Deck 6: Finding a Purpose and Selecting a Topic

Question 1

A speech about how to winterize your car is a speech to inform.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A speech with a general purpose refers to:

A)an event in which various speakers present.
B)presenting a message with no particular goal.
C)presenting a speech for a generalized audience.
D)a speech that informs,persuades,or entertains.
E)a topic which is thought to appeal to everyone.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A value is a:

A)listener's "yardstick" for assessing how credible the speaker is.
B)moral standard that a speaker can invoke during his or her speech.
C)person's perceptions of the usefulness,importance,or worth of something.
D)speaker's desire for others to perceive him or her in a particular way.
E)strongly held aspiration toward which an individual is willing to strive.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

An attitude is:

A)the character of a personality that makes a speaker honest and direct.
B)a communication style that is incisive,confrontational,and sarcastic.
C)a mindset toward analyzing or exposing the weaknesses in an idea.
D)a noncommittal approach that avoids getting bogged down in details.
E)the predisposition toward seeing something as good or bad,right or wrong.

Question 5

A ___________ is one's perception of the usefulness,importance,or worth of something.

Question 6

A speech urging you to vote against a proposition is a speech to entertain.

Question 7

Pure persuasion occurs when the speaker:

A)accommodates the audience by using only the facts that support his or her thesis.
B)presents himself or herself as "one of you," with dreams and values in common.
C)simplifies his or her language,defines confusing terms,and provides examples.
D)takes the time to thank the audience for their time and thoughtful attention.
E)truly believes the change he or she proposes is in the best interest of the listeners.

Question 8

A persuasive speech includes a call for action.

Question 9

Manipulative persuasion occurs when the speaker:

A)cites knowledgeable people who have done research in the same area.
B)discloses his or her honest reasons for proposing a particular change.
C)disguises or hides his or her ulterior reasons for proposing a particular change.
D)provides a real-life case study to show the benefits of the proposed change.
E)provides a slogan or rhyme to help the audience remember the message.

Question 10

___________ persuasion occurs when the speaker truly believes that a particular change is in the best interest of the audience.

Question 11

In a speech to entertain,a speaker:

A)advises listeners to make time for themselves every week.
B)gets the audience to respond interactively to "what if?" questions.
C)gives a speech that provides enjoyment for the listeners.
D)makes use of gestures and facial expressions to elicit laughter.
E)uses jokes and sarcasm to cast doubt on popular beliefs.

Question 12

Knowledge sharing is the delivery of information,skills,or expertise to people.

Question 13

A belief is:

A)an assumption or inference that challenges scientific or conventional knowledge.
B)the emotional dependence on a higher,more powerful authority,such as God.
C)erroneous or inaccurate information easily corrected by presenting observable facts.
D)a proposition that a person holds as true or false without positive knowledge or proof.
E)wishful thinking in which someone expects a particular outcome in return for belief.

Question 14

The general purposes of speaking are to ___________,to persuade,and to entertain.

Question 15

A speech for presenting an award is a ceremonial speech.

Question 16

Knowledge sharing refers to:

A)acting as a liaison between groups and gaining recognition from it.
B)alerting the audience to potential problems so they can be vigilant.
C)delivering information or expertise to people who will benefit from it.
D)networking with various groups in order to elicit appropriate responses.
E)selecting the relevant facts for people or groups who need them.

Question 17

What is the main difference between pure persuasion and manipulative persuasion?

Question 18

The purpose of a speech to inform is to:

A)convey knowledge the audience doesn't already have.
B)ensure that the audience will agree with the speaker.
C)impress the audience with your speaking skills.
D)inspire the audience to meet a specific challenge.
E)warn them about political change that will affect them.

Question 19

Common types of informative topics are:

A)aspirations,vision,education,planning,and success.
B)objects,people,events,concepts,processes,and issues.
C)position,pay,power,and prestige in the professions.
D)religion,rights,and responsibility as a citizen.
E)technology,crime,and the inadequacy of the law.

Question 20

___________ persuasion occurs when a speaker urges listeners to action by misleading them.

Question 21

Narrowing a speech topic:

A)is easily accomplished by leaving out boring details.
B)makes it possible to cover a lot of territory quickly.
C)is necessary for speakers who speak very slowly.
D)is a necessary step,but a fairly quick and easy one.
E)takes time and patience to focus effectively.

Question 22

What are beliefs,attitudes,and values? Define each,and provide an example.

Question 23

An audience constrains a speaker because they:

A)are likely to over-react if they disagree.
B)are too smart to take logical shortcuts with.
C)have different interests,needs,and concerns.
D)have the right to ignore or disbelieve you.
E)will be listening for weaknesses in delivery.

