COMM. Prin. - Chapter 3

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis suggests which of the following?

• Language and thought are exclusive of one another
• Thought is rooted in and controlled by language
• Language is rooted in and controlled by thought
• Language does not impact our worldview

 _____ refers to a person’s interpretation of a symbol.

• Behavior
• Action 
• Meaning 
• Emotion

Which of the following words is the most concrete?

• Animal
• Dogs
• Golden Retriever
• Puppies

Bill was visiting his friend Carol’s parents in Chicago. They offered him some tea; he was very thirsty, so he said he would love some. He was very surprised when they brought him a cup of hot tea. In Arkansas where he was from, the word “tea” always meant iced tea. If you wanted a cup of hot tea, you asked for “hot tea.” Which of the following characteristics of language best describes this situation?

• Words are powerful.
• Words are culture-bound.
• Words reflect abstract and concrete meanings.
• Words have denotative and connotative meanings.

Tara was confused when her husband said his office felt like a zoo and everyone was running around like crazy trying to get things done. Tara remembered going to the zoo as a child with her parents and enjoying the animals in a peaceful setting. This situation demonstrates the _____ meaning of words. 

• denotative 
• concrete 
• abstract 
• connotative

Arman wants to be sure that Josh understands his message, so he uses the dictionary meaning of a particular word. In this case, Arman is using which meaning? 

• Connotative 
• Abstract 
• Empathic
• Denotative 

 Stephanie knows she can say “oh my gosh” and “BFF” when talking with her friends, but won’t use phrases like these when speaking to her professor. When she talks to him, she tends to use more formal language. Stephanie is demonstrating the concept of _____. 

• code switching 
• abstract language
• concrete language 
• polarization 

 While Marcus has no idea who is in charge of the company, he is sure that the chairman will be fair and he will also see Marcus as a possible candidate for the job. Marcus’s thinking demonstrates the idea of _____ language. 

• homophobic
• generic
• ageist
• concrete

Which of the following demonstrates the use of a gender-neutral term? 

• The instructor told the class, “Everyone should take out his pencil to start the test.”
• The mailman usually delivers the mail around one o’clock in the afternoon.
• Hillary wondered if every chairman in the world acted like the one at her company.
• Six new firefighters were hired by the village after more funding was provided. 

 By using _____ language, a speaker becomes more other oriented, which will have a positive effect on his or her relationships. 

• exclusive 
• generic
• inclusive
• sexist