Q&A Hero

Q: What are the three major types of supporting materials used in public speeches? Evaluate the use of all three types in the following speech excerpt. Be sure to deal with all the supporting materials in the excerpt, and be specific in your evaluation. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, lakes, any area that is full of water. In addition to providing habitat for thousands of different animals, wetlands are a major barrier to the damage caused by the flooding of lakes and rivers. According to William Niering, Because they hold water like sponges, wetlands prolong and moderate runoff after heavy precipitation or snow melt. Without wetlands, floods would ravage the American landscape. Wetlands also help protect the quality of Americas water supply. Mark Christianson, a lobbyist for environmental issues, stated in the Nebraska Law Review that Filtration of pollution is one of the most valuable functions of wetlands. Wetlands can recycle amazing amounts of polluted water. Yet despite their many benefits, Americas wetlands are being destroyed by business interests and urban sprawl. Imagine a canteen full of water. This canteen could provide almost a weeks worth of refreshment in a hot desert. But what if there was a small hole in the canteen? Then the water might last just five days, or four, or maybe just two. This is what is happening to Americas wetlands. More than 11 million acres of American wetlandsan expanse twice the size of New Jerseyhave been drained in the past three decades. Ten times that amount have been lost since the Pilgrims arrived. Environmentalists report that today we are losing wetlands at an average rate of 458,246 acres each year. The hole in the canteen is dripping.

Q: Each of the following statements violates at least one of the criteria presented in your textbook for the use of supporting materials. Identify the flaw (or flaws) in each statement. a. As Matt Damon stated in a recent interview, America must act now to protect its national parks. If we do not take action right away, Damon said, the park system may be permanently damaged. b. According to a study by American Airlines, the quality of service in the U.S. airline industry has never been better. c. Every day 15,000 people die of starvation. Thats one person every 4.5 seconds. A half-billion people are chronically hungry. The U.S. Bureau of Labor states that over a billion people are trying to subsist on less than $300 a year for a family of four. Of that billion people, one-half are starving. An additional 1 billion people in 40 nations try to live on 27 cents a day.

Q: Each of the following statements violates at least one of the criteria presented in your textbook for the use of supporting materials. Identify the flaw (or flaws) in each statement. a. Figures compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the median salary for high-school teachers in the United States is $41,656. This shows that high-school teachers earn an average of just over $40,000 in salary. b. A report by Mario Aldano titled Ending School Violence indicates that more than 17,000 high-school students are the victims of violence or robbery every single day. c. According to statistics issued this year, California has the largest Hispanic population of any state in the Union at 13,074,155. Texas is second with 8,385,118, and Florida is third with 3,642,989.

Q: Identify and explain the four major guidelines discussed in your textbook for using testimony effectively in a speech.

Q: What is the difference between peer testimony and expert testimony? Are there cases where the lines begin to blur? What are the principal benefits of using each kind of testimony in a speech?

Q: Explain why each of the following would or would not be a reliable source of statistics in a speech about the environmental impact of drilling for oil in U.S. national parks. a. the president of Shell Oil b. a spokesperson for the National Wildlife Federation c. a professor of economics at Stanford University

Q: Your textbook provides six tips for the effective use of statistics in a speech. Identify and explain four of these tips.

Q: Explain the differences among the mean, the median, and the mode as statistical measures.

Q: Explain the following statement: Strictly speaking, statistics dont lie. But they can be easily manipulated and distorted. In your answer, include three examples of how statistics can be unethically manipulated and distorted.

Q: Explain the differences among the three types of examples discussed in the textbook. How can each be used effectively to support a speakers ideas?

Q: Why are examples such effective ways to support ideas in a speech?

Q: When you give the gist of someone elses statement in your own words, rather than quoting that person verbatim, you are _______________ .

Q: If you quoted your younger cousin in a speech about her experience playing youth soccer, you would be using _______________ testimony.

Q: If you quoted your roommate in a speech about the stress of being a college student, you would be using _______________ testimony.

Q: If you quoted your brother who plays football in high school about steroid use among high school athletes, you would be using _______________ testimony.

