Deck 5: Verbal Communication

Question 1

The words pencil and pen are examples of a(n) __________ term.

A) superordinate
B) basic
C) subordinate
D) abstract
E) complex

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The phrases No. 2 pencil, ballpoint pen, and yellow highlighter are examples of a(n) __________ term.

A) superordinate
B) basic
C) subordinate
D) abstract
E) complex

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is the best example of an abstract word?

A) textbook
B) table
C) computer
D) dictionary
E) fairness

Answer 3

E

Question 4

In high-context cultures, ____________ language may be perceived as rude, individualistic, and disrespectful.

A) connotative
B) denotative
C) powerless
D) abstract
E) powerful

Question 5

Which interpretation of the Whorf Hypothesis is most accepted by today's linguistic scholars?

A) The structure of a language determines how you see, experience, and interpret the world around you.
B) If you don't have a word for a concept (such as red), you will not be able to see or experience it and separate it from other similar concepts (such as blue or yellow).
C) If you do not have a word for tomorrow, you cannot plan for tomorrow.
D) The nature of each language determines how people think and perceive others.
E) Language reflects cultural models of the world, which influences how the speakers of a language come to think, act, and behave.

Question 6

All of the following items are examples of powerless speech except:

A) "I uh don't um know if this is you know a good idea."
B) "I guess this makes some sense."
C) "We need to stop doing this, don't you think?"
D) "Don't do that."
E) "I'm not an expert, but this feels like a pretty risky option."

Question 7

Which of the following is a gender-biased term?

A) male nurse
B) firefighter
C) soldier
D) flight attendant
E) U.S. Senator

Question 8

There are between __________ and __________ languages spoken in the world, all of them with different vocabularies and rules of grammar.

A) 500, 800
B) 1,000, 2,000
C) 3,000, 4,000
D) 5,000, 6,000
E) 6,000, 10,000

Question 9

Whereas a symbol is an arbitrary collection of sounds, a sign

A) often has a visual relationship to the thing it represents.
B) is an arbitrary collection of letters.
C) requires you to apply your experience and feelings to decide what it means.
D) can express superordinate, basic, and subordinate terms.
E) relies much more on connotation than denotation.

Question 10

______________ refers to the emotional response or personal thoughts connected to the meaning of a word.

A) Bypassing
B) Denotation
C) Connotation
D) Abstract
E) Jargon

Question 11

__________ communication refers to the ways in which we use the words in a language to generate meaning.

A) Symbolic
B) Sign
C) Denotative
D) Connotative
E) Verbal

Question 12

Which of the following words is the most concrete description of another person's behavior?

A) disruptive
B) rude
C) insensitive
D) burps
E) procrastinates

Question 13

Language scholars C. K. Ogden and I. A. Richards employ a triangle to explain the three elements of language, which are

A) semantics, syntax, and significance.
B) denotative, connotative, and abstract meanings of words.
C) superordinate, basic, and subordinate meanings of words.
D) the thought, the referent, and the symbol.
E) encoding, decoding, and noise.

Question 14

Which of the following strategies can help you avoid gender bias when using pronouns?

A) use third person singular forms of pronouns, such as she and he.
B) use third person plural forms or pronouns, such as they.
C) use second person singular forms of pronouns, such as you.
D) use first person singular forms of pronouns, such as I and me.
E) use first person plural forms of pronouns, such as we and our.

Question 15

Researchers estimate that the first humans to speak language as we know it lived in East Africa about __________ years ago.

A) 10,000
B) 50,000
C) 150,000
D) 250,000
E) 500,000

Question 16

Human ___________ is a system of arbitrary signs and symbols used to communicate thoughts and feelings.

A) behavior
B) words
C) ideas
D) language
E) beliefs

Question 17

If the word "computer" evokes a negative image of an increasingly complex software nightmare that frustrates and infuriates you, what type of meaning is influencing your response to the word?

A) bypassing
B) denotation
C) connotation
D) concrete
E) jargon

Question 18

Defining a computer as "a programmable electronic device that stores, retrieves, and processes data" represents what type of meaning?

A) bypassing
B) denotation
C) connotation
D) abstract
E) jargon

Question 19

Which answer best represents the progression of a subordinate to basic to superordinate term?

