Question 1

Megahertz Technology Solutions, Inc., recently suffered a discrimination lawsuit. Advice to improve its workforce diversity is likely to include understanding the value of differences, providing diversity training for employees, building on similarities, and

Answer

Correct Answer: making fewer assumptions.

Amelia has made a conscious effort to become an active listener. Therefore, she shuts down her computer, turns off her cell phone, and asks her assistant to hold all incoming calls when she conducts interviews. What technique is she using to improve listening?

Answer

Correct Answer: Controlling her surroundings

Question 3

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According to research, what percentage of our work time is spent listening?

Answer

Correct Answer: 50 percent

Question 4

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Communication noise

Answer

Correct Answer: includes anything that disrupts the transmission of a message.

Question 5

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Which of the following statements is most accurate?

Answer

Correct Answer: Most people are not very good listeners.

Question 6

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Many of us are poor listeners because

Answer

Correct Answer: All answer choices are correct.

Question 7

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According to Edward T. Hall, which spatial zone is the largest?

Answer

Correct Answer: Public

Question 8

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Communication skills

Answer

Correct Answer: are ranked by recruiters at the top of qualities they most desire in job seekers.

Question 9

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Which of the following statements about nonverbal communication is most accurate?

Answer

Correct Answer: Meanings of nonverbal behaviors are often influenced by one's culture.

Question 10

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Your boss is giving instructions for a new method of keeping expense accounts. However, you find it difficult to concentrate because you think the change is unnecessary. What type of barrier to effective listening are you experiencing?

Answer

Correct Answer: Psychological barrier

Question 11

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North Americans value straightforwardness and are suspicious of evasiveness. These traits identify the cultural dimension of

Answer

Correct Answer: communication style.

Question 12

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On the job you are more likely to be taken seriously and promoted if you

Answer

Correct Answer: look and sound professional.

Question 13

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If you want to become a better listener, your first step is to stop talking.

Answer

Correct Answer: True

Question 14

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Bijan and his family place great emphasis on tradition, ceremony, and social rules. Bijan is most likely a member of a low-context culture.

Answer

Correct Answer: False

Question 15

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Laura values individualism and personal responsibility in herself and coworkers. These values are typical of North American culture.

Answer

Correct Answer: True

Question 16

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Successful communication takes place only when a receiver understands the intended meaning of a message.

Answer

Correct Answer: True

Question 17

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To achieve parallel construction, use similar structure to express ideas.

Answer

Correct Answer: True

Question 18

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Using a hierarchy such as an outline can help you to organize ideas and information.

Answer

Correct Answer: True

Question 19

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Business writers should strive for paragraphs with eight or fewer printed lines.

Answer

Correct Answer: True

Question 20

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A compound-complex sentence contains two complete but related thoughts.

Answer

Correct Answer: False

Question 21

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PDF documents guarantee that the reader receives a message that looks exactly as the writer intended.

Answer

Correct Answer: True

Question 22

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About three quarters of U.S. companies view social media¾mostly LinkedIn¾as essential sources for recruiting.

Answer

Correct Answer: True

Question 23

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Lines between social and professional networking have been clear; and as a business communicator, you must strive to keep those boundaries distinct.

Answer

Correct Answer: False

Question 24

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When preparing your script for a podcast, include some redundancy: tell the listeners what you will tell them, then tell them, and, finally, tell them what you have told them.

Answer

Correct Answer: True

Question 25

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Which of the following situations is most appropriate for sending an e-mail message?

Answer

Correct Answer: Chris must send the monthly sales data to his department.

Question 26

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You are delivering your salary and benefits proposals for employees in your department to your supervisor. What is the best communication channel to deliver this confidential information?

Answer

Correct Answer: Interoffice memo

Question 27

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Travis has asked you for some advice regarding the use of social networking in the workplace. What advice will you share?

Answer

Correct Answer: Establish boundaries, and don't share information online that you wouldn't share openly in the office.

Question 28

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You are crafting a message for your corporate blog. What advice should you follow?

Answer

Correct Answer: Blog about topics that showcase your expertise and insights.

Question 29

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Blogs have several internal communication purposes including

Answer

Correct Answer: providing information about benefits or featuring profiles on key employees.

Question 30

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Why do busy employees choose to use RSS feeds?

Answer

Correct Answer: These feeds can be a time-saver, allowing users to monitor many news sources in one convenient spot.

Question 31

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Bennett is sending an e-mail message about a change in procedure for submitting work hours. Which of the following represents the most direct opening?

Answer

Correct Answer: A new procedure for submitting work hours will go into effect on April 1.

Question 32

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What is the current advice on the use of a greeting on business e-mail?

Answer

Correct Answer: Begin with a greeting to provide a visual cue and to show friendliness.

Question 33

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Some companies now use Twitter and other social media to monitor what is being said about them, to engage with customers, and

Answer

Correct Answer: to market to other businesses.

Question 34

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Porter's company has decided to let employees use instant messaging (IM) as an internal communication tool, and she wants to make sure that she's using it professionally. What should she do?

Answer

Correct Answer: Respect her receivers by using proper grammar, spelling, and proofreading in her instant messages.

Question 35

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Businesses have embraced podcasts for audio and video messages because podcasts

Answer

Correct Answer: do not require a live presence, yet offer a friendly human face.

Question 36

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Samantha must use e-mail frequently to communicate with others in her new job. What is the best advice to give her?

Answer

Correct Answer: Consider composing important messages offline.

Question 37

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Which of the following sentences is most effective in de-emphasizing the bad news?

Answer

Correct Answer: Although cash refunds are not offered, you can exchange resalable merchandise.

