Deck 11: Developing Your Speech

Question 1

To be most useful to both speaker and listeners, the central idea of a speech should _____.

A) reflect multiple ideas
B) be a complete declarative sentence.
C) use abstract language
D) be speaker-centered

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Grace knew her speech-backward and forward. She rehearsed it over and over again, timing it to make sure she didn't run over the time limit. When she actually delivered the speech, she found herself much less nervous and much more confident than she expected to be. Which guideline for developing confidence applies here?

A) Recreate the speech environment when you rehearse.
B) Be prepared.
C) Focus on your audience.
D) Act calm to feel calm.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Kendrick explained to the class that the combine on his family farm was used to harvest the corn crop every fall. He is explaining the term with a(n) _____.

A) operational definition
B) analogy
C) figurative analogy
D) lay quotation

Answer 3

A

Question 4

"As a result of my presentation, my listeners will return their library books on time." This is an example of a _____.

A) specific purpose statement
B) central idea
C) general purpose statement
D) thesis statement

Question 5

Trisha knew that the past few times she had to speak in front of the class, she had actually felt less nervous-especially compared to how nervous she felt her freshman year. This is a demonstration of which concept?

A) visualization
B) self-talk
C) cognitive dissonance
D) habituation

Question 6

The text provides six criteria for evaluating web resources. Which of these criteria focuses on whether the website is free of bias?

A) accuracy
B) objectivity
C) usability
D) accountability

Question 7

When faced with the prospect of speaking anxiety, it is important to remember _____.

A) that a rush of adrenaline is a hindrance
B) that it is an uncommon reaction
C) the audience perceives that you are less nervous than you may feel
D) only unprepared speakers experience anxiety

Question 8

The primary advantage of illustrations as supporting material is _____.

A) they offer solid proof of the point you want to make
B) they ensure audience interest
C) they can be created if you can't find other materials
D) they are the primary means of building speaker credibility

Question 9

What should be the central element in all aspects of preparing a speech?

A) type of supporting material
B) considering your audience
C) overcoming public speaking anxiety
D) selecting your topic

Question 10

As he began his speech, Jeremiah said, "It is possible that our country will experience another recession in ten years." This tells the audience that Jeremiah is using a(n) _____.

A) metaphor
B) analogy
C) hypothetical illustration
D) operational definition

Question 11

When you use definition by classification, you are _____.

A) demonstrating a term's emotional connotations
B) comparing two ideas, things or situations to one another
C) showing how something works
D) placing a term in the general class to which it belongs

Question 12

Darci gave a speech with the central idea, "C. S. Lewis' writings were influenced by the reading he did throughout his life." Her main points were "As a child, C. S. Lewis enjoyed books with animal characters." "As an adolescent, C. S. Lewis enjoyed books on Norse mythology." "As an adult, C. S. Lewis studied Medieval Literature." The main points follow what type of sequence?

A) chronological
B) cause-effect
C) logical
D) spatial

Question 13

Marco's mother reminded him that he would get more comfortable speaking in front of others every time he had to do it. This describes _____.

A) meditation
B) cognition
C) habituation
D) context

Question 14

Christian was asked to give an after-dinner speech at the awards banquet for the rugby team. He decided to take a light approach to the sport, and entitled his speech, "Rugby, Rugby, How Do I Love Thee? or Three Ways to Break Your Legs." The general purpose of this speech is most likely to _____.

A) inform
B) persuade
C) demonstrate
D) entertain

Question 15

A search which allows you to enclose phrases in quotation marks or parentheses so that it yields only those sites on which all words or the phrase appear in that order and eliminates sites that contain the words at random is known as _____.

A) a deep web search
B) a Boolean search
C) a database search
D) a Google search

Question 16

Nikki was planning her speech with the central idea, "Soft drinks are high in sugar and could add to the development of heart disease." In using this central idea, Nikki failed to _____.

A) consider her audience
B) choose a single topic
C) write a declarative sentence
D) use direct, specific language

Question 17

Marcus decides that he wants to give a persuasive presentation on the topic of blood donation; however, he has never donated blood himself and doesn't plan to participate in upcoming blood drives. Marcus failed to consider what aspect of topic selection?

A) Consider your audience.
B) Consider the occasion.
C) Consider your experiences and interests.
D) Consider current events.

Question 18

After he finished his speech, Henri's classmate told him that he didn't appear nervous at all-while Henri had been sure the audience could see his hands shaking. Henri's experience illustrates the _____.

