Achieving Style Through Language Full Test Bank Chapter.12

Chapter 12 Achieving Style Through Language

Multiple Choice

1. Carrie knew that all of her audience members were fashion conscious and would be well-dressed for her presentation. Carrie is aware of the __________ of her audience.

a. signature

b. genre

c. style

d. type

Learning Objective: 12.1 Elaborate a definition of style as the personal choices that distinguish or characterize speakers.

Topic: What Is Style?

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

2. What is an accurate assessment of style in a speech?

a. Each speaker has a style that is determined by the speaker; it is speaker dependent.

b. A speaker’s style is predetermined early in life and cannot be changed.

c. Style is unique; it sets each speaker apart from all others.

d. Style is determined by the audience; it is audience dependent.

Learning Objective: 12.1 Elaborate a definition of style as the personal choices that distinguish or characterize speakers.

Topic: What Is Style?

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

3. Rohan likes to incorporate humor into his presentations while Jacob always relates his topic to a current event. These two choices represent the __________ of each speaker.

a. type

b. signature

c. style

d. archetype

Learning Objective: 12.1 Elaborate a definition of style as the personal choices that distinguish or characterize speakers.

Topic: What Is Style?

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

4. A(n) __________ refers to styles that fit into a specific category such as fine dining, rock 'n' roll, or comedy.

a. archetype

b. culture type

c. demographic type

d. generic type

Learning Objective: 12.1 Elaborate a definition of style as the personal choices that distinguish or characterize speakers.

Topic: What Is Style?

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

5. What is the most significant resource for creating an effective speaking style?

a. language

b. eye contact

c. vocal variety

d. gestures

Learning Objective: 12.1 Elaborate a definition of style as the personal choices that distinguish or characterize speakers.

Topic: What Is Style?

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

6. Manuel wrote a paper on advancements in cancer care and used this as a source for his speech. He made his speech less complex and avoided using jargon. Manuel remembered that oral style should be __________ than written style.

a. less reflexive

b. more simple

c. more formal

d. less repetitive

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

7. Miriam used parallel wording to introduce each of her main points because she knew that an effective oral style should be __________.

a. simple

b. repetitive

c. informal

d. reflexive

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

8. The use of contractions is more common and the rules of grammar are followed less consistently in oral as opposed to written language use, and this contributes to a style that is __________.

a. balanced

b. varied

c. concise

d. informal

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

9. Reflexive language is an important element of oral language style because it __________.

a. educates the audience about the special terms associated with the topic

b. encourages repetition and aids memory

c. increases the speaker’s credibility

d. helps listeners follow the speaker’s thought progression

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

10. Renata started her speech by saying, “Just as I do every week, today I’m going to show you just how easy it is to make your own granola.” This example shows how oral style is more __________ than written style.

a. cluttered

b. unfamiliar

c. reflexive

d. repetitive

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

11. Reflexivity refers to the tendency of speakers to __________ more than writers do.

a. refer to themselves and to the audience

b. use less complex sentence structures

c. repeat themselves

d. analyze their ideas

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

12. What is an accurate comparison of written style versus oral style?

a. Oral style is more simple than written style.

b. Oral style is less repetitive than written style.

c. Oral style is more formal than written style.

d. Oral style is less reflexive than written style.

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

13. Many speakers unknowingly say “um” or “ah” between their sentences. These vocalized pauses represent __________ in a speech.

a. clutter

b. reflexivity

c. repetition

d. dynamism

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

14. The two types of oral style are __________.

a. audience centered and speaker centered

b. spoken and written

c. clear and ambiguous

d. performative and conversational

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

15. The conversational oral style is generally more appropriate for __________.

a. protest speeches

b. formal sermons

c. polished lectures

d. presentations to small audiences

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

16. In his speech on the West Nile Virus, Derrick informed the audience that “mosquitoes were the transformers of the disease.” This statement contains a __________.

a. technical term

b. metaphor

c. malapropism

d. vocalized pause

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

17. The two basic requirements for effective style in all speaking situations are __________.

a. simplicity and repetition

b. informality and reflexivity

c. vividness and clarity

d. accuracy and appropriateness

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

18. Jenna was offended when the speaker continued to make sexist remarks in his presentation. What basic requirement for an effective speaking style is missing from this speech?

a. accuracy

b. simplicity

c. appropriateness

d. reflexivity

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

19. Tamir knows that most of his audience generally understands what the Jazz Age was but he wants to let them know it was more than just music. Tamir is creating a __________ for his audience.

a. malapropism

b. transition

c. reflex

d. definition

Learning Objective: 12.3 Illustrate how definitions affect the stylistic significance of individual words and phrases.

