A6-Test Bank Part II-Chapter 4 Selecting a Topic and Purpose

Chapter 4 Selecting a Topic and a PurposeTrue-False Questions Students are to indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false by circling the appropriate letter.1.TFUsually the speech topic is determined by the occasion, the audience, and the speakers qualifications. 2.TFThere are three broad categories of potential topics. 3.TFIf you started out free-associating from movies, you would doubtless end up somewhere completely different.4.TFUsually general purpose will fall into one of two overlapping categoriesto inform or to persuade.5.TFYour specific purpose is not necessarily appropriate for your audience.6.TFIf you find that you cant fulfill your specific purpose without relying on technical words and concepts, you should reconsider your purpose.7.TFThe central idea is what you hope to accomplish.8.TFThe central idea usually emerges after you have done your research and have decided on the main points.9.TFThe central idea should be expressed either as a full sentence or an infinitive phrase.10.TFThe characteristics that make a well-worded central idea are essentially the same things that make a well-worded specific purpose.Multiple Choice QuestionsStudents are to indicate the best answer for each question by circling the correct letter.1. Which of the following people is likely to give a speech on curriculum and textbooks?a. The head of a travel agency.b. The real estate agent.c. The movie director.d. The middle-school principal.2. Most people speak best about subjects _.a. in which they are most interestedb. with which they are most familiarc. about which they are most curiousd. at which they are most surprised3. For _ speeches, you can think of subjects about which you hold strong opinions and beliefs.a. persuasiveb. informativec. commemoratived. introductory4. If you are having trouble selecting a topic, there are a number of _ procedures you can follow to get started.a. creativeb. regularc. identifyingd. brainstorming5. If personal inventory doesnt work, try a technique called _.a. groupingb. clusteringc. categorizingd. classifying6. Which of the following topic ideas is NOT likely to be included in the sublist for Three Gorges?a. Academy Awards.b. Yangtze River.c. Chongqing.d. Mountains.7. All of the following topic ideas are relevant to the category of plans and policies EXCEPT _.a. Develop Solar Powerb. Cook Yunnan foodc. Change graduation Requirementsd. Build a New Computer Center8. When your general purpose is to persuade, you act as _.a. an advocate or a partisanb. a politician or a statesmanc. an academician or a researcherd. a marketer or an advertiser9. All of the following specific purpose statements are effective EXCEPT _.a. to inform my audience about recent discoveries of dinosaur fossilsb. to inform my audience that yoga is extremely coolc. to persuade my audience that harsher penalties are needed to prevent the practices of fraudulent land developersd. to inform my audience about the scientific uses of hot-air balloons10. Which of the following tips for specific purpose statements is false?a. Write the purpose statement as a full infinitive phrase.b. Avoid figurative language in your purpose statement.c. Express your purpose as a question, not as a statement.d. Make sure your specific purpose is not too vague or general.11. No matter how well you construct your speeches, they are likely to _ unless you speak about matters of interest to your listeners.a. fall flatb. become offensivec. misleadd. be illogical12. You should choose a specific purpose you can achieve _.a. in no more than an hourb. in the allotted timec. in the least possible timed. in no less than 10 minutes13. A six-minute speech will consist of roughly _ words.a. 120 to 150b. 300 to 350c. 520 to 800d. 720 to 90014. Which of the following specific purpose statements is NOT likely to be handled well in the time allotted for classroom speeches?a. To inform my audience about the rise and fall of ancient Rome.b. To persuade my audience to convert to vegetarianism.c. To inform my audience of the history, styles, and cultural impact of qipao.d. To inform my audience about the role of technology in Chinese history.15. Which of the following tips for central idea is false?a. Make sure the central idea is not too specific.b. Express the central idea as a full sentence.c. State the central idea as a declarative sentence, not as a question.d. Avoid figurative language in the central idea.16. The central idea “Banning violent content on television is a good idea” is considered ineffective because _.a. it is not a full sentenceb. it is a questionc. it is too generald. it includes figurative language17. According to your textbook, brainstorming is especially helpful when you are having trouble _.a. determining the general purposeb. determining the specific purposec. phrasing the central idead. choosing a speech topic18. After choosing a topic, what is the next step of speech preparation?a. Phrasing the central idea.b. Analyzing the occasion.c. Determining the general purpose.d. Selecting the specific purpose.19. Using Yahoo or other subject-based search engines on the Internet is recommended in your textbook as one method of _ for a speech topic.a. siftingb. consultingc. brainstormingd. deliberating20. Which of the following is out of place in a speech to inform?a. Advocating.b. Explaining.c. Reporting.d. Telling.21. When the general purpose of your speech is to _, you act primarily as a teacher or lecturer.a. convinceb. entertainc. informd. persuade22. Advocating a position is most appropriate when the general purpose of your speech is to _.a. inspireb. persuadec. entertaind. inform23. “Improving personal relationships” is a poorly phrased specific purpose for a speech because it is _.a. too technical for a classroom speechb. written as a sentence rather than a declarative phrasec. written as a fragment rather than a full infinitive phrased. expressed in figurative language24. “Knowing how to deal with stress” is a poorly phrased specific purpose for a classroom speech because it _.a. is too technicalb. does not include a reference to the audiencec. contains figurative languaged. written as a sentence rather than a declarative phrase25. According to your textbook, what