Question 24

Which question should you ask yourself when narrowing your speech?

A)Can I reasonably hope to inform or persuade the audience within the time frame?
B)Is this a topic for which I will have to do a lot of time-consuming research?
C)Is this topic one that will leave the audience with a positive impression of me?
D)Will my topic impress my audience enough to make them see me in a new light?
E)Will the topic be exceptional enough to inspire questions from the audience?

Question 25

Narrowing your topic means:

A)explaining to the audience why you can't cover your topic completely.
B)focusing the topic to a very specific area within a broader topic.
C)identifying a single detail you can talk about for five to seven minutes.
D)making sure the speech can be given significantly under the time frame.
E)treating the topic in general without going into any degree of depth.

Question 26

Reasonable and intelligent audiences do not have preconceived ideas about politics and religion.

Question 27

You should narrow your topic so that:

A)the audience won't be overwhelmed with all the knowledge.
B)it will also apply to research you're doing in other courses.
C)visual and presentation aids can do most of the work for you.
D)you can present worthwhile content within the time frame.
E)you'll be able to accomplish all the research for it online.

Question 28

Context is a public speaking constraint because:

A)appropriate topics are different in one location than in another location.
B)only certain locations can accommodate reporters and television cameras.
C)opening remarks are audience-friendly if they include reference to the location.
D)speakers must take steps to make sure they will not be quoted out of context.
E)speakers should attempt to groom and dress themselves to conform to the location.

Question 29

What's the difference between a speech to inform and a speech to persuade?

Question 30

Differentiate between pure and manipulative persuasion.Describe a time when it may be ethical to use each type of persuasion.If you believe there is never an ethical opportunity for either one,explain why.

Question 31

Why are audience beliefs,attitudes,and values important to a persuasive speaker?

Question 32

The time frame constraint refers to:

A)the amount of time you are allowed to use in delivering your speech.
B)the requirement that you research and prepare in a certain amount of time.
C)the time of day or the time of year that influences your speech topic.
D)the timeliness,or currency,of the speech content and specific details.
E)the topic of the speech: historical,contemporary,or future projections.

Question 33

A topic should be narrowed in a way that is appropriate for the audience.

Question 34

Constraints in public speaking refer to:

A)a delivery that matches the outline word for word.
B)formality,both in content and in delivery.
C)the need for a dignified,professional self-presentation.
D)purpose,audience,context,and time frame.
E)rejecting topics that are controversial or titillating.

Question 35

Your purpose in preparing a speech will be to:

A)get and keep audience attention.
B)inform,persuade,or entertain.
C)prepare an analytical speech.
D)present an interesting topic.
E)show that you are prepared.

Question 36

You should select a broad subject area that is:

A)controversial so that the audience is attentive.
B)cutting-edge and brand new to your audience.
C)easy to research and new to the audience.
D)interesting to both you and your audience.
E)unique to you,so nobody can contradict you.

Question 37

A speech to inform should inspire your audience to try something new.

Question 38

The time frame for a speech is unimportant if you are the only speaker.

Question 39

Why is manipulative persuasion unethical?

Question 40

A narrowed topic is easier to prepare and deliver than a broad subject area.

Question 41

A __________ area is a broad area of knowledge (e.g. ,art,business,history,physical sciences,social sciences,humanities,education).

Question 42

Polling organizations are effective finding aids because they:

A)are an accurate source of important factual information.
B)can indicate what people are interested in understanding.
C)clarify major social issues and make them understandable.
D)focus on information about college student opinions.
E)show how diverse and divided American opinions are.

Question 43

Media outlets are best used as the topics of persuasive speeches.

Question 44

The purpose of generating a personal inventory about yourself is to:

A)begin to rely on your inner knowing rather than depending on other sources.
B)identify unique and interesting life experiences to consider as possible topics.
C)prove that your personal experiences will be interesting to the audience.
D)reduce your anxiety about standing in front of an audience and speaking.
E)streamline your research and make your speech preparation more efficient.

Question 45

Some Internet sources that include ".edu" can be used to:

A)choose a unique topic that nobody else would ever think of.
B)decide how to start your speech with an effective "grabber."
C)find ready-made speeches on topics suitable for college audiences.
D)get all the factual information you will need in one location.
E)identify interesting topics you can research for your public speech.

Question 46

A finding aid is a(n):

A)assistant to a research librarian who helps students.
B)index that organizes subjects into categories.
C)piece of software that organizes your research.
D)resource that provides facts about famous people.
E)tool that will help you find lists of possible topics.

Question 47

Media outlets are effective finding aids when they:

A)are interesting and entertaining.
B)are the only source you need.
C)become the topic of your speech.
D)provide interesting topic ideas.
E)reduce the amount of work you do.

