Question 1

For which of the following claims is it most important to provide research support?
A) Every employee at TRD, Inc., should learn to speak at least basic Japanese.
B) Ridgeway Auto's economy cars are not as boring as the economy models of other brands.
C) Last year, profits in the shoe manufacturing sector increased by 5 percent.
D) Our bakery makes the tastiest breads on the market.
E) The sale of bottled water should be banned.

Accepted Answer

"Last year, profits in the shoe manufacturing sector increased by 5 percent"is a factual claim and thus ought to be supported by research. The other statements are opinions.

Question 2

Which of the following examples presents an opinion?
A) Last month, sales of cell phones increased in urban areas but decreased in rural areas.
B) Major League Baseball set a new attendance record last year.
C) Our CEO's favorite dessert is chocolate cake.
D) All divisions of Colbert Industries should reduce emissions of air pollutants.
E) Delbert Enterprises hired 20 employees last year.

Accepted Answer

The statement "All divisions of Colbert Industries should reduce emissions of air pollutants"presents an opinion, as indicated by the fact that it makes a claim about what "should"be true in the future as opposed to what is currently true.

Question 3

To locate effective supporting material, start by
A) identifying the most reliable research sources.
B) identifying the types of claims you intend to make.
C) asking people's views about the facts you state.
D) getting rid of any factual statements that will be difficult to prove.
E) compiling research for your opinions.

Accepted Answer

To locate effective supporting material, therefore, start by identifying the types of claims you intend to make, and then search for appropriate material to support each one.

Question 4

During a presentation, Miriam makes a factual claim about augmented reality, a concept that is unfamiliar to many people in her audience. Which of the following should she do first to support her claim?
A) Define augmented reality.
B) Tell a story about augmented reality.
C) Provide a quotation by a famous person about augmented reality.
D) Provide a testimony about augmented reality.
E) Cite statistical information about augmented reality.

Accepted Answer

Miriam should first define augmented reality. Giving other supporting evidence about this concept is not very helpful if people don't know what the concept means.

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of statistical information dealing with infrastructure?
A) Infrastructure is the physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for a society to operate.
B) There are many types of infrastructure, including roads, railroads, bridges, and airports.
C) Infrastructure is a basic necessity for a well-functioning society.
D) Why do we need better infrastructure? For one thing, it took me way too long to get to this meeting from the airport.
E) This city has about 50 million tons of freight shipped to it via railroad each year.

Accepted Answer

Statistics are numbers-usually identified through research-that you can use to support your claims, such as the amount of freight shipped to a particular city.

Question 6

Which of the following options provides an example related to the topic of business strategies?
A) By using product differentiation, the company increased sales by 15 percent over the same quarter the previous year.
B) I had a difficult time convincing the CEO to adopt a price-skimming strategy.
C) When a company introduces a new smartphone model at a high initial price, then lowers the price on that model over time, they are using a price-skimming strategy.
D) Sixty-percent of small businesses rely on a product-differentiation strategy.
E) A business strategy is a tactical statement about how a company will reach its goals.

Accepted Answer

Even if your listeners understand in principle what you are discussing, they may find a specific example helpful. The option that talks about how smartphone manufacturers use a price-skimming strategy accomplishes this.

Question 7

Personal stories and testimonials are varieties of which type of support?
A) definitions
B) examples
C) statistics
D) narratives
E) quotations

Accepted Answer

Many speakers use narratives-such as personal stories or testimonies-to support their claims.

Question 8

Which type of support material is best for addressing a concept that has multiple meanings?
A) anecdotes
B) quotations
C) narratives
D) definitions
E) statistics

Accepted Answer

When your presentation focuses on a concept that may be unfamiliar to your audience-or one that can have multiple meanings-you can support your use of that concept by defining it explicitly.

Question 9

Which of the following sources is most likely to provide credible information to support your claims?
A) a trustworthy source
B) a popular source
C) an easy-to-access source
D) a well-written source
E) an obscure source

Accepted Answer

To be credible, supporting material must come from a trustworthy source.

Question 10

Which of the following examples of information used to support a claim about Canadian manufacturing is the most credible?
A) According to Jason's blog, most manufacturing in Canada takes place in the region between Quebec City, Quebec, and Windsor, Ontario.
B) Google indicates that most manufacturing in Canada takes place in eastern part of the country.
C) According to Wikipedia, Canada's manufacturing is concentrated in Ontario and Quebec.
D) According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, more than three-fourths of manufacturing in Canada takes place in the region between Quebec City, Quebec, and Windsor, Ontario.
E) The information I found on Facebook shows that a huge amount of Canadian manufacturing takes place in Ontario.

Accepted Answer

To be credible, information needs to come from a trustworthy source. Specific information, such as statistics, also makes information more credible. The example information from Encyclopaedia Britannica meets both of these criteria.

Question 11

Which of these statements is the most credible?
A) The United States should export less transportation equipment.
B) In 2017, the United States exported more transportation equipment than chemicals.
C) The United States exports a huge amount of transportation equipment.
D) In 2017, transportation equipment made up the largest amount of U.S. exports.
E) In 2017, transportation equipment made up 18 percent of U.S. exports.

