HCOM 102 Midterm Examination
PLEASE DO NOT WRITE ON THE EXAM
1. Statements that can be verified by someone other than the speaker are called
______.
A. Inferences
B. Facts
C. Values
D. Opinions
2. The ability to form and defend your own judgments rather than blindly accepting
or instantly rejecting what you hear or read is known as ______ thinking.
A. Rhetorical
B. Critical
C. Exegetical
D. Factual
3. According to your text, a situation in which people’s understandings can be
changed through messages is called a(n) ______ situation
A. Exegetical
B. Persuasive
C. Rhetorical
D. Ontological
4. According to your text, ceremonial speaking:
A. Focuses on the future and is usually concerned with what should be done
B. Focuses on the present and is usually concerned with praise
C. Focuses on the past and is usually concerned with justice
D. Involves a problem that can be alleviated through rhetoric
5. A mode of delivery in which the speaker reads aloud the prepared text of a speech
is called a(n) ______ presentation.
A. Extemporaneous
B. Deliberative
C. Manuscript
D. Impromptu
6. According to course lecture, which of the following most closely identifies with
the definition provided for “rhetoric”?
A. A mode of delivery in which the speaker reads aloud the prepared text of
the speech
B. Persuading through the use of language and other symbolic codes
C. The generation of materials for a speech
D. Responses from the audience to the speaker, often in the form of
nonverbal cues
7. Which of the following was not mentioned in class as a factor of the rhetorical
situation?
A. The audience
B. The occasion
C. The speaker
D. Constraints and opportunities
8. Which of the following was mentioned during course lecture as a difference
between public speaking and conversation?
A. Public speaking requires more formal language
B. Public speaking requires less formal language
C. Conversation involves more formal methods of delivery
D. Conversation concerns the Rhetorical Situation more than public speaking
9. The communication context that most concerns considerations for the ethnic
backgrounds of communicators is the ______ context.
A. Relational
B. Situational
C. Cultural
D. Rhetorical
10. The generation of materials for a speech refers to which of the following Canons
of Rhetoric?
A. Arrangement
B. Style
C. Delivery
D. Invention
11. ______ speaking is speaking that is concerned with matters of expediency and
addresses the question “What shall we do?”
A. Forensic
B. Deliberative
C. Ceremonial
D. Exegetical
12. Fittingness or appropriateness to the occasion is referred to as ______.
A. Exigency
B. Decorum
C. Deliberation
D. Immediacy
13. Which of the following terms refers to the tendency for groups to approve more
extreme solutions than would an individual because no one is personally
responsible for the group’s decision?
A. Exigency
B. Groupthink
C. Ethnocentrism
D. Decorum
14. A(n) ______ is a variation on the speech of tribute, where speakers poke fun at
someone.
A. Toast
B. Roast
C. Eulogy
D. After-dinner speech
15. In ceremonial speaking, articulating unexpressed feelings audience members
likely feel is called ______.
A. Immediacy
B. Resonance
C. Identification
D. Exigency
16. According to course lecture, which of the following speech types is a combination
of ceremonial and deliberative speaking?
A. Keynote
B. Eulogy
C. Speech of tribute
D. Informative speech
17. A question that presupposes a value judgment adverse to the speaker is called a(n)
A. False dilemma
B. Exigency
C. Rhetorical questions
D. Loaded question
18. According to course lecture, which of the following speech types is not
considered an example of deliberative speaking?
A. Informative speech
B. Persuasive speech
C. Speech of introduction
D. Keynote
19. Identifying two unacceptable options and assuming that they are the only
alternatives is called a(n) ______.
A. Loaded question
B. False dilemma
C. Epideictic dilemma
D. Rhetorical situations
20. Which of the following speech is referred to in your text as a speech presented
near the beginning of a meeting to guide its thematic agenda and help set the tone
for the meeting?
A. Keynote
B. Eulogy
C. Testimonial
D. Anecdote
21. ______ is known as the tendency to regard two similar messages as basically
identical, thus blurring the distinction between them.
A. Listening
B. Encoding
C. Assimilation
D. Ethnocentrism
22. Unstated, taken-for-granted beliefs in a particular situation are called ______.
A. Facts
B. Inferences
C. Assumptions
D. Opinions
23. The sound of a lawnmower distracting you from comprehending precisely what
your significant other is telling you during a conversation is considered an
external form of what communication concept?
A. Noise
B. Feedback
C. Conextual cues
D. Rhetoric
24. “Listening to provide emotional support for the speaker” most appropriately
describes ______.
A. Comprehensive listening
B. Critical listening
C. Empathetic listening
D. Appreciative listening
25. The process of receiving a message by interpreting and assigning meaning to it is
referred to as ______.
