Writing in the Sciences Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Writing in the Sciences equips students with the essential skills to effectively communicate scientific information to diverse audiences. The course emphasizes the principles of clarity, precision, and objectivity in scientific writing through practice with lab reports, research papers, reviews, and grant proposals. Students learn strategies for organizing complex information, interpreting data, and understanding the conventions of scientific discourse. The course also covers ethical considerations in scientific communication and offers feedback for improving writing style and accuracy, preparing students for professional and academic success in scientific fields.
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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) most technical communication has six characteristics. One characteristic is that technical communication helps readers solve problems. Which of the following is another characteristic of technical communication?
A) Technical communication reflects an organization's goals and culture.
B) Technical communication uses technical vocabulary as often as possible.
C) Technical communication strives to both entertain and educate readers.
D) Technical communication is most often aimed at a general audience rather than at a particular audience.
Answer: A
Q2) Chapter 1 cites three reasons for ensuring that technical communication is honest. The first is that being honest is the right thing to do. What is one other reason?
Answer: The other two reasons are that (1) if you are dishonest, readers can get hurt and (2) if you are dishonest, you and your organization could face serious legal charges.
Q3) What is a technical communicator?
Answer: A technical communicator (or technical writer) is a person whose main job is to produce applications such as manuals, reports, and websites.
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Chapter 2: Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations
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Q1) Fair use is best described as a set of general guidelines on ways to use small parts of someone else's copyrighted material for purposes such as commentary, criticism, and research.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Under the concept of work made for hire, anything written on the job by an employee being paid by the organization is the property of the organization-provided that the employee agrees after the document is written to surrender his or her copyright.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Only professionals with management responsibilities have ethical responsibilities to the environment.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Writing Technical Documents
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Q1) Which of the following does Chapter 3 suggest as a method for effective proofreading?
A) reading the revised portions of your document, which you print in a different color
B) reading backwards
C) reading aloud
D) reading in a quiet space
Answer: C
Q2) Which of these best describes the process of revising a document?
A) reading closely to make sure you do not have errors in spelling and punctuation
B) changing your document to improve style, diction, and mechanics
C) reexamining your draft to see if it serves your audience and your purpose
D) developing an outline of major points you want to make
Answer: C
Q3) Styles are preformatted designs for different kinds of documents, such as business letters, memos, newsletters, and reports.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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5
Chapter 4: Writing Collaboratively
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Q1) According to the research cited in Chapter 4, students from other cultures may be unwilling to respond with a definite "no" in a collaborative setting. What is one other behavior that students from other cultures might exhibit in a collaborative setting?
Q2) one advantage of collaboration is that it helps acclimate new employees to an organization.
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) All of the participants in a video conference must be in dedicated conference rooms with sophisticated cameras and microphones.
A)True
B)False
Q5) In what way does collaboration allow an organization to grow?
Q6) What is one of the advantages of collaboration mentioned in Chapter 4?
Q7) What two technologies make the collaborative writing process more efficient?
Q8) What is one of the disadvantages of collaboration mentioned in Chapter 4?
Page 6
Q9) Is email a synchronous or an asynchronous medium of communication?
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Chapter 5: Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose
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Q1) When working with a reader who is hostile to your subject or to your approach to the subject, you should first state your position, followed by your rationale for that position.
A)True
B)False
Q2) You are writing a proposal to restructure your department's organizational chart. Your manager was a member of the committee that originally set up the department's current structure. Which purpose statement would be best for a proposal to your manager?
A) The purpose of this proposal is to show how we can reorganize our department to improve our efficiency while keeping intact the values that have allowed us to succeed to this point.
B) The purpose of this proposal is to show how to solve all of our productivity problems and remove all the barriers to effective communication.
C) The purpose of this proposal is to show why it's time for "out with the old and in with the new."
D) The purpose of this proposal is to explain why we have no choice but to scrap our ineffective organizational structure.
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Page 7
Chapter 6: Researching Your Subject
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Questions
Q1) What is the function of the hashtag symbol (#) that is used on a number of social-media platforms?
Q2) You are writing a report about technical methods used for desalination of seawater. Which of these resources is least likely to provide the technical information you need?
A) a website for professional water-treatment engineers
B) a book about industrial desalination
C) a discussion board about ecology
D) a blog by a leading expert in desalination
Q3) What is the term for demographic information about individuals who use and follow social media?
A) big data
B) analysis
C) analytics
D) mined data
Q4) With which research method does the researcher have the least amount of control?
A) field research
B) interviews
C) experiments
D) inquiries
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Chapter 7: Organizing Your Information
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Q1) Of the options listed below, which is the most effective way to organize a document explaining which of three different trucks your company ought to buy for its fleet?
A) classification
B) comparison and contrast
C) spatial
D) chronological
Q2) Classification is an organizational pattern in which a unit is divided into its components.
A)True
B)False
Q3) where in your document should you put your main point if you expect that your audience will like what you have to say?
