Writing in the Professions Pre-Test Questions
Course Introduction
Writing in the Professions is designed to equip students with the essential communication skills required in professional settings. The course emphasizes practical writing strategies for creating effective emails, memos, reports, proposals, and other workplace documents. Students will learn to tailor their writing for diverse audiences and purposes, integrate research and evidence effectively, and adopt appropriate tone and format. The curriculum also addresses collaboration and ethical considerations in professional communication, preparing students to succeed in a variety of organizational contexts.
Recommended Textbook
Technical Communication with 2016 MLA Update 11th Edition by Mike Markel
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Technical Communication
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Q1) Which quality in the list below is evident in the revised version of the following paragraph?
Original: During our monthly meeting last month, we all came to the conclusion that overtime procedures are inadequate and that new procedures need to be initiated. I discussed this problem with our chief accountant, who was sympathetic and agreed to consider any changes we would like to make to the present procedures. Please bring your suggested changes to this month's departmental meeting scheduled for 2:30 P.M. next Wednesday afternoon.
Revision: During last month's meeting, we concluded that our overtime procedures need revision. Our chief accountant has agreed to consider any changes we would like to make to the present procedures. Please bring your suggested changes to this month's departmental meeting scheduled for 2:30 P.M. next Wednesday.
A) conciseness
B) accuracy
C) comprehensiveness
D) correctness
Answer: A
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3
Chapter 2: Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations
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Q1) Steven is selling a used car that is 10 years old. He found a way to set the odometer back 50,000 miles, making his car appear more valuable than it actually is. A potential buyer looks at the car and is amazed at the low mileage. He asks Steven if anyone has tampered with the odometer. Steven replies, "Hey, that would be illegal. No one wants to get caught doing something illegal." What type of misleading statement did Steven make in his reply?
A) an exaggeration
B) a euphemism
C) a false implication
D) a double negative
Answer: C
Q2) When warning users about the dangers of products, writers should avoid using mandatory language such as must and shall.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) What advantage does using a trademark symbol confer upon an organization?
Answer: It makes it easier for the organization to take legal action against another organization that it believes has infringed upon its trademark.
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Writing Technical Documents
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Sample Questions
Q1) A team of writers regularly collaborate to produce technical reports that have identical design specifications. Which of the following word-processing tools would best help them to work efficiently?
A) grammar checker
B) branching diagram
C) report template
D) thesaurus
Answer: C
Q2) Which of these is NOT an effective statement of purpose for a document?
A) The purpose of this document is to help readers install the 3.0 update to our Wizar-Tater software.
B) The purpose of this document is to help employees understand why they will have to pay higher insurance premiums.
C) The purpose of this document is to change the landscape of enterprise software.
D) The purpose of this document is to explain whether the company should adopt a health-promotion program.
Answer: C
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Chapter 4: Writing Collaboratively
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Q1) Which of these comments about a team member's report draft is the least diplomatic?
A) I like the statistics that you provide in the introduction. I wonder if the audience will recognize these sources you consulted.
B) This introduction shows a lot of hard work. Perhaps an additional example would make your point even stronger.
C) You did not write this introduction very well. You left out a lot of important background information.
D) I know the proposal reviewers have very high standards. I think we all will benefit from improving our proofreading skills.
Q2) 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
Q3) What is one of the disadvantages of collaboration mentioned in Chapter 4?
Q4) Chapter 4 discusses five aspects of conducting meetings, a crucial component of collaboration. What are two of those aspects?
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6
Chapter 5: Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose
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Q1) Chapter 5 describes three categories of audience. What are they?
Q2) Chapter 5 identifies seven categories of cultural variables "on the surface." One category is political. Which of these is NOT a category of surface cultural variables?
A) economic
B) social
C) religious
D) philosophical
E) technological
Q3) Which of these is a cultural variable "on the surface" that is easily observed?
A) tolerance of uncertainty
B) distance between ranks
C) distance between business and private life
D) prevalence of religion
Q4) Interviews are great for learning from your audience but not for learning about your audience.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Why are LinkedIn profiles a particularly useful resource for learning about one's audience?
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Chapter 6: Researching Your Subject
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Q1) You should select research methods before determining what research questions to pursue.
A)True
B)False
Q2) One stage of conducting an experiment is to establish a hypothesis. What is the next stage?
Q3) in which phase of the writing process is it best to conduct research?
A) editing
B) revising
C) proofreading
D) planning
Q4) Which source is least likely to be valuable when you have a question about new trends in the semiconductor industry?
A) an encyclopedia
B) a journal article published this year
C) the blog of an analyst who covers the semiconductor industry
D) the website for a semiconductor magazine
Q5) What kind of information is found in a periodical index?
