True And False Test Questions
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Communication skills including public speaking are often ranked among the qualities employers seek in college graduates
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True
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The growth of the internet and social networking is reducing the need for public speaking
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False
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As your textbook states public speaking is a form of empowerment because it gives speakers the ability to manipulate people
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False
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The teaching and study of public speaking began more than 4000 years ago
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True
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Both public speaking and conversation involve adapting to listener feedback
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True
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Public speaking requires the same method of delivery as ordinary conversation
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False
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Public speaking usually requires more formal language than everyday conversation
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True
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Public speaking is more highly structured than everyday conversation.
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True
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When you adjust to the situation of a public speech, you are doing on a larger scale what you do every day in conversation.
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True
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As a speaker, you can usually assume that an audience will be interested in what you have to say.
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False
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Fortunately, stage fright only affects inexperienced speakers.
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False
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Most successful speakers are nervous before taking the floor.
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True
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Some nervousness before you speak is usually beneficial.
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True
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Many of the symptoms of stage fright are due to adrenaline, a hormone released into the bloodstream in response to physical or mental stress.
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True
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Thinking of stage fright as "stage excitement" or "stage enthusiasm" can help you get focused and energized for a speech.
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True
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For most beginning speakers, the biggest part of stage fright is fear of the unknown.
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True
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The aim of an ethical speaker is to accomplish his or her goals by any means necessary.
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False
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Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right and wrong in human affairs.
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True
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Ethical issues can arise at every stage of the speechmaking process.
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True
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The ethical obligation of a speaker to be fully prepared increases as the size of the audience increases.
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False
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A public speaker need only be concerned about ethics in the conclusion of a speech.
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False
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The first responsibility of a speaker is to make sure her or his goal is ethically sound.
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True
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A speaker's ethical obligations decrease as the size of the audience decreases.
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False
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As the Roman rhetorician Quintilian noted 2,000 years ago, the ideal of speechmaking is to persuade the audience by any means necessary.
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False
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As the Roman rhetorician Quintilian noted 2,000 years ago, the ideal of speechmaking is the good person speaking well.
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True
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Because persuasion is such a complex process, juggling statistics and quoting out of context to maximize your persuasive effect are ethically acceptable in speeches to persuade.
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False
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As long as the goal of your speech is ethically sound, it is acceptable to use any means necessary to achieve your goal.
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False
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Ethical decisions need to be justified against a set of standards or criteria.
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True
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Sound ethical decisions involve weighing a potential course of action against a set of ethical standards or guidelines.
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True
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Because ethical decisions are complex, ethical choices are simply a matter of personal preference.
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False
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As your textbook explains, ethical decisions are essentially a matter of personal whim or opinion.
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False
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You have an ethical obligation to make sure the information you present in your speeches is accurate.
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Trye
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Hearing and listening are essentially the same.
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False
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People need effective listening skills in almost all occupations.
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True
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Research indicates that even when we listen carefully, we understand and retain only about half of what we hear.
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True
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People spend more time listening than in any other communicative activity.
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True
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You can improve your own speeches by listening carefully to the speeches of other people.
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True
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As your textbook explains, focusing on a speaker's delivery and personal appearance is an excellent way to strengthen your listening skills.
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False
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One of the major obstacles to listening effectively is that the brain can process many more words than can be spoken in a minute.
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True
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According to your textbook, a skilled therapist listening to a patient is an example of appreciative listening.
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False
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Appreciative listening is closely tied to critical thinking.
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False
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Listening is a passive process, while critical thinking is an active process.
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False
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Listening to provide emotional support for someone is called empathic listening.
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True
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According to your textbook, listening to understand a classroom lecture is an example of appreciative listening.
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False
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According to your textbook, listening to understand a classroom lecture is an example of comprehensive listening.
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True
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When you listen to someone give a sales presentation, and you need to decide whether you will buy the item, you are engaged in comprehensive listening.
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False
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Listening to evaluate a message for purposes of accepting or rejecting it is known as critical listening.
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True
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Critical listening involves listening to evaluate a message for purposes of accepting it or rejecting it.
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True
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Much of the anxiety associated with public speaking comes from lack of experience giving speeches.
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True
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One of the most common mistakes students make on their first speech is trying to cover too much.
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True
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Use of negative stereotypes in an introductory speech is acceptable as long as they are used in a humorous way.
