Test Unit 1 - Introduction to Public Speaking

Which of the following is most likely to be a direct benefit of taking a public speaking course?

• Becoming a better listener.
• Learning to study more effectively for exams
• Becoming better at strategic planning at work.

During Christopher’s speech, he notices that his audience is looking outside as there is drilling from construction outside the window. What is his audience experiencing?

• Interference which blocks their attention.
• Encoding the speech for understanding.
• A clear channel of communication.

One of the benefits of reading a speech over watching it is the audience can pace themselves with the information they take in. How can a public speaker help the audience with this?

• Slow down the rate of speech and clarify points when the audience looks lost.
• Give the audience a stack of handouts to help them.
• Show multiple images quickly on the powerpoint.

Jana is writing a speech to explain the process of adopting a pet. What is the goal of her speech?

• To entertain the audience with stories about how enjoyable animals are.
• To persuade the audience that they should adopt a pet.
• To inform the audience about what is involved in pet adoption.

Mariah has to give the toast at her best friend Sue's wedding. If she wants to entertain the audience she should be sure to include:

• Advice from psychologists about what makes a successful marriage work.
• The story about how she and Sue met after picking up each other’s order by mistake at a favorite restaurant.
• An explanation of how Sue and her wife fixed the problems they were having in their relationship.

Bessie gets nervous when she has to speak to a person either on the phone or in person, no matter who it is. She most likely is experiencing

• Trait communication apprehension which makes her generally nervous to talk to people.
• Situation communication apprehension which makes her upset.
• A panic attack brought on by the pressure of talking to strangers.

As Chris stands up to speak at a public hearing, he hears a voice in his head telling him he’s a horrible public speaker and should probably just sit down. What is happening to him?

• The exercises he did to prepare aren’t working and must be changed.
• He’s conquered his fears of public speaking.
• He’s anticipating failing during the speech and therefore psyching himself out.

Matteo gets up to give his persuasive speech on becoming an organ donor. When he looks into the audience and sees all eyes on him, he freezes and can’t begin his speech. What is happening?

• He’s realized he’s the center of attention and it awoke his nerves.
• He’s realized his powerpoint isn’t working and he needs to stop the speech.
• He can’t locate the fire exits and is in a panic.

Greg is really nervous about delivering his first speech in public speaking class. What strategy should he use?

• Decide not to use his notecards at all and focus well.
• Ask the audience to not look at him while he speaks.
• Practice the speech and visit the space to set up well in advance.

What is the most important part of conducting a speech rehearsal before going in front of the audience?

• Recreating the speaking situation as much as possible so it seems familiar when the speech is presented.
• Trying to not use notecards and memorize your speech in advance.
• Motivating yourself by thinking about how disastrous it would be to fail.