CHAPTER 12: PREPARING SPEECHES

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Characteristics of your audience that can be categorized, such as age, gender, cultural background, educational level, and economic status are called _______________.
2. attitudes
3. beliefs
4. demographics
5. audience analysis
   

Answer: C
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

1. Vivien is going to give a speech about the Greek system on her college’s campus. She knows that in order to make her information useful to her audience, she should find out ahead of time how many students in her class are in fraternities and sororities. Which demographic characteristic does Vivien need to assess?
2. Cultural diversity
3. Political affiliation
4. Attitudes
5. Group membership
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

1. The purpose of ___________ is to develop remarks that are appropriate to the characteristics and goals of your listeners.
2. focus groups
3. force field analysis
4. demographics
5. audience analysis
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

1. Deeply rooted feelings about a concept’s inherent worth or worthiness are called ___________.
2. attitudes
3. beliefs
4. demographics
5. values
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

1. A predisposition to respond to a speaker or topic favorably or unfavorably is reflected in an audience’s _______________.
2. attitudes
3. values
4. demographics
5. group memberships
   

Answer: A
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

1. Underlying convictions about the truth of an idea are known as ____________.
2. attitudes
3. beliefs
4. values
5. demographics
   

Answer: B
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

1. Professional speechwriters often try to concentrate on _______________, because they are relatively few in number, and abstract enough to be shared by large groups of listeners.
2. values
3. beliefs
4. attitudes
5. political affiliations

Answer: A

Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

1. Adrianna is studying her audience. She chooses to appeal to her audience by speaking about work ethic. What does work ethic represent?
2. Group membership
3. Demographics
4. Audience analysis
5. Values
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

1. Parker travels the country speaking to college students about the importance of staying in school. He analyzes sophomores in particular. What do sophomores represent?
2. Attitudes
3. Beliefs
4. Demographics
5. Audience analysis
   

Answer: C
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

1. Franklin is giving a speech at a medical convention. He understands that his audience cares deeply about saving lives. His audience believes that every cost should be considered when human lives are at stake. He is speaking to them about a new medical technology that can save lives. Which part of this description speaks of audience values?
2. Franklin is giving a speech at a medical convention.
3. He understands that his audience cares deeply about saving lives.
4. His audience believes that every cost should be considered when human lives are at stake.
5. He is speaking to them about a new medical technology that can save lives.
   

Answer: B
Blooms: Analyzing

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

1. Sasha hopes to enlighten her audience by teaching them all about the dangers of eating a diet high in trans-fat. What is Sasha’s general purpose?
2. To inform
3. To persuade
4. To motivate
5. To entertain
   

Answer: A
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. Julio hopes to convince his audience to increase the amount of waste they recycle. What is Julio’s purpose?
2. To inform
3. To persuade
4. To enlighten
5. To entertain
   

Answer: B
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. Dimitri is giving a light-hearted presentation about humorous adventures he’s had while traveling. What is Dimitri’s primary purpose?
2. To teach
3. To persuade
4. To motivate
5. To entertain
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. A complete sentence that describes precisely what a speaker wants to accomplish is called ___________.
2. a purpose statement
3. an introduction
4. a motivated sequence
5. a hypothetical example
   

Answer: A
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. One of three basic ways a speaker seeks to affect an audience—to entertain, inform, or persuade—is called ___________.
2. a general purpose
3. a thesis statement
4. a motivated sequence
5. a hypothetical example
   

Answer: A
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. The precise effect that the speaker wants to have on an audience is called ___________.
2. a general purpose
3. a thesis statement
4. a motivated sequence
5. a specific purpose
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. The ___________ tells your listeners the central idea of your speech and is the one idea that you want your audience to remember after they have forgotten everything else you had to say.
2. general purpose
3. introduction
4. thesis
5. specific purpose

Answer: C
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. In planning your speech, when should you define your purpose?
2. After you choose your topic.
3. After you write a purpose statement.
4. After you state your thesis.
5. After you gather information.

