Deck 6: Writing for Your Readers

Question 1

To create an effective title for your document, what should you focus on?

A) key words that describe the document's subject and purpose
B) key words that describe the attitudes of your audience
C) key words that you used in an Internet search during research
D) key words that establish coherent transitions

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Of the options listed below, which is the most effective way to organize a document explaining which of three different trucks your company ought to buy for its fleet?

A) classification
B) comparison and contrast
C) spatial
D) chronological

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Of the options below, which is the most effective way to organize a discussion highlighting important events in your company's 31-year history?

A) partition
B) comparison and contrast
C) spatial
D) chronological

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What is an advance organizer?

A) an outline of the document you are drafting, showing its content and organization
B) the text that introduces a list
C) any text that indicates the background, purpose, scope, and organization of the discussion that follows it
D) transitional words and phrases, such as first, therefore, furthermore, or consequently
E) None of the responses are correct.

Question 5

Which of the changes listed below would make the following paragraph more coherent?
As an undergraduate student, you can satisfy the university writing requirement and meet an important graduation requirement by scoring a 4 or 5 on either of the Advanced Placement English exams (Language & Composition or Literature & Composition). You can also meet this requirement by receiving transfer credit for an approved college-level writing or writing-intensive course you have taken elsewhere and in which you have received a grade of B or higher. Finally, you can meet this requirement by taking and receiving a passing grade in a writing course at this university. The following two courses, for example, are dedicated primarily to the development of writing skills and can be used to meet the writing requirement: English 205 (Technical Communication) or English 200 (Rhetoric and Writing). If you have any further questions, please call Professor Lee Klein, Director of Writing Programs, in the Department of English at [phone].

A) Insert transitional words and phrases.
B) Turn the paragraph into a list.
C) Begin with a topic sentence.
D) Use demonstrative pronouns.

Question 6

What level of formality does technical communication usually require?

A) very informal to informal
B) informal to moderately formal
C) moderately formal to highly formal
D) None of the responses are correct.

Question 7

How should you punctuate a restrictive modifier?

A) Use commas to separate it from the rest of the sentence.
B) Use dashes to separate it from the rest of the sentence.
C) Add no extra punctuation.
D) Precede it with a comma and the word which.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of a coherence device?

A) replacing nouns with demonstrative pronouns
B) removing transitional words
C) repeating key words
D) None of the responses are correct.

Question 9

The following two headings indicate which type of organizational pattern?
Two Tasks You Must Complete Today
Other Tasks That Need Your Attention

A) more important to less important
B) general to specific
C) cause and effect
D) problem-methods-solution

Question 10

Which of the following sentences illustrates the best approach to writing about people with disabilities?

A) An arthritis sufferer typically takes medications daily.
B) People with advanced cases of scleroderma should avoid cold climates.
C) A person with severe rheumatoid arthritis is likely to be confined to a wheelchair.
D) Systemic lupus is an abnormal disability for young males.

Question 11

Your supervisor has asked you to write a brief description of an abandoned silver mine that is slated for hazardous-waste cleanup. Of the organizational patterns discussed in Chapter 6, which would be most logical and effective for describing the mine?

A) classification or partition
B) general to specific
C) problem-methods-solution
D) spatial

Question 12

A writer at ColdTec Accounting has just completed a draft of an internal report describing a recent drop in enrollment in a training course for new employees entitled "Web Linking and Publishing with Microsoft Excel 2007." Which of the following titles would be most appropriate for the report?

A) The Changing Needs of New Employees at ColdTec
B) Choosing a Training Class: "Web Linking and Publishing with Microsoft Excel 2007"
C) An Analysis of Declining Enrollment in "Web Linking and Publishing with Microsoft Excel 2007"
D) Declining Enrollment in Training Classes Offered at ColdTec

Question 13

A local bank uses this slogan in its advertising: "Integrity. Experience. Trust. Local." What about this slogan violates readers' expectations?

A) The items in the list are not parallel.
B) The list does not follow the general-to-specific pattern.
C) The hierarchy of the list is confusing.
D) None of the responses are correct.

Question 14

Of the options listed below, which is the most effective way to organize a document describing the events that led to an Internet company's bankruptcy?

