Basic Communication Skills

In the study of communication, noise is best defined as

• people interrupting someone who is thinking

• anything that interferes with the message being heard or understood

• thoughts that distract the listener

• discussing things that are off the main topic

Folding your arms in front of you makes it seem as if you are

• warm and friendly

• very angry

• distant and unwilling to talk

• the group leader

If someone does not understand what a speaker is saying, he or she should

• ignore that part of the conversation

• try to figure it out on his or her own

• ask other people what they think the speaker means

• ask the speaker questions for clarification

When listening to instructions, the best way for listeners to make sure they get all the

information is to

• take notes and compare them with other co-workers’ notes

• read a book about the topic later on

• ask questions, but wait until the person has stopped talking

• take notes, ask questions, and repeat a summary of the instructions

An important attribute of an effective speaker is the ability to

• inject humor on the job site with practical jokes

• explain and simplify complex topics

• conduct multiple conversations with workers

• make others feel too inferior to speak openly

Common documents that construction professionals need to read on the job include

• construction drawings, code books, and installation manuals

• legal briefs, permits, and subpoenas

• contracts, warrants, and encyclopedias

• literary reviews, argumentation papers, and essays

Special features in books that help readers locate information include

• drawings and photographs

• dictionaries and encyclopedias

• tables of content, indexes, and glossaries

• safety-related cautions and warnings

When reading instructions or a series of steps, one should

• read only the steps that he or she doesn’t know

• perform the steps even if he or she doesn’t understand them

• read the directions completely

• skim the directions quickly

The rough draft of a document you are writing should

• follow an outline and incorporate your research

• be as close to perfect as possible

• be complete before any research has been done

• be complete before an outline has been created

What is an important practice in writing to avoid errors that can cost time and money?

• Handwriting any document before using a computer

• Always writing in the first person.

• Proofreading the work for accuracy

• Writing at a high reading grade level