Southern New Hampshire University
COM-212 Public Speaking
EXAM 5 questions and answers
1
Which of the statements about public speaking most closely matches the views of Francis
Bacon?
Believed that delivery and style are more important than what
was being said
Thought that communication facilitates the journey to truth
Argued that the purpose of public speaking is to convince
someone of something
Thought that public speaking is inherently moral
CONCEPT
History of Public Speaking
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2
When soliciting information, sometimes a speaker will , which enables him or her to ask
questions that can tailor the information received in real-time.
use direct observation
use a Likert-type scale
conduct an interview
issue a questionnaire
CONCEPT
Solicit Information
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3
Nate resented the pro-free-trade stance of the assembly speaker, so he tuned out much of the main argument
of her speech.
This situation is an example of leading to poor listening.
lack of prioritization
focusing on style, not substance
low concentration
confirmation bias
CONCEPT
Causes of Poor Listening
Be a Serious Listener
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4
Which of the following is an example of a physical contextual factor that James should consider when
preparing for his speech to the CEO of a social media company?
The CEO has only worked at the company for the past three years.
James has heard that the CEO appreciates a firm handshake at
the end of meetings.
The company has a dress code that doesn’t allow employees to
wear jeans at work.
There will be no podium on which James can put his note cards.
CONCEPT
Physical Context
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5
Rodrigo was eager to make a presentation on the benefits of improvisation in the workplace. When he
arrived in the conference room, he realized that seven bankers would attend the presentation via computer
conferencing from offices in other states.
This presentation provides an example of .
asynchronous communication
co-located communication
in-person communication
synchronous communication
CONCEPT
Channel
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6
Select the action that represents the remembering phase of the listening process.
A reporter determines that a politician's speech is calling for
less government spending.
A boy tells his friend that his behavior resembles that of a
character from a novel he read last year.
A husband moves closer to his wife to better hear her anecdote.
A student realizes that his teacher has been lecturing for
45 minutes.
CONCEPT
The Remembering Stage
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7
Laykin was nervous about speaking to the Columbia School Board. She knew that it would be difficult to
convince them to provide more funding for music education, but she also knew that the band depended on
her to get them new uniforms.
Which of the following circumstances describes an environmental context that will affect Laykin's speech?
The school board meeting was held on the same evening as the
town’s art-in-the-park celebration.
One of the school board members dropped out of band when he
was in high school because the band instructor was mean.
Laykin's friend on the school board was absent from the
meeting because she was ill.
Laykin’s microphone was amplified louder than she anticipated.
One of the school board members covered his ears when she began
to speak.
CONCEPT
Situational and Environmental Context
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8
Lillian was working when Mike entered her office in tears. He told her about the death of his dog, and
how devastated his whole family is.
Which situation best fits the responding stage of the listening process?
Lillian remembers that Mike's family got the dog on the day his
first daughter was born, which made the pet a special member of
his family.
Lillian tells Mike how sorry she is to hear about his family’s loss.
Lillian shows Mike some of her favorite pictures of her dog.
Lillian listens as Mike describes how the dog was run over by a car.
CONCEPT
The Responding
Stage The
Evaluating Stage
The Understanding
Stage The Receiving
Stage
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9
James is the newly-appointed director of product development. He plans to host a breakfast for his new
team members on Monday, at which he will give a speech.
Which of James's speeches has the purpose of informing his audience?
James will present an award for employee of the month,
and discuss what the winner had done well during the past
month.
James will speak to his team about the large number of homeless
people in town and why the company should collect canned goods
to donate to the food shelter.
James will speak about where he has worked previously, why he
is excited to be in this new position, and where he believes the
company should go from here.
James will speak to his employees about his desire to purchase
a new operating system, and will ask them to vote for or
against the purchase.
CONCEPT
Informative
Speeches
Persuasive Speeches
Speeches for Special Occasions
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10
Lara was halfway through her speech when she realized that her references to 1980's musical groups had
not been understood by her fifth-grade listeners. She decided to use the current number-one boy band in
her next example.
Lara remembered the public speaking best practice of .
analyzing the audience
focusing on a thesis
dressing professionally
maintaining eye contact
CONCEPT
Best Practices in Public
Speaking Rules to Follow
When Speaking
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11
Mandy finished watching her student, James, make a speech about the research on which they had worked
all summer. When James finished, Mandy told him that just listing sources at the end of the speech was
ineffective. She was tired of trying to help James, and didn't care whether he improved, but she thought
that she should tell him something.
Mandy’s feedback was not effective criticism because it was not .
specific
positive
objective
relevant
CONCEPT
Giving Effective Criticism
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12
Which of the following techniques represents an effective way of giving criticism?
