1. Which of the following would be the most effective e-mail subject line?
a. 2003 budget
b. Talking ?bout the big bucks
c. Input needed for 2003 budget planning
d. Projected expenses
2. Once you have determined your main idea, the next step is to
a. do library research.
b. identify three to five major points that support and clarify the main idea.
c. fill in your outline with all the supporting evidence for your main idea.
d. decide on the specific purpose of your message.
3. When reviewing your document for content, you should be concerned with
a. grammar and usage.
b. punctuation and spelling.
c. the accuracy and relevance of the information.
d. style and tone.
4. When composing collaborative messages, it is a good idea to
a. establish a time line and deadlines for every part of the project.
b. begin by letting all members 'do their own thing' and then seeing what they all produce.
c. let all members use their own preferred software.
d. make the team as big as possible so that every possible area of expertise will be covered.
5. Using the passive voice makes sense when
a. you want to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error.
b. you want your sentence to be easier to understand.
c. you need to make your sentences shorter.
d. you want to emphasize the subject.
6. Self-centered listeners habitually
a. take control of the conversation and tell you their problems.
b. trivialize your concerns.
c. emphasize their own knowledge of the topic.
d. do all of the above.
7. The richest communication medium is
a. a phone call.
b. a memo.
c. an e-mail.
d. a face-to-face conversation.
8. Having an audience-centered focus means
a. being self-sacrificing.
b. speaking from your own point of view.
c. keeping your audience happy, even if it means withholding negative information from them.
d. focusing on and caring about your audience.
9. When preparing a message for a large, diverse audience, you must
a. include as many visual aids as possible.
b. solicit audience participation.
c. look for the common denominators that tie the group together.
d. do all of the above.
10. Which of the following is not an example of pompous language?
a. 'as per your letter'
b. 'please be advised that'
c. 'please let us know'
d. 'under separate cover'
11. Individuals outside an organization might respond more readily to a request if they are told
a. how the request benefits them.
b. how many others have replied favorably.
c. how easy it will be to say yes.
d. why they have been selected.
12. Many difficulties in intercultural communication occur because people in different cultures have different
a. genetics.
b. basic assumptions.
c. environments.
d. media
13. When composing a bad-news message, you
a. choose a buffer that will distract your reader from the main point of your message.
b. try to gain the audience's acceptance of the bad news.
c. leave the reader with hope that you will change your decision.
d. do all of the above.
14. Informative headings and subheadings
a. simply identify topics covered in the document.
b. guide readers to think a certain way about the topics covered.
c. are easier to write than descriptive headings.
d. are less helpful to readers than descriptive headings.
15. Which of the following statements best reflects the ''you'' attitude?
a. 'You failed to enclose a check for $25.'
b. 'We need a check from you for $25 so that we can send the merchandise by May 15.'
c. 'We will send you the merchandise as soon as we receive your check for $25.'
d. 'You will have your merchandise by July 15 if you send us your check for $25 today.'
16. When you are refusing a request for information, you
a. always use the direct approach.
b. invoke company policy if that is a possible out.
c. don't need to invest as much time and effort as you would for other kinds of bad-news messages.
d. use the indirect approach when your denial is likely to disappoint the reader.
17. If you request a recommendation from a person you haven''t had contact with recently, you should
a. use the opening of your letter to refresh the person's memory.
b. enclose a stamped, preaddressed envelope.
c. use the persuasive approach.
d. use the bad-news approach.
18. A complex sentence is one characterized by
a. two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.
b. a single subject and a single predicate plus any modifying phrases.
c. two or more independent clauses along with all modifying phrases.
d. an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses related to it.
19. When you need to inform stakeholders that your company is having serious problems
a. the best approach is to leak the news to the press rather than make a public announcement.
b. minimize the bad news by presenting it in as favorable a light as possible.
c. use the direct approach.
d. use as many hedging words as possible.
20. When writing letters to businesspeople in other countries, you should
a. use an informal, friendly tone.
b. keep your sentences and paragraphs long.
c. be vague and general in your wording.
d. make generous use of transitional words and phrases.
21. When responding to a customer complaint about one of your company''s services, you
a. soften the situation with excuses such as 'Nobody's perfect' or 'Mistakes will happen.'
b. use a generous, grudging tone.
c. use a standard form letter, with blanks left for filling in unique information in neat handwriting.
d. avoid blaming a specific individual or department for the problem.
22. Deliberately omitting damaging information to paint a better picture of your company would be an example of
a. an audience-centered approach.
b. unethical communication.
c. selective perception.
d. all of the above.
23. When it comes to paragraph length
a. use long paragraphs with detailed information for direct-mail letters.
b. use long paragraphs if you want your document to look more inviting.
c. keep all paragraphs to fewer than 60 words.
d. use one-sentence paragraphs only occasionally, for emphasis.
24. The three steps involved in preparing a business message are
a. planning, writing, and completing.
b. informing, persuading, and collaborating.
c. defining the purpose, the main idea, and the topic.
d. satisfying the audience's informational, motivational, and practical needs.
25. ''Visible to the eye'' is an example of
a. a cliché.
b. redundancy.
c. the passive voice.
d. obsolete language.
26. When preparing an ''organization chart'' to help organize a message, you begin with
a. the main idea.
b. the major points.
c. supporting evidence.
d. whatever you want to begin with.
27. Stereotyping
a. is never a good practice.
b. can be useful in the early stages of learning about a culture.
c. lets you deal with individuals as they really are.
d. is often the result of thorough, specific, and accurate evidence.
28. Which of the following is an example of an ethical lapse?
a. Putting suggestions in the company suggestion box without signing your name.
b. Informing a new employer about your previous (competing) employer?s major clients.
c. Telling your supervisor that another employee is stealing office supplies.
d. Providing incorrect data in a report, even though you didn?t know it was incorrect at the time.
29. Which of the following is not one of the common faults responsible for most of the organizational problems in business messages?
a. The writer includes irrelevant material.
b. The writer gets to the point too soon.
c. The writer presents ideas in illogical order.
d. The writer leaves out necessary information.
30. To hear spoken messages or other sounds attached to a document, receivers must
a. convert the document to tape and use a tape player.
b. load the document into a computer that has a sound card installed.
c. insert the document into an optical character recognition system.
d. receive the document over a phone line.
31. The primary audience for your message is made up of
a. all who receive it.
b. the decision makers or opinion molders.
c. those people with the highest status.
d. those people who represent the opinions and attitudes of the majority.