Oral Communication Exam Practice Tests
Course Introduction
Oral Communication is a foundational course designed to enhance students' abilities to express ideas clearly and confidently in a variety of spoken contexts. The course focuses on the principles and techniques of effective communication, including speech preparation, organization, delivery, active listening, and audience analysis. Through a combination of lectures, interactive exercises, and practical presentations, students develop essential skills for public speaking, group discussions, and interpersonal exchanges, all while building self-assurance and critical thinking abilities for academic, professional, and everyday situations.
Recommended Textbook
Communication Principles for a Lifetime 5th Edition by Steven A. Beebe
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15 Chapters
1337 Verified Questions
1337 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/3978
Page 2
Chapter 1: Foundations of Human Communication
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87 Verified Questions
87 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/79903
Sample Questions
Q1) The textbook describes small group communication as a transactional process among three to fifteen people who
A) meet often.
B) work in the same context.
C) are "in sync" with each other.
D) share a common goal.
Answer: D
Q2) A nonverbal message may contradict a person's verbal message.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Which of the following is an example of intrapersonal communication?
A) talking to a friend about biology class
B) telling your roommate about a personal problem
C) mentally reviewing what you have to do that day
D) ordering a pizza over the phone
Answer: C
Q4) The beliefs,values,and moral principles by which we determine what is right or wrong are called our _____.
Answer: ethics
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Self Awareness and Communication
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89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Robin suspected that her roommate,Julie,wanted to break up with her boyfriend.Rather than asking her specifically,Robin paid close attention to how Julie complained about him,avoided his phone calls,and was late getting ready for dates with him.What method was Robin using to check her perception of Julie's feelings?
A) Direct perception checking
B) Indirect perception checking
C) Social comparison
D) Self-fulfilling prophecy
Answer: B
Q2) Looking for cues in nonverbal behavior,listening carefully to the language a person is using,and paying close attention to the tone of voice of another person are examples of _____ perception checking.
Answer: indirect
Q3) Closure is the process of filling in missing information by imposing a pattern or structure.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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4
Chapter 3: Understanding Verbal Messages
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86 Verified Questions
86 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to the second principle for a lifetime,words should be used to engender supportiveness rather than defensiveness.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Explain the differences between concrete and abstract language.
Answer: Meanings of words can be placed on a continuum from concrete to abstract.If we can experience what the word refers to with our senses,it is described as concrete.If we cannot experience it without senses,it is described as abstract.Abstract terms are more difficult to understand or agree on a meaning.Concrete terms are more clear.
Q3) The _____ Hypothesis suggests that our language and thought are so interrelated that how we think is based in and controlled by the language we speak.
Answer: Sapir-Whorf
Q4) _____ is the tendency to describe things in extremes or opposites without any middle ground.
Answer: Polarization
Q5) When a person interprets or makes sense of symbols,he or she is creating _____. Answer: meaning
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Chapter 4: Understanding Nonverbal Messages
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95 Verified Questions
95 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain why nonverbal messages are more believable than verbal.
Q2) Kinesics is a general term for
A) human movement,gestures,and the use of space
B) gestures,the use of space,and posture
C) human movement,gestures,and posture
D) gestures,posture,and adaptors
Q3) Affect displays are a part of the study of kinesics.
A)True
B)False
Q4) _____ is the study of how close or far away from people and objects we position ourselves.
A) Haptics
B) Kinesics
C) Vocalics
D) Proxemics
Q5) Because nonverbal messages register on our senses from a variety of sources,we say that nonverbal communication is _____.
Q6) Differentiate between intimate and personal space.
Q7) Saying "Ah....Um" may be used to _____ a conversation.
Q8) Explain the concept of touch ethic.
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Chapter 5: Listening and Responding
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96 Verified Questions
96 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is included in the skills needed to listen with empathy?
A) Listen primarily for the content
B) Take very thorough notes
C) Offer advice
D) Try to feel what the other person is feeling
Q2) Timothy was watching a news program on the television when Emily entered the room and announced that dinner was ready.Timothy continued to watch the program,saying nothing to Emily.In this case,Timothy failed to_____.