Q6) 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) 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) Your supervisor has asked you to write a completion report about a project you completed to improve the employee onboarding program at your company. Of the organizational patterns discussed in Chapter 7, which would be most logical and effective for describing the project?
Q3) Which factor should influence the organizational pattern you choose?
A) your readers' expectations
B) your document's length
C) your number of section headings
D) All responses are correct.
Q4) Why are cause-and-effect relationships difficult to describe?
Q5) The general-to-specific pattern is effective for explaining the factors that led to a specific problem.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 8: Communicating Persuasively
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Q1) in most cases the best place to state your claim is at the end of the argument because you may alienate your audience if you state it at the beginning.
A)True
B)False
Q2) crafting a persuasive argument involves six tasks. One is using the right kinds of evidence. What is another of the tasks listed in the chapter?
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
Q4) It is most effective to present emotional appeals in isolation rather than in combination with other types of evidence.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 9: Emphasizing Important Information
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Q1) 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.
Q2) A local bank uses this slogan in its advertising: "Integrity. Experience. Trust. Local." What about this slogan violates readers' expectations?
A) The items in the list are not parallel.
B) The list does not follow the general-to-specific pattern.
C) The hierarchy of the list is confusing.
D) None of the responses are correct.
Q3) For example, for instance, in other words, and to illustrate fall into which category of transitional words and phrases?
Q4) Which of the following is an example of a coherence device?
A) replacing nouns with demonstrative pronouns
B) removing transitional words
C) repeating key words
D) None of the responses are correct.
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Chapter 10: Writing Correct and Effective Sentences
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Q1) In a passive-voice sentence, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The following passage exhibits which of the characteristics listed below?
Not many rescuers are trained to handle hazardous materials. Provide care only when safe to do so, establish a safe zone, and call for help. When a rescuer commences patient care, he should focus on basic life support and finalize his plan to decontaminate the patient.
A) sexist language
B) dangling modifier
C) negative construction
D) fancy words
Q3) Per diem is an example of what type of phrase for accountants and human-resources personnel?
Q4) Subjects and verbs must agree in tense.
A)True
B)False
Q5) 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) Chapter 11 discusses four basic principles for designing effective documents and websites. One is contrast. What are the other three basic principles discussed in the chapter?
Q2) Chapter 11 discusses four basic principles for designing effective documents. One is proximity. What are two other basic principles discussed in the chapter?
A) alignment
B) consistency
C) variety
D) contrast
Q3) What is chunking?
Q4) 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.
Q5) What is the difference between a serif typeface and a sans-serif typeface?
Q6) What is the design term for a straight line on a page or screen?
Q7) What is queuing?
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Creating Graphics
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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) 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.
Q3) Why is it important to use care in creating graphics for multicultural audiences?
A) Culture affects how people read images and what they see in them.
B) Differences between cultural interpretations of graphics tend to be slight.
C) Multicultural audiences are happy if at least a short caption for the image is in their native language.
D) All responses are correct.
Q4) what is the most important characteristic of an infographic?
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Reviewing, Evaluating, and Testing Documents and Web Sites
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Q1) What is an SME?
Q2) Generally, it is best not to use company employees as participants in a usability test.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Proofreading is the process of looking again at your draft to see if your initial assumptions about your audience, purpose, and subject still pertain, then making any necessary changes.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A heuristic evaluation is usually performed by focus groups.
A)True
B)False
Q5) During which phase of usability testing is it important to tabulate the information?
A) in the first phase, preparing B) in the last phase, interpreting and reporting C) in the middle phase, testing
D) after the final phase
Q6) In usability testing, what is informed consent?
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Chapter 14: Writing Correspondence
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Q1) Chapter 14 describes two common letter formats. One is modified block. What is the other format described in the chapter?
Q2) A small manufacturer of computer games discovers an error in the instructions shipped with the latest product. A writer at the company has been asked to write a letter to recent purchasers of the product explaining the correct information and apologizing for the mistake. Which of the following elements would NOT appropriately be included in this letter?
A) blind-copy notation
B) a heading
C) a subject line
D) a discount offer on another product
Q3) 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?
Q4) What does the notation "cc" stand for in a letter, memo, or email?
Q5) Generally speaking, the netiquette guidelines that apply to microblog posts do not apply to email.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 15: Writing Job-Application Materials
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Q1) Which of these questions is best for a self-inventory to help plan a job search in engineering?
A) Which engineering companies attend our annual job fair on campus?
B) Which engineering companies are listed on the NASDAQ exchange?
C) Which engineering companies provide the highest starting salaries?
D) What kind of company will give me the best opportunities to develop into an engineering project manager?
Q2) Why is it important to include keywords in your LinkedIn profile?
Q3) what is a "transferrable skill"?
