Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi

COMM 1315

TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONS

1)"Are Our Bridges Safe?" would be an appropriate title for a speech on bridge safety.

2. "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" is an example of antithesis. 
3. "Conversational quality" in a speech means that the speaker talks the same as she or he would in ordinary conversation.      
4. "The Olympic flame burns inside every competitor, igniting their desire to win gold" is an example of metaphor.            
5. "To inform my audience how to create their own Web pages" is a specific purpose statement for an informative speech about a process.         
6. "To persuade my audience that Citizen Kane is the greatest movie of all time" is a specific purpose statement for a persuasive speech on a question of value.               
7. "To persuade my audience to contribute to the campus blood drive" is a specific purpose statement for a persuasive speech on a question of policy whose aim is passive agreement.             

8. A graduation address and a toast at a wedding are both examples of speeches for special occasions.             
9. A lawyer urging a jury to acquit her client is an example of informative speaking.
10. A speaker should avoid using familiar words because they make a speech sound trite.
11. A speaker's credibility is affected by everything she or he says and does during the speech.
12. A speech dominated by abstract words will almost always be clearer than one dominated by concrete words.        
13. A speech praising the bravery of the firefighters killed in New York on September 11, 2001, is an example of a commemorative speech.        
14. A speech urging Congress to construct a memorial in Washington, D.C., to recognize women's contributions to the American Revolution is an example of a commemorative speech.               
15. A visual aid is only as useful as the explanation that goes with it.                       
16. According to chapter 10, the introduction, body, and conclusion should all be labeled in a speech preparation outline.        
17. According to chapter 16, it is redundant for persuasive speakers to give their evidence and then to state the point the evidence is meant to prove.
18. According to chapter 18, the best approach to brainstorming in a small group is for each member to write down her or his ideas before sharing them with the group.            
19. An extemporaneous speech is carefully prepared and practiced in advance.               
20. Antithesis and alliteration are excellent ways to enhance the imagery of a speech.
21. Arguments guilty of the ad hominem fallacy attack the person rather than dealing with the real issue in dispute.     
22. As chapter 11 explains, using inclusive language in a speech is important primarily as a matter of political correctness.  
23. As chapter 15 explains, persuasion takes place only if the audience is strongly in favor of the speaker's position by the end of the speech.               
24. As defined in your textbook, a speech of presentation is a speech that presents someone a gift, an award, or some other form of public recognition.     
25. As in other forms of communication, effective listening is vital to communication in small-group discussion.             
26. As your textbook explains, disagreements among members of a small group should be kept on the interpersonal level so they won't interfere with the group's ability to complete its task.         
27. Because a panel discussion involves speaking impromptu, the best preparation for such a discussion is no preparation at all.     
28. Because it moves from a general principle to a specific conclusion, reasoning from principle is the opposite of reasoning from specific instances.           
29. Chapter 14 discusses four kinds of informative speeches: speeches about objects, speeches about concepts, speeches about processes, and speeches about events.               
30. Connotative meaning is precise, literal, and objective.           
31. Deciding when and where the group will meet is an example of a procedural need in a small group.              
32. Delivery cues should be included on both the preparation and speaking outlines.    
33. Each member of a small group should be prepared to assume a leadership role when necessary.
34. Effective commemorative speeches depend above all on the speaker's use of language.
35. Even though a persuasive speaker's goal is to influence the audience's beliefs or actions, he or she still has an ethical obligation to present evidence fairly and accurately.            
36. False cause, or post hoc ergo propter hoc, is an error in reasoning in which a speaker mistakenly assumes that because two things are similar in one respect, they are similar in all respects.                                                                                                                                                            
37. If the specific purpose of your informative speech is to recount the history of an event, you will usually arrange the speech in chronological order.  

38. If you advocate a new policy in a persuasive speech, your main points will usually fall naturally into topical order.
39. If you were summarizing statistical trends in a speech, the best visual aid to use would probably be a graph.                             
40. In most cases, the question-and-answer session has little impact on an audience's response to a speech.                          
41. In most circumstances you should keep your visual aids on display throughout your speech.
42. In the most common system of outlining, main points are identified by Roman numerals and subpoints by capital letters.  
43. In the United States, public speakers who establish strong eye contact are usually perceived as more credible than speakers who have weak eye contact.       
44. Including the specific purpose with your preparation outline makes it easier to assess how well you have constructed the speech to accomplish your purpose.     
45. Informative speeches about concepts are usually arranged in spatial order.                
46. Informative speeches are seldom organized in topical order.             
47. It is important to maintain strong eye contact with your audience when you are presenting a visual aid.                   
48. It is seldom necessary to write out quotations in full in a speaking outline.
49. It is usually inappropriate for persuasive speakers to refer to their personal experience in an attempt to bolster their credibility.              
50. Language needs to be appropriate to a speaker herself or himself, as well as to the audience, topic, and occasion.          
51. Nonverbal communication is based on a person's use of voice and body, rather than on the use of words.           
52. One of the advantages of speaking from a manuscript is that it frees a speaker from the need to establish eye contact with the audience.    
53. Passing visual aids among the audience during a speech is helpful to a speaker because it allows listeners to inspect the aids at their own pace.     
54. Persuasion is the process of creating, reinforcing or changing people's beliefs or actions.
55. Printing your visual aid in ALL CAPITAL letters is a good way to make sure it will be easy for the audience to read.                   
56. Rehearsing how you behave at the beginning and end of your speech is one of the easiest things you can do to improve your image with an audience.               
57. Research has shown that an average speaker who uses visual aids will come across as more credible and better prepared than a speaker who does not use visual aids.    
58. Research has shown that the speaker's personal appearance is an important factor in about 25 percent of speech situations.  
59. Research has shown that visual aids can increase both the clarity and the persuasiveness of a speaker's message.      
60. Research shows that using personal terms such as "you" and "your" in an informative speech can increase listeners' understanding of the speaker's ideas.             
61. Studies have shown that speakers with low initial credibility need to use more evidence than speakers with high initial credibility. 
62. The following statement is an example of reasoning by analogy: "The United Nations charter establishes the right of all people to live free of political repression. The government of North Korea subjects its people to political repression. Therefore, the government of North Korea is violating the U.N. charter."                            
63. The fundamental purpose of a commemorative speech is to convey information about the subject being commemorated. 
64. The ideal of small-group discussion is to reach a majority decision on major issues facing the group.                 
65. The main purpose of a speech of presentation is to provide a biography of the speaker being presented to the audience.