Topic: Defining Terms Appropriately

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

20. What is a strategy for providing neutral definitions?

a. providing an operational definition

b. defining by using jargon with explanations

c. using metaphors and similes

d. relying on the connotation of keywords

Learning Objective: 12.3 Illustrate how definitions affect the stylistic significance of individual words and phrases.

Topic: Defining Terms Appropriately

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

21. To help the audience understand how the new traffic flow would work, Ishtar compared it to pushing a cart around the grocery store. Ishtar was creating a __________ by providing similarity between the two concepts.

a. archetype

b. definition

c. malapropism

d. signature

Learning Objective: 12.3 Illustrate how definitions affect the stylistic significance of individual words and phrases.

Topic: Defining Terms Appropriately

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

22. Earl explained what he meant by stating, “Welfare reform can only be considered effective when at least 40 percent of the adults currently on welfare are employed in full-time jobs that pay minimum wage or better.” In this case, Earl was offering his audience a(n) __________ definition.

a. technical

b. connotative

c. operational

d. denotative

Learning Objective: 12.3 Illustrate how definitions affect the stylistic significance of individual words and phrases.

Topic: Defining Terms Appropriately

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

23. The denotative meaning of a word is determined by __________.

a. the dictionary definition

b. its social use

c. comparing it to a similar word

d. the emotional response to the word

Learning Objective: 12.3 Illustrate how definitions affect the stylistic significance of individual words and phrases.

Topic: Defining Terms Appropriately

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

24. Which of these students is using a persuasive definition?

a. Micah described her grandmother’s kitchen as a warm hug of flavors and aromas.

b. Kelsey defined her religious retreat as an act of moving back or withdrawing.

c. James told his listeners that the song was an old favorite that many would recognize.

d. Shondra loved her car and told the audience “My new car is really bad.”

Learning Objective: 12.3 Illustrate how definitions affect the stylistic significance of individual words and phrases.

Topic: Defining Terms Appropriately

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

25. What do concrete words, maxims, and the active voice help to increase in your message?

a. clarity

b. vividness

c. rhythm

d. irony

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

26. In his discussion of gun control, Evan warned his listeners that we could not adopt the approach used in England because comparing British laws with U.S. laws was like “comparing apples and oranges.” Evan was using a language device for improving clarity known as __________.

a. a malapropism

b. a maxim

c. jargon

d. purposeful ambiguity

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

27. The professor advised Claire to take out references to “the cost principle” in her speech because most of her audience wouldn’t know what she was referring to. In order to achieve clarity, a speaker should remember to __________.

a. limit jargon

b. rely on persuasive definitions

c. include irony

d. add reflexivity

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

28. What language strategy for achieving clarity best provides “efficient use of words”?

a. active voice

b. personification

c. parallel wording

d. word economy

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

29. Sasha smiled as she told the class, “I know every one of you is excited to sit here and listen to my 30-minute speech on the university’s honor code.” In reality, Sasha knows the class would rather be anywhere else. This is an example of __________.

a. parallel form

b. a denotative meaning

c. irony

d. personification

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

30. Which two language strategies are designed to create subtlety rather than clarity?

a. inverted word order and personification

b. careful irony and purposeful ambiguity

c. parallel wording and word economy

d. maxims and antithesis

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

31. A condensation symbol is a device for creating __________.

a. purposeful ambiguity

b. vividness

c. antithesis.

d. personification

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

32. Parallel wording and repetition are two devices a speaker can use to create __________ within a speech.

a. antithesis

b. rhythm

c. connotation

d. vividness

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

33. “The measure of a man is not how many times he has fallen, but how many times he has gotten back up.” This statement is an example of which strategy for achieving rhythm?

