Exam Questions Researching The Speech Zarefsky Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Researching the Speech

Multiple Choice

1. What is a goal of research in preparation for a speech?

a. looking into listeners’ backgrounds

b. thinking about your ethos

c. setting a purpose for the speech

d. making ideas pertinent to the audience

Learning Objective: 7.1 Make strategic choices about research in light of your audience and your purpose.

Topic: Strategic Perspectives on Research

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

2. Which approach to research demonstrates strategic planning?

a. Track down the first few sources you can find and extract enough supporting material to fill your speech.

b. Use several types of supporting material from one author.

c. Find the best evidence to support your ideas in light of your purpose and your audience.

d. Seek out only the most recent supporting material you can find on the Internet.

Learning Objective: 7.1 Make strategic choices about research in light of your audience and your purpose.

Topic: Strategic Perspectives on Research

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

3. Wilson tried to improve his listeners’ attitudes toward phone solicitations by discussing his job with a telemarketing firm. By doing so, he was using __________ as supporting material.

a. statistics

b. direct observation

c. documents

d. personal experience

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

4. Bryce gave a speech about life in a fraternity. He talked about the living arrangements, the meetings, the social activities, and the projects in which he had been involved. What type of supporting material is this?

a. personal experience

b. common knowledge

c. testimony

d. documents

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

5. Choda gave a speech about growing up in Israel. As support, she discussed her home life, her education, and her life in the military. Which type of supporting material is this?

a. statistics

b. documents

c. direct observation

d. personal experience

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

6. Common knowledge is a type of supporting material that relies on __________.

a. the speaker’s own experiences and observations

b. information and experiences of individuals other than the speaker

c. support found in documents that the listeners all deem to be trustworthy

d. values and beliefs that listeners generally share

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

7. When speaking about the African AIDS crisis, Maura emphasized her definition of the problem by saying, “We all know that AIDS is a deadly and devastating disease, but it can be treated.” What type of supporting material was she using?

a. personal experience

b. examples

c. testimony

d. common knowledge

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

8. Which type of supporting material do maxims such as “if you want something done right, do it yourself” represent?

a. common knowledge

b. personal experience

c. documents

d. direct observation

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

9. Jessica told her audience, “No one has yet to prove that Big Foot doesn’t exist so with that in mind let’s talk about what kind of being Big Foot might be.” This statement represents a __________ of common knowledge.

a. testimony

b. presumption

c. document

d. statistic

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

10. Grace began her presentation by saying, “Every time I go to the grocery store, I see someone parked illegally in the handicapped parking area.” What type of supporting material is she using?

a. direct observation

b. example

c. testimony

d. common knowledge

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

11. Luciana told her audience the story of how her grandmother canned tomatoes every fall. Which type of example is she using?

a. hypothetical

b. testimony

c. anecdote

d. case study

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

12. Speakers that ask the audience to imagine themselves in a situation are using a(n) __________ as supporting material.

a. anecdote

b. hypothetical example

c. personal experience

d. testimony

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

13. Charlton supported his argument against gun control with the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights. This type of supporting material is an example of __________.

a. an anecdote

b. testimony

c. an illustration

d. a document

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

14. What is an example of a document that can be used as supporting material?

a. a contract

b. a website

c. a dictionary definition

d. a journal article

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

15. What type of supporting material includes averages, medians, indices, and standardized scores?

a. facts

b. statistics

c. examples

d. documents

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

16. In his speech, Julian argued that the state did not commit adequate resources to special needs students. He stated that 17,000 students eligible for special education classes cannot get them because of a lack of space. This statistic represents a(n) __________.

a. simple enumeration

b. poll

c. rate of change

d. statistical inference

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

17. Mateo explained that 28% of the community participated in recycling last year and this year more than 50% of the community recycled. Which type of statistic is Mateo using?

a. simple enumeration

b. poll

c. rate of change

d. statistical inference

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

18. To prove her claim, Renata told her audience that the Surgeon General of the United States warned everyone that secondhand smoke could lead to lung cancer in nonsmokers. What form of supporting material is she using?