is the most important early step in the process of developing a successful speech?a. Creating a preliminary bibliography.b. Researching for speech materials.c. Formulating the specific purpose.d. Brainstorming for a central idea.26. As a specific purpose statement, “To inform my audience about computer technology” is too _.a. trivialb. broadc. technicald. detailed27. “To inform my audience about the basic steps in car maintenance and how to protect their investment with auto insurance” is a poorly phrased specific purpose statement for a classroom speech because it _.a. is too specificb. contains figurative languagec. contains more than one distinct idead. is written as a statement instead of a question28. “To inform about saving for retirement” is a poorly phrased specific purpose statement because it _.a. is too specificb. does not include a reference to the audiencec. contains figurative languaged. is written as a statement instead of a question29. As a specific purpose statement, “To inform my audience about global warming” is too _.a. scientificb. broadc. personald. detailed30. Identify the flaw in the following specific purpose statement for a classroom speech: “To inform my audience about the solar system.”a. Its too shallow.b. Its too general.c. Its too remote.d. Its too impersonal.31. Identify the flaw in the following specific purpose statement for a classroom speech: “To inform my audience about the stock market.”a. Its too figurative.b. Its too detailed.c. Its too general.d. Its too technical.32. The specific purpose of Stephanies informative speech is “To inform my audience about ballet.” Are there any flaws in Stephanies specific purpose?a. Yes. Stephanies specific purpose is too broad.b. Yes. Stephanies specific purpose is too impersonal.c. Yes. Stephanies specific purpose is written as a statement rather than a question.d. Yes. Stephanies specific purpose mentions her audience. 33. “To inform my audience about the three basic steps in preventive medicine” is an example of a _.a. specific purposeb. thesis statementc. central idead. general purpose34. “To inform my audience about the symptoms, causes, and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome” is an example of a _.a. thesis statementb. general purposec. specific purposed. main point35. “To inform my audience how our local water treatment facility ensures the safety of our drinking water” is an example of a _.a. specific purposeb. transition statementc. general purposed. central idea36. “To inform my audience about the four major elements in rope climbing” is an example of a _.a. speech topicb. general purposec. specific purposed. thesis statement37. According to your textbook, “Getting an internship at a major corporation requires a great deal of work, but the rewards are well worth the effort” is an example of a(n) _.a. speech proposalb. specific purposec. informative thesisd. central idea38. “The three main methods of harvesting trees in professional logging are selective cutting, clear cutting, and row thinning” is an example of a _. a. specific purposeb. transitionc. central idead. signpost39. “The three major factors to consider when purchasing a bicycle are the kind of riding you plan to do, the amount of riding you plan to do, and the amount of money you are willing to spend” is an example of a _.a. specific purposeb. central ideac. general purposed. topic statement40. Chang thinks hed like to give an informative speech for class on what its like to be an international student on a U.S. college campus. His specific purpose is “To persuade my audience to be more accepting of international students.” His central idea is “An international students accent, use of English, and cultural customs should be accepted rather than criticized.” Has Chang made any mistakes in this process?a. No. Chang has covered all the bases for an informative speech.b. Yes. Changs specific purpose contains too much figurative language.c. Yes. Changs central idea contains two or more unrelated ideas.d. Yes. Changs specific purpose is not suitable for an informative speech.Short Answer Questions1. The specific purpose is a single infinitive phrase that states precisely what a speaker hopes to accomplish in his or her speech.2. A one-sentence statement that sums up or encapsulates the major ideas of a speech is called the central idea.3. List at least three questions you should ask about the suitability of your specific purpose for your audience.a. b. c. Possible answers include:Does my purpose meet the assignment?Can I accomplish my purpose in the time allotted?Is the purpose relevant to my audience?Is the purpose too trivial for my audience?Is the purpose too technical for my audience?4. Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for a persuasive speech: “Something must be done about cybercrime.”It is too general; it does not indicate what “must be done.” 5. Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for an informative speech: “How to tell fake antique crocks.”It is not written as a complete sentence. 6. Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for an informative speech: “What are the major styles of Chinese silk embroidery?”It is written as a question, rather than as a statement. 7. Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for a persuasive speech: “Graffiti artists are a public nuisance.”It is expressed with figurative language. 8. What is wrong with the following specific purpose statement for an informative speech? Rewrite the statement to conform with the criteria given in your textbook for effective specific purpose statements.IneffectiveSpecific Purpose:The major beliefs of the Buddhist religion.Error:It is written as a fragment, not as a full infinitive phrase.More EffectiveSpecific Purpose:To inform my audience about the major beliefs of the Buddhist religion.9. What is wrong with the following specific purpose statement for an informative speech? Rewrite the statement to conform with the criteria given in your textbook for effective specific purpose statements.IneffectiveSpecific Purpose:To inform my audience about World War II.Error:It is too vague or general; doesnt indicate what specific aspects of World War II will be dealt with in the speech.More EffectiveSpecific Purpose:To inform my audience abou