A6TestBankPartIIChapter4SelectingaTopicandPurpose

Chapter 4 Selecting a Topic and a Purpose

True-False Questions

Students are to indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false by circling the appropriate letter.

Multiple Choice Questions

Students are to indicate the best answer for each question by circling the correct letter.

1.Which of the following people is likely to give a speech on curriculum and

textbooks?

a.The head of a travel agency.

b.The real estate agent.

c.The movie director.

d.The middle-school principal.

2.Most people speak best about subjects __________.

a.in which they are most interested

b.with which they are most familiar

c.about which they are most curious

d.at which they are most surprised

3.For __________ speeches, you can think of subjects about which you hold

strong opinions and beliefs.

a.persuasive

https://www.sodocs.net/doc/b715444400.html,rmative

https://www.sodocs.net/doc/b715444400.html,memorative

d.introductory

4.If you are having trouble selecting a topic, there are a number of

__________ procedures you can follow to get started.

a.creative

b.regular

c.identifying

d.brainstorming

5.If personal inventory doesn’t work, try a technique called __________.

a.grouping

b.clustering

c.categorizing

d.classifying

6.Which of the following topic ideas is NOT likely to be included in the

sublist for Three Gorges?

a.Academy Awards.

b.Yangtze River.

c.Chongqing.

d.Mountains.

7.All of the following topic ideas are relevant to the category of plans and

policies EXCEPT __________.

a.Develop Solar Power

b.Cook Yunnan food

c.Change graduation Requirements

d.Build a New Computer Center

8.When your general purpose is to persuade, you act as __________.

a.an advocate or a partisan

b. a politician or a statesman

c.an academician or a researcher

d. a marketer or an advertiser

9.All of the following specific purpose statements are effective EXCEPT

__________.

a.to inform my audience about recent discoveries of dinosaur fossils

b.to inform my audience that yoga is extremely cool

c.to persuade my audience that harsher penalties are needed to prevent the

practices of fraudulent land developers

d.to inform my audience about the scientific uses of hot-air balloons

10. Which of the following tips for specific purpose statements is false?

a.Write the purpose statement as a full infinitive phrase.

b.Avoid figurative language in your purpose statement.

c.Express your purpose as a question, not as a statement.

d.Make sure your specific purpose is not too vague or general.

11.No matter how well you construct your speeches, they are likely to

__________ unless you speak about matters of interest to your listeners.

a.fall flat

b.become offensive

c.mislead

d.be illogical

12.You should choose a specific purpose you can achieve __________.

a.in no more than an hour

b.in the allotted time

c.in the least possible time

d.in no less than 10 minutes

13.A six-minute speech will consist of roughly __________ words.

a.120 to 150

b.300 to 350

c.520 to 800

d.720 to 900

14.Which of the following specific purpose statements is NOT likely to be

handled well in the time allotted for classroom speeches?

a.To inform my audience about the rise and fall of ancient Rome.

b.To persuade my audience to convert to vegetarianism.

c.To inform my audience of the history, styles, and cultural impact of

qipao.

d.To inform my audience about the role of technology in Chinese history.

15.Which of the following tips for central idea is false?

a.Make sure the central idea is not too specific.

b.Express the central idea as a full sentence.

c.State the central idea as a declarative sentence, not as a question.

d.Avoid figurative language in the central idea.

16.The central idea “Banning violent content on television is a good idea”

is considered ineffective because __________.

a.it is not a full sentence

b.it is a question

c.it is too general

d.it includes figurative language

17.According to your textbook, brainstorming is especially helpful when you

are having trouble __________.

a.determining the general purpose

b.determining the specific purpose

c.phrasing the central idea

d.choosing a speech topic

18.After choosing a topic, what is the next step of speech preparation?

a.Phrasing the central idea.

b.Analyzing the occasion.

c.Determining the general purpose.

d.Selecting the specific purpos

e.

https://www.sodocs.net/doc/b715444400.html,ing Yahoo or other subject-based search engines on the Internet is

recommended in your textbook as one method of __________ for a speech topic.

a.sifting

b.consulting

c.brainstorming

d.deliberating

20.Which of the following is out of place in a speech to inform?

a.Advocating.

b.Explaining.

c.Reporting.

d.Telling.

21.When the general purpose of your speech is to __________, you act primarily

as a teacher or lecturer.

a.convince

b.entertain

https://www.sodocs.net/doc/b715444400.html,rm

d.persuade

22.Advocating a position is most appropriate when the general purpose of your

speech is to __________.

a.inspire

b.persuade

c.entertain

https://www.sodocs.net/doc/b715444400.html,rm

23.“Improving personal relationships” is a poorly phrased specific purpose

for a speech because it is __________.

a.too technical for a classroom speech

b.written as a sentence rather than a declarative phrase

c.written as a fragment rather than a full infinitive phrase

d.expressed in figurative language

24.“Knowing how to deal with stress” is a poorly phrased specific purpose

for a classroom speech because it __________.

a.is too technical

b.does not include a reference to the audience

c.contains figurative language

d.written as a sentence rather than a declarative phrase

25.According to your textbook, what is the most important early step in the

process of developing a successful speech?

a.Creating a preliminary bibliography.

b.Researching for speech materials.

c.Formulating the specific purpose.

d.Brainstorming for a central idea.

26.As a specific purpose statement, “To inform my audience about computer

technology” is too __________.

a.trivial

b.broad

c.technical

d.detailed

27.“To inform my audience about the basic steps in car maintenance and how to

protect their investment with auto insurance” is a poorly phrased specific purpose statement for a classroom speech because it __________.

a.is too specific

b.contains figurative language

c.contains more than one distinct idea

d.is written as a statement instead of a question

28.“To inform about saving for retirement” is a poorly phrased specific

purpose statement because it __________.

a.is too specific

b.does not include a reference to the audience

c.contains figurative language

d.is written as a statement instead of a question

29.As a specific purpose statement, “To inform my audience about global

warming” is too __________.

a.scientific

b.broad

c.personal

d.detailed

30.Identify the flaw in the following specific purpose statement for a

classroom speech: “To inform my audience about the solar system.”

a.It’s too shallow.

b.It’s too general.

c.It’s too remote.

d.It’s too impersonal.

31.Identify the flaw in the following specific purpose statement for a

classroom speech: “To inform my audience about the stock market.”

a.It’s too figurative.

b.It’s too detailed.

c.It’s too general.

d.It’s too technical.

32.The specific purpose of Stephanie’s informative speech is “To inform my

audience about ballet.” Are there any flaws in Stephanie’s specific

purpose?

a.Yes. Stephanie’s specific purpose is too broad.

b.Yes. Stephanie’s specific purpose is too impersonal.

c.Yes. Stephanie’s specific purpose is written as a statement rather than a

question.

d.Yes. Stephanie’s specific purpose mentions her audienc

e.

33.“To inform my audience about the three basic steps in preventive

medicine” is an example of a __________.

a.specific purpose

b.thesis statement

c.central idea

d.general purpose

34.“To inform my audience about the symptoms, causes, and treatment of

chronic fatigue syndrome” is an example of a __________.

a.thesis statement

b.general purpose

c.specific purpose

d.main point

35.“To inform my audience how our local water treatment facility ensures the

safety of our drinking water” is an example of a __________.

a.specific purpose

b.transition statement

c.general purpose

d.central idea

36.“To inform my audience about the four major elements in rope climbing” is

an example of a __________.

a.speech topic

b.general purpose

c.specific purpose

d.thesis statement

37.According to your textbook, “Getting an internship at a major corporation

requires a great deal of work, but the rewards are well worth the effort”

is an example of a(n) __________.

a.speech proposal

b.specific purpose

https://www.sodocs.net/doc/b715444400.html,rmative thesis

d.central idea

38.“The three main methods of harvesting trees in professional logging are

selective cutting, clear cutting, and row thinning” is an example of a

__________.

a.specific purpose

b.transition

c.central idea

d.signpost

39.“The three major factors to consider when purchasing a bicycle are the

kind of riding you plan to do, the amount of riding you plan to do, and the amount of money you are willing to spend” is an example of a __________.

a.specific purpose

b.central idea

c.general purpose

d.topic statement

40.Chang thinks he’d like to give an informative speech for class on what

it’s like to be an international student on a U.S. college campus. His

specific purpose is “To persuade my audience to be more accepting of

international students.” His central idea is “An international student’s accent, use of English, and cultural customs should be accepted rather than criticized.” Has Chang made any mistakes in this process?

a.No. Chang has covered all the bases for an informative speech.

b.Yes. Chang’s specific purpose contains too much figurative language.

c.Yes. Chang’s central idea contains two or more unrelated ideas.

d.Yes. Chang’s specific purpose is not suitable for an informative speech. Short Answer Questions

1.The specific purpose is a single infinitive phrase that states precisely

what a speaker hopes to accomplish in his or her speech.

2. A one-sentence statement that sums up or encapsulates the major ideas of a

speech is called the central idea.

3.List at least three questions you should ask about the suitability of your

specific purpose for your audience.

Possible answers include:

Does my purpose meet the assignment?

Can I accomplish my purpose in the time allotted?

Is the purpose relevant to my audience?

Is the purpose too trivial for my audience?

Is the purpose too technical for my audience?

4.Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for a

persuasive speech: “Something must be done about cybercrime.”

It is too general; it does not indicate what “must be done.”

5.Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for an

informative speech: “How to tell fake antique crocks.”

It is not written as a complete sentence.

6.Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for an

informative speech: “What are the major styles of Chinese silk

embroidery?”

It is written as a question, rather than as a statement.

7.Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for a

persuasive speech: “Graffiti artists are a public nuisance.”

It is expressed with figurative language.

8.What is wrong with the following specific purpose statement for an

informative speech? Rewrite the statement to conform with the criteria

given in your textbook for effective specific purpose statements.

Ineffective

Specific Purpose: The major beliefs of the Buddhist religion.

Error:It is written as a fragment, not as a full

infinitive phrase.

More Effective

Specific Purpose:To inform my audience about the major beliefs of

the Buddhist religion.

9.What is wrong with the following specific purpose statement for an

informative speech? Rewrite the statement to conform with the criteria

given in your textbook for effective specific purpose statements.

Ineffective

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about World War II.

Error:It is too vague or general; doesn’t indicate

what specific aspects of World War II will be

dealt with in the speech.

More Effective

Specific Purpose:To inform my audience about World War II

causalities.

10.What is wrong with the following specific purpose statement for a

persuasive speech? Rewrite the statement to conform with the criteria given in your textbook for effective specific purpose statements.

Ineffective

Specific Purpose: What measures should be taken to reverse rural

brain drain?

Error:It is written as a question, not as a statement.

More Effective

Specific Purpose:To persuade my audience that three measures

should be taken to reverse rural brain drain.

Essay Questions

1.Your textbook discusses four methods of brainstorming for a speech topic.

In a brief essay, identify and explain three of those methods.

2.Why is determining the specific purpose such a vital step in the process of

preparing a speech?

3.What is the difference between a specific purpose and a central idea?

Illustrate your answer by developing a specific purpose statement and a central idea for a hypothetical speech about a topic of your choice.

4.What are the characteristics of a well-worded central idea? Explain why

each characteristic is important.

5.Imagine that you have been asked to inform a local community group about

life as a college student. In a well-developed essay, describe what your general purpose, specific purpose, and central idea would be for this speech. Then draft three main points for a speech on this topic.