Deck 2: Building Speaker Confidence

Question 1

Instead of worrying about looks or impressions,it is better to

A)concentrate on not losing your concentration.
B)concentrate on getting your meaning across.
C)concentrate on your grade.
D)concentrate on entertaining the audience. 

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Isocrates,who was a Greek contemporary of Plato and Aristotle,

A)possessed an impressive speaking voice that could be heard by large crowds.
B)suffered from speaker anxiety and had a voice that would not project. 
C)had no impact on the study of public speaking.
D)started an unsuccessful school of rhetoric. 

Answer 2

B

Question 3

All of the following are true of positive imagery EXCEPT

A)it involves creating vivid,detailed mental images.
B)feelings,such as pride or confidence,will not occur until the situation actually exists. 
C)it can affect brain waves,heart rate,and other physiological responses in much the same way the actual event would. 
D)it can be applied to other anxiety-producing situation as well as to public speaking. 

Answer 3

B

Question 4

People from all cultures experience the same level of communicator anxiety.

Question 5

According to the text,the subconscious works to

A)tell the difference between what you have actually done and what you have only imagined yourself doing.
B)help you force yourself to do what you are not sure you can do.
C)keep us true to our picture of ourselves.
D)all of these. 

Question 6

The internal anxiety that a speaker brings to the speaking situation is called

A)situational anxiety.
B)state anxiety.
C)trait anxiety.
D)combination anxiety.

Question 7

Feeling apprehensive about public speaking is normal.

Question 8

When you picture yourself as a successful speaker,do all of the following EXCEPT

A)keep a loud volume and a steady voice.
B)sound dynamic.
C)concentrate on yourself rather than the audience.
D)use meaningful gestures. 

Question 9

When using visual aids like PowerPoint you should use complete sentences and read to your audience.

Question 10

Which of the following is the best example of a well-worded positive statement?

A)I want to speak with greater enthusiasm. 
B)I will try to use gestures that are smooth and natural.
C)I do not handle visual aids clumsily.
D)I am relaxed when I speak to large groups. 

Question 11

If you read aloud and do some stretching before you speak,you are doing which of the following?

A)warming up
B)planning an introduction
C)deep breathing
D)practicing

Question 12

People who feel comfortable expressing themselves are perceived as more competent,make a better impression during job interviews,and are more likely to be promoted to supervisory positions than anxious people are.

Question 13

A negative history of public speaking can create trait anxiety about public speaking in a person.

Question 14

The final step in using positive imagery is to

A)compare yourself to speakers superior to you.
B)compare yourself to speakers inferior to you.
C)avoid comparing yourself to other speakers.
D)avoid borrowing techniques from other speakers. 

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a way to manage situational anxiety?

A)prepare
B)practice
C)concentrate on meaning
D)use negative imagery

Question 16

Careful preparation for a presentation can reduce anxiety as much as

A)25%
B)50%
C)75%
D)10%

Question 17

The current view of trait anxiety is that it is

A)inborn.
B)learned.
C)both inborn and learned.
D)neither inborn nor learned. 

Question 18

The mental energy that you use when you practice positive imagery has many of the same effects as

A)professional interventions. 
B)therapy.
C)physical action.
D)a good night's rest. 

Question 19

Relaxation with deep breathing involves

A)tensing and relaxing each muscle group from your head to your toes as you inhale through the nose and slowly exhale through the mouth.
B)relaxing and staying relaxed as you visualize anxiety-producing situations.
C)slowly breathing while challenging irrational thoughts.
D)concentrating on a point on the wall while inhaling through the nose and slowly exhaling through the mouth.

Question 20

When you practice your speech,it is best to

A)always practice out loud.
B)practice the speech in your head.
C)read the speech several times silently.
D)read the notes you have taken and speak without practice.

Question 21

_______________ involves identifying irrational self-talk,developing alternative coping statements,and practicing those statements.

Question 22

One key to the speakers such as journalist Mike Wallace and talk show host Katie Couric speaking well despite anxiety is that they learned to view situational anxiety as the normal excitement necessary for _______________ speaking.

Question 23

List and briefly explain four of the techniques discussed in the text for managing situational anxiety.

Question 24

_______________ imagery simply requires the use of your imagination and is a successful technique that you can do on your own.

Question 25

The current view of trait anxiety is that it is both inborn and learned.

Question 26

Using the guidelines in the text,develop five well-worded statements you could use in applying positive imagery.

Question 27

List and briefly explain the three steps in mastering positive imagery.

Question 28

If you have extremely high trait anxiety and it seems that nothing you have tried so far has helped,you may have inborn-or genetically caused-anxiety that some researchers refer to as _______________.

Question 29

Taking a public speaking course is a form of _______________ training.

Question 30

Describe the difference between situational and trait anxiety.Why is situational anxiety more common?