Answer: A
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. What is the first step in planning a successful speech?
2. Choose your topic.
3. Write a purpose statement.
4. State your thesis.
5. Gather information.
   

Answer: A
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. Raj wants his speech to donors to have the effect of generating more donations. He writes this down as he plans to give his speech. What would we describe this part of his planning process as?
2. The general purpose
3. The introduction
4. The thesis
5. The specific purpose
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. The term “filter bubble” is used by researchers to describe the echo-chamber effect created when search engines and social media reinforce the pre-conceived ideas and beliefs that people have. Which stage in the preparation of a speech is made especially important by this tendency?
2. Double-check your sources.
3. Gather information.
4. State your thesis.
5. Choose a topic.

Answer: A

Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. Trevor knows he wants to give a speech about the effects of condominium lighting on sea turtle nesting grounds. He wants to make condo owners aware of the dangers their lights pose to hatchlings. He tells his audience that reducing the lights that face the water increases the survival of hatchlings by 50 percent. He expresses how dear the cause is to his heart. He also believes this can realistically be accomplished. He did a lot of research on the web to prepare for the speech. Wikipedia was one of his primary sources. What part of this description points to Trevor’s thesis?
2. Trevor knows he wants to give a speech about the effects of condominium lighting on sea turtle nesting grounds.
3. He wants to make condo owners aware of the dangers their lights pose to hatchlings.
4. He tells his audience that reducing the lights that face the water increases the survival of hatchlings by 50 percent.
5. He expresses how dear the cause is to his heart.
   

Answer: C
Blooms: Analyzing

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. Trevor knows he wants to give a speech about the effects of condominium lighting on sea turtle nesting grounds. He wants to make condo owners aware of the dangers their lights pose to hatchlings. He tells his audience that reducing the lights that face the water increases the survival of hatchlings by 50 percent. He expresses how dear the cause is to his heart. He also believes this can realistically be accomplished. He did a lot of research on the web to prepare for the speech. Wikipedia was one of his primary sources. How might he have better planned for his speech?
2. His thesis statement was not clear.
3. His purpose statement should have been results-oriented.
4. His purpose statement should have been more specific.
5. He could have chosen more credible information sources.
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Analyzing

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

1. Every speech outline should follow the ___________ that includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.
2. general purpose
3. motivated sequence
4. formal outline
5. basic speech structure
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Structuring Your Speech

Objective: 12.3: Create an effective and well-organized speech structure and outline.

1. Your __________ is for your eyes only, and you’ll probably create several drafts of it as you refine your ideas.
2. general purpose
3. formal outline
4. basic speech structure
5. working outline
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Structuring Your Speech

Objective: 12.3: Create an effective and well-organized speech structure and outline.

1. A ___________ uses a consistent format and set of symbols to identify the structure of ideas.
2. general purpose
3. motivated sequence
4. formal outline
5. basic speech structure
   

Answer: C
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Structuring Your Speech

Objective: 12.3: Create an effective and well-organized speech structure and outline.

1. What organizational pattern is demonstrated by the example below?
   I. Early airline food: a gourmet treat

II. The middle period: institutional food at thirty thousand feet

III. Today’s airline food: the passenger starves

1. A time pattern.
2. A spatial pattern.
3. A problem-solution pattern.
4. A cause-effect pattern.
   

Answer: A
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Structuring Your Speech

Objective: 12.3: Create an effective and well-organized speech structure and outline.

1. Sean started to give his speech and realized with horror that he forgot to make a document to help jog his memory. What did Sean neglect to do?
2. He overlooked his general purpose
3. He overlooked his speaking notes
4. He overlooked his basic speech structure
5. He overlooked his working outline
   

Answer: B
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Structuring Your Speech

Objective: 12.3: Create an effective and well-organized speech structure and outline.

1. Chantal has written down her ideas for her speech in her notebook. She has been making new drafts and revising them as her ideas become clearer. We can consider her notes to be her _______________.
2. general purpose
3. formal outline
4. basic speech structure
5. working outline
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Structuring Your Speech

Objective: 12.3: Create an effective and well-organized speech structure and outline.

