Engineering Communication
Chapter Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Engineering Communication focuses on developing the essential skills engineers need to convey technical information effectively in both written and oral forms. The course covers topics such as technical report writing, presentation techniques, the use of visuals and graphical data, and the principles of clear and concise communication tailored to various audiences. Through real-world engineering scenarios, students learn to collaborate in teams, document technical processes, and present ideas professionally, preparing them to meet the communication demands of the engineering profession.
Recommended Textbook
Technical Communication 11th Edition by Mike Markel
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Technical Communication
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Q1) The engineering firm you work for is submitting a proposal to create an amphitheater at a state park. Proposals must be submitted in three-ring binders. You are in charge of assembling the binders. You decide to put section divider tabs and an index into each proposal binder. Which measure of excellence in technical communication does this decision reflect?
A) honesty
B) clarity
C) comprehensiveness
D) accessibility
Answer: D
Q2) Which two things must you clearly understand in order to communicate successfully?
A) your audience and your purpose
B) your proposal and your audience
C) your documentation and measures of excellence
D) your software and your hardware
Answer: A
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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Chapter 2: Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations
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Q1) Chapter 2 states that you have five obligations to your employer. One obligation is honesty and candor. What are two of the other obligations?
Answer: The other four obligations are competence and diligence, generosity, confidentiality, and loyalty.
Q2) According to the principle of the moral minimum, it is permissible for companies to passively reinforce patterns of discrimination in product information if the audience to which the product is being sold practices that discrimination.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Fair-use guidelines apply to graphics just as they do to words. A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) To be effective, a code of conduct must stipulate penalties. A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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4
Chapter 3: Writing Technical Documents
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Q1) What is "invisible writing" and how is it helpful to the writing process?
Answer: Invisible writing is the practice of darkening your computer screen or turning off your monitor so that you have only a hard copy of your outline to look at as you write. This strategy can make you less tempted to revise what you have just written.
Q2) Editing your documents is a way to show respect to your audience.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) using templates can lead to three problems. One is that templates may bore readers. What are the other two?
Answer: The other two potential problems associated with templates are that they do not always reflect the best design principles and that they cannot help you answer important questions about your document.
Q4) Even though cultures differ, technical documents tend to be written in a similar way no matter where you go.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 4: Writing Collaboratively
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Q1) Which of the following does NOT overstate the speaker's position?
A) I know one of the members of the review panel, and I am positive that he will stick up for us when they pick their finalists.
B) We prepared our document carefully, and I think we have highlighted our strengths successfully.
C) We're the indisputable leaders in this market niche. There's no way anyone can offer better features than we do.
D) It is not possible that anyone is more qualified for this job than we are.
Q2) the differences in behavior between two men or between two women are likely to be fewer and less pronounced than the differences between men and women in general. A)True B)False
Q3) Chapter 4 discusses five aspects of conducting meetings, a crucial component of collaboration. What are two of those aspects?
Q4) Employees rarely use social media and personal electronics to complete work tasks. A)True B)False
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Chapter 5: Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose
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Q1) Why should you use an audience profile sheet for a writing project?
A) It prompts you to ask questions about your target audience.
B) It helps you remember what you've learned about your target audience.
C) It helps you realize when you need to learn more about your target audience.
D) All responses are correct.
Q2) if you think your document will have a number of readers, you should consider writing a variety of documents addressed to different kinds of readers.
A)True
B)False
Q3) What mistake did McDonald's make when it printed takeout bags decorated with flags from around the world?
Q4) Which phrase best defines the purpose of a workplace document?
A) what you want to accomplish with the document you are producing
B) what you propose to do when you receive permission
C) what you want to display in words or images
D) what you want to document for clarity
Q5) for what primary purpose do private companies use social-media data?
Q6) Why are LinkedIn profiles a particularly useful resource for learning about one's audience?