Focusing only on the areas that the speaker could improve on
in their speech
Making sure criticism comes across as being subjective and
personal rather than objective
Taking little time to evaluate the speech and providing no criticism
Avoiding personal attacks and not blaming the speaker for doing a
poor job
CONCEPT
Giving Effective Criticism
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13
Alejandro was surprised to read negative feedback on his course reviews at the end of the semester. He
thought that his students would have been grateful that he had dismissed them from class early on Friday
afternoons, as was customary when he taught in Grenada. Unfortunately, many of his current students felt
that they weren’t receiving his full attention.
In this example, Alejandro failed to account for when considering his audience.
culture
gender
age
race
CONCEPT
Context of Culture and
Gender Audience
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14
Jeremy tucked his t-shirt into his jeans as he walked to the front of the conference room to present a new
concept to the board of directors. His hands shook when he flipped through his note cards. Before beginning
his presentation, Jeremy introduced himself and noted how nicely the audience was dressed. After his
presentation, as he returned to his seat, Jeremy wondered why some of the audience gave him funny looks.
Based on this scenario, which public speaking best practice did Jeremy neglect?
Adjusting the rate of delivery
Voice volume
Preparing beforehand
Appropriate dress
CONCEPT
Rules to Follow When
Speaking Best Practices in
Public Speaking
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15
Anna was pouting again. Mike had tried to get his daughter to brush her teeth before going to bed, but she
refused. Mike decided he would sing her a song from her favorite TV show. In his best Timmy the Toothbrush
voice, Mike said, “Brush those teeth, don’t miss even one, a clean mouth makes us healthy, and then we all
can have fun.”
Mike was engaged in the act of when he reminded his daughter about the benefits of brushing
her teeth.
remembering
repeating
reflecting
paraphrasing
CONCEPT
Listening and Critical
Thinking The Importance of
Listening
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16
Sandra, a school gym teacher, is preparing to speak at the opening of a children's playground. Sandra knows
that the whole town is invited and that the school children will be very excited to use the new playground.
After determining the probable perspectives and interests of her audience, Sandra adds slang to her speech,
and encourages the audience members to text their friends about the event.
In the situation above, Sandra attempts to account for when preparing her speech.
religion
gender
age
ethnicity
CONCEPT
Age
Group
Membership
Religion
Culture, Ethnicity, and
Race Gender (audience)
Sexual
Orientation
Education
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17
Which of the following statements represents the thesis of a speech?
College students' banking habits
Local bankers spend five hours a week meeting with
college students.
15% of college students have a savings account.
Local banks should use social media to connect with the college
community.
CONCEPT
The Importance of Choosing a Good
Topic Defining the Thesis
General Purpose
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18
Jose was nervous because he had to make a presentation at work. After telling his wife about his uneasiness,
she suggested that he practice by making his speech to their family every night after dinner. Jose found that
speaking to his family in this way increased his confidence.
This experience shows how Jose benefited from through public speaking.
professional advancement
external influence
personal satisfaction
networking
CONCEPT
Personal Benefits of Public Speaking
External Benefits: Influence the World Around
You Career Benefits: Advancement
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19
Which of the following speeches is an example of a special occasion speech?
A school nurse lectures students about the benefits of reducing
soda and potato-chip consumption.
A father delivers a toast to his daughter during her
wedding ceremony.
An executive explains a corporate restructuring plan to
the members of her staffafter a merger.
A scientist tells the audience at an annual professional
gathering why cutting emissions is critical for the
environment.
CONCEPT
Speeches for Special
Occasions Persuasive
Speeches
Informative Speeches
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20
Determine which of the following speeches is primarily meant to persuade.
An actor at a fundraiser asserts why a politician is worth
donating money to.
A police chief describes a number of security precautions that
will be in effect during a blackout.
An executive of an advertising agency describes the effects of a
corporate restructuring plan.
A union leader toasts his predecessor at a retirement dinner.
CONCEPT
General Purpose
Specific Purpose of a Speech
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21
Which of the following situations describes the actions of an unethical speaker?
Edgar presents voting data and cites the sources used in
collecting that data.
Edgar endorses a new political candidate without mentioning
that the candidate is married to his best friend.
Edgar tells his audience that he has worked for this
political candidate in the past.
Edgar acknowledges that there are times when his political
candidate voted against things he said he would support.
CONCEPT
The Importance of Studying
Ethics Rules to Follow When
Speaking
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22
Which scenario is the best example of culture getting in the way of effective communication?
Andrew told jokes to increase audience engagement.
The music that Andrew used in his presentation was too loud for
the conference room.
Andrew wore a suit and tie while making his speech, but
his audience was in shorts and t-shirts.
Andrew's examples were primarily focused on statistics.
CONCEPT
Culture
Be an Open-Minded
Listener Causes of Poor
Listening
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23
Speakers want to make well-organized speeches, to keep their audiences engaged. When developing a speech, a
speaker must select a topic, a purpose, and a thesis. You should always make sure that your topic is manageable.
It is important to identify the subtopics that are related to the general topic. This is known as .
defining the specific purpose
brainstorming
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