A) respond
B) recall
C) understand
D) attend
Q3) The selecting activity in the listening process is a matter of sorting through all the sounds that reach your ears.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe three strategies to improve the effectiveness and appropriateness of your responses.
Q5) _____ listeners prefer to focus on emotions and feelings.
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Chapter 6: Adapting to Others: Diversity and Communication
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85 Verified Questions
85 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Greg's new job required that he make a sales presentation in Korea.When he arrived,he was stressed due to the differences in language,customs,and food.How would you best describe what Greg was feeling?
A) Globalization
B) Culture shock
C) Difference in worldviews
D) Exposure to co-cultures
Q2) Essentially,men often communicate to report and women often communicate to establish rapport.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Sympathy and empathy are interchangeable emotions.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A culture that values teamwork over individual accomplishment would be known as a(n)_____ culture.
Q5) Briefly explain an ethnorelative cultural perspective.
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Q6) The United States is generally considered to be primarily an individualistic culture.Briefly explain why that is.
Chapter 7: Understanding Interpersonal Communication
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89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/79909
Sample Questions
Q1) It is rare for a long-term relationship to be maintained solely on the basis of what you initially found attractive in the other person.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In a well-supported essay,discuss the three unique attributes of interpersonal communication as defined in your book.
Q3) Gender is not a known factor in the area of self-disclosure.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Altman and Taylor's model of social penetration illustrates _____.
A) how people reduce uncertainty about each other in the early stages of a relationship
B) how people make use of verbal and nonverbal communication to form impressions of the other
C) how much and what kind of information we reveal in various stages of a relationship
D) how men and women communicate differently in friendship relationships
Q5) The _____ quadrant in the Johari Window represents information that is known by self but is not revealed to others.
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Chapter 8: Enhancing Relationships
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87 Verified Questions
87 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to Satir,which of the following is a characteristic of a healthy family?
A) They keep feelings of anger to themselves.
B) They treat people differently according to their age.
C) They are careful not to violate one another's personal space.
D) They establish flexible rules that can be changed.
Q2) According to your book,at which stage in life do relationships with our peers become the most important social influence in our lives?
A) Childhood
B) Adolescence
C) Adulthood
D) Senior adults
Q3) Explain irresolvable or intractable conflict.
Q4) Identify and briefly describe each of the stages of relational escalation.
Q5) This type of conflict stems from differences in ideas,definitions,perceptions,or goals.
A) nonconfrontational conflict
B) simple conflict.
C) serial arguments.
D) pseudoconflict.
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Chapter 9: Understanding Group and Team Performance
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92 Verified Questions
92 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A focus group is a group that meets to resolve an issue or overcome an unsatisfactory situation.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The opposite of coercive power is which of the following?
A) Reward power
B) Legitimate power
C) Status power
D) Expert power
Q3) Discuss leadership roles.
Q4) A teacher or a supervisor is an example of a person who has legitimate power.
A)True
B)False
Q5) A cohesive group tends to celebrate when the group accomplishes either a short-term or a long-term goal.
A)True
B)False
Q6) An attorney is an example of an individual who possesses expert power.
A)True
B)False
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Enhancing Group and Team Performance
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91 Verified Questions
91 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) It is usually better to spend time discussing which solutions you prefer before you analyze a problem.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Briefly explain the concept of transformational leadership.
Q3) When a group establishes standards for evaluating possible solutions,they are developing their _____.
A) problem definitions
B) criteria
C) relationships
D) solutions
Q4) Process functions are leader behaviors that help maintain a positive group climate.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Thinkers who consider the process of how problems are solved are known as _____.
Q6) The nominal group technique is the same thing as silent brainstorming. A)True
B)False
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Q7) What are three (of four)advantages mentioned in your book for working in groups?
Chapter 11: Developing Your Presentation
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89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A comparison between two things that are by nature dissimilar,but share some essential common feature is a(n)_____ analogy.