a. testimony

b. direct observation

c. statistics

d. personal experience

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

19. In a speech about local crime rates, Angela stated, “The chief of police says that neighborhood watch programs are the best defense against property crimes.” What type of support is this?

a. personal experience

b. direct observation

c. factual testimony

d. opinion testimony

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

20. When a speaker supports a point by offering facts gathered by someone else, the speaker is using what type of supporting material?

a. factual testimony

b. opinion testimony

c. survey

d. case study

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

21. What is one way to bring up more accurate results when using a search engine?

a. limit yourself to only one keyword

b. consult a database

c. use the word “and” between related keywords

d. type in complete sentences

Learning Objective: 7.3 Use tools to locate supporting materials for your speech.

Topic: Tools for Locating Supporting Materials

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

22. What computer software is used to locate websites that are likely to have information in which you are interested?

a. search engine

b. dot.com

c. URL

d. homepage

Learning Objective: 7.3 Use tools to locate supporting materials for your speech.

Topic: Tools for Locating Supporting Materials

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

23. Time, Fortune, Harpers, and the Quarterly Journal of Speech are examples of __________.

a. newspapers

b. abstracts

c. periodicals

d. compilations

Learning Objective: 7.4 Describe several categories of sources you can use as supporting materials and when you might use each.

Topic: Sources of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

24. The American Journal of Medicine is an example of a __________ periodical.

a. special-interest

b. technical

c. secondary

d. general-interest

Learning Objective: 7.4 Describe several categories of sources you can use as supporting materials and when you might use each.

Topic: Sources of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

25. Padma used an atlas to find which major cities were closest to Danville, Illinois for her speech on living in a small town. Which type of supporting material is she using?

a. reference work

b. periodical

c. abstract

d. government publication

Learning Objective: 7.4 Describe several categories of sources you can use as supporting materials and when you might use each.

Topic: Sources of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

26. Which source of printed supporting material provides a convenient collection of facts and information but not in narrative form?

a. books

b. periodicals

c. reference works

d. fugitive materials

Learning Objective: 7.4 Describe several categories of sources you can use as supporting materials and when you might use each.

Topic: Sources of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

27. Which reference work would you use to find the origin of a word?

a. dictionary

b. index

c. atlas

d. general encyclopedia

Learning Objective: 7.4 Describe several categories of sources you can use as supporting materials and when you might use each.

Topic: Sources of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

28. Supporting materials drawn from people are typically gathered through __________.

a. direct observation

b. interviews

c. e-mail

d. common knowledge

Learning Objective: 7.4 Describe several categories of sources you can use as supporting materials and when you might use each.

Topic: Sources of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

29. Jean wants to inform her classmates about planned changes in the student parking policy. What is the most likely source of relevant and up-to-date information on this subject?

a. personal experience

b. periodicals

c. the Internet

d. an interview

Learning Objective: 7.4 Describe several categories of sources you can use as supporting materials and when you might use each.

Topic: Sources of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

30. When conducting an interview, which type of question allows you to count and compare the different answers because all respondents are choosing from the same list of answers?

a. open

b. closed

c. hypothetical

d. rhetorical

Learning Objective: 7.4 Describe several categories of sources you can use as supporting materials and when you might use each.

Topic: Sources of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

31. Which question is unlikely to be helpful when evaluating evidence found in Internet sources?

a. Who set up the website?

b. When was the last site update?

c. Can I confirm the information through other sources?

d. How available is this source?

Learning Objective: 7.5 Explain the factors that can cause evidence to be deficient and the strategic questions you can use to evaluate Internet evidence.

Topic: Evaluating Evidence

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

32. Noah couldn’t use the evidence to support his speech topic because the early part of the report said that not all college students drank alcohol but the report ended by saying that alcoholism on college campuses is rampant. What is the deficiency in this evidence?

a. inconsistent

b. unavailable

c. outdated

d. irrelevant

Learning Objective: 7.5 Explain the factors that can cause evidence to be deficient and the strategic questions you can use to evaluate Internet evidence.

