Question 1

Jeremy's supervisor asks him to prepare a trip report. Which of the following best describes the supervisor's motivation in asking for this report?

Accepted Answer

C) A trip report serves a number of communication purposes. Knowing the potential new business can be used to plan resources. It also allows the supervisor to review and evaluate the follow-up plans Jeremy has made. Finally, it serves as a checklist so that Jeremy and his supervisor can measure progress on the new business opportunities.

Question 2

Anya is creating a formal report on whether her company should expand into a new product line.
-When creating the title page for her report she should include all of the following EXCEPT ________.

Accepted Answer

B) The title page includes identifying information like title, organization, author, and date. The purpose of the report is included in the executive summary, which follows the table of contents in a formal report.

Question 3

Which of the following elements of a report contains information that would interrupt the flow of the report but that readers may find useful?

Accepted Answer

E) Appendices contain information that would interrupt the flow of the report but that readers may find useful - for example, raw data, calculations, large tables, or other graphics that you do not want to include in the body of the report.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT true of progress reports?

Accepted Answer

E) Progress reports are a type of informational report, not analytical report.

Question 5

________ are written reports of meetings.

Accepted Answer

B) Minutes are written reports of meetings.

Question 6

A new employee is given the responsibility of keeping the minutes for her work team's meetings. What advice will you give her?

Accepted Answer

D) The minutes of small committees or work teams are action-oriented. They briefly summarize the discussion but devote most of their space to recording specific decisions and action items resulting from the meeting. Minutes for formal meetings are organized according to the meeting's agenda.

Question 7

Anya's report is 60 pages. She is including an executive summary that is twelve pages long. This is ________.

Accepted Answer

A) An executive summary is at most 10 percent of the length of the report.

Question 8

Which of the following sections of a formal report contains detailed discussion that is always organized with headings?

Accepted Answer

C) The detailed discussion (sometimes called the body) of a formal report is always organized with headings.

Question 9

Which of the following reports is designed to inform others quickly about the work you have done and to provide documentation for future use?

Accepted Answer

B) Progress reports, trip reports, and meeting minutes are designed to inform others quickly about the work you have done and provide documentation for future use.

Question 10

________ assess the success of a project or a decision.

Accepted Answer

D) Evaluation reports assess the success of a project or a decision.

Question 11

You are just back from Amsterdam where you had gone to attend a business conference. Your manager asks you to send him a report which documents your activities and indicates what you accomplished or learned during the conference. Your manager wants you to prepare ________.

Accepted Answer

C) When you return from a business trip, your manager may ask you to write a trip report to document your activities and to share what you accomplished or learned.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT true about a reference page in a formal report?

Accepted Answer

E) Formal reports may conclude with two types of supporting information: reference lists and appendices.

Question 13

Connor's supervisor asks him to analyze whether their plan to start web-based retailing can be implemented as proposed. His supervisor is asking Connor for a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

B) A feasibility report analyzes whether a plan can be implemented as proposed. It may also consider how to change the plan to make it feasible.

Question 14

To make the table of contents easy to read, many writers connect the headings to the page numbers using ________.

Accepted Answer

D) To make the table of contents easy to read, many writers connect the headings to the page numbers with spaced dots, called dot leaders.

Question 15

The introduction to Anya's report ________.

Accepted Answer

C) Even though a report begins with an executive summary, the introduction is written as if the reader did not read the executive summary at all. The introduction explains what motivated the report, and summarizes main conclusions and previews how the rest of the report is structured.

Question 16

A(n) ________ is a mini-version of the report designed to communicate the most important ideas to an audience of decision makers.

Accepted Answer

D) An executive summary is a mini-version of the report designed to communicate the most important ideas to an audience of decision makers.

Question 17

If a report uses secondary research sources, then which of the following sections should be included in the report to list the secondary sources?

Accepted Answer

C) If a report uses secondary research sources, create a reference section to list the sources.

Question 18

The introduction to a report ________.

Accepted Answer

D) Even though a report begins with an executive summary, the introduction is written as if the reader did not read the executive summary at all. The introduction explains what motivated the report, and summarizes main conclusions and previews how the rest of the report is structured.

Question 19

John, a sales executive, has written a trip report about his recent trip to Germany where he met with some current and potential clients. Which of the following does NOT describe a communication purpose of this trip report?

Accepted Answer

E) A feasibility report analyzes whether a plan can be implemented as proposed. The other choices describe the communication functions that a trip report serves.

Question 20

You are preparing a formal report. You want to include some raw data and large tables in your report which you think the readers will find useful. But if you include this information in the body of the report then it will interrupt the flow of the report. In such a situation, you should include this information in the ________ of the report.

Accepted Answer

B) Appendices contain information that would interrupt the flow of the report but that readers may find useful - for example, raw data, calculations, large tables, or other graphics that you do not want to include in the body of the report.

Quiz 9: Preparing Business Reports