Practice Exam, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 12

Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8th ed.

Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. ____ 1. The communication process begins when the sender a. determines the appropriate communication channel. b. has an idea. c. encodes an idea into a message. d. plans for feedback. 2. Many of us are poor listeners because a. the brain can process information at least three times as fast as people talk. b. we tend to "tune out" speakers whose ideas run counter to our own. c. we would rather talk than listen. d. All of these are correct. 3. You can improve your listening skills if you follow tips for active listening, including a. keeping an open mind, establishing a receptive mind-set, and listening between the lines. b. establishing a receptive mind-set, concentrating on appearance and delivery, and sifting information through biases. c. capitalizing on lag time, concentrating on your next comment, and taking as many notes as possible. d. All of these are correct. 4. When speaking with someone for whom English is a second language, you should talk slowly, enunciate clearly, check frequently for comprehension, observe eye messages, listen without interrupting, and a. follow up in writing. b. avoid smiling, which might make you appear to lack seriousness. c. use vocabulary words that will impress the listener. d. assume that the listener understands if he or she nods and smiles in agreement. 5. During the second phase of the writing process, you conduct research, a. clarify the audience demographics, and edit word choices. b. anticipate audience reaction, and adapt the message. c. organize ideas, and compose the message. d. evaluate message effectiveness, and revise as needed. 6. You will create messages that are clear and easy to read if you a. proceed free form from one idea to the next for maximum creative effect. b. avoid emphasizing important ideas so that readers may judge for themselves. c. group similar items together and emphasize important ideas. d. do not follow any pattern that might restrict the free flow of your ideas. 7. Organizing your ideas into an outline is especially important when you are a. developing a complex project. b. writing a routine memo. c. replying quickly to an e-mail message. d. beginning the research phase of the writing process.

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8. To be successful in the business world, you must be able to create messages and presentations that are a. concise. b. clear. c. vigorous. d. All of these are correct.

____ 9.. Which of the following is true about writing and revising business documents? a. Rarely is the first version satisfactory, but usually the second version is excellent. b. Experts say only amateurs expect writing perfection on the first try. c. Revision is not necessary for informal documents such as internal memos or e-mail messages. d. The real work of revision should happen in the writing stage as you select words and form sentences.
____ 10. Concise writing a. should be used only in informal business documents such as e-mail messages. b. is easier to read and comprehend. c. is improved during the proofreading step of the third phase of the writing process. d. should be avoided because it can come across as being abrupt and rude. ____ 11. Jargon a. is specialized terminology that individuals in a specific profession or field use. b. should not be used in business writing. c. is the same as slang. d. improves the precision of most messages. ____ 12. Proofreading includes which of the following tasks? a. Improving content and tone b. Fine tuning sentence and paragraph structure c. Correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation, names and numbers, and format d. Determining whether the message should be written using the direct or indirect organization pattern ____ 13. The body of a short, 20-minute presentation should focus on a. at least five to eight main points. b. up to ten main points. c. approximately two to four main points. d. as many points as necessary to get your message across. ____ 14. What is the best advice for composing a PowerPoint slide show? a. Always design your own template to show your creativity and uniqueness. b. Occasionally convert bullet points to diagrams, charts, and other images to make your slideshow more interesting. c. When including numbers, using lists is more effective than placing the numbers in charts or graphs. d. Make sure that every point has at least one bullet point and one visual. ____ 15. Your boss is giving instructions for a new method of keeping expense accounts. However, you find it difficult to concentrate because you think the change is unnecessary. What type of barrier to effective listening are you experiencing? a. Language problem barrier b. Psychological barrier c. Physical barrier d. Nonverbal distraction barrier

____ 16. An American businessperson who thinks that all Germans are hard-working, efficient, and neat is illustrating an example of a. ethnocentrism. b. tolerance. c. stereotyping. d. a cultural norm. ____17.You are selecting a channel for sending your message. Which of the following is not a factor to consider when making this decision? a. The amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required b. Cost of the channel c. The confidentiality and sensitivity of the message d. The primary channel used by your competitors ____ 18. Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing? a. Every radiologist must carry his own malpractice insurance. b. Every radiologist must carry their own malpractice insurance. c. All radiologists must carry their own malpractice insurance. d. Every radiologist must carry his or her own malpractice insurance. ____ 19. Sustainable Energy Inc. has developed a new foundation insulation material and needs to determine the price point at which builders would switch to this new product. The best research method for this is a(n) a. manual search of other companies' price lists. b. interview with a local builder. c. Internet search of insulation values for foundation materials. d. scientific experiment that presents price choices with controlled variables. ____ 20. Which of the following contains no sentence faults? a. Which is why we are considering new credit card options. b. CreditCores options are extensive, and the rates are fair. c. Review the list of options, then let me know what you think. d. Having good credit is important to employers we need to keep that in mind. ____ 21. Which of the following sentences is most effective in de-emphasizing the bad news? a. Although cash refunds are not offered, you can exchange resalable merchandise. b. Although you can exchange returned merchandise, cash refunds are not available. c. Since we only exchange merchandise, it is impossible for you to receive a cash refund. d. Because of our exchange policy, you may not receive a cash refund. ____ 22. Which of the following uses active voice in a complete sentence? a. The company's family leave policy was criticized by a few unhappy employees. b. Because a few unhappy employees criticized the company's family leave policy. c. Managers were told about the unhappy employees who criticized the company's family leave policy. d. A few unhappy employees criticized the company's family leave policy. ____ 23. Which of the following sentences is most effective? a. This is to inform you that your rental payments are now up-to-date. b. At this point in time, your rent is paid in full. c. Due to the fact that we have just received your check, your rental payments are up-to-date. d. Your account is now up-to-date.

____ 24. Dylan is designing his document to enhance readability and comprehension. What is the best advice you can give Dylan? a. To improve readability, justify the left and right margins so they are both even. b. To increase readability, create white space by using headings, bulleted or numbered lists, short paragraphs, and effective margins. c. Use only one typeface per document. d. Use ALL CAPS anywhere in a document you want to emphasize your point. ____ 25. Ashton will be giving a PowerPoint presentation during a meeting and wants to make sure that her audience is engaged. What should she do? a. Keep a careful eye on the computer monitor or screen to make sure she doesn't miss anything. b. Read the bullet points word for word to make sure her audience understands the information. c. Use a laser pointer to highlight slide items to discuss. d. Make the room as dark as she can to make her slides more visible.

Answer Section ANS: Answer REF: Page reference, Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8th ed. 1. ANS: B REF: p. 10 2. ANS: D REF: p. 11 3. ANS: A REF: p. 12 4. ANS: A REF: p. 20 5. ANS: C REF: p. 34 6. ANS: C REF: p. 55 7. ANS: A REF: p. 56 8. ANS: D REF: p. 75 9. ANS: B REF: p. 75 10. ANS: B REF: p. 76 11. ANS: A REF: p. 78 12. ANS: C REF: p. 85-86 13. ANS: C REF: p. 340 14. ANS: B REF: p. 350-351 15. ANS: B REF: p. 12 16. ANS: C REF: p. 19 17. ANS: D REF: p. 35 18. ANS: C REF: p. 42 19. ANS: D REF: p. 55 20. ANS: B REF: p. 59-60

21. ANS: A REF: p. 62 22. ANS: D REF: p. 62 23. ANS: D REF: p. 76-77 24. ANS: B REF: p. 81-83 25. ANS: C REF: p. 354