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False
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As your textbook states, colorful or descriptive language is an effective way to generate audience interest in an introductory speech.
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True
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Each main point in the body of your first speech should cover a single aspect of the topic.
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True
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The topical method of speech organization follows a time pattern.
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False
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The chronological method of speech organization follows a time pattern.
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True
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For your first speech, your textbook recommends trying to end on a clever or thought-provoking note.
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True
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According to your textbook, the best way to prepare to give your first speech is to memorize it and deliver it word for word.
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False
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Most experts recommend that you read your speeches to the audience so you don't forget any of the words.
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False
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Extemporaneous delivery means delivering a speech "off the cuff," with no advance preparation.
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False
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When delivering your first speech, you should try to adopt the relaxed and confident tone you use in everyday in conversation.
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True
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In order to learn your first speech well enough to deliver it extemporaneously, you need to practice it out loud.
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True
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According to your textbook, the best way to practice a speech is to look silently over your notes until you think you know the speech well enough to deliver it in class.
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False
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Your textbook recommends that you present your first speech without advance preparation so it will sound spontaneous in class.
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False
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Taking a moment to look at your audience and smile before you begin to speak can help you establish rapport with them.
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True
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The first step in speechmaking is choosing a topic for your speech.
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True
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Outside the classroom, the topic of a speech is usually determined by the occasion, the audience, and the speaker's qualifications.
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True
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It is usually a poor idea to choose a speech topic that requires research.
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False
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You should usually avoid drawing on your personal knowledge or experience when choosing a speech topic.
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False
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You should usually avoid choosing speech topics that you feel strongly about.
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False
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Brainstorming is a method of generating ideas for a speech through free association of words and ideas.
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True
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Brainstorming is a way of clearing your mind so you can relax while choosing a speech topic.
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False
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No matter how you go about choosing a speech topic, it is important to start the process early.
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True
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After choosing a topic, the next step in speech preparation is determining your central idea.
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False
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Once you choose the central idea of your speech, the next step is to formulate your general purpose.
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False
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After choosing a topic, the next step in speech preparation is determining your general purpose.
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True
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After choosing a topic, the next step in speech preparation is determining your specific purpose.
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False
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Most often, your general purpose as a speaker is to inform or to persuade.
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True
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Most often, a speaker's general purpose will fall into one of two categories—to inform or to demonstrate.
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False
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The difference between informing and persuading is like the difference between explaining and entertaining.
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False
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When your general purpose is to persuade, you act as a teacher or lecturer.
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False
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The primary purpose of speechmaking is to demonstrate your command of the topic.
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False
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According to your textbook, public speakers need to be audience-centered.
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False
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Being audience-centered means that your primary purpose as a speaker is to gain a desired response from the audience.
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True
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The aim of successful speechmaking is to gain a desired response from listeners by any means necessary.
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False
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The need to adapt to the audience means that speechmakers must usually compromise their own beliefs or values.
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False
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The aim of successful speechmaking is to gain a desired response from listeners even if the speaker must compromise his or her beliefs to do so.
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False
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Being audience-centered means a speaker must sacrifice what she or he really believes to get a favorable response from the audience.
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False
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Adapting to audiences is one of the easiest tasks facing beginning speakers.
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False
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The need for audience analysis and adaptation is one of the major differences between public speaking and everyday conversation.
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False
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The classroom is an artificial speaking situation in which you can overlook the attitudes and interests of your audience.
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False
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You are most likely to be successful in your classroom speeches if you think of your classmates as a real audience.
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True
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An audience's response to a message is invariably colored by its perception of the speaker.
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True
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Unlike beginning speakers, experienced speakers have little need for audience analysis.
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False
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Audience analysis and adaptation affect all aspects of speechmaking except for the delivery of the speech itself.
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False
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The process of audience analysis and adaptation affects every aspect of speech preparation from choosing a topic to delivering the speech.
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True
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Public speaking is essentially like acting because once you learn a speech, you can give it over and over without adapting to the different audiences you address.
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False
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Audience analysis first comes into play after a speaker has chosen a speech topic.
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False
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Audience analysis first comes into play after a speaker has chosen a specific purpose.
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False
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It is possible to disagree entirely with a speaker's ideas but still support the speaker's right to express those ideas.
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True
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No matter how well intentioned they may be, efforts to protect society by restricting free speech usually end up repressing minority viewpoints and unpopular opinions.
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True