Q2) A Web site that is free of bias against either gender,against any ethnic,racial,or sexual-preference group,or people with disabilities is a _____ site.
A) inclusive
B) Boolean
C) hyperlink
D) vertical search
Q3) For the following main points,write a specific purpose statement,a central idea,and give examples of three types of appropriate supporting material for the topic.
I.Low-carbohydrate diets are not well balanced. II.Low-carbohydrate diets have not been proven to be effective. III.Low-carbohydrate diets have been proven to be unsafe.
Q4) According to your book,the most central element in all aspects of preparing your speech is _____.
A) your supporting material
B) considering your audience
C) becoming confident in the process
D) selecting your topic
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Page 13
Chapter 12: Organizing and Outlining Your Presentation
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86 Verified Questions
86 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Stephen was planning a speech on the environmental impact of the eruption of Mt.St.Helens.He planned to organize his speech by starting at the area immediately around the cone,move to a discussion of the areas directly east of the mountain,then move counterclockwise to the north and west of the mountain.What type of organizational pattern was he using?
A) Chronological
B) Spatial
C) Topical
D) Cause-and-effect
Q2) If your main points discuss something that needs to be changed,then offers a plan for changing it,they are organized with a topical pattern of organization.
A)True
B)False
Q3) If you were preparing a speech on the U.S.involvement in Viet name and the Viet Nam War,why would you probably want to use a chronological pattern to organize that speech?
Q4) What are nonverbal transitions?
Q5) Briefly explain the cause-effect and problem-solution organization patterns.
Q6) What should a conclusion accomplish?
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Delivering Your Presentation
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91 Verified Questions
91 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to your book,the extemporaneous style of speaking is the appropriate style for most situations today.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What figure of speech is reflected in the statement,"Family loyalty is the very life blood,the very backbone of our society"?
A) Metaphor
B) Hyperbole
C) Alliteration
D) Simile
Q3) A word that does not stereotype,discriminate against,or insult any sexual,racial,cultural,or religious group is _____.
Q4) _____ demonstrate to your audience proper preparation and can enhance your credibility.
Q5) It is usually best to arrange all your visual aids in full view of the audience before you begin your speech.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Explain the concept of using words well as part of effective verbal delivery.
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Speaking to Inform
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87 Verified Questions
87 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A speech about a(n)_____ is one about an abstract concept,theory,or principle.
Q2) When giving a presentation to adults,it is important to _____.
A) use abstract information
B) allow them to be passive learners
C) relate their life experiences to what they will be learning
D) use humor so they will be amused
Q3) Enrique said,"Listen carefully,this is the most convincing reason why life is likely to exist on other planets." He is using which of the following techniques to make his presentation memorable?
A) Simplifying ideas
B) Building in redundancy
C) Using adult learning principles
D) Reinforcing key ideas verbally
Q4) A presentation about _____ would be a speech about a procedure.
A) types of surfboards
B) how to perform a search on the Internet
C) three different breeds of dogs
D) features on a digital camera
Q5) Explain the importance of redundancy in a public speaking situation,and what a speaker can do to build in redundancy.
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Speaking to Persuade
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87 Verified Questions
87 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/79917
Sample Questions
Q1) Briefly explain the concept of a syllogism.What type of reasoning does this represent?
Q2) What is cognitive dissonance? How might a speaker make use of it in a persuasive speech?
Q3) Briefly explain three of the four strategies for using fear appeals effectively in a speech.
Q4) "I saw smoke coming from behind the mountain and,when I arrived at that side of the mountain,I noticed a fire in a wooded area.The smoke must have come from the fire.' This is an example reasoning by analogy.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Which of the following is a recommended strategy for an unreceptive audience?
A) Provide a clear objective
B) Tell your audience what you want them to do
C) Acknowledge opposing points of view
D) Save your strongest argument for last
Q6) _____ is the sense of mental discomfort that may prompt a person to change when new information conflicts with previously organized thought patterns.
Q7) Briefly explain what it means to use a non sequitur.
Page 17
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