Southern New Hampshire University
COM-212 Public Speaking
EXAM 15 questions and answers
Angela works for the state government and manages a public health
program responsible for educating landlords and tenants about the benefits
of smoke-free rental housing. Since she lacks public support for her cause,
Angela decides she will give a speech at the next town hall meeting. She
has a lot of information to present to a mixed audience and will use visual
aids in her presentation.
Which of the following techniques improves comprehension
specifically?
● Including a picture of a lung affected by cigarette smoke when
discussing the health impact
Angela's younger brother, David, has agreed to help Angela with her
upcoming speech. Although David is eager to contribute suggestions, he
does not have any experience giving public presentations, and Angela
often finds herself educating him on the best methods. David doesn't give
much thought to the visual aspect of the presentation, so Angela reminds
him that the context of the speech is important to its overall impact.
"We need to look like we've given this real thought," she says. "So, let's
think about this."
Select the statement that does NOT describe a factor Angela should
consider when choosing the kind of visual aids she will use.
● Angela remembers that she needs to make eye contact with her
audience.
Angela and David are still debating which type of visual aid would be best
for the town hall presentation. David thinks using the chalkboard already
located near the stage should be sufficient, but Angela has given
presentations before and she feels they need more.
"I don't see how it really matters," David states.
"It does if you don't want most of the audience to leave without getting the
point," Angela responds.
Which speech situation would be the best fit for physical objects as a
visual aid?
● A police sergeant speaking at a town council meeting wants to show
citizens the best ways to install an alarm system.
Angela decides that digital multimedia and dynamic imagery is the best
type of visual aid for the upcoming presentation. David is unsure of how to
put together a good digital presentation and thus favors static imagery.
Angela proposes comparing the pros and cons of each type before making
a final decision.
Which of Angela's presentation goals would be best supported by
dynamic imagery?
● Angela wants the audience to see all of the different steps in a first
aid sequence.
Angela is leaning toward using a PowerPoint slideshow during her
presentation, but she is wary of the traps speakers often fall into when
relying on the slideware. David is confused by her reluctance as he does
not see any disadvantages with using PowerPoint.
“Won’t it just help you make your point?” David asked.
“If I don’t use it effectively,” Angela replied, “I’ll lose sight of my point
entirely.”
Select the statement that demonstrates a disadvantage of using
PowerPoint presentations.
● Angela can put the entirety of her speech into the PowerPoint.
Angela sees David researching presentation software. David is surprised
by how many programs can help speakers provide their audiences with
visual engagement, and now he wants to consider software other than
PowerPoint for Angela’s town hall appearance. Angela agrees it would be
smart to weigh all available options before the meeting, so she helps him
examine several of the possible alternatives.
Angela shows David how to upload his Microsoft Word information to
__________ where it will always be saved.
● Google Docs
Angela and David eventually agreed that a slideshow is a good way to offer
visual aids during the town hall meeting. Angela knows she wants the
tenants and landlords in the audience to learn about the many benefits of
smoke-free housing. She needs the slideshow to help her achieve that goal
without providing material that would distract the audience.
Which of the following statements describes the slideshow that would
be most appropriate for Angela's presentation?
● An instructional slideshow that uses dynamic imagery to support
spoken information
David is confident that their presentation will be a success now that they
have decided on a slideshow. Angela reminds him that they still have many
considerations to make to ensure the slideshow is effective. She had used
visual aids for her previous public speaking engagements and, recalling the
mistakes she made in those presentations, she tries to avoid making the
same mistakes as she designs this slideshow.
"How badly can you screw up when you have visuals?" David asks
incredulously.
"Trust me," Angela responds, "there are a lot of places to make mistakes."
Angela remembers that she should use __________ to break up the
text into smaller, easy-to-read pieces.
● bullets
The town hall meeting begins and Angela takes the stage. After a short
time speaking, she transitions smoothly into her PowerPoint presentation.
She discusses the health benefits of smoke-free rental housing and
educates the landlords in the crowd about the ease of converting to such
accommodation. The images and data in the slideshow enhance and drive
home her argument. After her speech concludes David congratulates her.
"Good job. I took notes in case I want to do your job one day," David jokes.
Which of the following statements describes an effective strategy
when formatting and delivering a PowerPoint slideshow?
● Angela knows the hall is well-lit, so she uses dark text on a light
background.