Q: If you quoted Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison on recent developments in popular literature, you would be using _______________ testimony.

Q: If you quoted the head of the United States Centers for Disease Control on chronic fatigue syndrome, you would be using _______________ testimony.

Q: If you quoted Charles McCreery, director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, on the new systems in place for early detection of possible tsunamis, you would be using _______________ testimony.

Q: According to your textbook, what three questions should you ask when evaluating statistics? a. b. c.

Q: The number that occurs the most in a group of numbers is the ______________ .

Q: The _______________ is the middle figure in a group once the numbers are put in order from highest to lowest.

Q: The _______________ , popularly called the average, is determined by adding up all the items in a group and dividing by the number of items.

Q: According to your textbook, an imaginary story that makes a general point is called a(n) _______________ example.

Q: According to your textbook, the three basic kinds of supporting materials are _______________ , _______________ , and _______________ .

Q: In his speech on depression, Dhavan said: According to materials I located through a Google search, almost 20 million American adults suffer from a depressive illness serious enough to interfere with their jobs and their family life. According to your textbook, did Dhavan make any mistakes in citing his sources? a. No. Dhavan provided a clear statistic from the Internet. b. Yes. Dhavan should have given the exact statistic instead of rounding it off to 20 million. c. Yes. Dhavan should have identified the documents author or sponsoring organization. d. Yes. Dhavan should have stated the statistic without mentioning where he found it. e. No. Dhavan cited Google, which is a reputable Internet search engine.

Q: According to your textbook, when quoting an Internet document during a speech, a speaker should identify the a. search engine used to find the document. b. author of the document if the authors name is known. c. organization responsible for the document if the authors name is not known. d. all of the above. e. b and c only.

Q: According to your textbook, when quoting an Internet document during a speech, a speaker should usually identify the a. full address of the Web site for the document. b. author or sponsoring organization responsible for the document. c. search engine used to find the document. d. all of the above. e. a and c only.

Q: According to your textbook, the exact information you should include in an oral citation during a speech depends on a. your topic. b. your audience. c. the type of supporting material you are using. d. all of the above. e. a and b only.

Q: According to your textbook, when citing sources during a speech, a speaker should usually identify the a. book, magazine, newspaper, or Web document being cited. b. author or sponsoring organization responsible for the document. c. qualifications of the author with regard to the topic. d. all of the above. e. b and c only.

Q: According to your textbook, when citing Internet documents during a speech, a speaker should usually identify the a. full address of the Web site for the document. b. author or sponsoring organization responsible for the document. c. date on which the document was published, posted, or updated. d. all of the above. e. b and c only.

Q: How does the following excerpt from a classroom speech violate the guidelines for supporting materials presented in your textbook? According to a study earlier this year by the Meyers Survey Research Company funded by McDonalds, there is no clear correlation between obesity and the consumption of fast food. a. It doesnt indicate whether the information came from the Internet. b. It doesnt present information from an unbiased source. c. It doesnt include statistics. d. all of the above e. b and c only

Q: Which of the following would probably be the most reliable source of testimony in a speech about successful dieting strategies? a. the CEO of Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centers b. a psychology professor from Princeton University c. the head of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals dietary supplements division d. a scientist studying weight-loss methods at the U.S. National Institutes of Health e. an infomercial for the NutriSystem weight loss program

Q: Which of the following would probably be the most reliable source of testimony in a speech about the impact of automobile exhaust on air pollution? a. the president of General Motors b. a sociology professor at Yale University c. the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency d. a public relations officer at Ford Motors e. the head of the Better Business Bureau

Q: According to your textbook, when presenting testimony in a speech, you should usually paraphrase the testimony, rather than quote it verbatim, if a. the quotation is more than two or three sentences long. b. you need to alter the quotation so it will say what you need to prove your point. c. the wording of the quotation is obscure or cumbersome. d. all of the above. e. a and c only.

Q: To give the gist of someones statement in your own words is to a. paraphrase. b. hypothesize. c. corroborate. d. testify. e. quote.