A. Encoding
B. Decoding
C. Translating
D. Inquiring
26. Joe and Emily are friends. Joe has had romantic interest in Emily for quite some
time, and is determined to let her know how he feels. At the school’s next pep
rally, Joe grabs the microphone and says, “Emily, I love you!” Expressing such
intimate feelings at a public venue demonstrated Joe’s disregard for ______.
A. Cultural contexts
B. Situational contexts
C. Relational contexts
D. Schemas
27. A student listening to the President’s State of the Union address and assessing the
contents of the address for substantive arguments she agrees/disagrees with is said
to be engaging in ______ listening.
A. Critical
B. Comprehensive
C. Empathetic
D. Appreciative
28. ______ refers to a sensory process in which sound waves are transmitted in the
brain and someone becomes conscious of sound.
A. Hearing
B. Listening
C. Decorum
D. None of the above
29. A teacher who constantly sees students falling asleep during her lectures might be
discouraged by these examples of nonverbal ______.
A. Exigency
B. Feedback
C. Noise
D. None of the above
30. Which of the following is not listed by your text as one of the reasons why
listening is difficult?
A. Listener distractions
B. Jumping to conclusions
C. Listener fatigue
D. Situational distractions
31. Considered, thoughtful (as opposed to automatic) thinking is considered:
A. Empathy
B. Critical thinking
C. Reflective thinking
D. None of the above
32. Evaluation of a speech according to the effects it produced is called the:
A. Expediancy standard
B. Artistic standard
C. Critical standard
D. Deliberative standard
33. The analytical assessment of messages that are intended to affect other people is
called:
A. Exigency
B. Critical pedagogy
C. Thoughtful analysis
D. Rhetorical criticism
34. The process of emphasizing common values between speakers and audience
members is a tactic known as _____.
A. Exigency
B. Decorum
C. Heterogeneity
D. Identification
35. A speech audience that includes a great deal of diversity between members is
generally said to be ______.
A. Heterogeneous
B. Homogeneous
C. Ethnocentric
D. None of the above
36. Assuming that all members of a demographic category are alike in all respects is
referred to as ______.
A. Ethnocentrism
B. Stereotyping
C. Platonism
D. Heterogeneity
37. Audience culture refers to:
A. Subjective factors that characterize a particular audience and make its
situation distinct
B. The characteristics that make a rhetorical situation manageable
C. The extent of heterogeneity of an audience
D. None of the above
38. Brief references to something which the audience is assumed to be familiar are
known as ______.
A. Cultural facts
B. Illusions
C. Allusions
D. Platitudes
39. A deeply religious audience member who unconsciously becomes disinterested in
a speech about the dangers of religion is said to be experiencing:
A. Selective exposure
B. Selective attention
C. Ethnocentrism
D. None of the above
40. “That kid is a total nerd! I saw him playing Dungeons and Dragons with his
friends at lunch today!” This statement is an example of a(n) ______.
A. Inference
B. Fact
C. Value
D. Policy
41. According to your text, surveying a classmate on what they think and feel about a
particular issue is considered a:
A. Formal method of audience analysis
B. Informal method of audience analysis
C. Rhetorical method of audience analysis
D. Simplifying device
42. Audience analysis that focuses on the impacts of the particular speaking climate
and occasion is considered:
A. Demographic audience analysis
B. Situational audience analysis
C. Exegetical audience analysis
D. Rhetorical criticism
43. Which of the following definitions best characterizes the concept of the universal
audience?
A. An actual audience with diverse world views
B. An imaginary audience made up of all reasonable people
C. An audience comprised of individuals from a variety of ethnic
backgrounds
D. The audience that the speaker envisions as ideal for his or her presentation
44. The act of feeling what listeners feel and knowing what they think is known as
______.
A. Empathy
B. Sympathy
C. Exigency
D. Rhetorical sensitivity
45. Statements made during a speech or presentation that can be verified by someone
other than the speaker are considered to be ______.
A. Inferences
B. Facts
C. Opinions
D. Assertions
46. Which of the following terms is considered synonymous with Aristotle’s concept
of ethos?
A. Credibility
B. Logical consistency
C. Exigency
D. Logic
47. After a long, stressful day at work, Gary likes to lie on his couch and listen to
music on his ipod. Listening to music for pleasure and to potentially “unwind” is
an example of ______.
A. Informational listening
B. Empathetic listening
C. Appreciative listening
D. Critical listening
48. Saying whatever will please an audience even if it is not what the speaker truly
believes is called ______.
A. Idealizing
B. Pandering
C. Assimilating
D. Ethnocentrism
49. Factors such as age, gender and sexual orientation are all common factors of:
A. Situational audience analysis
B. Demographic audience analysis
C. Rhetorical criticism
D. None of the above
50. Which of the following is the superior beverage? (HINT: There is no correct
answer to this – FREE POINT)
A. Cherry Coke
B. Water
C. Chocolate Milkshake
D. Rockstar
It’s over! Go relax!