Exam 6: Choosing a Topic and Developing a Strategy

Walt wanted to give a five-minute informative speech about the causes and consequences of the federal budget deficit. Unfortunately, this topic is not __________.

Agenda-setting speeches get listeners to think about issues they had previously ignored.

An __________ is a question raised by the thesis statement that must be addressed for the thesis to be effectively supported.

Topics that have been addressed many times are not appropriate to the rhetorical situation.

The most important opportunity arising from a rhetorical situation is that __________.

Controversial topics need to be addressed __________.

The final step in strategic planning is to __________.

Topics that are frivolous or trivial are not worthy of the listeners' __________.

When stuck for a topic idea, a speaker can use __________, a mental exercise in which one creates an uncensored list of all the things that come to mind about a given term or category.

Caleb knew that his fellow union members opposed a plan to cut overtime at the plant, but he wanted them to view it more positively. He planned to discuss the likelihood that the plant would close altogether if payroll costs were not reduced. His purpose was to __________.