A6TestBankPartIIChapter4SelectingaTopicand

Chapter 4 Selecting a Topic and a Purpose
True-False Questions
Students are to indicate whether each of the following statements is true
or false by circling the appropriate letter.
1. T F Usually the speech topic is determined by the occasion, the
audie nce, and the speaker ’s qualifications.
2. T F There are three broad categories of potential topics.
3. T F If you started out free-associating from movies, you would
doubtless end up somewhere completely different.
4. T F Usually general purpose will fall into one of two overlapping
categories —to inform or to persuade.
5. T F Your specific purpose is not necessarily appropriate for your
audience.
6. T F If you find that you can ’t fulfill your specific purpose without
relying on technical words and concepts, you should reconsider
your purpose.
7. T F The central idea is what you hope to accomplish.
8. T F The central idea usually emerges after you have done your research
and have decided on the main points.
9. T F The central idea should be expressed either as a full sentence or
an infinitive phrase.
10. T F The characteristics that make a well-worded central idea are
essentially the same things that make a well-worded specific
purpose.
Multiple Choice Questions
Students are to indicate the best answer for each question by circling
the correct letter.
1.Which of the following people is likely to give a speech on curriculum and
textbooks
a.The head of a travel agency.
b.The real estate agent.
c.The movie director.
d.The middle-school principal.
2.Most people speak best about subjects __________.
a.in which they are most interested
b.with which they are most familiar
c.about which they are most curious
d.at which they are most surprised
3.For __________ speeches, you can think of subjects about which you
hold strong opinions and beliefs.
a.persuasive
rmative
memorative
d.introductory
4.If you are having trouble selecting a topic, there are a number of
__________ procedures you can follow to get started.
a.creative
b.regular
c.identifying
d.brainstorming
5. If personal inventory doesn’t work,try a technique called __________.
a.grouping
b.clustering
c.categorizing
d.classifying
6.Which of the following topic ideas is NOT likely to be included in
the sublist for Three Gorges
a.Academy Awards.
b.Yangtze River.
c.Chongqing.
d.Mountains.
7.All of the following topic ideas are relevant to the category of plans and
policies EXCEPT __________.
a.Develop Solar Power
b.Cook Yunnan food
c.Change graduation Requirements
d.Build a New Computer Center
8.When your general purpose is to persuade, you act as __________.
a.an advocate or a partisan
b. a politician or a statesman
c.an academician or a researcher
d. a marketer or an advertiser
9.All of the following specific purpose statements are effective EXCEPT
__________.
a.to inform my audience about recent discoveries of dinosaur fossils
b.to inform my audience that yoga is extremely cool
c.to persuade my audience that harsher penalties are needed to prevent the
practices of fraudulent land developers
d.to inform my audience about the scientific uses of hot-air balloons
10.Which of the following tips for specific purpose statements is false
a.Write the purpose statement as a full infinitive phrase.
b.Avoid figurative language in your purpose statement.
c.Express your purpose as a question, not as a statement.
d.Make sure your specific purpose is not too vague or general.
11.No matter how well you construct your speeches, they are likely to
__________ unless you speak about matters of interest to your listeners.
a.fall flat
b.become offensive
c.mislead
d.be illogical
12.You should choose a specific purpose you can achieve __________.
a.in no more than an hour
b.in the allotted time
c.in the least possible time
d.in no less than 10 minutes
13.A six-minute speech will consist of roughly __________ words.
a.120 to 150
b.300 to 350
c.520 to 800
d.720 to 900
14.Which of the following specific purpose statements is NOT likely to be
handled well in the time allotted for classroom speeches
a.To inform my audience about the rise and fall of ancient Rome.
b.To persuade my audience to convert to vegetarianism.
c.To inform my audience of the history, styles, and cultural impact of
qipao.
d.To inform my audience about the role of technology in Chinese history.
15.Which of the following tips for central idea is false
a.Make sure the central idea is not too specific.
b.Express the central idea as a full sentence.
c.State the central idea as a declarative sentence, not as a question.
d.Avoid figurative language in the central idea.
16. The central idea“Banning violent content on television is a good idea is
”
considered ineffective because __________.
a.it is not a full sentence
b.it is a question
c.it is too general
d.it includes figurative language
17.According to your textbook, brainstorming is especially helpful when
you are having trouble __________.
a.determining the general purpose
b.determining the specific purpose
c.phrasing the central idea
d.choosing a speech topic
18.After choosing a topic, what is the next step of speech preparation
a.Phrasing the central idea.
b.Analyzing the occasion.
c.Determining the general purpose.
d.Selecting the specific purpos
e.
ing Yahoo or other subject-based search engines on the Internet is
recommended in your textbook as one method of __________ for a speech
topic.
a.sifting
b.consulting
c.brainstorming
d.deliberating
20.Which of the following is out of place in a speech to inform
a.Advocating.
b.Explaining.
c.Reporting.
d.Telling.
21.When the general purpose of your speech is to __________, you act primarily
as a teacher or lecturer.
a.convince
b.entertain
rm
d.persuade
22.Advocating a position is most appropriate when the general purpose of
your speech is to __________.
a.inspire
b.persuade
c.entertain
rm
23. “Improving personal relationships” is a poorly phrased specific purpose
for a speech because it is __________.
a.too technical for a classroom speech
b.written as a sentence rather than a declarative phrase
c.written as a fragment rather than a full infinitive phrase
d.expressed in figurative language
24. “Knowing how to deal with stress” is a poorly phrased specific purpose
for a classroom speech because it __________.
a.is too technical
b.does not include a reference to the audience
c.contains figurative language
d.written as a sentence rather than a declarative phrase
25.According to your textbook, what is the most important early step in
the process of developing a successful speech
a.Creating a preliminary bibliography.
b.Researching for speech materials.
c.Formulating the specific purpose.
d.Brainstorming for a central idea.
26.As a specific purpose statement,“To inform my audience about computer
technology ” is too__________.
a.trivial
b. broad
c. technical
d.detailed
27. “To inform my audience about the basic steps in car maintena nce and how to protect their
investment with auto insurance ” is a poorly phrased specific purpose statement for a classroom speech because it __________.
a.is too specific
b.contains figurative language
c.contains more than one distinct idea
d.is written as a statement instead of a question
is a poorly phrased specific
28. “To inform about saving for retirement”
purpose statement because it __________.
a.is too specific
b.does not include a reference to the audience
c.contains figurative language
d.is written as a statement instead of a question
29. As a specific purpose statement, “To inform my audience about global
warming” is too __________.
a. scientific
b. broad
c. personal
d. detailed
30. Identify the flaw in the following specific purpose statement for a
classroom speech: “To inform my audience about the solar system. ”
a. It ’s too shallow.
b. It ’s too
c. It ’s too remote.
d. It ’s too impersonal.
31. Identify the flaw in the following specific purpose statement for a
classroom speech: “To inform my audience about the stock market. ”
a. It ’s too figura tive.
b.It ’s too detailed.
c.It ’s too general.
d.It ’s too technical.
32. The specific purpose of Stephanie’s informative speech is“To inform my
audience about ballet.” Are there any flaws in Stephanie’s specific
purpose
a. Yes. Stephanie ’s specific purpose is too bro ad.
b.Yes. Stephanie ’s specific purpose is too impersonal.
c.Yes. Stephanie ’s specific purpose is written as a statement rather than a
question.
d.Yes. Stephanie ’s specific purpose mentions her audienc
e.
33. “To inform my audience about the three basic steps in pr
eventive medicine ” is an example of a__________.
a. specific purpose
b. thesis statement
c. central idea
d. general purpose
34. “To inform my audience about the symptoms, causes, and treatment of
chronic fatigue syndrome” is an example of a__________.
a.thesis statement
b.general purpose
c.specific purpose
d.main point
35. “To inform my audience how our local water treatment facility ensures the
safety of our drinking water ” is an example of a __________.
a. specific purpose
b. transition statement
c. general purpose
d. central idea
36. “To inform my audience about the four major elements in rope climbing ” is
an example of a __________.