A) dog, animal, pet
B) banana split, ice cream, dessert
C) car, vehicle, Toyota Prius
D) music, opera, Carmen
E) flower, plant, tulip

Question 20

Which answer best reflects the answer to the research question: Do women talk more than men?

A) In similar circumstances, women talk more than men.
B) In general, men and women use the same number of words when talking.
C) Women talk more than men, especially when interacting with their husbands and strangers.
D) Men talk more with their classmates and where the topic of conversation requires disclosure of feelings.
E) In general, women do most of the talking in work settings.

Question 21

By using a word such as now to replace the five-word, 17-letter phrase at this point in time, you are avoiding using

A) connotative language.
B) denotative language.
C) oral language.
D) a euphemism.
E) gobbledygook.

Question 22

Linguist John McWhorter notes that many middle-class African Americans typically speak both Black English and Standard American English, alternating between the two, often in the same sentence. This ability is an example of

A) code switching.
B) accents.
C) bypassing.
D) phatic language.
E) jargon.

Question 23

Which of the following sentences is expressed in a passive voice?

A) Hermione served salmon at her party.
B) Hermione bought fresh, farm-grown salmon at the grocery store.
C) The salmon was contaminated.
D) The contaminated salmon was eaten by everyone at the party.
E) Everyone at Hermione's party became ill.

Question 24

The first humans to speak language as we know it lived in East Africa about 1 million years ago, even though human ancestors lived about 5 million years ago in what is now Ethiopia.

Question 25

The referent will be the same for each word used in a language.

Question 26

Which of the following is one of the three components of I Language?

A) Describe the other person's behavior using a You statement.
B) Explain the power difference between you and the other person.
C) Express a judgment about the other person.
D) Avoid expressing your feelings.
E) Explain the potential consequences.

Question 27

Fully modern language probably evolved from simpler languages only 50,000 years ago.

Question 28

No two people assign the exact same meaning to the same word.

Question 29

Language is a system of arbitrary signs and symbols used to communicate thoughts and feelings.

Question 30

A recent study of college students found that the number of words spoken by male students

A) was significantly less than the number of words spoken by females.
B) was significantly more than the number of words spoken by females.
C) was virtually the same as the number of words spoken by females.
D) to classmates and parents was more than the number of words spoken by females to classmates and parents.
E) to spouses or strangers was less than the number of words spoken by females to spouses or strangers.

Question 31

Which language barrier have you experienced if you find yourself saying, "But that's not what I meant"?

A) bypassing
B) euphemisms
C) exclusionary language
D) slang
E) jargon

Question 32

If you want to avoid the use of gobbledygook, you should avoid doing which of the following?

A) Never write a sentence with more than 40 words.
B) Cover only one subject per sentence.
C) Use the word "you" rather than "I" when expressing judgments about others.
D) Don't include information just to show off that you know it.
E) Use shorter words and phrases such as "now" rather than "at the present time."

Question 33

The specialized language of a homogeneous group is best known as

A) gobbledygook.
B) jargon.
C) verbal efficiency.
D) euphemisms.
E) metaphors.

Question 34

All of the following are oral language strategies except:

A) Use shorter words.
B) Use complete sentences.
C) Use contractions.
D) Use informal, colloquial expressions.
E) Use familiar words.

Question 35

All of the following statements are examples of exclusionary language except:

A) Bill uses a wheel chair.
B) Walter is a political extremist.
C) Anne is a normal woman.
D) Frank is a psycho.
E) Grace is a cancer victim.

Question 36

Offensive statements such as "damn you" or "go to hell" are typically used to express strong emotions and attitudes. Therefore, they should not

A) be seen as rude or offensive.
B) be defined in a dictionary.
C) be taken literally.
D) be used in films.
E) be offensive to others.

Question 37

Unlike symbols, signs do not have a direct relationship to the things they represent.

Question 38

Many languages do not impose a grammar system on the arrangement and tense of words.

Question 39

______________ is an identifiable language developed for Internet communication.

A) Netication
B) Nettalk
C) Netiquette
D) Netlingo
E) Netneutrality

Question 40

A euphemism substitutes a mild, indirect, or vague term for a harsh, blunt, or offensive one. Which of the following answers represents a euphemism?

