal barrier that can occur in the communication process?
a. differences in interpretation
b. overabstraction and ambiguity
c. inappropriate use of expressions
d. inadequate knowledge or vocabulary
e. polarization
Q:
Which of the following is a verbal barrier to communication?
a. A person's body language does not correspond with his spoken message.
b. A recipient's interpretation of a message is not the same as the sender's interpretation.
c. Two individuals have differing perceptions of a manager's comments based on their personal experiences with her.
d. People are not focusing on a convention speaker because the seats are too small and are placed too close together.
e. A customer service representative has a prejudice against customers who have a southern accent.
Q:
Which of the following is nota verbal barrier to communication?
a. inadequate knowledge
b. differences in interpretation
c. language differences
d. inappropriate use of expressions
e. specific, concrete words
Q:
Savvy managers respond to the grapevine in their organization by
a. slowing down the free flow of information.
b. identifying the filters that affect employees' perceptions.
c. sharing all news with employees, whether positive or negative.
d. counteracting the horizontal flow of information.
e. extending the network to the top of the organization.
Q:
Which statement about the grapevine is correct?
a. It moves information rapidly through the organization.
b. It is less active during times of uncertainty, such as layoffs, mergers, and branch closings.
c. Most of the information communicated through the grapevine pertains to personal matters.
d. Information spread through the grapevine is usually incomplete.
e. It is not an important communication network in large organizations.
Q:
Which of the following is another term for the grapevine?
a. upward communication network
b. lateral communication network
c. horizontal communication network
d. downward communication network
e. informal communication network
Q:
Motown, Atlantic, and Columbia are the top three record labels globally.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Marshall McLuhan coined the term "Global Village" to denote a version of the world brought closer together by media.
a. True
b. False
Q:
News Corporation is a global media conglomerate headquartered in Hong Kong.
a. True
b. False
Q:
The idea of a "Cultural Exception" is Europe's — notably France's — effort to preserve local cultures in the face of an influx of American media products.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Which of the following correctly link a media conglomeration and its nationality?
a. SONY Entertainment–United States
b. News Corporation–United Kingdom
c. Time Warner–Australia
d. Bertelsmann–Germany