a. metaphor

b. antithesis

c. inverted word order

d. concrete words

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

34. Natalie liked her teacher’s lectures because they were descriptive and helped her create a picture of what was being discussed. What characteristic is Natalie noticing?

a. clarity

b. economy

c. vividness

d. rhythm

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

35. In an attempt to add vividness to his speech, Victor claimed that opponents of the administration’s policies were “just a bunch of braying, belligerent bullies.” What stylistic device was he using?

a. metaphor

b. simile

c. personification

d. alliteration

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

36. Taka told her listeners that when her car wouldn’t start, all she could hear was a distinct, “click, click, click” when she turned the key. What is Taka using to create vividness?

a. onomatopoeia

b. antithesis

c. alliteration

d. a metaphor

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

37. Pierce wasn’t expecting an answer when he asked his audience if anyone had noticed an increase in their grocery bill. He is using a(n) __________ question.

a. connotative

b. rhetorical

c. denotative

d. hypothetical

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

38. In general, today’s audiences tend to value messages within any speech that reflect __________.

a. formality

b. consistency

c. conciseness

d. congruence

Learning Objective: 12.5 Distinguish among levels of style and explain how variety, balance, and conciseness affect judgments of the overall style of a speech.

Topic: Style and the Entire Speech

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

39. Mainstream audiences in the United States overwhelmingly favor which style of presentation?

a. home

b. middle

c. plain

d. grand

Learning Objective: 12.5 Distinguish among levels of style and explain how variety, balance, and conciseness affect judgments of the overall style of a speech.

Topic: Style and the Entire Speech

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

40. What is a good rule to follow about stylistic devices when trying to improve your speaking style?

a. Write your stylistic devices into your presentation outline only.

b. You should incorporate stylistic devices into the outline while you write it, not after you are finished.

c. Ruthlessly remove any stylistic devices that do not seem to work during practice.

d. Try to incorporate as many varied stylistic devices as possible into your speech.

Learning Objective: 12.6 Enhance the stylistic quality of your speeches.

Topic: Achieving Good Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Essay Questions

41. Discuss the two problems that arise when discussing a speaker’s style.

• Style is not always a positive attribute.
  • A politician who bully’s the voters would have a style that hurts his or her effectiveness.
  • Speakers who use vocalized pauses can also receive a negative response to their style because these distract from the message.
• We often think of style as ornamentation rather than part of the content.
  • Selecting a plain style doesn’t mean there isn’t any style at all, but is the choice to reflect the content of the speech.

Learning Objective: 12.1 Elaborate a definition of style as the personal choices that distinguish or characterize speakers.

Topic: What Is Style?

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

42. Identify and explain the five distinctions between oral style and written style. Explain the implications for the use of language in a speech.

• Oral style is simpler than written style.
• Oral style is more repetitive.
• Oral style is more informal than written style.
• Oral style is more reflexive than written style.
• Oral style has more potential for clutter.
• An important implication of all these differences is that the stylistic goals that you might aim to achieve in an essay are different from the goals you would pursue in a speech.

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

43. Describe the guidelines to follow when checking the appropriateness of your message to the audience and the situation.

• Avoid sounding self-important or pretentious. Do not use language that makes others think you are arrogant. It is best to create a common bond between the speaker and the audience.
• Avoid signs of disrespect. Speakers should avoid racial slurs, sexist remarks, and ethnic jokes. These debase and degrade other people and are inappropriate.
• Avoid inappropriate emotion. Remember that culture should be considered as emotions play a different role in different cultures.

Learning Objective: 12.2 Identify the key differences between oral style and written style.

Topic: Oral Style Versus Written Style

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

44. Define an operational definition and provide an example.

• An operational definition explains what a term means by identifying specific operations that need to be performed.
• Example: if a speaker asks, “How will we know when we’ve raised enough money?” and answers the question by saying, “When every child in the community is able to attend school even if their family can’t afford the tuition.”
• Student examples will vary.

Learning Objective: 12.3 Illustrate how definitions affect the stylistic significance of individual words and phrases.

Topic: Defining Terms Appropriately

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

45. Explain how definitions can be persuasive. Provide an example from the text and explain how it might be used persuasively.