A) at the end of your document
B) after the middle of your document
C) near the middle of your document
D) early in the document
Q4) Why are cause-and-effect relationships difficult to describe?
Q5) A proposal routinely makes use of which organizational pattern?
Q6) what is partition?
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Chapter 8: Communicating Persuasively
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Q1) What type of argument states that a claim is valid because many people think it is or act as if it is?
Q2) Effective graphic design is an element of the tone of a document's argument.
A)True B)False
Q3) Which of these statements is true?
A) Writers who appeal to an audience's sense of reason never use graphics.
B) Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually do so dramatically.
C) Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually do not appeal to their sense of reason as well.
D) Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually appeal to their sense of reason as well.
Q4) What type of argument poses only two alternatives when in fact there might be more?
Q5) Chapter 8 discusses the four broad goals of an audience. One is security. Name one of the other three goals.
Q6) A testimonial can be an effective persuasive element. A)True B)False
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Emphasizing Important Information
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Q1) What kind of transitional words are for example, for instance, and in other words?
A) illustration words
B) addition words
C) contrast words
D) summary words
Q2) Which of the following words or phrases should be used in the excerpt below to signal to readers that because land-use problems are causing high bacteria levels, landowners must take action.
Bacteria levels are often above state standards and are due to localized, specific land-use problems. _______, landowners must take action to address these problems and reduce the high bacteria levels.
A) Nevertheless
B) For example
C) Next
D) Consequently
Q3) Therefore, furthermore, consequently, and next are all examples of what category of words?
Q4) what are the two types of paragraphs?
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Chapter 10: Writing Correct and Effective Sentences
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Q1) 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.
Q2) Which of the following is a run-on sentence?
A) The adventurer walked for days and days, for weeks on end, for what seemed like an eternity; he found himself in a state of perpetual exhaustion.
B) He is a little bit sour, she is a little bit sweet, and I am a little bit stale.
C) I left the room when he yelled at me.
D) Vote for Pedro he will represent you well.
Q3) A nominalization is a verb that has been transformed into a noun, as when to install becomes to effect an installation, or to analyze becomes to conduct an analysis.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Subjects and verbs must agree in tense.
A)True
B)False
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Designing Print and Online Documents
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Q1) An estimated 50 percent of Internet users are nonnative speakers of English.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The most effective way to distinguish one level of heading from another is to use different sizes of type.
A)True
B)False
Q3) If you know the audience for your website is diverse, what should you do?
A) Provide more than one way to find specific content.
B) Avoid creating a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs).
C) Incorporate graphics of sports and use sports-related metaphors.
D) Use a high-tech, complex page design to impress site visitors.
Q4) Which principle states that the human eye is drawn to-and that the brain interprets-differences in appearance between two items?
Q5) In typography, what is leading?
Q6) Which aspects of typography affect the white space of a document?
A) line length, sentence length, and word length
B) leading, color, and sentence length
C) line spacing, line length, and justification
D) line spacing, headings, and footers
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Creating Graphics
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Q1) Chapter 12 discusses five principles for making a graphic clear and understandable. One principle is that the graphic should have a purpose. What is another principle for making an effective graphic?
Q2) Many Western hand gestures, such as the "okay" sign, are considered obscene in other cultures.
A)True
B)False
Q3) You are writing a report on the two candidates competing to represent your district in the U.S. House of Representatives. You create a pie chart for each candidate to show where the candidate's campaign money comes from. You use purple for small individual donations, orange for large individual donations, blue for corporate donations, yellow for political action committee (PAC) contributions, red for political-party donations, and gray for other money. Which principle of using color effectively have you followed?
A) using color to create contrast between the text and the background
B) using color to emphasize particular items
C) using symbolic meanings of colors
D) using color to create patterns
Q4) Where is the stub located in a table?
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Reviewing, Evaluating, and Testing Documents and Web Sites
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Q1) 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
Q2) Which of the following is NOT a technique for conducting usability evaluations?
A) surveying or interviewing users
B) conducting focus groups
C) crafting a persona of a subject-matter expert
D) using a commercial usability service
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) what is a prototype?
Q5) The three phases of usability testing are revising, editing, and proofreading.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 14: Writing Correspondence
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Q1) which of the following is NOT a guideline for effective on-the-job microblogging?
A) Sound like a person.
B) Apologize when you make a mistake.
C) Regard your followers as a market for your company's products and services.
D) Learn the technology.
Q2) Which of the following is NOT a means of adhering to netiquette guidelines?
A) Avoid dispensing harsh criticism.
B) Take a friendly, casual tone.
C) Keep messages brief.
D) Avoid forwarding a message to online forums without obtaining the writer's permission.
Q3) Email is usually archived digitally (backed up in some way).
A)True
B)False
Q4) A salutation is a greeting at the beginning of a letter, traditionally consisting of the word "Dear," the reader's courtesy title and last name, and a colon.
A)True
B)False
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16
Chapter 15: Writing Job-Application Materials
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Q1) In terms of how they are organized, what are the two major types of résumés discussed in the chapter?