1. The old aphorism, “Tell what you’re going to say, say it, and then tell what you said” illustrates which element in structuring a speech?
2. The basic speech structure.
3. The working outline.
4. The formal outline.
5. The thesis.

Answer: A
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Structuring Your Speech

Objective: 12.3: Create an effective and well-organized speech structure and outline.

1. Analyze the statements below and identify the statement that best demonstrates the importance of the topic to the audience?
2. I was canoeing down the Blackwater River last week when I encountered a duck trapped in the plastic rings from a six-pack of beer.
3. The prevalence of plastic waste is cluttering waterways, endangering wildlife, and damaging scenery on our planet.
4. Imagine if everyone made the choice to recycle used plastics.
5. Help protect our natural wonders!
   

Answer: B
Blooms: Analyzing

A-head: Creating the Introduction

Objective: 12.4: Develop an effective introduction.

1. “I was canoeing down the Blackwater River last week when I encountered a duck trapped in the plastic rings from a six-pack of beer.” Which of the ways to capture the audience’s attention does this exemplify?
2. Refer to the audience.
3. Refer to the relationship between the audience and the subject.
4. Refer to something familiar to the audience.
5. Tell an anecdote.
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Analyzing

A-head: Creating the Introduction

Objective: 12.4: Develop an effective introduction.

1. The first structural unit of a speech, in which the speaker captures the audience’s attention and previews the main points to be covered, is called _______________.
2. the outline
3. the thesis
4. the general purpose
5. the introduction
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Creating the Introduction

Objective: 12.4: Develop an effective introduction.

1. Prudence is well prepared for her speech. She is confident as she faces her audience. She then tells her audience about an experience she has had regarding the topic of her speech. What is she doing?
2. Previewing the main points.
3. Setting the mood and tone of her speech.
4. Demonstrating the importance of her topic to her audience.
5. Establishing credibility.
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Creating the Introduction

Objective: 12.4: Develop an effective introduction.

1. Muriel is giving a speech to the community’s business leaders. She begins by stating, “Our community has been strong in the face of adversity, but we now face the most serious challenge in years. The tax base is shrinking and will be 30 percent smaller in three years.” What is she doing?
2. Capturing attention.
3. Previewing the main points.
4. Setting the mood and tone of her speech.
5. Establishing credibility.
   

Answer: A
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Creating the Introduction

Objective: 12.4: Develop an effective introduction.

1. Marcus makes a joke toward the beginning of his speech. He is speaking to a serious audience and wants to put them at ease. What is he doing?
2. Previewing the main points.
3. Setting the mood and tone of his speech.
4. Demonstrating the importance of his topic to his audience.
5. Establishing credibility.
   

Answer: B
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Creating the Introduction

Objective: 12.4: Develop an effective introduction.

1. When you choose to include a startling fact or opinion, or use a quotation in the introduction to your speech, you are primarily aiming to _______________.
2. establish credibility
3. demonstrate the importance of your topic
4. capture your audience’s attention
5. preview the main points of your speech

Answer: C

Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Creating the Introduction

Objective: 12.4: Develop an effective introduction.

1. Andrea is giving a speech to a group of environmentally conscious architects. She says, “What if I told you buildings can save our planet? I look forward to talking to you tonight about how buildings’ shape, construction materials, and solar integration can reduce the energy use of the world’s buildings.” She speaks with enthusiasm to excite her audience about new and upcoming technologies. She continues by saying, “Each year, three billion metric tons are released into the atmosphere unnecessarily. The work that we do can have a fantastic effect on the planet.” What part of the introduction is missing from this description?
2. Capturing attention.
3. Previewing the main points.
4. Setting the mood and tone of your speech.
5. Establishing credibility.
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Analyzing

A-head: Creating the Introduction

Objective: 12.4: Develop an effective introduction.