A) illusion of transparency
B) importance of audience adaptation
C) debilitation of anxiety
D) application of habituation

Question 19

LeeAnne presented an informative speech on tsunamis. She described the structural causes of tsunamis, how they develop, which areas of the earth are prone to them, how they are measured, the damage they do, and what to do when one hits. The speech became dry, the audience's attention declined, and the speech exceeded the time limit by three minutes. From this description, what was LeeAnne's biggest mistake?

A) poor topic selection
B) lack of appropriate research
C) incoherent organization
D) failing to narrow the topic

Question 20

Mick was asked to make a presentation to the town council on the Eagle Scouts who lived in the town. His three main points covered the history of Eagle Scouts, the process of becoming an Eagle Scout and the names of the boys who had achieved the ranking. The general purpose of this speech was most likely to _____.

A) inform
B) persuade
C) entertain
D) demonstrate

Question 21

A definition by classification is one in which you place a word in a general category and then differentiate it from other items in the category.

Question 22

If Gwen knows she wants her speech to entertain the audience, then she knows the _____ purpose of her speech.

Question 23

The mistaken belief that the audience is completely aware of the speaker's perspiration, shaking hands, and knocking knees is called the _____ of transparency.

Question 24

Becoming more comfortable with public speaking each time you make a speech is a process known as _____.

Question 25

Using the opinions of a person who is present during an event, for example, a high school teacher who experiences a solar eclipse for the first time, is providing _____ testimony.

A) expert
B) literary
C) lay
D) hypothetical

Question 26

A citation from a work of fiction or nonfiction is an example of a literary quotation.

Question 27

The illusion of transparency reflects the idea that only the speaker knows if he or she forgets to say a part of the speech.

Question 28

Which of the following is an important guideline for the use of statistics in a speech?

A) Use visual aids to present statistics.
B) Downplay statistics in order to avoid exaggeration.
C) Use as many statistics as you can find because they enhance credibility.
D) Report a statistic down to the last decimal point, to be thorough and accurate.

Question 29

Speakers should offer definitions of all technical or little-known terms in their presentations.

Question 30

Silent _____ is a technique used to generate creative ideas. It is one recommended way to help you find a topic for your presentation.

Question 31

Rather than writing his own speech, Tyler found one to use on the Internet and did not acknowledge his source. Tyler is guilty of _____.

A) slander
B) libel
C) plagiarism
D) poor oral citation

Question 32

LexisNexis Academic is an example of a full-text database.

Question 33

A literal analogy compares things that appear dissimilar.

Question 34

Stage fright is also known as public speaking _____.

Question 35

Audience-centered public speakers are sensitive to the diversity of the audience.

Question 36

A central idea should outline all the key points of a speech.

Question 37

When Darren told the audience about the length of the new coast-to-coast highway, he said that the amount of asphalt it would take could wrap around the earth three times. He has dramatized his statistic by _____ it.

A) compacting
B) misquoting
C) exaggerating
D) minimizing

Question 38

The central idea can be stated as a question.

Question 39

The specific purpose of your presentation is not intended to become part of your speech, but to guide preparation of the speech.

Question 40

In her speech about racism in America, Serena used the following: "Just like Martin Luther King said three decades ago, 'I have a dream; I have a dream today.' I also have a dream that racism will end in my lifetime." What form of supporting material was she using?

A) a literary quotation from Dr. Martin Luther King's famous speech
B) a literary analogy, because Selena compared racism today with racism three decades ago
C) expert statistics, because Dr. Martin Luther King was an expert on racism
D) a brief illustration about racism now, versus three decades ago

Question 41

What four components should be reflected in a good central idea? List the components, and provide a sample central idea which demonstrates their use.

Question 42

For the following main ideas that will be used to develop a speech, write a specific purpose statement, a central idea, and give examples of three types of appropriate supporting material for the topic.
I. Low-carbohydrate diets are not well balanced.
II. Low-carbohydrate diets have not been proven to be effective.
III. Low-carbohydrate diets have been proven to be unsafe.

Question 43

Speakers use a(n) _____ when they want to help an audience understand an unfamiliar concept by demonstrating how it is similar to something the audience already understands.

Question 44

During her speech, Marita told the audience that according to the June 2013 edition of Newsweek, army veterans were not receiving the mental health care they need. She is providing a(n) _____ to acknowledge her source.

Question 45

List and explain the six criteria for evaluating a web source.

Question 46

List at least five of the recommended methods for dealing with speaking anxiety.

Question 47

A concise statement of what listeners should be able to do by the time the speaker finishes the speech is referred to as the _____.

Question 48

"A platelet is a tiny, colorless blood cell" is an example of a definition by _____.

Question 49

Explain how the five Communication Principles for a Lifetime can be incorporated into the selection of your supporting materials.

Question 50

When used as supporting material, the opinion of someone who is an authority in the field under discussion is known as _____.