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Researching Your Subject
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Q1) A writer is developing a questionnaire asking users about their experiences with a company's website. Which of the following questions is NOT flawed?
A) I was able to easily find answers to my questions.
Disagree _____
Neutral _____
Agree _____
B) Should we make this site better?
Yes ___ No ___
C) List the top three reasons you visit this site:
D) The flawed graphics made it hard for me to order parts using this site.
Yes __ No __
Q2) What is the function of an RSS feed?
Q3) in which phase of the writing process is it best to conduct research?
A) editing
B) revising
C) proofreading
D) planning
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Chapter 7: Organizing Your Information
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Q1) Which of the organizational patterns below depends on relationships that can be difficult to prove?
A) cause and effect
B) comparison and contrast
C) general to specific
D) spatial
Q2) Why do writers sometimes place less-important information at the beginning of documents addressed to readers outside of their own organization?
Q3) It is often helpful to combine bases of classification or partition simultaneously when using that pattern to write a passage.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In describing your company's product, you should not compare it with a competitor's product because the competitor will sue your company for misrepresentation.
A)True
B)False
Q5) what is classification?
Q6) Why are cause-and-effect relationships difficult to describe?
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Communicating Persuasively
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Q1) Which statement best exemplifies a modest persona?
A) "I think the Hughes Security system will give us most of the features we are looking for."
B) "I know the Hughes Security system will give us the features we are looking for."
C) "I researched all the options, and I am positive that the Hughes Security system is the only reasonable option."
D) "The president of Hughes Security is a personal friend, and I know they can't possibly let us down."
Q2) Which three of the following are elements of an argument?
A) claim
B) persona
C) conclusion
D) evidence
E) reasoning
Q3) What type of argument states that a claim is valid because many people think it is or act as if it is?
Q4) Chapter 8 discusses the four broad goals of an audience. One is security. Name one of the other three goals.
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Chapter 9: Emphasizing Important Information
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Q1) What type of sentence states, summarizes, or forecasts the main point of the paragraph?
A) a transitional sentence
B) a coherence sentence
C) a topic sentence
D) None of the responses are correct.
Q2) To create an effective title for your document, what should you focus on?
A) key words that describe the document's subject and purpose
B) key words that describe the attitudes of your audience
C) key words that you used in an Internet search during research
D) key words that establish coherent transitions
Q3) Why should you avoid back-to-back headings, such as the following?
6. Approaches to Neighborhood Policing
6.1 Community Policing
Q4) what are the two types of paragraphs?
Q5) In almost all cases, demonstrative pronouns should be followed by nouns.
A)True
B)False
Q6) using precise words will make a title more useful. What is an added benefit of using precise words?
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) In a passive-voice sentence, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb.
A)True
B)False
Q3) In what way is the following list flawed?
The Ventura Aquifer program objectives are the following: \(\bullet\)characterization of groundwater quality \(\bullet\)to provide data to support Best Management Practices (BMP) \(\bullet\)relating data to agricultural land-use practices
A) The list is not punctuated correctly.
B) The list is not parallel in structure.
C) The lead-in is not grammatically complete.
D) The list uses the wrong verb tense.
Q4) Which type of modifier lacks an antecedent?
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Chapter 11: Designing Print and Online Documents
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Q1) what can you do to make a website easy to navigate?
A) Use "Back to top" links on long pages.
B) Include a site map.
C) Use a table of contents at the top of long pages.
D) All responses are correct.
E) None of the responses are correct.
Q2) What is the difference between a serif typeface and a sans-serif typeface?
Q3) margins serve four main purposes within a document. Identify two.
Q4) One of the main challenges of document design is using as few pages as possible while still making the document easy to read.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Which of these design features in a document does not primarily involve the principle of contrast?
A) a rule
B) a pull quote
C) a screen
D) a marginal gloss
Q6) In typography, what is leading?
Q7) What is queuing?