• Connotations can be changed while leaving denotations the same (as in the term “liberal”).
• Connotations can remain positive, or negative, while denotations may change (as in “special interests”).
• Speakers may accomplish this by shifting terms, as in “affirmative action” vs. “reverse discrimination.”
• Text examples include the terms “reverse discrimination,” and “death panels.” One instance calls deer “rats with hooves” and tuition hikes that could be referred to as either “extortion” or “fair pricing.” A final example is health care referenced as either “socialized medicine” or “cost containment.”

Learning Objective: 12.3 Illustrate how definitions affect the stylistic significance of individual words and phrases.

Topic: Defining Terms Appropriately

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

46. Why are clarity, rhythm, and vividness important in a speech? Briefly identify a topic and thesis and provide an example of how clarity, rhythm, and vividness might be used a speech.

• Clarity makes ideas easily understandable so the audience need not become distracted while trying to “figure things out.”
• Rhythm helps listeners anticipate what is coming next and conveys a mood, improving listeners’ understanding.
• Vividness adds interest and promotes understanding by presenting ideas in a way that promotes visualization.
• The answer should identify a thesis and provide an example of clarity, rhythm, and vividness that demonstrates a depth of understanding about how each is used. For example, to demonstrate vividness a speech on medical marijuana might describe in great detail the side effects of chemotherapy and then discuss how marijuana can relieve those side effects.

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

47. Discuss the stylistic resources that can increase the clarity of a speaker’s message.

• Concrete words: make a message easier to understand. Abstract words force the audience to try and decipher the message.
• Maxims: familiar statements to most people that can be used to describe an idea or situation. Memorable phrases make a connection with the audience.
• Limiting jargon, defining technical terms: specialized terms in specific areas of knowledge should be avoided unless the entire audience is aware of the term. Unknown language makes the audience feel like outsiders. If technical terms must be used, a speaker should define them.
• Word economy: speakers should use words efficiently and avoid unnecessary words. Overly complex sentences, excessive use of adjectives and adverbs, and needless qualifiers distract from the message.
• Active voice: this is much more personable than passive voice and usually requires fewer and simpler words to express an idea.

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

48. What approach should speakers take to the question of how clear they should be? What strategies are available to the speaker to achieve appropriate levels of clarity?

• Clarity is important for comprehension, but on occasion a speaker may want to avoid saying exactly what he or she means.
• Clarity is achieved by using: concrete words, maxims, limited jargon, defined technical terms, word economy, and active voice.
• Clarity can be tempered by irony, which allows speakers to avoid harsh or direct negativity, and purposeful ambiguity, which allows speakers to rally support from diverse listeners who might withdraw support from more specific references.

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

49. Discuss some ways speakers can make their message more vivid.

• Description: the most common way to paint a mental picture. An accumulation of details allows a speaker to describe a specific event, place, or situation.
• Stories: a powerful tool for helping the audience “see” what is occurring. Stories are compelling and draw the listener in.
• Comparisons through simile and metaphor: a simile states that one thing is like another. A metaphor names one thing in terms of another.
• Alliteration and onomatopoeia: alliteration uses a repetitive consonant sound throughout a speech to make it easier to remember the speaker’s words in a series; onomatopoeia uses words that sound like what they describe. These devices add sound to mental images, creating vividness.
• Personification: a discussion of abstract or complex concepts in human terms.
• Reference to hypothetical people: this is done through dialogue and draws the audience into the speech.

Learning Objective: 12.4 Achieve clarity, rhythm, and vividness.

Topic: Achieving Clarity, Rhythm, and Vividness

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

50. Explain the three principles that govern pacing and proportion in style choices. Identify how they differ and explain their appropriate use in the speech.

• Variety: style strategies should neither be too widespread nor too narrowly chosen. This concerns delivery and not level of abstraction or organizational structure.
• Balance: there should be a balance between the abstract and the concrete. This concerns level of abstraction and not delivery or structure.
• Conciseness: the thesis and structure should be compact. This concerns structure and not delivery or level of abstraction.

Learning Objective: 12.5 Distinguish among levels of style and explain how variety, balance, and conciseness affect judgments of the overall style of a speech.

Topic: Style and the Entire Speech

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts