Q&A Hero

Q: One study shows that patients' concerns are less likely to be addressed when doctors talk too much.

Q: Melanie is working on a report and has reached Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process. What should she do first in this second phase? a. Write the rough draft of her report. b. Decide how to organize the report. c. Analyze her purpose and audience. d. Gather any necessary information.

Q: The responsibility for ensuring that a message is effectively understood falls mostly on the speaker, not on the listener. FALSE

Q: In asking consumers what career its famous Barbie doll should pursue next, toymaker Mattel was using ________. a. crowdsourcing b. crowdstorming c. crowdfunding d. crowdmarketing

Q: Productivity is often reduced in the workplace because of listening mistakes.

Q: When dependent clauses precede independent clauses, they always are followed by a ________. a. period b. semicolon c. comma d. colon

Q: Consultant Andrea Sutcliffe states that public speaking is a more important skill for getting ahead in your career than listening is.

Q: Using underline, italics, or bold font is a means of creating emphasis _______. a. stylistically b. mechanically c. verbally d. grammatically

Q: Listening is one of the most important career skills you can develop.

Q: Using vivid words, labeling the main idea, and strategically placing the key idea in a sentence are examples of ________ ways to stress important ideas. a. stylistic b. mechanical c. grammatical d. general

Q: Which was NOT suggested in the text to help you be a better evaluative listener? A. Analyze the speaker's supporting data. B. Avoid asking questions for clarification. C. Examine the speaker's emotional appeals. D. Seek to thoroughly understand the speaker's ideas before you start evaluating them.

Q: Which of the following is a clause? a. On Monday b. Will be presenting c. When you were on vacation d. On our Facebook page

Q: When you are listening to evaluate, which of the following factors should cause you to hesitate about accepting the speaker's proposal? A. The speaker uses valid evidence. B. The speaker has good credentials concerning this topic. C. The speaker is emotionally involved with the topic he or she is trying to persuade you about. D. The speaker backs up his or her claims with several well-researched examples.

Q: What type of sentence fault results when a writer joins two independent clauses with a comma? a. Run-on sentence b. Comma splice c. Fragment d. Simple

Q: An effective evaluative listener will ask all of the following questions except A. "Do these ideas reinforce my current beliefs?" B. "Do the examples represent the whole situation?" C. "Are there any important exceptions that the speaker hasn't pointed out?" D. "Is the evidence true?"

Q: Pronouns can help build continuity within a paragraph, but they often need a(n) _________ with them to make their meaning clear. a. verb b. noun c. adverb d. adjective

Q: All of the following should be included in a telephone log except A. date and time the call was placed B. unsuccessful attempts to contact the person C. key points you and the other speaker made D. your evaluation of how sincere the other speaker was during the phone call

Q: Josh knows that his co-workers will be pleased by the creation of a new leave-reporting system that will save them time. Which organizational pattern should he use in writing the message about the new system? a. indirect pattern. b. geographical pattern. c. chronological pattern. d. direct pattern.

Q: James and his classmates complain that their instructor doesn't give clear instructions for their assignments. All of the following strategies could help these students EXCEPT A. assuming that effective communication is always the sender's responsibility B. paraphrasing C. asking clarification questions D. taking notes

Q: Select the sentence with the passive-voice verb. a. Michael Lewis wrote a book about the financial crisis. b. Many new grads begin their job search on LinkedIn. c. Even with little experience, Andrew applied for the position. d. The website was redesigned by a team of professionals.

Q: Which of the following is NOT suggested by the text as a technique for effective listening? A. Avoid asking questions for clarification. B. Turn off your cell phone ringer while you are interacting with others face-to-face. C. Take notes to help you remember key points. D. Attend to the sender's nonverbal cues.

Q: The direct organizational strategy is also known as _______ the main idea. a. delaying b. softening c. frontloading d. exaggerating

Q: After listening to his girlfriend's complaints about her co-worker, Jeremy says, "You must be ready to blow a fuse." Jeremy is paraphrasing his girlfriend's A. goals B. feeling C. content D. intent

Q: Select the sentence with an active-voice verb. a. The sales meeting has been scheduled for Friday. b. Many companies now offer wellness programs. c. The contract must be signed by all parties. d. The applicant was contacted by the hiring manager.

Q: Professor Sohard tells his students that they are to submit a draft of their term paper during the fourth week of the semester. Gloria responds, "So, as I understand it, your main reason for collecting our drafts is so that you can see whether we have found enough valid references." Which type of paraphrasing is Gloria using? A. parroting B. feeling C. confusion D. intent

Q: ________ expressions in paragraphs enable the reader to anticipate what's coming, reduce uncertainty, and speed comprehension. a. Sustaining b. Transitional c. Forecasting d. Introductory

Q: In Darlene's performance review, her supervisor pointed out that she frequently misunderstood the tasks and deadlines that had been assigned to her. The supervisor suggested that Darlene should restate, after each team meeting, what she understands her assignment to be. This strategy of rephrasing will give the supervisor a chance to correct any misconceptions. Which type of paraphrasing will Darlene be using? A. normal B. feeling C. content D. revision

