Multiple Choice

When your textbook describes public speaking as a form of empowerment, it means that public speaking is

• a way to manipulate people.
• a way to make a difference in something we care about.
• a way to make everyone see things through our frame of reference.
• a way to demonstrate how clever we are.
• a way to make bad ideas seem good.

In his persuasive speech, Jeremy argued that the category “sexual orientation” should be added to his state’s civil rights law. Most of Jeremy’s classmates listened carefully to his argument. Some were persuaded, while others continued to believe that the current system was justified. Two audience members disagreed so strongly with Jeremy that instead of listening, they wrote notes back and forth to each other throughout the speech. Which of the following statements best describes the issues of ethical listening involved in this situation?

• Everyone in the class was an ethical listener because no one interrupted Jeremy or prevented him from speaking.
• The people who listened carefully to Jeremy’s arguments were ethical listeners, regardless of whether they were persuaded.
• The two classmates who refused to listen to Jeremy’s speech and wrote notes back and forth violated the guidelines for ethical listening.
• all of the above
• b and c only

Recognizing that the audience for his graduation speech would be packed into a non-air-conditioned gymnasium during the hottest week of the year, Kane decided to keep his speech at the low end of his 10to-15-minute time limit. In making this decision, Kane was adapting to which element of the speech communication process?

• situation

• feedback
• message
• channel

Which of the following statements best describes this situation?
Jerome found several excellent sources for his informative speech. He pulled key information from them, blended those ideas into his own perspective, and cited his sources when he presented the speech.

• Jerome is ethical because he cited his sources and used them to develop his own slant on the topic.
• Jerome is guilty of incremental plagiarism because he used quotations and paraphrases from other people in his speech.
• Jerome is ethical because he did not copy his speech from a single source.
• Jerome is guilty of patchwork plagiarism because he used ideas from several different sources in his speech.
• Jerome is guilty of global plagiarism because he did not develop his speech entirely from his own knowledge and experience.

Tanya went to the beach instead of staying in town and working on her speech. When she realized how soon the speech was due, she asked a friend who had already taken public speaking to loan her an old outline, which she used verbatim for her class speech. Which of the following statements best describes Tanya’s actions?

• Tanya should have planned better, but she isn’t guilty of plagiarism.
• Tanya is guilty of global plagiarism.
• Tanya is guilty of patchwork plagiarism.
• Tanya is ethical if she cites the friend whose speech she used.
• Tanya is guilty of incremental plagiarism.

Dealing with such matters as the logical relationships among ideas, the soundness of evidence, and the differences between fact and opinion are all part of what your textbook calls ________.

• adeduction.
• critical thinking.
• rational communication.
• oral deliberation.
• induction.

Which of the following aspects of public speaking is least likely to help strengthen your skills as a critical thinker?

• researching your speech
• outlining and organizing your speech
• testing the logic of your arguments
• practicing the delivery of your speech
• assessing the validity of your evidence

The tendency to see the beliefs, values, and customs of one’s own culture or group as “right” or “natural” is called __________

• ethnicity
• egocentrism
• ethnocentrism
• exclusivity
• essentialism

When Sophia attended the first discussion section for her math class and heard her instructor begin speaking with an unfamiliar accent, she immediately decided, “I won’t learn anything from this teacher.” Sophia failed to uphold which guideline for ethical listening?

• Listen attentively
• Avoid prejudging the speaker
• Take accurate notes
• Support free speech
• Avoid name-calling

Heather was in the midst of an excellent speech on campus history when she made a minor mistake by giving the wrong date for the opening of a campus building. She suddenly stopped speaking and said, “Oh, I messed up.” She then finished her speech, but all she could think about afterward was her mistake. What is the major piece of advice from your textbook that Heather needs to be reminded about?

• There is no such thing as a perfect speech.
• You should work especially hard on your introduction.
• Audiences usually can’t tell how nervous a speaker is.
• You should take slow, deep breaths before you speak.
• It is natural for public speakers to be nervous.