Q2) You are majoring in environmental studies. Last year, you worked for six months as a volunteer caregiver at an orphanage in Asia. Does this help you in your job search?
A) Yes. It gives you opportunities to discuss the transferrable skills you developed in areas such as problem-solving and collaboration.
B) No. It is not related to your intended field of study.
C) No. It shows that you took time off from finishing school.
D) Yes. It shows that you are willing to work for free, which employers like.
Q3) which of these is a guideline for preparing for a job interview?
A) Study organizations that are similar to the one that will interview you.
B) Study lists of common interview questions.
C) If you get to ask questions, focus yours on company salary and benefit policies.
D) Avoid mock interviews or any type of rehearsing.
Q4) Chapter 15 lists four ways to look for a job. One is through a job board on the Internet. Name two of the other ways to look for a job.
Q5) What are the four parts of the body of a job-application letter?
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Page 17
Chapter 16: Writing Proposals
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Q1) What are the main categories of resources required for completing a proposed project?
A) personnel, potential, and qualifications
B) personnel, facilities, and equipment
C) qualifications and experience
D) personnel, budget, and tangential resources
Q2) which of these is NOT a subject of a goods and services proposal?
A) offering to provide 150 computers to a state agency
B) offering to install new landscaping around a government building
C) asking for resources to study how a new pesticide affects lettuce and cabbage crops
D) asking for a contract to provide cleaning and janitorial services to a government building for one year
Q3) What do the initials IFB stand for?
Q4) what must you demonstrate to show that your organization can complete the work described in a proposal?
A) efficiency
B) qualifications and experience
C) program information
D) certification and authorization
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Chapter 17: Writing Informational Reports
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Q1) What is another name for a status report?
Q2) A directive is an informational document, not a persuasive one.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The primary purpose of a directive is to direct the reader to additional sources of information.
A)True
B)False
Q4) It is appropriate to use a defensive tone in an informational report if something has not happened according to plan.
A)True
B)False
Q5) what is the primary purpose of a field report?
Q6) what are the two organizational patterns frequently used in progress reports?
Q7) what does an incident report describe?
Q8) Which of these is NOT a typical field report as described by Chapter 17?
A) a report on a visit to a potential building site for an office for a client
B) a report on maintenance performed on a broken piece of machinery in a shop
C) a report on an inspection conducted at a customer's site
D) a report on an experiment conducted in your company's laboratory
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Chapter 18: Writing Recommendation Reports
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Q1) In the recommendations section of a recommendation report, you should avoid recommending that the organization take no action, or no action at this time.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The back matter section of a recommendation report serves two primary purposes. Identify one.
Q3) In a decision matrix, which factor demonstrates a criterion's importance?
Q4) Into what two categories can criteria be classified?
Q5) Which of these would be included in the front matter for a report?
A) the introduction
B) the glossary
C) the executive summary
D) the recommendations
Q6) a report does not need a letter of transmittal if the writer and the reader work in the same organization.
A)True B)False
Q7) What fundamental question does the methods section of a recommendation report answer? To
Chapter 19: Writing Lab Reports
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Q1) Which of the following actions is unethical?
A) submission of relevant data
B) emphasis of relevant data
C) omission of uncited sources
D) omission of relevant data
Q2) 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
Q3) What are author guidelines?
Q4) Which of the procedures you performed should you mention in the "Materials and Methods" section of your report?
Q5) What does prepublication permit an author to do and what is it designed to take advantage of?
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Chapter 20: Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions
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Q1) Which of the following best describes the definition "A conjunctive adverb is an adverb that has a conjunctive function between two clauses"?
A) This is a simple, but effective, sentence definition.
B) This is a circular definition.
C) This sentence definition describes its item with clear distinguishing characteristics.
D) This is a stipulative definition.
Q2) In what way is the definition "Booting a computer is when you turn it on" flawed?
Q3) Part of the challenge of deciding where to put a definition lies in the fact that several places are viable options.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Step-by-step instructions should be written in the imperative mood.
A)True
B)False
Q5) In what way is the definition "In a bankruptcy action, a nonsecured debt is a debt that is not secured" flawed?
Q6) What is the function of a conventions section?
Page 22
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Chapter 21: Making Oral Presentations
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Q1) If you are asked a question you do not understand during a question-and-answer session, you should first ask for clarification, then respond to the question, and then ask if you have answered the question adequately.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In an oral presentation, what is an advance organizer?
Q3) one of the suggestions for introducing your presentation is to introduce yourself. What are two other suggestions from the chapter?
A) Have the audience read your title slide aloud.
B) Explain the purpose of the presentation.
C) Provide an advance organizer.
D) Tell the audience how many slides you will use.
Q4) In a question-and-answer session, what should you do if you are asked a question you do not understand?
Q5) there are four techniques for concluding a presentation. One is to look to the future. What is one other?
Q6) Usually, your audience is more aware of your nervousness than you are.
A)True
B)False
Page 23
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