Q: Which of the following should be organized in a direct pattern? a. An online manual showing visitors how to download a software program b. A proposal submitted to the board of directors to add a wellness program to the company's benefits package c. An e-mail message to employees telling them that health benefits will be cut d. A letter denying a customer's claim about a defective product

Q: If you paraphrased another person's information to verify that you have accurately noted the facts, which type of paraphrasing technique would you be using? A. intent B. content C. structural D. feeling

Q: A questioning response differs from a paraphrasing response because a questioning response A. seeks additional information B. clarifies what the speaker said C. includes hidden advice D. is insincere

Q: Most business messages use the ________ paragraph plan because it clarifies the subject immediately. a. dovetailing b. pivoting c. indirect d. direct

Q: Which of the following is not an aspect of an effective paraphrase? A. After you paraphrase, invite the speaker to tell you whether you have understood them accurately. B. After you paraphrase, invite the speaker to correct anything you've misunderstood. C. As a listener, spend most of your time mentally following the speaker's ideas. D. As a listener, you should spend as much time paraphrasing and questioning as you do listening.

Q: For what purpose should the passive voice be used? a. To strengthen most business writing b. To de-emphasize bad news c. To emphasize the doer of the action d. To lengthen the message

Q: Which of the following statements about paragraphs is most accurate? a. A paragraph is a group of sentences about one idea. b. The primary idea always appears first in a paragraph. c. Well-constructed paragraphs can discuss more than one topic. d. All of these statements are accurate.

Q: Which of the following is a paraphrasing response? A. "Can you give me more details?" B. "I don't understand. Would you go over that again?" C. "So you're saying . . ." (repeat speaker's words verbatim - exactly as the speaker said them) D. "In other words . . ." (restate your understanding of the speaker's message using different words than the speaker's)

Q: Franco wants to emphasize the new features of a product he is selling. What should he do? a. Use vivid words to describe the features. b. Put the most important information in the middle of his sentences. c. Use the passive voice to describe the features. d. Put the most important information in a dependent clause.

Q: Paraphrasing means A. responding to a speaker nonverbally. B. restating, in your own words, what you think the speaker just said. C. mentally questioning the speaker's intentions and arguments. D. repeating back to the speaker exactly what he or she said.

Q: Elizabeth wants to avoid monotony and add spark to her business messages. What should she do? a. Include at least one compound-complex sentence per paragraph. b. Start each paragraph with a question to generate interest. c. Avoid short sentences (four to six words) because they sound choppy. d. Use a variety of sentence types.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a counterfeit question? A. "Are you telling me that you haven't finished the report yet?" B. "Have you tried opening the emergency valve?" C. "What ideas do you have for improving our productivity?" D. "Wouldn't it have been better if you'd completed the research last week instead of leaving most of it until the last minute?"

Q: Which of the following documents would most likely use an introduction/problem, facts/findings, conclusions, and recommendations organization? a. E-mail message b. Analytical report c. Proposal d. Procedural document

Q: An example of a counterfeit question is: A. "What's your opinion?" B. "Can you tell me more?" C. "What do you want to do next?" D. "When do you plan to change to a higher-paying job?"

Q: Questions that are actually disguised forms of giving advice are called __________ questions. A. sincere B. counterfeit C. unrealistic D. demanding

Q: The first step of Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process is to conduct research to collect all the needed information.a. Trueb. False

Q: Which of the following is NOT suggested by the text as a technique for effective listening? A. When the sender pauses, seek clarification by restating her ideas in your own words. B. Be sure you understand the other person's ideas very well before you begin to evaluate them. C. Give the person advice by asking leading questions such as: "Are you sure you've really tried every solution we talked about?" D. When you are listening, hold back from making a wealth of comments.

Q: Brody is writing a memo to refuse an employee's vacation request. He should use the indirect pattern. a. True b. False

Q: Tyson's instructor assigned him to listen to a political presentation on campus. According to your text, in which order should Tyson complete the necessary mental tasks? A. listen, understand, evaluate B. listen, evaluate C. evaluate, formulate a response, listen D. understand, listen, evaluate

Q: The following represents a sentence fragment: With a solid idea and careful planning. a. True b. False

Q: Mindless listening A. should be avoided at all costs. B. is a useful strategy when we need to tune out distractions that are not worthy of careful attention. C. involves attending carefully to the message. D. takes up so much of our energy that we can't focus on those messages that are most important to hear.

Q: The following sentence contains a dangling modifier: Working all night, the report was finished by Robert. a. True b. False

Q: If you find it difficult to listen patiently when you believe that people are not efficient or are not promptly getting to the point during conversations, which listening style preference would you be using? A. relational B. analytical C. task-oriented D. critical

Q: Madeline is writing an e-mail message to ask about conference facility availability and rates. She should use the direct pattern. a. True b. False

Q: Hiro takes pleasure in exploring ideas during meetings. He likes to discuss an idea thoroughly, being sure that all the pros and cons have been systematically considered. Only after much debate is he willing to decide on a course of action. Hiro is demonstrating the _________________ style of listening. A. relational B. analytical C. task-oriented D. critical

Q: The topic sentence of a paragraph must always appear first. a. True b. False

Q: Dakota acts as the summarizer in her work team. After a proposal has been discussed for a few minutes, she summarizes the idea and then asks if the team is ready to move forward in implementing the proposal. She keeps the group on track, but she tends to gloss over any looks of concern or puzzlement. Dakota's listening behavior represents the ____________ style of listening. A. relational B. analytical C. task-oriented D. critical

Q: Organizing a message effectively involves grouping ideas to show relationships. a. True b. False

Q: Rodayne's friends say he is an excellent communicator. His listening ability has helped him develop and maintain a number of positive relationships, and he is extremely sensitive to the feelings and ideas of others. Which listening style preference do Rodayne's actions illustrate? A. relational B. analytical C. task-oriented D. critical

Q: The focus of a brainstorming session should be on the quality of ideas, not the quantity. a. True b. False

Q: The following sentence contains parallel structure: The policy affected all vendors, suppliers, and those involved with consulting. a. True b. False

Q: Which of the following is TRUE about gender difference in listening behavior? A. Women listen better than men do. B. Men tend to listen for feelings rather than facts. C. Women tend to listen for the facts and ignore feelings in messages. D. We can improve our communication by becoming aware of gender differences in listening and asking the speaker to clarify their meaning.

Q: According to the text, men and women have significant differences in the methods they use to listen. Which of the following accurately reflects the listening behaviors of women? A. Women use more "listening noises." B. Women are better at voicing disagreement. C. Women tend to listen for the facts of a message. D. Women are more likely to listen than men are.

Q: Mind mapping produces a visual organization chart summarizing a major event or product. a. True b. False

Q: Which of the following statements about gender differences in listening is true? A. In the workplace, men and women are listened to with an equal amount of attention. B. In most cases, women are better listeners than men are. C. Men use vocalizers such as "uh-huh" to signal they are paying attention to the speaker. D. Women tend to listen to the feelings behind a message, while men tend to listen to the content of a message.

Q: The first ATM opened near London in 1967 is an example of an independent clause. a. True b. False

Q: The direct organizational pattern should be used when writing to an audience that will be unwilling, uninterested, displeased, disappointed, or hostile. a. True b. False

Q: Which is true about seeking clarification? A. An effective employee should not ask questions. B. When we ask questions, we are showing our ignorance. C. Never ask a dumb question. D. Asking questions to seek clarification is a strategy that can pay dividends.

Q: Talking with your boss to gather information is an example of an informal research method. a. True b. False

Q: Chetna's mind wanders when her supervisor is talking to her. She doesn't paraphrase or ask clarifying questions, and she doesn't attend to her supervisor's nonverbal cues. Which of the following assumptions would help Chetna improve her listening? A. Communication is the sender's responsibility. B. Effective listening is an active process that includes observing nonverbals, asking for clarification, paraphrasing for understanding, and taking notes when possible. C. Talking has more advantages than listening. D. Listening is a mindless activity.

Q: One question important to ask yourself in shaping a written message is What will happen if the receiver doesn't do what I ask? a. True b. False

Q: Self-centered listeners A. receive low ratings for social attractiveness B. are well-liked C. readily learn valuable new information D. are likely to be promoted

Q: Crowdsourcing describes the practice of requesting ideas for products or services from employees and contractors. a. True b. False

Q: Which of the following terms represents the belief that your ideas are more important than other people's ideas? A. preoccupation B. false assumption C. egocentrism D. ignorance

Q: Searching blogs, Twitter, wikis, and Facebook pages for information is an example of an informal research method. a. True b. False

Q: Jim is having problems listening to Diana's directions for operating the new computer terminal because he is upset about his poor performance in his early morning presentation to the vice president. Which of the following barriers to listening does this scenario illustrate? A. message overload B. preoccupation C. rapid thought D. physical barriers

Q: A comma splice results when a sentence with two independent clauses is fused together without a conjunction or semicolon. a. True b. False

Q: Courtney continuously checks her email and texts responses while sitting in her biology lecture. Not surprisingly, she has trouble understanding many of the concepts she's supposed to be learning. Which type of barrier to effective listening does this represent? A. physiological barrier B. message overload C. ethnocentrism D. faulty assumption

Q: If you have any new ideas is an example of an independent clause. a. True b. False

Q: Katie is a supervisor for a calling center. She is experiencing a number of problems with her subordinates. They often bungle the instruction she provides, which results in additional work for her. After researching this problem, Katie determined that the reason her instructions were being misinterpreted is that she is giving instructions while the phones are ringing and the employees are filling out their time sheets. Which barrier to effective listening is the cause of Katie's problem? A. message overload B. rapid thought C. egocentrism D. sociocultural differences

Q: Sentences that average 8 words are most effective for business writing. a. True b. False

Q: The fact that a receiver can process information faster than a sender can speak affects which of the following barriers to effective listening? A. attitudinal B. sociocultural C. physiological D. environmental

Q: When you are persuading or delivering bad news to your audience, the indirect paragraph plan is most effective. a. True b. False