Southern New Hampshire University
COM-212 Public Speaking
EXAM 6 questions and answers
The week before the holiday party, Adam calls John into his office. “I need you to give a
speech to your coworkers during the party,” Adam says. John is terrified of speaking in
public, so Adam agrees to help him choose a topic.
After discussing possible topics for an hour, John notices some common themes in
Adam’s suggestions. For the first time, he feels better about his upcoming speech.
Which of the following scenarios describes the strategy of distilling?
●John refines his ideas by noticing common themes and patterns.
After his brainstorming session with Adam, John starts to think about the demographics
of his audience. He realizes that most of his coworkers are young males who earn a
lower salary than he does. He also knows that much of their work involves hard,
physical labor.
John does not want to seem condescending to his coworkers by making lazy
generalizations about their backgrounds. Rather, he wants his speech to emphasize the
connections that they all share.
Select the example of an appropriate topic for John's speech.
●Importance of teamwork in the workplace
The more John thinks about his speech, the more he realizes that community is a good
theme to emphasize. By showing how each individual’s performance improves the
company’s revenue, John can illustrate how everyone is working towards a greater
good.
After hours of research, John thinks that he has gathered enough evidence to support
his claim.
Which of the following is an example of John finding credible evidence?
●John looks up recent peer-reviewed trade journals that contain models
substantiating his proposed claim.
During the holiday party, Adam introduces John to the audience. John is still nervous,
but he suddenly remembers reading about the ways he can handle anxiety before
giving a speech.
Determine which statement describes a tool for managing trait anxiety.
● Participating in a guided meditation exercise
On the day of the holiday party, John is still nervous about the presentation. He runs
into Adam after arriving at work and asks him to take a look at his finished speech.
John is relieved after listening to Adam describe how well John has supported his ideas.
"You think this will get a good reaction?" John asks.
"They'll want you to replace me after it's over," Adam jokes.
Which of the following describes using exposition to support ideas within a speech?
●John lays out information about the company's revenue stream and explains how
it is affected by worker productivity.
The night before the party, John looks at the note cards he created while outlining his
speech. Each card features a sentence that represents part of John’s argument.
John organizes the note cards chronologically from the beginning of his speech to the
end. Seeing the cards in sequence helps John pinpoint where he strays off topic.
Arrange the outline notes of John’s speech in the correct order from beginning to end.
1. "The company's revenue increased at a time when worker productivity was highest."
2. "While we're all gathered here I'd like to remind everyone how good it feels to be part
of a family."
3. "Your fellow workers are part of your family at this plant, and when you are working
hard you are helping all of them.
●2, 3, 1
As a part of John’s preparations, he practices giving his speech in front of Tyrone and
Rob - two of his close friends in the office - so they can provide him feedback. Although
Tyrone and Rob generally have complimentary things to say about John’s speech, they
suggest a handful of tactics to help him improve.
Which of the following pieces of advice should John ignore?
●“You want to bring handouts to your speech, but you have a slideshow. Handouts
are redundant.”
With one day to go before the party, John is still extremely nervous about delivering his speech
in front of a large crowd. He calls Adam, who has delivered plenty of speeches before.
"Hey, got any last-minute advice?" asks John.
"Yeah, you should try preparing beforehand. No use in wasting a day feeling nervous when you
can get comfortable with your material," Adam replies.
John is skeptical. "Is that really going to help me now?"
Adam laughs. "It certainly can’t hurt!"
Select the behavior that does NOT represent an example of John effectively preparing for his
speech.
●John feels confident after doing his research and decides he doesn't need to practice his
speech.
\
John is still uncertain of the most effective way to communicate his argument.
Thankfully, Adam has provided some transcripts of older speeches from a public
speaking forum. One speech by the CEO of an investment firm catches John’s eye.
John studies the transcript of the CEO’s speech to pinpoint the elements that make it
effective. The CEO’s message, which promises the stability of his company in the face
of change, is always clear. By analyzing the transcript, John realizes how his own
speech should be constructed.
Which excerpt represents a transition from the speech?
●"Finally, it is important to understand how a focus on employee collaboration can
increase a company's bottom line."
John is ready to settle on the thesis for his speech. He wants to convince party
attendees that they are working towards a common goal.
Just to be safe, John calls Adam and describes his proposed thesis. “Sounds good to
me,” Adam informs him.
Which of the following statements serves as an example of a well-developed thesis for
John’s speech?
●Individual productivity not only benefits the individual but also the team as a
whole.
