Communication skills, including public speaking, are often ranked first among
the qualities employers seek in college graduates.
TRUE
The growth of the Internet and social networking is reducing the need for public
speaking.
FALSE
As your textbook states, public speaking is a form of empowerment because it
gives speakers the ability to manipulate people.
FALSE
The teaching and study of public speaking began more than 4,000 years ago.
TRUE
Both public speaking and conversation involve adapting to listener feedback.
TRUE
Public speaking requires the same method of delivery as ordinary conversation.
FALSE
Public speaking usually requires more formal language than everyday
conversation.
TRUE
Public speaking is more highly structured than everyday conversation.
TRUE
When you
adjust to the situation of a public speech, you are doing on a larger
scale what you do every day in conversation.
TRUE
As a speaker, you can usually assume that an audience will be interested in what
you have to say.
FALSE
Fortunately, stage fright only affects inexperienced speakers.
FALSE
Most successful speakers are nervous before taking the floor.
TRUE
Some nervousness before you speak is usually beneficial.
TRUE
Many of the symptoms of stage fright are due to adrenaline, a hormone released into the bloodstream in response to physical or mental stress.
TRUE
Thinking of stage fright as “stage excitement” or “stage enthusiasm” can help you
get focused and energized for a speech.
TRUE
For most beginning speakers, the biggest part of stage fright is fear of the
unknown.
TRUE
The aim of
an ethical speaker is to accomplish his or her goals by any means
necessary.
FALSE
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right and wrong in
human affairs.
TRUE
Ethical issues can arise at every stage of the speechmaking process.
TRUE
The ethical obligation of a speaker to be fully prepared increases as the size of the
audience increases.
FALSE
A public speaker need only
be concerned about ethics in the conclusion of a
speech.
FALSE
The first responsibility of a speaker is to make sure her or his goal is ethically
sound.
TRUE
A speaker’s ethical obligations decrease as the size of the audience decreases.
FALSE
As the Roman rhetorician Quintilian noted 2,000 years ago, the ideal of speechmaking is to persuade the audience by any means necessary.
FALSE
As the Roman
rhetorician Quintilian noted 2,000 years ago, the ideal of
speechmaking is the good person speaking well.
TRUE
Because persuasion is such a complex process, juggling statistics and quoting out of context to maximize your persuasive effect are ethically acceptable in speeches
to persuade.
FALSE
As long as the goal of your speech is ethically sound, it is acceptable to use any
means necessary to achieve your goal.
FALSE
Ethical decisions need to be justified against a set of standards or criteria.
TRUE
Sound ethical decisions involve weighing a potential course of action against a set
of ethical standards or guidelines.
TRUE
Because ethical decisions are complex, ethical choices are simply a matter of
personal preference.
FALSE
As your textbook explains, ethical decisions are essentially a matter of personal
whim or opinion.
FALSE
You have an ethical obligation to make sure the information you present in your
speeches is accurate.
TRUE
Hearing and listening are essentially the same.
FALSE
People need effective listening skills in almost all occupations.
TRUE
Research indicates that even when we listen carefully, we understand and retain
only about half of what we hear.
TRUE
People spend more time listening than in any other communicative activity.
TRUE
You can improve your own speeches by listening carefully to the speeches of
other people.
TRUE
As your textbook explains, focusing on a speaker’s delivery and personal
appearance is an excellent way to strengthen your listening skills.
FALSE
One of the major obstacles to listening effectively is that the brain can process
many more words than can be spoken in
a minute.
TRUE
According to your textbook, a skilled therapist listening to a patient is an example
of appreciative listening.
FALSE
Appreciative listening is closely tied to critical thinking.
FALSE
Listening is a passive process, while critical thinking is an active process.
FALSE
Listening to provide emotional support for someone is called empathic listening
TRUE
According to
your textbook, listening to understand a classroom lecture is an
example of appreciative listening.
FALSE
According to your textbook, listening to understand a classroom lecture is an
example of comprehensive listening.
TRUE
When you listen to someone give a sales presentation, and you need to decide whether you will buy the item, you are engaged in comprehensive listening.
FALSE
Listening to evaluate a message for
purposes of accepting or rejecting it is known
as critical listening.
TRUE
Critical listening involves listening to evaluate a message for purposes of
TRUE
Much of the anxiety associated with public speaking comes from lack of experience
giving speeches.
TRUE
One of the most common mistakes students make on their first speech is trying to
cover too much
TRUE