Accepted Answer

Supporting material that includes statistics, such as "18 percent of U.S. exports,"is more credible than material that does not feature statistics.

Question 12

Which of the sources listed is the most likely to be objective?
A) a scientific research study about water pollution by agribusinesses
B) an editorial about reforming immigration laws
C) a propaganda film supporting a government's antitrust policies
D) a novel about high-stakes business deals
E) a tourism video about Japan

Accepted Answer

Scientific research studies are generally considered to be highly objective because their conclusions must be dictated by data and because they are subject to heavy scrutiny and review.

Question 13

Why would a movie be considered a subjective source of information?
A) Movies do not include accurate facts.
B) The main purpose of movies is to entertain.
C) Film script writers tend to avoid doing research.
D) It is difficult taking accurate notes when watching a movie.
E) Visual media do a poor job of providing detailed information.

Accepted Answer

The purpose of most movies-even documentaries-is to entertain, not to provide objective facts. That doesn't necessarily mean that statements made in a movie are untrue, only that movies are more subjective than academic studies.

Question 14

A firm wants to make the claim that its dishwashing detergent cuts grease faster than any other dishwashing detergents on the market. Which would be the most objective source of information to prove this claim?
A) a video about the cleaning properties of various detergents produced by one of the firm's competitors
B) the opinion of a popular actor who appears in the firm's commercials
C) an experiment comparing the detergents' cleaning properties conducted by a university with no ties to the firm
D) a research study about the detergent conducted by scientists who work for the firm
E) testimonials from customers who were provided free samples of the firm's detergent

Accepted Answer

A report, experiment, or study would be considered more objective if it were not funded, or otherwise facilitated, by someone with a political or financial interest in the outcome, such as a university with no ties to the firm that produces the detergent.

Question 15

For which presentation topic would the currency of sources be the most important?
A) the rise of Japan's economy after World War II
B) a biography of Henry Ford
C) changes in U.S. taxes from 2000 to 2010
D) the history of advertising
E) trends in computer technology

Accepted Answer

Using recent supporting material is particularly important when you're speaking about issues that change continually, such as technology and world politics.

Question 16

The currency of your sources is especially important when you are speaking about
A) a subject that traces the history of a product.
B) a subject that is constantly changing.
C) a topic that you are an expert on.
D) a topic your audience knows little about.
E) an event that happened long ago.

Accepted Answer

Using recent supporting material is particularly important when you're speaking about issues that change continually.

Question 17

What is both the greatest asset and greatest liability of the Internet?
A) the volume of information
B) the constantly changing technology
C) the credibility of its information
D) the ease of use
E) the expense of using reliable sources

Accepted Answer

The volume of information on the Internet is both its greatest asset and greatest liability.

Question 18

When using a general search engine, you would most likely need to narrow the parameters of which of the following searches?
A) psychological roots of business ethics
B) environmental accounting in Mexico
C) entrepreneurship
D) microaggressions in the office
E) SWOT analysis for hat manufacturers

Accepted Answer

The more popular or broad a topic, the more results a general search engine is likely to return, and the more important it will be to narrow the parameters of your search. Of the options shown, entrepreneurship is the broadest.

Question 19

A website that allows you to search for other websites containing information about a topic is called a
A) research search engine.
B) specific search engine.
C) general search engine.
D) website-specific search.
E) remote-specific search.

Accepted Answer

A general search engine is a website that allows you to search for other websites containing information about a topic you specify.

Question 20

How can a person reduce the number of websites identified in a search?
A) Use a search term with fewer words.
B) Use a more detailed search term.
C) Switch from a research search engine to a general search engine.
D) Choose a more popular topic.
E) Add the term +specific to the end of your search term.

Accepted Answer

You can reduce the number of websites identified in a search by submitting more terms to the search engine, thereby making the search term more specific.

Quiz 13: Finding Support for Your Presentation Goals

For which of the following claims is it most important to provide research support?

Which of the following examples presents an opinion?

To locate effective supporting material, start by

During a presentation, Miriam makes a factual claim about augmented reality, a concept that is unfamiliar to many people in her audience. Which of the following should she do first to support her claim?

Which of the following is an example of statistical information dealing with infrastructure?

Which of the following options provides an example related to the topic of business strategies?

Personal stories and testimonials are varieties of which type of support?

Which type of support material is best for addressing a concept that has multiple meanings?

Which of the following sources is most likely to provide credible information to support your claims?

Which of the following examples of information used to support a claim about Canadian manufacturing is the most credible?

Which of these statements is the most credible?

Which of the sources listed is the most likely to be objective?

Why would a movie be considered a subjective source of information?

A firm wants to make the claim that its dishwashing detergent cuts grease faster than any other dishwashing detergents on the market. Which would be the most objective source of information to prove this claim?

For which presentation topic would the currency of sources be the most important?

The currency of your sources is especially important when you are speaking about

What is both the greatest asset and greatest liability of the Internet?

When using a general search engine, you would most likely need to narrow the parameters of which of the following searches?

A website that allows you to search for other websites containing information about a topic is called a

How can a person reduce the number of websites identified in a search?