Question 48

A common error is narrowing a topic insufficiently for the _______ _______.

Question 49

Best-seller lists help you learn what people are interested in reading about.

Question 50

If you use a media outlet as a source of information,you must:

A)accurately paraphrase the complicated concepts.
B)be able to repeat accurately the facts presented in it.
C)cite the topic by title,network,station,and date aired.
D)give an honest evaluation of the specific episode.
E)use your insight to identify its underlying meanings.

Question 51

Why is the audience a constraint?

Question 52

What is topic narrowing?

Question 53

The Internet is a helpful finding aid because it:

A)always provides accurate information about many topics.
B)bypasses the need to look in library reference sources.
C)does most of your factual research for you and saves time.
D)has excellent YouTube videos of other people's speeches.
E)is a rich source of interesting topics you can consider.

Question 54

A personal inventory is a:

A)detailed calendar or time line of life events.
B)detailed and descriptive list about an individual.
C)formal record of a student's written work.
D)list of people's opinions about a specific person.
E)record of an individual's accomplishments.

Question 55

What are the general purposes for speaking?

Question 56

The common constraints of public speaking are ________,audience,context,and time frame.

Question 57

A best-seller list is a helpful finding aid because it:

A)analyzes the writing styles and accuracy of books.
B)gives you sales figures that show how good books are.
C)summarizes books so that you can just skim them.
D)tells you what kinds of topics people are reading about.
E)tells you which books are worth your time to read.

Question 58

Can constraints become so cumbersome that they prevent a speaker from ethically delivering an appropriate speech?

Question 59

One way to poll your audience for their interests and needs is to:

A)ask a question in front of class and see what they say.
B)collect information using a simple questionnaire.
C)eavesdrop on their discussions to learn their concerns.
D)find out what their speech topics are,and try to fit in.
E)observe them in class and listen to their participation.

Question 60

What questions should you ask yourself in deciding how to narrow your topic? Why should you ask them?

Question 61

Of the six basic questions involved in a specific purpose,which one is the basic description of your topic?

A)want
B)what
C)when
D)where
E)who

Question 62

Which of the following is not a part of a specific purpose?

A)statement of the general purpose
B)specification of one's audience
C)actual topic a speaker has chosen
D)explanation of the persuasive or informative intent
E)basic objective the speaker hopes to accomplish

Question 63

Which basic tip for creating specific purposes does the following example violate?
"To persuade a group of college students over the course of an hour to avoid drinking and smoking cigarettes."

A)no clear audience.
B)not clear.
C)doubled up.
D)not realistic given the time frame.
E)rhetorical situation not matched.

Question 64

Use your own personal inventory to show how you can select a specific topic.State the topic and why you could select it.

Question 65

The Internet is a reliable source of accurate information for a speech.

Question 66

You can __________ your audience to learn their interests and needs.

Question 67

How can media outlets help you choose a speech topic? Give examples.

Question 68

Media information,once aired,is in the public domain,so you don't have to cite the source.

Question 69

What is wrong with the following specific purpose? "To persuade about the usefulness of flossing one's teeth daily."

A)no general purpose.
B)doesn't answer the "what" question.
C)doesn't have a clear preposition following the general purpose.
D)doesn't specify a clear audience.
E)doesn't explain the speaker's ultimate objective.

Question 70

What is a needs analysis?

Question 71

A detailed and descriptive list about an individual is called a __________ ___________.

Question 72

What does a polling organization do? How does that help you?

Question 73

The formal process for conducting a _________ _________ is threefold: 1. )find a gap in knowledge,2. )figure out the cause,and 3. )identify solutions.

Question 74

What is referred to as the set of circumstances surrounding someone's speech?

A)historical context
B)historical perspective
C)rhetorical device
D)rhetorical intent
E)rhetorical situation

Question 75

A needs analysis is designed to determine audience needs,wants,wishes,and desires.

Question 76

What is a statement that starts with a general purpose and is followed by a specification of one's audience,the actual topic a speaker has chosen,and the basic objective the speaker hopes to accomplish with the speech?

A)general purpose
B)thesis statement
C)specific purpose
D)thesis idea
E)general idea

Question 77

Is there ever a time when a needs analysis may not be ethical? If so,explain why.If not,explain why.

Question 78

__________ organizations collect information about people's perceptions and interests.

Question 79

Which of the following is not one of the circumstances generally discussed by an analysis of a rhetorical situation?

A)audience
B)channel
C)context
D)speaker
E)text

Question 80

A specific purpose answers all of the following questions except which of the following?

A)want
B)what
C)when
D)where
E)who