Instructions: For each question, click on the radio button beside your answer. When you have completed the entire quiz, click the “Submit my answers” button at the bottom of the page to receive your results.

Question 1:

What is a thesis statement?
a) A statement in which the speaker describes his position
b) A complete sentence that describes the central idea of a speech
c) A statement that teaches the audience something
d) A complete sentence that describes precisely what the speaker seeks to accomplish through the speech

Question 2:

What is the purpose of a working outline?
a) It is a construction tool that helps you map out your speech.
b) It identifies the division of the speech into introduction, body, and conclusion.
c) It creates a logical order for your argument.
d) It organizes the speech in terms of suspense building or interest.

Question 3:

What is a climax pattern?
a) An organizing plan that builds ideas according to their categories
b) An organizing plan that builds ideas from least to most interesting or engaging
c) An organizing plan that describes what’s wrong and how to make it right
d) An organizing plan that demonstrates how events lead to other events or outcomes

Question 4:

What does Monroe’s motivated sequence refer to?
a) The four functions of a speech introduction
b) An explanation that tells the audience why your topic is important
c) The structure of a conventional speech conclusion
d) A five-step plan used to organize a persuasive speech

Question 5:

Why is telling an anecdote a good way to start a speech?
a) It provides an extended comparison to support your claims.
b) It keeps your message moving forward.
c) It has a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like a speech.
d) It gives a human dimension to the content.

Question 6:

What is a transition?
a) A word or phrase that connects ideas and clarifies logical relationships
b) Supporting material that illuminates a point by citing an authority
c) A brief statement of supporting material within the speech
d) A device used to illustrate or exemplify an idea

Question 7:

What is an impromptu speech?
a) A speech that sounds off the cuff but is actually rehearsed
b) A speech developed with only the speaker’s needs in mind
c) A speech given without preparation
d) A speech that develops the speaker’s credibility

Question 8:

What does “articulation” refer to?
a) A word or phrase that connects the claims in a speech
b) The process of pronouncing a word clearly and completely
c) The process of building psychological agreement between speaker and audience
d) A predisposition to respond to an idea or claim in a particular way

Question 9:

If I believe that I must win the approval of the entire audience when I give a speech, which emotional fallacy may I be falling prey to?
a) Approval
b) Perfection
c) Catastrophic thinking
d) Overgeneralization

Question 10:

Why can visualization be such an effective technique for managing stage fright?
a) It allows you to control your body language.
b) It gives you something to do with your hands.
c) It makes self-fulfilling prophecy work in your favour.
d) It isn’t an effective technique.

Higher Education

Understanding Human Communication, Third Edition: Chapter 12