1. Andrea is giving a speech to a group of environmentally conscious architects. She says, “What if I told you buildings can save our planet? I look forward to talking to you tonight about how buildings’ shape, construction materials, and solar integration can reduce the energy use of the world’s buildings.” She speaks with enthusiasm to excite her audience about new and upcoming technologies. She continues by saying, “Each year, three billion metric tons are released into the atmosphere unnecessarily. The work that we do can have a fantastic effect on the planet.” What part of her introduction represents capturing attention?
2. The work that we do can have a fantastic effect on the planet.
3. She says, “What if I told you buildings can save our planet?
4. I look forward to talking to you tonight about how buildings’ shape, construction materials, and solar integration can reduce the energy use of the world’s buildings.
5. She continues by saying, “Each year, three billion metric tons are released into the atmosphere unnecessarily.
   

Answer: B
Blooms: Analyzing

A-head: Creating the Introduction

Objective: 12.4: Develop an effective introduction.

1. Phrases that connect ideas in your speech by showing how each idea relates to the other are called ___________.
2. anecdotes
3. linkers
4. transitions
5. purpose statements

Answer: C
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Designing Conclusions and Transitions

Objective: 12.5: Develop an effective conclusion and integrate smooth transitions.

1. At what point in a speech would we review the main points, and offer final remarks to motivate the audience to act or help listeners remember key ideas?
2. When we capture attention.
3. At a transitional moment.
4. When we demonstrate the importance of the topic to the audience.
5. At the conclusion.
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Designing Conclusions and Transitions

Objective: 12.5: Develop an effective conclusion and integrate smooth transitions.

1. A _____________ can include an internal review (a restatement of preceding points), an internal preview (a look ahead to upcoming points), or both.
2. conclusion
3. transition
4. thesis
5. summary

Answer: B

Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Designing Conclusions and Transitions

Objective: 12.5: Develop an effective conclusion and integrate smooth transitions.

1. “So, we have seen exactly how serious this issue is, and it’s now time to move ahead to consider what can be done to address it.” This sentence from a speech is most likely making _____________.
2. a conclusion
3. a transition
4. a thesis
5. an outline

Answer: B

Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Designing Conclusions and Transitions

Objective: 12.5: Develop an effective conclusion and integrate smooth transitions.

1. Sam is moving toward the end of his speech to members of his town’s chamber of commerce. He has been talking about the problems many local small businesses are having with rents and taxation. A lot of them have been forced to close recently. As a local businessman himself, it is a topic he feels strongly about. He says: “That’s the problem. So what’s the answer? Do I really need to spell it out? Lower the costs! I know change isn’t easy but, as the proverb says, you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs!” His speech was less successful than he’d hoped. Why?
2. His conclusion lacked a review of the main points.
3. His conclusion was too short.
4. His conclusion lacked a memorable closing remark.
5. His conclusion was not prepared by a transition.

Answer: A

Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Designing Conclusions and Transitions

Objective: 12.5: Develop an effective conclusion and integrate smooth transitions.

1. Sam is moving toward the end of his speech to members of his town’s chamber of commerce. He has been talking about the problems many local small businesses are having with rents and taxation. A lot of them have been forced to close recently. As a local businessman himself, it is a topic he feels strongly about. He says: “That’s the problem. So what’s the answer? Do I really need to spell it out? Lower the costs! I know change isn’t easy but, as the proverb says, you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs!” Which part of his conclusion represents his thesis?
2. “That’s the problem. So what’s the answer?”
3. “Lower the costs!”
4. “I know change isn’t easy.”
5. “You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs!”

Answer: B

Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Designing Conclusions and Transitions

Objective: 12.5: Develop an effective conclusion and integrate smooth transitions.