Q: To paraphrase is to a. create a new way of describing an event. b. violate ethical standards of public speaking. c. use someone elses words so you dont have to credit them. d. give the gist of someones statement in your own words. e. use testimony for persuasive speeches.

Q: According to your textbook, if you quoted tsunami survivor Hiromitsu Shinkawa on the hardships that face residents trying to rebuild their lives in Japan, you would be using __________ testimony. a. peer b. informal c. representative d. professional e. expert

Q: According to your textbook, if you quoted Dwayne Martinez, a Deepwater Horizon oil rig worker, on what happened in the moments after the BP Gulf of Mexico explosion, you would be using __________ testimony. a. peer b. personal c. subjective d. occasional e. private

Q: According to your textbook, if you quoted Juanita Washington, a resident of New Orleans, on the psychological effects of Hurricane Katrina, you would be using __________ testimony. a. peer b. personal c. subjective d. occasional e. private

Q: According to your textbook, if you quoted Microsoft founder Bill Gates about his personal experience caring for his aging parents, what kind of testimony would you be using? a. peer b. subjective c. professional d. private e. expert

Q: According to your textbook, if you quoted Nobel Prizewinning physicist Steven Chu about his experiences growing up in Missouri as a Chinese American, what kind of testimony would you be using? a. subjective b. professional c. private d. expert e. peer

Q: According to your textbook, if you quoted your cousin about her experience digging for dinosaur bones last summer, you would be using __________ testimony. a. peer b. personal c. paraphrased d. ordinary e. direct

Q: In his speech about natural disasters, Paul included the following statement: Floods are psychologically as well as physically devastating. As one local flood victim told me, It is a helpless feeling to see the water continue to riseto see it wash away your home, to see it wash away your life. I just feel like giving up. According to your textbook, what kind of supporting material did Paul use? a. emotional testimony b. extended testimony c. authoritative testimony d. subjective testimony e. peer testimony

Q: In her speech about child abuse, Kim included the following statement: The effects of child abuse last long after the child has grown to adulthood. As one victim of child abuse stated in a local newspaper article just last week, I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes I still wake up in fear in the middle of the night. Even worse, I find myself raging at my own children and treating them like my parents treated me. According to your textbook, what kind of supporting material did Kim use? a. peer testimony b. extended testimony c. authoritative testimony d. expert testimony e. valid testimony

Q: __________ testimony is especially valuable in a speech because it adds the personal insight of people with firsthand experience on a topic. a. peer b. familiar c. common d. everyday e. ordinary

Q: The opinions of ordinary people who have firsthand experience or insight on a topic are referred to as __________ testimony. a. eyewitness b. firsthand c. peer d. observer e. participant

Q: When Julia Wang quoted former U.S. Social Security Commissioner Dorcas Hardy in her speech on reforming the Social Security system, she was using what your textbook calls __________ testimony. a. peer b. legitimate c. professional d. accurate e. expert

Q: According to your textbook, if you quoted Joy Perkins Newman, a National Institutes of Health researcher, on the causes of adolescent depression, what kind of testimony would you be using? a. peer b. expert c. professional d. scientific e. direct

Q: According to your textbook, if you quoted Harvard business professor John B. Matthews on the strengths and weaknesses of U.S. business schools, you would be using __________ testimony. a. peer b. professional c. expert d. unbiased e. valid

Q: In her speech about spousal abuse, Nilofer said: According to the director of the local battered-womans shelter, spousal abuse has become a more serious problem in the past ten years than ever before. According to your textbook, what kind of supporting material did Nilofer use? a. peer testimony b. scientific testimony c. expert testimony d. hypothetical testimony e. logical testimony

Q: According to your textbook, if you quoted Steven Covey, a professor at Brigham Young University and author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People , on the principles of effective time management, what kind of testimony would you be using? a. direct b. expert c. professional d. scientific e. educational

Q: According to your textbook, if you quoted Dr. Anthony DAlessandro, a world-renowned transplant surgeon, on the organ shortage problem, what kind of testimony would you be using? a. valid b. peer c. professional d. expert e. unbiased

Q: The main value of using expert testimony in a speech is to a. enhance the vividness of the speakers ideas. b. gain attention in the introduction of the speech. c. build the credibility of speakers who are not experts on their topics. d. keep the audiences attention throughout the body of the speech. e. relate the speakers ideas directly to the audience.