A) classification
B) comparison and contrast
C) problem-methods-solution
D) chronological

Question 15

According to Chapter 6, one benefit of using a conventional pattern to organize technical information is that the pattern serves as a template or checklist, helping you remember what information to include. What is the main benefit for your readers, according to the chapter?

A) It helps readers relax.
B) It keeps readers from becoming bored.
C) It makes a positive impression on readers.
D) It helps readers associate new information with other information presented in the same pattern.
E) None of the responses are correct.

Question 16

Chapter 6 suggests that the passive voice is generally more appropriate than the active voice in four circumstances. One is when the agent is clear from the context, as in "Students are required to take both writing courses," in which it is clear that the college sets the requirements. Under what other circumstances is the passive voice generally more appropriate?

A) when the agent is less important than the action
B) when the agent is unknown
C) when a reference to the agent is embarrassing, dangerous, or in some other way inappropriate
D) All responses are correct.
E) None of the responses are correct.

Question 17

Which of the following options is the best lead-in for a sentence list?

A) Our three main competitive advantages are:
B) The reasons are the following:
C) We offer advantages over the competition.
D) We offer three main advantages over the competition:

Question 18

Which of the following examples shows a comma splice?

A) The 728B polo shirt is our most popular model, and it offers an unequaled blend of comfort and durability.
B) The 728B polo shirt is our most popular, comfortable, attractive, durable, and cost-effective model.
C) The 728B polo shirt is our most popular model, because it offers an unequaled blend of comfort and durability.
D) The 728B polo shirt is our most popular model, it offers an unequaled blend of comfort and durability.

Question 19

Which of these examples shows the most effective transition from the first sentence to the second?

A) New screening techniques are being developed to combat computer viruses. They are the subject of a new research effort at Big State University.
B) New screening techniques are being developed to combat computer viruses. These techniques are the subject of a new research effort at Big State University.
C) New screening techniques are being developed to combat computer viruses. A new research effort at Big State University is focused on fighting computer viruses.
D) New screening techniques are being developed to combat computer viruses. Nevertheless, they are the subject of a new research effort at Big State University.

Question 20

Which of the following words or phrases should be used in the excerpt below to signal to readers that because land-use problems are causing high bacteria levels, landowners must take action?
Bacteria levels are often above state standards and are due to localized, specific land-use problems. _______, landowners must take action to address these problems and reduce the high bacteria levels.

A) Nevertheless
B) For example
C) Next
D) Consequently

Question 21

A sentence with a negative construction uses a word or phrase to describe what something is not. One example is the use of not many rather than few.

Question 22

To test a title, you should ask whether readers will be able to paraphrase it in a clear, meaningful sentence.

Question 23

What is a euphemism?

Question 24

According to Chapter 6, long, complex arguments can most often be organized according to one pattern.

Question 25

Classification is an organizational pattern in which a unit is divided into its components.

Question 26

According to Chapter 6, you should jot down a working title before you start drafting a document to give you a sense of direction, then come back and revise it at the end.

Question 27

Identify one of the four cases in which it is better to use passive voice than active voice.

Question 28

In a passive-voice sentence, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb.

Question 29

According to Chapter 6, what are the two types of paragraphs?

Question 30

What is the phrase "Special Restricted Incoming Materials Storage Area" an example of?

Question 31

Therefore, furthermore, consequently, and next are all examples of what category of words?

Question 32

Whenever possible, you should combine two or more ideas into one paragraph to create a paragraph of 75 to 125 words-the ideal paragraph length.

Question 33

The only proper way to create a sentence list is by using bullets.

Question 34

For accountants and human-resources personnel, the phrase per diem is an example of what type of language?

Question 35

According to Chapter 6, one benefit of using a conventional pattern to organize technical information is that the pattern serves as a template or checklist, helping you remember which information to include where. According to the chapter, what is one benefit for your readers?

Question 36

Why should you avoid back-to-back headings, such as the following?
6. Approaches to Neighborhood Policing
6.1 Community Policing

Question 37

Identify two coherence devices discussed in Chapter 6.

Question 38

Nominalized verbs help you communicate clearly and concisely.

Question 39

Your supervisor has asked you to write a completion report about a project you carried out to improve the employee onboarding program at your company. Of the organizational patterns discussed in Chapter 6, which would be most logical and effective for your report?

Question 40

New and important information should come at the beginning of a sentence, where readers will be sure to notice it.