Communication in Engineering Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Communication in Engineering explores the critical role of effective communication within engineering practice. The course focuses on developing students' skills in technical writing, oral presentations, visual communication, and teamwork, tailored to both professional and academic engineering contexts. Students learn to convey complex technical concepts clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, including engineers, stakeholders, and the general public. Emphasis is placed on documentation standards, report writing, engineering proposals, and the use of modern communication tools, preparing students to navigate collaborative environments and succeed in multidisciplinary engineering projects.
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Technical Communication 11th Edition by Mike Markel
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Technical Communication
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Q1) Chapter 1 states that effective technical communication is honest. The chapter then presents three reasons it is important to be honest when communicating. Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons listed in Chapter 1?
A) It's the right thing to do.
B) If readers bring your dishonesty to the attention of your supervisor, your career may be negatively affected.
C) Readers can get hurt if you are dishonest.
D) You and your organization could face serious legal charges if you are dishonest.
Answer: B
Q2) Which of these abilities is NOT likely to help you as a workplace communicator?
A) the ability to perform research
B) the ability to solve problems
C) the ability to speak and write clearly
D) the ability to deflect attention
Answer: D
Q3) As used in Chapter 1, what does accessibility mean?
Answer: Accessibility refers to the ease with which readers can find the information they seek.
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3
Chapter 2: Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations
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Q1) Susan was assigned to analyze the process her company uses to write proposals. She worked on her report for more than a month. Stacy in the marketing department and John in the finance department gave Susan a lot of information and had several meetings with her. Susan placed an acknowledgments section in her report, where she thanked Stacy and John. What standard best explains Susan's decision to provide acknowledgments?
A) justice
B) rights
C) utility
D) care
Answer: D
Q2) Contract law affects technical communication because technical documents sometimes contain warranty statements.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) To be effective, a code of conduct must stipulate penalties.
A)True
B)False Answer: True
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Chapter 3: Writing Technical Documents
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Q1) If you don't know whether to write too, two, or to, you should trust the spell-checker to help you decide.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Templates are useful because they organize a document for you.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Why should you save proofreading until the end of your project instead of proofreading as you are drafting?
A) Studies show that writers can effectively increase their focus as they approach the end of a long, tiring project.
B) When you are drafting, everything you write is subject to being revised, moved, or even deleted.
C) Proofreading is the most efficient way of working through the writing process.
D) None of the responses are correct.
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Writing Collaboratively
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Q1) one of the disadvantages of collaboration is that it is likely to lead to charges of sexual harassment, sexual discrimination, or both.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following is likely to cause a team writing collaboratively to produce an inferior document?
A) The team shares a common goal.
B) The team avoids conflict.
C) Team members act as the audience for the document.
D) Team members divide up the workload.
Q3) Chapter 4 discusses five aspects of conducting meetings, one of which is setting your team's agenda. What are two of the other aspects?
A) minimizing scheduling conflicts
B) creating a style sheet
C) defining tasks for each member
D) none of the above
Q4) one advantage of collaboration is that it can yield a more coherent document.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 5: Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose
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Q1) what should you do once you have analyzed your audience and purpose?
A) Begin drafting.
B) Conduct research.
C) Get management's approval.
D) Outline the document.
E) Complete an audience profile.
Q2) Which terms below are used in Chapter 5 to describe types of audiences?
A) supplemental
B) primary
C) secondary
D) fundamental
Q3) a good way to learn about your readers' preferences is to read documents they have written.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The point of learning about your audience is to use that information to tailor a document to fit the audience's needs.
A)True
B)False
Q5) for what primary purpose do private companies use social-media data?
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Chapter 6: Researching Your Subject
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Q1) Chapter 6 suggests that you do two things after conducting an interview. What are they?
A) Transcribe the audio recording of the interview.
B) Write down the important information from the interview.
C) Ask for a follow-up interview.
D) Send a brief thank-you note to the respondent.
Q2) A periodical index contains lists of journal and magazine articles classified according to title, subject, and author.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Your manager has asked you to recommend which of two new types of digital camera to buy for your company's publications department. Which of the following is likely to be the best source of information for your report?
A) website
B) book
C) scholarly article
D) abstract service
Q4) Chapter 6 suggests that you do three things when concluding an interview. What is one of them?
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Chapter 7: Organizing Your Information
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Q1) what is partition?
Q2) Of the options listed below, which is the most effective way to organize a document describing the events that led to an Internet company's bankruptcy?
A) classification
B) comparison and contrast
C) problem-methods-solution
D) chronological
Q3) Which of the following tactics will help your readers see and follow your organizational pattern?
A) using section headings conservatively
B) using section headings liberally
C) using section headings subtly
D) using section headings infrequently
Q4) In what situation do graphics benefit your reader?
A) when graphics contrast with the text
B) when graphics complement the text
C) when graphics subvert the text
D) when graphics supplant the text
Q5) Why are cause-and-effect relationships difficult to describe?
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Chapter 8: Communicating Persuasively
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Q1) The following statement appears in a brochure supporting a law to allow ducks on a lake on a college campus: "In the other states that have allowed ducks on campus, we know of no adverse encounters between ducks and people to date." What type of reasoning does that passage display?