A) powder room rather than toilet
B) darn rather than damn
C) slept with rather than had sex with
D) interrogation treatments rather than torture
E) all of the above

Question 41

Frequent use of words and phrases as you know, kind of, really, and well characterize powerless language.

Question 42

In educational settings (from kindergarten through university), men usually dominate classroom talk.

Question 43

Semanticist S. I. Hayakawa refers to connotation as "the aura of feelings, pleasant or unpleasant, that surround practically all words."

Question 44

Most people cannot naturally change the way they use language based on their relationships with other communicators.

Question 45

Most languages reflect a gender bias.

Question 46

Abstract words refer to specific things you perceive with your senses.

Question 47

Code switching describes how, depending on the context, we often modify the way we use verbal and nonverbal communication to generate meaning.

Question 48

Despite stark differences, powerful and powerless languages are not an either/or choice; there may be contexts in which a middle ground between these two extremes is appropriate.

Question 49

Many Japanese speakers have a very low-context, direct way of using language.

Question 50

Robin Lakoff, one of the first linguists to write about gender differences, claimed that women tend to use more tag questions at the end of sentences (such as "don't you agree?" and "haven't you?") than men.

Question 51

Collectivist cultures have an "I" orientation; individualistic cultures have a "we" orientation.

Question 52

Superordinate terms are those with the highest level of concreteness.

Question 53

Denotation, rather than connotation, is more likely to influence how we respond to words.

Question 54

The most current interpretation of the Whorf Hypothesis claims that language reflects cultural models of the world, which in turn influence how the speakers of a language come to think, act, and behave.

Question 55

Abstract words refer to an idea or concept that cannot be observed or touched.

Question 56

The bird sitting on the perch is not just a finch, it's an American Goldfinch with an injured wing. The phrase American Goldfinch with an injured wing is an example of a subordinate term.

Question 57

There are approximately 5,000 to 6,000 languages spoken in the world.

Question 58

Ogden and Richards' Triangle of Meaning does not use a solid line to connect the symbol and the referent because they must be mentally processed in order to result in meaning.

Question 59

In many work settings, men do most of the talking, even when women hold influential positions.

Question 60

When we see or hear a word, we rely on the dictionary definition rather than our knowledge, experience, and feelings to decide what the word means.

Question 61

Effective communicators look for meaning in the words they hear, rather than looking for meaning in the people who use those words.

Question 62

The Oxford International Dictionary Online identified three new words in 2013: selfie, jorts, and twerk.

Question 63

In terms of studying verbal communication, what is the difference between a sign and a symbol? Demonstrate your understanding of these two concepts by providing a definition of each term as well as examples to illustrate your explanation.

Question 64

Oral language uses shorter, familiar words as well as shorter, simple sentences.

Question 65

Slang helps language change and renew itself.

Question 66

"The Olympic ice hockey game was won by the women's team from Canada" is an example of a sentence using the active voice.

Question 67

Bypassing uses words that reinforce stereotypes, belittle other people, or exclude others from understanding an in-group's message.

Question 68

Swearing and cursing are universal behaviors in all cultures.

Question 69

Draw Ogden's and Richard's Triangle of Meaning. Demonstrate your understanding of this phenomenon by defining each part of the triangle and explaining how it works with word examples.

Question 70

The use of jargon is counterproductive and annoying in the workplace and in professional communication.

Question 71

Explain the following statement: "Words do not have meanings; people have meanings for words." Provide examples to demonstrate your understanding of this statement.

Question 72

Exclusionary language uses words that reinforce stereotypes, belittle other people, or exclude others from understanding an in-group's message.

Question 73

When you use You language, you take responsibility for your own feelings and actions.

Question 74

When interacting with others in interpersonal and group contexts, say what you mean by speaking the way you talk, not the way you write.

Question 75

Your ability to use grammar correctly does not make a public statement about your education, social class, and intelligence.

Question 76

Explain why using language incorrectly may derail your career.

Question 77

Even though oral language uses shorter words and sentences, it avoids contractions and colloquial expressions.

Question 78

One study reported that 91 percent of respondents ranked foul language as "the most ill-mannered type of workplace behavior."

Question 79

One way to avoid gobbledygook is to avoid writing sentences with more than 10 words.

Question 80

When people say that someone has "passed away," they are using a euphemism that substitutes for "died."