Topic: Evaluating Evidence

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

33. If a speaker finds evidence that is absolutely true but doesn’t help advance the speaker’s claim, it is considered __________.

a. outdated

b. inconsistent

c. irrelevant

d. timely

Learning Objective: 7.5 Explain the factors that can cause evidence to be deficient and the strategic questions you can use to evaluate Internet evidence.

Topic: Evaluating Evidence

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

34. Who is responsible for evaluating the reliability and credibility of supporting materials drawn from Internet sources?

a. the listeners

b. the speaker

c. the webmaster

d. the author

Learning Objective: 7.5 Explain the factors that can cause evidence to be deficient and the strategic questions you can use to evaluate Internet evidence.

Topic: Evaluating Evidence

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

35. An effective research strategy should produce information from __________.

a. many sources that provide a single type of supporting material

b. a single source that provides many types of supporting material

c. mostly personal experience and direct observation

d. many sources that provide many types of supporting material

Learning Objective: 7.6 Conduct research efficiently and productively.

Topic: A Plan for Research

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

36. Doing research by reading general works first, more in-depth material next, and then looking for support for particular arguments you plan to make is called reading __________.

a. progressively

b. reluctantly

c. selectively

d. efficiently

Learning Objective: 7.6 Conduct research efficiently and productively.

Topic: A Plan for Research

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

37. Which guideline for gathering research material suggests that you skim relevant sources looking for key words, important concepts, or relevant statistics within each source to quickly locate information that is useful?

a. Read progressively.

b. Read selectively.

c. Read efficiently.

d. Read proficiently.

Learning Objective: 7.6 Conduct research efficiently and productively.

Topic: A Plan for Research

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

38. Keith forgot to write his term paper so he went online and copied a paper he found there. What is Keith using to complete his assignment?

a. an abstract

b. plagiarism

c. paraphrasing

d. ethnocentrism

Learning Objective: 7.6 Conduct research efficiently and productively.

Topic: A Plan for Research

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

39. What is a guideline for effective note taking?

a. Make at least two copies of your notes so you can double-check for accuracy.

b. Use a notebook so as to keep all your notes in one place.

c. Include full bibliographic citations.

d. Use direct quotes from every source.

Learning Objective: 7.7 Explain and use guidelines for how to cite sources and how to take notes about your research.

Topic: Note Taking

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

40. As Halle researched her speech topic, she summarized the concepts she read about in her own words. In other words, Halle is __________.

a. paraphrasing

b. quoting

c. citing

d. plagiarizing

Learning Objective: 7.7 Explain and use guidelines for how to cite sources and how to take notes about your research.

Topic: Note Taking

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

Essay Questions

41. What decisions does a speaker need to make when making strategic choices about research?

• How much general background reading to do and what sources to select for this purpose.
• What issues in the speech will require specific supporting material.
• What types of supporting material will be needed and where to find them.
• How much supporting material needs to be found.

Learning Objective: 7.1 Make strategic choices about research in light of your audience and your purpose.

Topic: Strategic Perspectives on Research

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

42. What are the two types of testimony? How do they differ? How might you evaluate each?

• The two types of testimony are factual and opinion.
• Factual testimony is verifiable.
• Opinion testimony is a judgment.
• For both types of testimony, the speaker should ask whether the audience will know and trust the source.

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

43. Describe the different types of examples that can be used as supporting material. Provide an example of each.

• A brief example supports the speaker’s claim and is used in conjunction with other brief examples. None of these is developed in detail but because they support the claim together they are important. While discussing dramatic weather patterns, a speaker might say that California experienced ten wildfires last year and the southeast part of the United States experienced three hurricanes.
• A hypothetical example asks the audience to imagine themselves in a particular situation. Listeners might be asked what it would feel like to have nothing to drink for three days.
• An anecdote is a story that allows the speaker to develop an example in greater detail. This story might be based on the speaker’s personal experiences.
• A case study is a detailed example of one specific incident. A politician uses a case study when he or she talks about a family that now has medical care thanks to a law introduced by the politician.

