Business Communications ch 4-6 – Flashcards
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According to your text, communication can be defined as "the transmission of ________ from one individual or group to another." a. sounds b. verbal and nonverbal messages c. information and meaning d. verbal messages
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c
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The process of communication begins when ________ . a. a message is sent over a communication channel to the receiver b. a message is put into words c. the receiver decodes the message d. the sender has an idea
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d
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________ is a communication barrier that occurs when individuals associate different meanings to words. a. Brainstorming b. Decoding c. Bypassing d. Encoding
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c
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Which of the following statements about business writing is most accurate? a. Business writing is identical to the writing required in high school and college classes. b. Business writing should be focused on the audience. c. Because business messages are important documents, a writer's primary goal should be to impress readers with long sentences and a large vocabulary. d. Because business documents are permanent records, quantity enhances quality.
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b
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Following the process 3-x-3 writing process helps a writer because it ________ . a. distinguishes business writing from other types of writing b. focuses a message on the writer, channeling the ideas to meet the writer's needs c. takes the guesswork out of writing, making it easy to plan, organize, and complete any message d. eliminates the need for careful editing during the revision stage
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c
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In what phase of the writing process should you spend the most time? a. Writing b. Prewriting c. Revising d. Brainstorming
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c
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The primary purposes for sending business messages are ________ . a. to sell products and to promote business services b. to increase sales and to grow company profits c. to inform and to persuade d. to promote goodwill and to encourage future business
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c
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Mark is planning a business message. He is deciding what kind of language is appropriate, what depth of explanation is needed, and whether his tone should be formal or informal. What prewriting task is Mark completing? a. Gathering information through research b. Identifying the task and purpose c. Responding to the audience profile d. Organizing his message
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c
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Marcee must evaluate each of her employees yearly. What communication channel should she use to convey the results of her evaluation? a. E-mail b. Instant message c. Face-to-face conversation d. Business letter
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c
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When developing audience benefits, you will adapt your message to the receiver's needs by putting yourself in that person's shoes. This process is called ________ . a. sympathy b. audience-profile response c. empathy d. "you" view
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c
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Which of the following sentences is most effective? a. Because you failed to provide us with your receipt, you cannot return this purchase despite your complaint that the merchandise is defective. b. You may not return your holiday purchase if you don't have a copy of the receipt. c. We are happy to offer you in-store credit for the full value of any merchandise returned with a copy of the sales receipt. d. Customers who neglect to save a copy of their receipt will be ineligible for a cash refund and will receive an in-store credit for only half of the claimed purchase price.
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c
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Which of the following sentences avoids bias? a. Mayumi Tanaka, a Japanese American, was hired for the researcher position. b. All nurses and their husbands are invited to the awards ceremony. c. Jerry, 62, was recently transferred to a new position. d. Hundreds of sales representatives are expected to attend the convention.
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d
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Collaboration on team-written documents may be necessary for projects that are big, have short deadlines, and ________ . a. are written on company letterhead b. involve ethical or legal issues c. include digital images d. require the expertise or consensus of many people
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d
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Which of the following represents a benefit of team-written documents? a. Working together helps to create functional barriers that improve formal communication. b. Collaboration protects an individual from blame when a project isn't completed on schedule. c. Working together helps members learn more about the organization's values and procedures. d. Team-written documents and presentations are less formal and more up-to-date.
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c
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One of the most frustrating tasks for teams is writing shared documents, but online collaboration tools now help. Which tool ensures immediate availability of information, allows members to clear up minor matters immediately, and is helpful in initiating a quick group discussion? a. Instant messaging b. Business letters c. E-mail d. Blogs
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a
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In the planning stage of the writing process, business writers collect research. Which question should a business writer ask when collecting research? a. Who is my audience? b. What communication channel should I use to send my message? c. When must the message be sent? d. What does the receiver need to know about this topic?
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d
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Informal research methods may include talking with your boss, interviewing the target audience, conducting an informal survey, and ________ . a. consulting a comprehensive database b. conducting a scientific study c. organizing a focus group d. searching company files
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d
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Daniel has been asked to learn what features his customers consider most important when purchasing a car. Probably, the best research method for Daniel is ________ . a. searching manually b. experimenting scientifically c. investigating primary sources d. searching electronically
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c
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When brainstorming to generate ideas, a group should ________ . a. require every participant to contribute ideas b. evaluate the ideas as they are produced c. meet for at least six hours so that a complete list of ideas can be generated d. encourage only quality ideas
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a
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Jane's plan for a business message begins with the main idea, followed by the details, explanation, and evidence. Jane is using the ________ . a. geographical organizational pattern b. indirect organizational pattern c. informational organizational pattern d. direct organizational pattern
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d
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The indirect strategy works best when delivering these three types of messages: bad news, persuasive messages, and ________ . a. unethical information b. routine information c. neutral information d. sensitive information
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d
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Which sentence type contains an independent clause and a dependent clause? a. Compound-complex b. Complex c. Simple d. Compound
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b
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Which of the following is an example of a comma splice? a. Because Hallie submitted her résumé online. b. Hallie submitted her résumé online she hoped to receive a response from the employer by the end of the week. c. Hallie submitted her résumé online. d. Hallie submitted her résumé online, she hoped to receive a response from the employer by the end of the week.