1. A careful and precise statement of one’s source is called _______________.
2. an outline
3. a citation
4. a narration
5. a testimony

Answer: B
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. A style of presenting your supporting material that functions like a story with a beginning, middle, and end is called _______________.
2. an outline
3. a citation
4. a narration
5. a testimony
   

Answer: C
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. A(n) ___________ is a brief story with a point, often (but not always) based on personal experience.
2. citation
3. narration
4. testimony
5. anecdote
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. Supporting material that proves or illustrates a point by citing an authoritative source is called a(n) ___________.
2. analogy
3. narration
4. definition
5. testimony
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. An extended comparison that can be used as supporting material in a speech is called a(n) ___________.
2. analogy
3. citation
4. definition
5. testimony
   

Answer: A
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. A specific case that is used to demonstrate a general idea is called a(n) ___________.
2. analogy
3. citation
4. definition
5. example
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. What do we call a set of numbers arranged or organized to show how a fact or principle is true for a large percentage of cases?
2. Figures
3. Statistics
4. Analogies
5. Citations
   

Answer: B
Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. Casey says in her speech, “Drinking a diet soda is like pouring poison down your throat.” How would you characterize this statement?
2. As a simile
3. As a statistic
4. As an anecdote
5. As a testimony
   

Answer: A
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. Flynn says in his speech, “I was the guy that came home and crashed on the couch. I felt terrible every day. Then something happened. I found running, or it found me. Then my life changed.” How would you characterize this statement?
2. As an analogy
3. As an anecdote
4. As a definition
5. As a testimony

Answer: B
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. Sandra says in her speech about writing, “When I spoke to world-renowned author J.K. Rowling she told me, ‘It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.’ This quote inspired me to keep writing.” How would you characterize this statement?
2. As an analogy
3. As a definition
4. As a testimony
5. As an example
   

Answer: C
Blooms: Understanding

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. A(n) _______________ is a direct comparison that generally uses the words like or as.
2. simile
3. anecdote
4. metaphor
5. example

Answer: A

Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. “I felt that with such a tidal wave of support behind me, I was guaranteed to win.” What kind of supporting material is used this sentence?
2. A simile
3. A metaphor
4. A definition
5. An example

Answer: B

Blooms: Remembering

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. Choose the statement below that best characterizes the difference between an anecdote and narration.
2. An anecdote is a style of support that uses storytelling to relay information and a narration is a brief story with a point.
3. A narration is a style of support that uses storytelling to relay information and an anecdote is a brief story with a point.
4. An anecdote takes advantage of someone else’s memorable wording, and a narration is a brief story with a point.
5. An anecdote can be used to compare or contrast an unknown concept with a known one, and a narration takes advantage of someone else’s memorable wording.
   

Answer: B
Blooms: Analyzing

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

1. Tim is giving a speech about local crime. He says, “An elderly couple was robbed within city limits last week. Imagine a city where you can’t leave your door unlocked, even for a second! It’s as though the prison doors have been open and all the criminals are free to do as they please in our town. This is not meant to scare you, but crime has gone up fifty percent since last year! This is all according to the latest bulletin published by city-data.com.” What style of support does he use?
2. Hypothetical examples
3. Definitions
4. Quotations
5. Citation
   

Answer: D
Blooms: Analyzing

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

SHORT ANSWER

60. What is the purpose of an audience analysis?

Answer: To develop remarks that are appropriate to the characteristics and goals of your listeners.

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

61. What is the first step in planning your speech?

Answer: You must first choose a topic.

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech

62. What are the five functions of the speech introduction?

Answer: It serves to capture the audience’s attention; preview the main points; set the mood and tone of the speech; demonstrate the importance of the topic; and establish credibility.

A-head: Creating the Introduction

Objective: 12.4: Develop an effective introduction.

63. What are the three functions of a conclusion?

Answer: It serves to restate the thesis; review the main points; and provide a memorable final remark.

A-head: Designing Conclusions and Transitions

Objective: 12.5: Develop an effective conclusion and integrate smooth transitions.

64. What are the main differences between narration and citation as supporting styles?

Answer: Narration involves putting your information in the form of a small drama, with a beginning, middle, and end. Citation is a shorter and more precise presentation of facts, where the source is stated.

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.

ESSAY QUESTIONS

65. What are the main aspects to consider when conducting an audience analysis?

Main point: Knowing the likely demographics, characteristics and goals of your audience will enable you to make a more effective speech: just as you have a purpose for speaking, audience members have a reason for being there.

Answers must include:

1. Audience analysis typically focuses on: demographics and political affiliation; attitudes, beliefs, and values; and audience perception of the occasion.
2. Demographic characteristics include: cultural diversity; gender; age; group membership; and political views.

Answers may include:

1. Attitudes lie close to the surface and reflect a predisposition to view you or your topic favorably or unfavorably. Beliefs lie a little deeper and deal with underlying convictions about the truth of an idea. Values are deeply rooted feelings about a concept’s worth or worthiness.
2. It is often worth considering where you stand as a speaker before constructing a speech: what are your own opinions about key issues? How would those opinions be interpreted by someone on the opposite end of the political spectrum?

A-head: Analyzing Your Audience

Objective: 12.1: Understand the audience in a given speaking situation.

66. Compare a purpose statement with a thesis statement.

Main point: It is important to understand the similarities and differences between a thesis statement and purpose statement.

Answers must include:
a) A purpose statement describes exactly what you want your speech to accomplish.
b) A thesis statement tells your listeners the central idea or argument of your speech.
c) Unlike your purpose statement, your thesis statement is almost always delivered directly to your audience.

Answers may include:
a) Your specific purpose stems from a general purpose which might be to inform, persuade, or entertain.

b) A purpose statement is usually a tool to keep you focused on your goal as you plan your speech.

c) Three criteria for an effective purpose statement: make it result-oriented, specific, and realistic.

d) A thesis statement is the one idea that you want your audience to remember after it has forgotten everything else you had to say.

A-head: Planning Your Speech

Objective: 12.2: Follow the steps involved with planning a successful speech.

67. Compare formal outlines with speaking notes.

Main point: If your material is not well organized, your audience will not understand your message.

Answers must include:
a) Formal outlines and speaking notes both help you structure your speech.

b) Another person should be able to understand the basic ideas included in your speech by reading the formal outline.

c) Your speaking notes are for your use only, so the format is up to you.

Answers may include:
a) Speaking notes should be in the form of a brief keyword outline, with just enough information to jog your memory but not enough to get lost in.
b) Formal outlines use a consistent format and set of symbols to identify the structure of ideas.

A-head: Structuring Your Speech

Objective: 12.3: Create an effective and well-organized speech structure and outline.

68. Describe the role of transitions in your speech.

Main point: Transitions are phrases that connect ideas in your speech by showing how each idea relates to the other.

Answers will vary, must include:
a) Transitions are an essential element of the structure of your speech, because they demonstrate to the audience how the various parts of the speech join and relate.

b) They keep your message moving forward by referring to previous and upcoming points, linking these to one another and the thesis as a whole.

Answers will vary, may include:
a) Sometimes a transition includes an internal review (a restatement of preceding points), an internal preview (a look ahead to upcoming points), or both.

A-head: Designing Conclusions and Transitions

Objective: 12.5: Develop an effective conclusion and integrate smooth transitions.

69. Describe why supporting materials are important to a speech?

Main point: Clarity and logic by themselves won’t guarantee that you’ll amuse, enlighten, or persuade others; these results call for the use of supporting materials

Answers must include:
a) The facts and information that back up and prove your ideas and opinions are the flesh that fills out the skeleton of your speech.

b) Supporting materials clarify your ideas, prove your points, and generally make your speech more interesting and memorable.

c) Supporting material can take the form of definitions, examples, statistics, analogies/comparison-contrast, anecdotes, and quotations/testimonies.

Answers may include:
a) b) Some forms of support, such as anecdotes, are inherently more likely to be expressed as narration.

c) Statistics are nearly always cited rather than narrated, but when you are using examples, quotation/testimony, definitions, and analogies, you often have a choice.

A-head: Types of Supporting Material

Objective: 12.6: Choose supporting material that makes your ideas clear, memorable, and convincing.