A) arguing from ignorance
B) arguing from authority
C) post hoc reasoning
D) circular argument
Q2) A testimonial can be an effective persuasive element.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Chapter 8 lists four characteristics that can help you establish an effective professional persona. One is cooperativeness. Which of the following characteristics are also listed in the chapter?
A) fair-mindedness
B) punctuality
C) moderation
D) self-control
E) modesty
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Chapter 9: Emphasizing Important Information
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Q1) The only proper way to create a sentence list is by using bullet points.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of these statements does NOT identify a benefit of turning a paragraph into a list?
A) It forces you to reorder the sequence.
B) It forces you to look at the bigger picture.
C) It forces you to create a helpful lead-in.
D) It forces you to write more precisely and more clearly.
Q3) you should jot down a working title before you start drafting a document to give you a sense of direction, then come back and revise it at the end.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A heading eliminates the need for a transitional sentence such as "Let us now turn to the advantages of the mandatory enrollment process."
A)True
B)False
Q5) Where should you place a transitional word or phrase?
Q6) what are the two types of paragraphs?
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Writing Correct and Effective Sentences
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Q1) Sentences are often easier to understand and more emphatic if new information appears in which position?
A) at the beginning of the sentence
B) in the middle of the sentence
C) after a semicolon
D) at the end of the sentence
Q2) What level of formality does technical communication usually require?
A) very informal to informal
B) informal to moderately formal
C) moderately formal to highly formal
D) None of the responses are correct.
Q3) Which of the following sentences illustrates the best approach to writing about people with disabilities?
A) An arthritis sufferer typically takes medications daily.
B) People with advanced cases of scleroderma should avoid cold climates.
C) A person with severe rheumatoid arthritis is likely to be confined to a wheelchair.
D) Systemic lupus is an abnormal disability for young males.
Q4) Identify one of the four strategies listed in Chapter 10 for avoiding ambiguous pronoun references.
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Chapter 11: Designing Print and Online Documents
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Q1) An inappropriate choice in which of following areas has the highest potential to confuse an international audience?
A) the thickness of the paper
B) the type of binding used
C) the pictures used as icons
D) the typeface chosen for body text
Q2) Which of the following is a potential drawback of using a multicolumn design?
A) It shortens the length of lines of text, making them harder to read.
B) It might increase the amount of space between a picture and the text describing it.
C) It might lead to more words on a page than a single-column design.
D) It might differ from the design the audience expects to see.
Q3) Text printed in uppercase letters is easier to read than text set in a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters.
A)True
B)False
Q4) An idiom is a phrase identified by linguists as universally understandable.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What is the design term for a straight line on a page or screen?
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Chapter 12: Creating Graphics
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Q1) one way to create graphics is to modify existing graphics.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Saving space is not an ideal reason for cropping a photo to be used in technical communication. What is a better reason?
Q3) Chapter 12 suggests that you consider four factors when planning a graphic. One is audience. Name two other factors you should consider.
Q4) Why is it important to either begin graph axes at zero or mark them clearly?
Q5) How can a writer avoid creating chartjunk?
A) by separating clip art from charts and graphs
B) by choosing two-dimensional charts and graphs over three-dimensional ones
C) by placing charts on pages separate from graphs
D) None of the responses are correct.
Q6) Chapter 12 discusses five characteristics that make a graphic clear and understandable. One characteristic is that the graphic meets readers' format expectations.
A)True
B)False
Q7) what is the most important characteristic of an infographic?
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Reviewing, Evaluating, and Testing Documents and Web Sites
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Q1) Generally, it is best not to use company employees as participants in a usability test. A)True
B)False
Q2) which type of person is NOT typically involved in a usability evaluation?
A) subject-matter expert (SME)
B) user of the item being evaluated
C) informed-consent coordinator
D) usability expert
Q3) One principle of usability testing is that it permeates product development. What does that mean?
A) Designers and managers know that if a product fails the usability test given right before product launch, they will not be paid.
B) Once a product is permanently on the market, you no longer need to test it.
C) Conduct testing on prototypes, then conduct evaluations on final drafts.
D) You conduct testing in all stages of a product's development, not only at the end.
Q4) Usability refers to five aspects of a person's use of an item. What are two of these factors?
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Chapter 14: Writing Correspondence
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Q1) Chapter 14 states two reasons language errors in correspondence are unprofessional. One is that they suggest a lack of respect for your reader and for yourself. What is the other reason?
Q2) Which of the following best defines writing that projects the "you attitude"?
A) writing that clearly sets the responsibility for a problem on the reader
B) writing with the kind of tone and style that you would prefer in a letter you receive
C) writing that conveys defensiveness and self-protection
D) writing that addresses the reader as "you"
Q3) In some cultures, a person is more likely to walk down the hall to deliver a brief message than to send an email, because doing so shows more respect.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Which of the following statements is true?
A) Clichés make your writing shorter and more efficient.
B) Clichés are a good way to write with the "you attitude."
C) Clichés give your writing a stilted tone.
D) Clichés give your writing a contemporary touch.
Q5) Provide an example of a salutation.
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Chapter 15: Writing Job-Application Materials
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Q1) what should you do after interviewing for a job?
Q2) Why is it important to include keywords in your LinkedIn profile?
Q3) Which of these statements best explains how your use of social media affects your professional brand?
A) Potential employers will review your social-media use as one way to judge how well you would succeed at marketing.
B) Potential employers will review your social-media use to see if you are a fun person to be around.
C) Potential employers will review your social-media use as one way to assess how you would behave on the job.
D) Potential employers will review your social-media use to see if you take good pictures.
Q4) Any picture of yourself that you display on your LinkedIn profile or your portfolio must be taken by a professional.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What are the four parts of the body of a job-application letter?
Q6) what are the four main steps in planning a job search?
Q7) what is an elevator pitch?
Page 17
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Chapter 16: Writing Proposals
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Q1) some readers might not consider a proposal if it does not provide an effective summary.
A)True
B)False
Q2) what is the best way to describe the problem or opportunity behind a proposal?
A) in terms as general as possible
B) using economic principles of supply, demand, and opportunity cost
C) in general financial terms
D) in specific monetary terms
Q3) To be persuasive, proposal writers must demonstrate that they understand readers' needs. what two other qualities must they demonstrate?
A) that they are able to do what they plan to do
B) that they understand how the proposal/procurement process operates within a particular field or profession
C) that they are committed to fulfilling their promises
D) that they are well financed
Q4) Which type of graphic commonly used to portray task schedules communicates interdependence between various activities?
Q5) What do the initials RFP stand for?
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Chapter 17: Writing Informational Reports
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Q1) A directive is an informational document, not a persuasive one.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The primary purpose of a directive is to direct the reader to additional sources of information.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Identify three of the issues you should be sure to address in a field report?
Q4) A directive should include the reasoning behind a new policy or procedure so that readers will be persuaded that the new policy or procedure is desirable or at least necessary.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Whether you have good news or bad news to share, it is important to keep a professional, measured tone in an informational report.
A)True
B)False
Q6) What course of action should you take if you find that you will not be able to meet your original deadline for delivery of a report?
Page 19
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Chapter 18: Writing Recommendation Reports
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Q1) the conclusions section of a typical recommendation report provides a summary of the report.
A)True
B)False
Q2) which of the following is NOT an acceptable way to present your conclusions in a recommendation report?
A) Rank all of the options.
B) Refer the reader to an appendix.
C) Present a compound conclusion.
D) Classify the options as either acceptable or unacceptable.
Q3) the methods section of a recommendation report answers the question "What equipment did you use in conducting this investigation?"
A)True
B)False
Q4) In what order should definitions relevant to a report be presented in a glossary?
Q5) What fundamental question does the recommendations section of a recommendation report answer?
Q6) Into what two categories can criteria be classified?
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Chapter 19: Writing Lab Reports
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Q1) Which of the procedures you performed should you mention in the "Materials and Methods" section of your report?
Q2) A descriptive abstract states the topics covered in the lab report but doesn't present important results or conclusions.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is the least effective title for a lab report or scientific article?
A) Three-dimensional Imaging of Enzymes
B) Intensification in the Activity of Lipase Enzyme Using Ultrasonic Irradiation and Stability Studies
C) Immunoassays of Fungal Laccases for Screening of Natural Enzymes and Control of Recombinant Enzyme Production
D) Evaluation of Butyrate-induced Production of a Mannose-6-phosphorylated Therapeutic Enzyme Using Parallel Bioreactors
Q4) Chapter 19 provides four guidelines for using equations in a lab report. One is to use an equation editor or write the equations by hand. What are the other three guidelines?
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Chapter 20: Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions
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Q1) there is no absolute distinction between a set of instructions and a manual.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Several organizations have guidelines and standards for communicating information about safety. Which of the following is NOT one of these organizations?
A) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
B) American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
C) International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
D) Institute of Safety Ordinances (ISO)
Q3) A conventions section explains to readers how a manual uses typography to signify different kinds of information. One example is using Courier typeface to represent text the reader is supposed to type.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Descriptions are rarely incorporated into longer documents; instead, they usually appear as separate documents.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What is the function of a conventions section?
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Chapter 21: Making Oral Presentations
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Q1) it is better to plan ahead to say something funny or witty than to do so spontaneously.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In an oral presentation, what is an advance organizer?
Q3) Chapter 21 suggests using three techniques to make your language more memorable. One technique is to refer to people, not to abstractions. What is one other technique described in the chapter?
Q4) where on a presentation slide should you place the claim you are making?
A) in the headline area at the top
B) in the body of the slide
C) in a graphic in the middle of the slide
D) in the middle of the footer area
Q5) Analyzing the speaking situation as you prepare an oral presentation calls for which of the following steps?
A) analyzing how much your audience already knows about the subject
B) determining your purpose in making the presentation
C) analyzing the audience's attitudes toward your subject
D) determining how much information you can present in your allotted time
E) All responses are correct.
Page 23
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