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d
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Business writers should try to write sentences that average ________ words. a. 20 b. 15 c. 10 d. 40
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a
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Which of the following sentences uses a stylistic device to emphasize the important idea? a. Create an attractive design for your résumé more importantly, present your skills and qualifications clearly. b. Although the plan was to delay hiring any new salespeople until the new office was opened, we should offer the position to the first applicant now to avoid losing candidates to our competitors. c. Our company offers personal customer service. d. The project was developed by one of the regional managers.
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a
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Which of the following sentences contains an active-voice verb? a. Carmen processed the résumés after the application deadline. b. The interviews were conducted by the department supervisor. c. Many résumés were received for the accounting position. d. Paula was hired for the position.
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a
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Which of the following sentences demonstrates parallelism? a. We value employees with drive, ethics, and who have good communication skills. b. The new computer password policy impacted all students, teachers, and those who work in offices. c. Our strategic plans are to improve customer confidence, increase sales, and the development of new products. d. Our regional sales staff will meet in Los Angeles on February 1, in Pittsburgh on August 15, and in Kansas City on December 1.
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d
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Micah is writing a proposal and wants to write powerful paragraphs. To ensure his paragraphs are powerful, how many ideas should he cover per paragraph? a. Three to five b. One c. Seven d. As many as needed
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b
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Paragraphs arranged in the direct strategy ________ . a. tell the reader what actions to take b. begin with the topic sentence, followed by supporting sentences c. disguise their purpose until building the supportive reasoning d. must contain at least three sentences
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b
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Which technique will build paragraph coherence? a. Removing all transitional words or expressions to minimize word count b. Eliminating pronoun use c. Dovetailing ideas d. Avoiding repetition of any kind
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c
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The final phase of the 3-x-3 writing process involves editing, proofreading, and ________ . a. documenting sources b. anticipating the audience c. conducting formal and informal research d. evaluating the message
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d
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Which of the following sentences demonstrates effective, concise style? a. We have sent you this letter to announce the special pricing available to you as a most-valued customer. b. International business travelers learn to pack only the absolutely essential personal items. c. Generally, organizations now have policies to encourage ethical conduct. d. There was a reserve supply of copier paper stored in the second floor stockroom.
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c
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In today's technological world, business writers must know how to microblog effectively. Microblogging involves ________ . a. using special computer software to create budgets b. uploading digital images to promote new products c. exchanging short messages on social media networks d. conducting business meetings through teleconferences
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c
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The sentence Please do not hesitate to call me could be revised for clarity by eliminating a(n) ________ . a. compound expression b. opening filler c. trite business expression d. redundancy
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c
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As a business writer, you must make your messages clear. One way to achieve clarity is to apply the KISS formula, which stands for ________ . a. Key Identification of Synchronous Styles b. Keep It Short and Simple c. Knowledge Information Systems and Solutions d. Know Important Sentences and Syntax
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b
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When challenged by the competition, a smart salesperson can shoot from the hip and make a bundle even in a tight market contains ________ . a. clichés b. buried verbs c. redundancies d. excessive exuberance
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a
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To enhance the readability of your document, use a margin that aligns lines ________ . a. only at the left b. at the center c. at both the left and the right (justified) d. only at the right
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a
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Brenda has written her résumé and has included a bulleted list of her qualifications. Which of the following items within her bulleted list does not demonstrate parallel structure? a. Developed and managed database for 450 customers b. Daily customer service c. Implemented new company procedure for processing customer calls, resulting in increased customer satisfaction d. Processed and updated over 300 customer accounts weekly
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b
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Headings can be an effective tool to highlight information, improve readability, and ________ . a. show that revision has been completed b. eliminate redundancies c. preview or review important ideas d. demonstrate the writer's use of the 3-x-3 writing process
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c
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When proofreading a document, you will check all of the following for errors except ________ . a. format b. names and numbers c. spelling, grammar, and punctuation d. readability
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d
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When proofreading complex documents, ________ . a. be prepared to find errors b. proofread immediately after composing while the document is fresh in your mind c. rely on only your spell checker to catch errors d. read it once, checking word meanings and grammar and mechanics simultaneously
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a
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Which of the following statements is inaccurate? a. Long, complex documents need additional proofreading to verify accuracy in content and consistency in formatting. b. When proofreading important documents that must be perfect, have someone read the message aloud, spelling names and difficult words. c. Proofread a printed copy of a long, complex document once to catch all errors. d. Proofread your document when it is in its final form.
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c
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Many of us struggle with proofreading our own writing because we ________ . a. don't know how to use proofreading and editing marks b. are addicted to the computer software spell-checking tools c. tend to see what we expect to see d. have made the errors ourselves, which means we won't know how to fix them
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c
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What is the best way to judge the success of your communication? a. Through self-evaluation and critique b. Via feedback from the receiver c. In peer review with a classmate or workplace colleague d. By using the automated checking tools in computer software
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b
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Which is a question most likely to be asked in the evaluation phase of revision? a. Have I properly buried my verbs? b. Will my message achieve its purpose? c. Who is my audience and how will they react to my message? d. Should I conduct research to support my current knowledge base?
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b