A) a skill that you can apply across many different job settings and professional fields
B) a skill that you take when you transfer from one company to the same job in a different company
C) a skill that you develop through attending special training classes
D) a skill that you learn through a mentoring technique called skill-transfer
Q4) Chapter 15 lists six guidelines for building the foundation of your professional brand. One is to research what others have done. Name two other guidelines.
Q5) what should you do after interviewing for a job?
Q6) what are the four main steps in planning a job search?
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Chapter 16: Writing Proposals
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Q1) Formative evaluations are intended to assess the quality of a completed project.
A)True
B)False
Q2) proposals are not expensive to write, so companies submit unsolicited proposals often.
A)True
B)False
Q3) What do the initials RFP stand for?
Q4) what is a common name for the leader of a proposed research project?
A) principal investigator
B) research lead
C) investigator-in-principle
D) project principal
Q5) both internal proposals and external proposals are arguments that an organization needs to do something.
A)True
B)False
Q6) What are indirect costs?
Q7) Which type of graphic best shows the interdependence among various tasks in a project?
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Chapter 17: Writing Informational Reports
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Q1) What are two questions to consider when you address an informational report to people from other cultures?
A) How will your readers react to your choice of application?
B) How many years of English classes have your readers had?
C) How will your readers react to your writing style?
D) All responses are correct.
E) None of the responses are correct.
Q2) You have been sent by your employer, Madison Construction Company, to a regional conference dealing with ways to improve communication between management and workers in the field. Which of the following would NOT be an acceptable way to submit an informational report on your trip?
A) discussing the trip in your next status report
B) issuing a directive
C) writing a one-page trip-report memo
D) filling out the company's standardized trip form
Q3) It is not appropriate to add appendixes to informational reports.
A)True
B)False
Q4) what is the primary purpose of a field report?
Q5) what are the two organizational patterns frequently used in progress reports?
Page 19
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Chapter 18: Writing Recommendation Reports
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Q1) If your report presents multiple recommendations, how should you consider presenting them?
Q2) What is the purpose of providing front matter in a report?
A) to help readers understand the whole report and find the information they seek B) to give readers answers to questions that the body of the report does not cover C) to help readers know what sources to consult for additional information
D) All responses are correct.
Q3) A feasibility report is an argument that answers three kinds of questions. One kind is questions of possibility. What is one other kind of question?
Q4) the conclusions section of a typical recommendation report provides a summary of the report.
A)True
B)False
Q5) In a decision matrix, which factor demonstrates a criterion's importance?
Q6) In what order should definitions relevant to a report be presented in a glossary?
Q7) Into what two categories can criteria be classified?
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Chapter 19: Writing Lab Reports
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Q1) Your methods should be detailed enough that another researcher could perform the same experiment using the same materials and methods. What term describes this goal?
A) iteration
B) redundancy
C) redaction
D) None of the responses are correct.
Q2) Why should a scientist or engineer avoid introducing new information in the conclusion section?
A) The results section exists so that writers can reveal information they collected. B) It is illogical to introduce new information in a section that serves a different function. C) It is ineffective to introduce new information in a section that serves a different function.
D) All responses are correct.
Q3) 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?
Q4) Ideally, what will the title and abstract of a report help readers do?
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21
Chapter 20: Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions
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Q1) Which of the following is an effective sentence definition?
A) Cardiovascular exercise equipment is used by people to exercise their cardiovascular system.
B) A canteen is a clear Nalgene bottle used to hold liquids such as water, lemonade, soda, and sometimes hot beverages.
C) Velo binding is when two plastic strips are placed on either side of the document and bound together with heat.
D) Thermography is a printing process in which a special powder is added to the wet ink on the surface of the paper and then heated.
Q2) H&G Garden Supplies is revising its instruction booklet for assembling and installing its redwood garden arbor. The set contains two 6-foot trellises, two planter boxes, and a pair of adjustable arches. Which of the following should you NOT include in the back matter of the instruction booklet?
A) a troubleshooting guide
B) instructions on how to order replacement parts
C) warranty information
D) safety information
Q3) What are the three types of descriptions discussed in Chapter 20?
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Chapter 21: Making Oral Presentations
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Q1) A manager has asked a colleague to deliver a 15-minute presentation explaining the latest test data at tomorrow's department meeting. Ideally, the colleague should do all except which one of the following to prepare for this presentation?
A) Rehearse the presentation at least three times.
B) Visit the site of the presentation.
C) Prepare appropriate presentation graphics.
D) Memorize the presentation.
Q2) Chapter 21 describes four types of oral presentations, including impromptu presentations. What are the other three?
A) contemporaneous presentations
B) extemporaneous presentations
C) scripted presentations
D) prescriptive presentations
E) memorized presentations
Q3) how many times should you rehearse an extemporaneous presentation?
A) once
B) twice
C) three times
D) none; let the moment make it truly extemporaneous
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