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Chapter 12: Creating Graphics
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Questions
Q1) Chapter 12 offers six principles for using color in graphics. One is "Don't overdo it." Which of the following principles is also mentioned in the chapter?
A) Use color to create patterns.
B) Use as many colors as possible.
C) Use dark colors to make objects look smaller.
D) All responses are correct.
Q2) If you want to publish a graphic that your organization paid to have produced, you do not need written permission.
A)True
B)False
Q3) why do you need to cite the source of a graphic?
A) It is part of your ethical responsibilities.
B) It is necessary for papers submitted to industry conventions and conferences.
C) It increases the prestige of your bibliography.
D) None of the responses are correct.
Q4) graphics are important in technical communication because they can help you communicate information that is difficult to communicate in words. What is another reason graphics are important?
Q5) Why is it important to either begin graph axes at zero or mark them clearly?
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Chapter 13: Reviewing, Evaluating, and Testing Documents and Web Sites
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Q1) 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
Q2) What are the three main principles of usability testing?
A) Usability testing permeates product development.
B) Usability testing involves studying real users as they use a product.
C) Usability testing replaces quality assurance testing.
D) Usability testing involves setting measurable goals and determining whether a product meets them.
E) Usability testing is essential for every document.
Q3) In performing usability testing, why is it a bad idea to use your own company's employees as test participants?
Q4) Generally, it is best not to use company employees as participants in a usability test.
A)True
B)False
Q5) In usability testing, what is informed consent?
Q6) what does it mean to evaluate a draft?
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Chapter 14: Writing Correspondence
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Q1) which of the correspondence types below is generally considered the least formal?
A) letters
B) email
C) memos
D) microblogs
Q2) Provide an example of a salutation.
Q3) Which of the following statements is true?
A) Memos are commonly written to people outside your own organization.
B) Memos are commonly written to people within your own organization.
C) Memos are a highly formal type of workplace correspondence.
D) Memos should not contain content with section headings.
Q4) Why is it important to communicate honestly, no matter what type of document you create?
A) To be ethical you must be honest and avoid misleading people.
B) Dishonest communication can lead customers to take their business elsewhere.
C) Honesty projects a "you attitude" toward your reader.
D) All responses are correct.
Q5) What is flaming?
Q6) What does the notation "cc" stand for in a letter, memo, or email?
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Writing Job-Application Materials
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Q1) Why is it important to include keywords in your LinkedIn profile?
Q2) If you are rejected for a position, you should not write back to the employer. A)True
B)False
Q3) At 23, Becky has just received her B.S. in horticulture from a state college. She has been interested in flowers and gardening since grade school. While in high school, she won several state-fair ribbons for her flowers, which she grew in her spare time while working part-time at a fast-food restaurant and going to school. She continued working at the restaurant while in college. What advice would you give Becky as she prepares her résumé for a full-time position as a horticulturist for the local county extension service?
A) Write a skills résumé.
B) Write a chronological résumé.
C) Write either style of résumé, but leave out the employment section.
D) Write either style of résumé, but add to the professional information section a detailed paragraph describing in professional terms her love of flowers.
Q4) Chapter 15 lists four questions you should ask before posting an electronic résumé on an Internet job board. One question is "Who has access to your résumé?" What is one of the other questions?
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Chapter 16: Writing Proposals
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Q1) Hardy Grocery Store has published an RFP for the construction of a two-story warehouse addition to its main store. The warehouse must be built on 5,000 square feet of adjacent property, but it must have up to 9,000 square feet of storage space and have loading platforms for both North and East Street entrances. R&F Architects has responded with a proposal acknowledging the grocery's property restrictions and space requirements. R&F's proposal includes a sketch of the warehouse they propose to build, with multiple entrances to the exterior as well as entrances to the existing building. The proposal has a chart showing the phases of the project, including the completion date, and a section describing R&F's staff and similar past projects. The proposal ends with a bid. What should R&F add to the proposal to better compete with other organizations bidding on the project?