a. speech topic
b. general purpose
c. specific purpose
d. thesis statement
37. According to your textbook,“Getting an internship at a major corporation
requires a great deal o f work, but the rewards are well worth the effort”
is an example of a(n) __________.
a.speech proposal
b. specific purpose
c. informative thesis
d. central idea
38.“The three main methods of harvesting trees in professional logging are
selective cutting, clear cutting, and row thinning” is an example of a
__________.
a. specific purpose
b. transition
c. central idea
d. signpost
39.“The three major factors to consider when purchasing a bicycle are the
kind of riding you plan to do, the amount of riding you plan to do, and the
amount of money you are willing to spend” is an example of a__________.
a.specific purpose
b.central idea
c.general purpose
d.topic statement
40. Chang thinks he’d like to give an informative speech for class on what
it ’s like to be an international student on a . college campus. His
specific purpose is“To persuade my audience to be more accepting of
international students.” His central idea is“An international student’s accent, use of English, and cultural customs should be accepted rather
than criticized. ” Has Chang ma de any mistakes in this process
a. No. Chang has covered all the bases for an informative speech.
b.Yes. Chang’s specific purpose contains too much figurative language.
c.Yes. Chang’s central idea contains two or more unrelated ideas.
d. Yes. Chang’s specific purpo se is not suitable for an informative speech. Short Answer Questions
1.The specific purpose is a single infinitive phrase that states precisely
what a speaker hopes to accomplish in his or her speech.
2. A one-sentence statement that sums up or encapsulates the major ideas of
a speech is called the central idea.
3.List at least three questions you should ask about the suitability of your
specific purpose for your audience.
a.
b.
c.
Possible answers include:
Does my purpose meet the assignment
Can I accomplish my purpose in the time
allotted Is the purpose relevant to my audience
Is the purpose too trivial for my audience
Is the purpose too technical for my audience
4.Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for a
persuasive speech:“ Something must be done about cybercrime . ”
It is too general; it does not indicate what “must be done. ”
5.Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for an
informative speech:“ How to tell fake antique crocks. ”
It is not written as a complete sentence .
6.Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for an
informative speech: “W hat are the major styles of Chinese silk
embroidery ”
It is written as a question, rather than as a statement .
7. Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for a
persuasive speech: “ Graffiti artists are a public nuisance. ”
It is expressed with figurative language.
8.What is wrong with the following specific purpose statement for an
informative speech Rewrite the statement to conform with the criteria
given in your textbook for effective specific purpose statements.
Ineffective
Specific Purpose:The major beliefs of the Buddhist religion.
Error:It is written as a fragment, not as a full
infinitive phrase.
More Effective
Specific Purpose:To inform my audience about the major
beliefs of
the Buddhist religion.
9.What is wrong with the following specific purpose statement for an
informative speech Rewrite the statement to conform with the criteria
given in your textbook for effective specific purpose statements.
Ineffective
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about World War II.
Error: It is too vague or general; doesn ’t indica te
what specific aspects of World War II will be
dealt with in the speech.
More Effective
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about World War II
causalities.
10.What is wrong with the following specific purpose statement for a
persuasive speech Rewrite the statement to conform with the criteria
given in your textbook for effective specific purpose statements.
Ineffective
Specific Purpose:What measures should be taken to
reverse rural
brain drain
Error:It is written as a question, not as a statement.
More Effective
Specific Purpose:To persuade my audience that three
measures
should be taken to reverse rural brain drain.
Essay Questions
1.Your textbook discusses four methods of brainstorming for a speech topic.
In a brief essay, identify and explain three of those methods.
2.Why is determining the specific purpose such a vital step in the process of
preparing a speech
3.What is the difference between a specific purpose and a central idea
Illustrate your answer by developing a specific purpose statement and a central idea for a hypothetical speech about a topic of your choice.
4.What are the characteristics of a well-worded central idea Explain why
each characteristic is important.
5.Imagine that you have been asked to inform a local community group about
life as a college student. In a well-developed essay, describe what
your general purpose, specific purpose, and central idea would be for
this speech. Then draft three main points for a speech on this topic.。