Q: Using expert testimony is an excellent way to lend __________ to your speeches. a. vividness b. reliability c. concreteness d. credibility e. professionalism

Q: According to your textbook, when you use statistics in a speech, you should a. cite the source of your statistics. b. use exact figures instead of rounding off. c. get statistics from a reliable source. d. all of the above. e. a and c only.

Q: According to your textbook, how might a speaker clarify the statistics in the following speech excerpt? Although women are catching up to men in many fields, there is an increasing gender gap in computer science and engineering. The latest statistics from the National Science Foundation show that the percentage of engineering degrees awarded to women fell from 20 percent in 2005 to 18 percent in 2008, and that the percentage of computer science degrees awarded to women fell from 22 percent to 17 percent during the same period. a. Use a visual aid to illustrate statistical trends. b. Avoid technical language. c. Identify the source of the statistics. d. all of the above. e. b and c only

Q: According to your textbook, a good way to clarify statistical trends is to a. increase your speaking rate when giving statistics. b. consult the Guinness Book of World Records. c. use exact numbers rather than rounding off. d. use visual aids when presenting statistics. e. make sure the statistics are from unbiased sources.

Q: How does the following excerpt from a classroom speech violate the guidelines for supporting materials presented in your textbook? According to a CNN/USA Today poll taken last month, 57.63 percent of those surveyed support legislation to ban the cloning of human beings. a. It doesnt use a qualified source for statistics. b. It doesnt round off statistics. c. It doesnt use up-to-date statistics. d. all of the above e. a and c only

Q: How does the following excerpt from a classroom speech violate the guidelines for using supporting materials presented in your textbook? Hunger kills millions of people around the globe each year. According to the World Health Organization, an average of 24,362 people died of hunger or hunger-related causes every day last year. a. It doesnt use a qualified source for statistics. b. It doesnt use statistics to quantify ideas. c. It doesnt round off statistics. d. all of the above e. a and b only

Q: According to your textbook, when you use statistics in a speech, you should usually a. round off complicated statistics. b. combine the statistics with a hypothetical example. c. use a large number of statistics. d. increase your speaking rate when giving statistics. e. manipulate the statistics to make a point.

Q: What suggestion presented in your textbook for using statistics is followed in the following speech excerpt? If it seems as if you spend a lot of time going back and forth from your job, its probably because you do. According to figures compiled by management consultant Jeff Davidson, the average American commutes 157,600 miles to and from work during his or her working life. Thats equal to driving six times around the earth. a. Use statistics to quantify ideas. b. Identify the source of statistics. c. Relate statistics to the audience. d. all of the above e. b and c only

Q: What guideline presented in your textbook for using supporting materials is followed in this speech excerpt? According to the Office for Substance Abuse Prevention, alcohol is the leading cause of death among young adults. Furthermore, of college students currently enrolled in the United States, more than 240,000 will eventually lose their lives to alcohol. Two hundred forty thousandthats the current student population of this university six times over. a. Relate statistics to the audience. b. Use extended examples to personalize ideas. c. Paraphrase sources when presenting testimony. d. all of the above e. b and c only

Q: What suggestion presented in your textbook for using supporting materials is used in the following speech excerpt? Since it first opened for business, McDonalds has sold over 100 billion hamburgers. To give you an idea how many hamburgers that is, think of it this way: Since each McDonalds burger (with the bun) is about 2 inches thick, 100 billion hamburgers stacked on top of each other would reach over 3 million miles fifteen times as far as the moon. a. Explain your statistics. b. Present testimony from qualified sources. c. Use examples to quantify ideas. d. Quote or paraphrase accurately. e. Use statistics to personalize ideas.

Q: According to your textbook, when you use statistics in a speech, you should a. use as many statistics as possible. b. explain the statistics to the audience. c. use exact figures instead of rounding off. d. all of the above. e. a and c only.

Q: How does the following excerpt from a classroom speech violate the guidelines for the use of statistics presented in your textbook? I discovered on the Internet that each year, for every 100,000 students living in college dormitories, there are 4 cases of bacterial meningitis. a. It doesnt round off the statistics. b. It doesnt state the statistics clearly. c. It doesnt cite a qualified source for the statistics. d. all of the above e. b and c only

Q: How does the following excerpt from a classroom speech violate the guidelines for using statistics presented in your textbook? One magazine reports that U.S. consumers pay more than $300 billion a year on products to cover the manufacturers liability costs. This amounts to a staggering $4,000 per household. On a specific basis, product liability costs account for $11.50 of every $12 dose of vaccine we give our children, and over $100 of the cost of a football helmet. a. It doesnt relate statistics to the audience. b. It doesnt identify the source of statistics. c. It doesnt use statistics to quantify ideas. d. all of the above e. a and b only

Q: According to your textbook, when evaluating statistics you should ask whether they a. are from a reliable source. b. use statistical measures correctly. c. are representative of what they claim to measure. d. all of the above. e. b and c only.

Q: Each of the following is mentioned in your textbook as a tip for using statistics except a. use statistics sparingly. b. use visual aids to clarify statistical trends. c. round off complicated statistics. d. identify the source of your statistics. e. avoid using statistics found on the Internet.

Q: When using statistics in a speech, you should usually a. manipulate the statistics to make your point. b. cite exact numbers rather than rounding off. c. increase your speaking rate when giving statistics. d. avoid using too many statistics. e. conceal the source of the statistics.

Q: To give statistics greater impact, a speaker should a. use statistics sparingly. b. let the statistics speak for themselves. c. cite exact numbers rather than rounding off. d. combine the statistics with technical language. e. conceal the source of the statistics.

Q: The main value of using statistics in a speech is to a. lend realism to the speech. b. enhance the speakers credibility. c. make the speech more vivid. d. avoid relying on testimony. e. quantify the speakers ideas.

Q: What is the mode in the following set of numbers: 300, 400, 400, 600, 800? a. 300 b. 400 c. 450 d. 500 e. 700

Q: To say that the mode salary of a major league baseball player is $600,000 is to say that a. more major league baseball players earn $600,000 than any other salary. b. when you list all the players salaries in order, $600,000 is the middle salary. c. when you average all the salaries paid to major leaguers, the result is $600,000. d. no major league baseball player makes less than $600,000. e. none of the above.

Q: What is the median in the following set of numbers: 200, 300, 500, 600, 600? a. 200 b. 350 c. 440 d. 500 e. 600

Q: To say that the median salary of a major league baseball player is $800,000 is to say that a. more major league baseball players earn $800,000 than any other salary. b. when you average all the salaries paid to major leaguers, the result is $800,000. c. when you list all the players salaries in order, $800,000 is the middle salary. d. no major league baseball player makes less than $800,000. e. none of the above.

Q: What is the mean in the following set of numbers: 100, 300, 500, 500, 600? a. 300 b. 400 c. 500 d. 550 e. 600

Q: To say that the mean salary of a major league baseball player is $3.2 million is to say that a. no major league baseball player makes less than $3.2 million. b. more major league baseball players earn $3.2 million than any other salary. c. when you list all the players salaries in order, $3.2 million is the middle salary. d. the average salary paid to major leaguer baseball players is $3.2 million. e. none of the above.

Q: To say that 110 is the mean number of words people speak a minute in normal discourse is to say that a. no one speaks at more than 110 words a minute in normal discourse. b. the average rate of speakers in normal discourse is 110 words a minute. c. more people speak at 110 words a minute than at any other rate. d. all of the above. e. a and b only.

Q: The mean is the statistical measure that corresponds to what is popularly called a. the medial. b. the average. c. the mode. d. the probability. e. the median.

Q: Which of the following statistical measures corresponds to what is popularly called the average? a. the medial b. the mean c. the medium d. the mode e. the median