A) a description of its quality-control measures
B) a listing of the research methods to be used
C) a description of the problem or opportunity
D) a clearer focus on the readers' needs in an internal proposal
Q2) Which type of graphic best shows the interdependence among various tasks in a project?
Q3) In the sample internal proposal presented at the end of Chapter 16, what are the authors proposing to do?
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Chapter 17: Writing Informational Reports
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Q1) A field report explains a problem, methods, results, and conclusions, but it deemphasizes the methods and can include recommendations.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A writer in the research division of Radworth Pharmaceutical, Inc. is preparing a monthly progress report on the development of a new drug. What is the best way to organize the body of the report?
A) by time
B) from most-important to least-important accomplishments
C) by task
D) based on the budget allocated for the project
Q3) A status report is usually organized according to task.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In general, why would someone need to write an incident report?
A) Readers have followed the guidelines established in a recent directive.
B) Something unexpected happened, and the results are good news.
C) Work on a project has been completed.
D) Something unexpected happened, and the results are bad news.
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Chapter 18: Writing Recommendation Reports
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Q1) the results section of a recommendation report answers the question "What did you see?"
A)True
B)False
Q2) the methods section of a recommendation report answers the question "What equipment did you use in conducting this investigation?"
A)True
B)False
Q3) What fundamental question does the methods section of a recommendation report answer?
Q4) The essential questions answered in the introduction of a recommendation report are similar to those answered when introducing what other kind of document?
A) a proposal
B) an incident report
C) meeting minutes
D) a job-application letter
Q5) If your report presents multiple recommendations, how should you consider presenting them?
Q6) In a decision matrix, which factor demonstrates a criterion's importance?
Page 20
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Chapter 19: Writing Lab Reports
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Q1) most lab reports consist of eight basic elements. One is the introduction. What are two other elements found in most lab reports?
Q2) How familiar should you assume your audience will be with the particulars of your experiment?
Q3) What are author guidelines?
Q4) which of these is NOT an element common to most lab reports?
A) task schedule
B) title
C) discussion
D) conclusion
Q5) 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?
Q6) What does prepublication permit an author to do and what is it designed to take advantage of?
Q7) Which of the procedures you performed should you mention in the "Materials and Methods" section of your report?
Q8) Why do scientists have a strong tradition of using the passive voice in lab reports?
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Chapter 20: Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions
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Q1) many companies are uneasy about using instructional videos and rely on printed documentation instead.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The partitioning technique for creating an extended definition often appears in tandem with another technique.
A)True
B)False
Q3) In what way is the definition "Booting a computer is when you turn it on" flawed?
Q4) While reviewing a draft of a trip report discussing the importance of a presentation she attended, a writer decides that some readers may not know what a particular term means. If she wants to clarify the term briefly and unobtrusively, the writer should use which of the following strategies?
A) Include a parenthetical definition.
B) Define the term in an appendix.
C) Include an extended definition.
D) Include a sentence definition.
Q5) What are the three types of descriptions discussed in Chapter 20?
Page 22
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Chapter 21: Making Oral Presentations
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Q1) you do not need to announce the end of your presentation. Listeners can tell when you are ending.
A)True
B)False
Q2) To invite questions after your presentation, a simple "Any questions?" is appropriate. A)True
B)False
Q3) Chapter 21 lists a number of points to keep in mind if you become nervous before giving an oral presentation. One is to realize that you are prepared. What is one other mentioned in the chapter?
Q4) there are four techniques for concluding a presentation. One is to look to the future. What is one other?
Q5) Chapter 21 describes four types of oral presentations, including impromptu presentations. What are two of the other three?
Q6) An effective graphic for an oral presentation has five characteristics. One is that it presents a clear, well-supported claim. What are two other characteristics mentioned in the chapter?
Q7) In an oral presentation, what is an advance organizer?
Page 23
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