Question 1
The communication skills you already possess __________ in the workplace.
A. may hamper your attempts to communicate
B. don't apply to communication
C. are sufficient to meet every challenge of communication
D. will be valuable to you for communicating

Question 2
Which of the following characteristics of effective business communicators involves considering whether a message is appropriate to the situation?
A. strategic
B. professional
C. technological
D. adaptive

Question 3
Padma is assisting with the preparation work for this evening's dinner service. The chef asks her if the "mise en place" for the meat station is ready. Padma answers no; she was asked to assemble and prepare ingredients, not to do mise en place. The chef storms off, angrily shouting for someone else to get it done. Padma mentions this to a co-worker, who informs her that the French term "mise en place" translates to "set in place," signifying the set-up of ingredients needed for a particular dish or area of the kitchen. Now Padma has to tell the angry chef that the job he just assigned to someone else is duplicating the preparation work she has already done. This is an example of a __________.
A. psychological barrier
B. technological barrier
C. language barrier
D. physiological barrier

Question 4
Which of the following statements about technology is true?
A. Technology increases the distance between communicators.
B. Technology allows an immediate exchange of information across many miles and time zones.
C. Technology does not change very rapidly.
D. Technology is not prey to pitfalls since it eliminates the risk of failed communication.

Question 5
If a new employee doesn't know what is expected of him or her when asked to review the P&L, a __________ is interfering with effective communication.
A. psychological barrier
B. semantic barrier
C. language barrier
D. physiological barrier

Question 6
__________ refers to the learned and shared patterns within a society.
A. Culture
B. Ethics
C. Collaboration
D. Professionalism

Question 7
You joined a team just as it was finishing up a large and much-anticipated project at your company, and you feel a little insecure as its newest member-and the one who contributed the least to the project. At the next staff meeting, your boss thanks you for all your hard work in making the project a success. Instead of this making you feel good, you feel even more uncomfortable, interpreting the comment as a sarcastic remark about how little you actually participated in the project. This is an example of a __________.
A. psychological barrier.
B. semantic barrier.
C. language barrier.
D. physiological barrier.

Question 8
 __________ is the quality of being unambiguous and easy to understand.
A. Appropriateness
B. Representativeness
C. Substitutability
D. Clarity

Question 9
Which of the following is an example of communicating?
A. taking notes during a meeting
B. emailing your manager to inform him about scheduling issues
C. maintaining a personal diary
D. writing a personal travel journal

Question 10
Caroline knows that, while her oral presentation skills are stellar, her writing style could use a bit of work. Which of the following would be the best medium for Caroline to communicate in effectively?
A. a podcast
B. a wiki
C. a blog
D. a text chat

Question 11
As he begins his job search, Ryan can expect that __________.
A. his effectiveness as a communicator will give him a competitive advantage.
B. he will not stand out from the pack, as most college graduates possess similar communication skills.
C. his employers will not be overly impressed with his communication skills, as most people in the workplace have mastered them.
D. his communication abilities might hinder his chances as a job candidate.

Question 12
Which of the following terms refers to the process of putting your message into words, images, or actions?
A. transmitting
B. encoding
C. receiving
D. interpreting

Question 13
Padma is asked if she knows how to make a red wine reduction. Padma looks down at her feet, quietly mumbles "sure," and starts wringing her hands. When the job of making the red wine reduction is assigned to someone else, Padma is confused, as she had answered affirmatively that she knew how to do it. Which of the following is the best explanation of what happened here?
A. A psychological barrier has obstructed communication; by mumbling her reply, Padma signaled that she was offended by the request.
B. A semantic barrier has occurred; since Padma answered "sure" instead of "yes," her answer was confusing.
C. A physiological barrier has obstructed communication; by wringing her hands, Padma has given the impression that they hurt and that she cannot perform the task.
D. A mixed message has obstructed communication; Padma's verbal and nonverbal responses communicate different things.

Question 14
In the context of doing business with people from other cultures, effective communicators __________.
A. memorize a list of cultural differences between countries.
B. are ready to adapt to different cultural needs.
C. ignore cultural differences and treat everyone equally.
D. treat others as they would like to be treated.

Question 15
Just as you're about to shut down your computer for the day, you remember that you need to send an update to your boss. You dash off a quick email and press "send" without spell-checking or proofing it. Doing so __________.
A. is fine since this is not a formal report
B. is the right approach, since email does not require proofreading
C. is a bad idea, since you need to use correct grammar in all of your messages
D. is correct because an email needs to be as short as possible

Question 16
Which of the following considerations is relevant to the adaptable characteristic of effective business communicators?
A. What do I want to accomplish with my message?
B. With whom should I communicate to accomplish my goal?
C. Is my message understandable within other cultures?
D. Is my message clear and concise?

Question 17
__________ arise from language that is ambiguous or difficult to understand.
A. Psychological barriers
B. Semantic barriers
C. Language barriers
D. Physiological barriers

Question 18
__________ is an example of communication.
A. Planning the plotline of a book that you intend to write
B. Setting a reminder text on your cell phone
C. Updating your status on a social networking site
D. Listening to classic tunes on an MP3 player

Question 19
Your audience will understand __________ language faster than __________ language.
A. clear; concise
B. complicated; wordy
C. clear; aggressive
D. concise; complicated

Question 20
On Padma's first night, she is asked to help "plate the appetizers for the 4-top that just arrived." Padma freezes: she doesn't understand that she is being asked to arrange the appetizers on the proper serving dishes, along with the necessary garnishes and condiments, for the four diners who just arrived at the restaurant. This is an example of a __________.
A. psychological barrier.
B. technological barrier.
C. language barrier.
D. physiological barrier.