Question 38

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Which of the following uses parallel structure?

Answer

Correct Answer: Big business demands superior forecasting, reporting, and analyzing.

Question 39

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Writer's block can best be defined as

Answer

Correct Answer: an inability to produce a first draft because of poor preparation.

Question 40

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Most writers can compose their business messages more effectively if they

Answer

Correct Answer: have a quiet environment in which to concentrate.

Question 41

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Quality Building Materials Inc. has developed a new whole-house weather blanket and needs to determine the price point at which builders would switch to this new product. The best research method for this is a(n)

Answer

Correct Answer: scientific experiment that presents price choices with controlled variables.

Question 42

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Before composing a business document, you should gather information that will answer which of these questions?

Answer

Correct Answer: What is the receiver to do?

Question 43

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When brainstorming to generate ideas, you should

Answer

Correct Answer: record ideas without judging them.

Question 44

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Which of the following uses only active voice in a complete sentence?

Answer

Correct Answer: A few unhappy customers criticized the company's rigid return policy.

Question 45

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Which formal research source is best to obtain firsthand information?

Answer

Correct Answer: Interviews

Question 46

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Paragraphs should

Answer

Correct Answer: contain eight or fewer printed lines.

Question 47

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What is the recommended maximum number of words for a sentence?

Answer

Correct Answer: 20

Question 48

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What kind of sentence contains at least two independent clauses and a dependent clause?

Answer

Correct Answer: Compound-complex sentence

Question 49

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When creating a bulleted or numbered list,

Answer

Correct Answer: express all ideas similarly.

Question 50

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Which statement about margins and text alignment is true?

Answer

Correct Answer: Margins define the reading area and provide important visual relief.

Question 51

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It is important to avoid long lead-ins because

Answer

Correct Answer: the reader is delayed from reaching the meaning of the sentence.

Question 52

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Which of the following sentences avoids noun conversion?

Answer

Correct Answer: The scholarship committee approved the plan.

Question 53

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Which of the following is a redundant expression?

Answer

Correct Answer: Absolutely essential

Question 54

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The dangers of using slang in business writing include

Answer

Correct Answer: All answer choices are correct.

Question 55

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The Plain Writing Act

Answer

Correct Answer: requires the federal government to write documents in simple, easy-to-understand language.

Question 56

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Which sentence avoids the use of unnecessary fillers?

Answer

Correct Answer: Three candidates are running for the board.

Question 57

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Which of the following sentences demonstrates clear writing?

Answer

Correct Answer: Lindsey Goulet asked production employees to work on Saturday.

Question 58

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Concise writing

Answer

Correct Answer: is easier to read and comprehend.

Question 59

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To improve readability and comprehension through white space,

Answer

Correct Answer: use approximately 20 or fewer words per sentence.

Question 60

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Branch managers of First Federated Savings and Loan received this e-mail message: Please inform all personal that management retains the right to check personal belongings of employees before employees leave the bank. What error did the writer make?

Answer

Correct Answer: A proofreading error

Question 61

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Use bulleted lists to represent a sequence of ideas or a numbered order.

Answer

Correct Answer: False

Question 62

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To emphasize an important sentence within a business document, type the entire sentence in capital letters.

Answer

Correct Answer: False

Question 63

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When designing documents, you should place as much text as possible on a page to save paper and printer toner.

Answer

Correct Answer: False

Question 64

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You should proofread every sentence of a document as soon as you write it.

Answer

Correct Answer: False

Question 65

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To emphasize the "you" view in e-mail messages, you must avoid any phrases that include the "I/we" view such as I'm happy or We're delighted.

Answer

Correct Answer: False

Question 66

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A business message should be long because quantity enhances quality.

Answer

Correct Answer: False

Question 67

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Business messages are most effective if they convey an informal, conversational tone.

Answer

Correct Answer: True

Question 68

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Whenever possible in business writing, substitute longer, less familiar words for shorter, simpler words.

Answer

Correct Answer: False

Question 69

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Jorge must inform Samantha that she is not eligible to have an August vacation for which she recently applied. Which of the following sentences best demonstrates the "you" view Jorge should use in denying Samantha's application?

Answer

Correct Answer: Although the August vacation schedule is full, you may qualify for a vacation in September if you apply now.

Question 70

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Business writers who use words such as interrogate, remuneration, and terminate are using language many readers would consider

Answer

Correct Answer: unfamiliar.

Question 71

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Travis must determine the appropriate channel for an important business message. In this context channel refers to the

Answer

Correct Answer: medium through which the message is sent.

Question 72

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Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing?

Answer

Correct Answer: Please check with your supervisor for information about salary increases.

Question 73

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Which of the following demonstrates effective business writing?

Answer

Correct Answer: A record number of Japanese investors are purchasing real estate in the United States.

Question 74

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What question should you ask to visualize your audience?

Answer

Correct Answer: All answer choices are questions you should ask to visualize your audience.

Question 75

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Business writing should be persuasive. In this context persuasive can best be defined as

Answer

Correct Answer: getting your audience to believe and accept your message.

Question 76

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According to writing experts, approximately what percentage of time should you spend on the prewriting phase of a business message?

Answer

Correct Answer: 25 percent

Question 77

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Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing?

Answer

Correct Answer: Sheila will examine the job proposal carefully.

Question 78

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Business writing should be economical. In this context economical can best be defined as

Answer

Correct Answer: presenting ideas clearly and concisely.

Question 79

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Which of the following communication channels is considered the richest medium?

Answer

Correct Answer: Face-to-face conversation

Question 80

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Courteous business messages

Answer

Correct Answer: All answer choices are correct.