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

44. Describe the four forms used to present statistics in a speech. Provide an example of each.

• Simple enumeration: this is the most basic form of a single number.
• Surveys and polls: a sample of the population allows the speaker to infer the attitudes of people as a whole.
• Rates of change: this can help an audience compare what happened in the past to what is happening now.
• Experiments: these are controlled tests that show the effect of one thing on another and prove or disprove a claim.
• Student examples will vary.

Learning Objective: 7.2 Identify types of material that are available to support the ideas in your speech.

Topic: Types of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

45. How does an electronic database differ from a search engine? Describe the information each has that the other does not.

• Search engines direct one to Internet sites available to everyone and are good sources for general information.
• Electronic databases help one find more reliable, detailed, and pertinent information and can be subject specific.
• Search engines will uncover more unpublished material, and electronic databases will offer more access to the full text of peer-reviewed or edited articles.

Learning Objective: 7.3 Use tools to locate supporting materials for your speech.

Topic: Tools for Locating Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

46. Identify and describe four types of reference works.

• Abstracts are short summaries of articles or books related to a discipline. These are often published by academic and professional groups.
• Fact books are compilations of statistical information that are good to use when specific data is needed to support a claim. An almanac is an example of a fact book.
• Compilations and yearbooks are edited collections of material of a given type. For example, the political field or agriculture.
• Book previews discuss upcoming books that might be relevant to the speaker’s topic.
• Student selection of reference works will vary.

Learning Objective: 7.4 Describe several categories of sources you can use as supporting materials and when you might use each.

Topic: Sources of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

47. Identify and define the three types of questions an interviewer should be prepared to ask when conducting an information-gathering interview. What are the advantages of each type of question? Give an example of each type.

• The three types of questions are open-ended, closed-ended, and follow-up.
• Open-ended questions provide more information about the subject’s thinking and opinions.
• Closed-ended questions focus on a specific set of responses, take less time, allow for more people to be interviewed, and allow for direct comparison of respondents’ answers.
• Follow-up questions allow for clarification and development of previous responses.
• Student examples will vary.

Learning Objective: 7.4 Describe several categories of sources you can use as supporting materials and when you might use each.

Topic: Sources of Supporting Material

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

48. Point out potential deficiencies in evidence that a speaker should be aware of.

• Response must reference at least five potential deficiencies:
  • Unavailable for inspection
  • Inaccurate or uncertain
  • Not credible
  • Not from a relevant expert
  • Inconsistent
  • Contradicted
  • Outdated
  • Irrelevant

Learning Objective: 7.5 Explain the factors that can cause evidence to be deficient and the strategic questions you can use to evaluate Internet evidence.

Topic: Evaluating Evidence

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the facts

49. What questions should a researcher ask when evaluating Internet evidence, and why? Provide examples for each question, and identify the ones you find to be most crucial.

• In evaluating Internet evidence, researchers should ask these questions:
  • Does the site meet the basic standards of credibility?
  • Who set up the website?
  • What are the source’s credentials?
  • What is the purpose of the website?
  • Does the content appear to reflect scholarship?
  • Can the information be confirmed?
  • When was the last site update?
• The answer should identify specific websites for each criterion and provide a rationale for why some criteria are more important than others. For example, the ability to confirm information allows independent verification of content while the date of revision is not always relevant.
• Student examples will vary.

Learning Objective: 7.5 Explain the factors that can cause evidence to be deficient and the strategic questions you can use to evaluate Internet evidence.

Topic: Evaluating Evidence

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

50. What are the five guidelines for taking notes and filing the information you gather while researching your speech? How do they differ, and what does each accomplish?

• The five guidelines for taking notes:
  • Use a flexible system.
  • Include full bibliographic citations.
  • Decide whether to quote or paraphrase the source.
  • Clearly show additions or deletions to quotes.
  • Take notes only once.
• A flexible system allows the reorganization of material as emphasis shifts; full citations allow a return to the full original source; paraphrasing or quoting puts the information in the most concise form; identifying deletions preserves quotation accuracy; and taking notes once improves efficiency and time management.

Learning Objective: 7.7 Explain and use guidelines for how to cite sources and how to take notes about your research.

Topic: Note Taking

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts