Deck 16: Making Oral Presentations

Question 1

You should choose written messages over oral messages when you want to

A) get an immediate action or response.
B) present extensive or complex data.
C) use emotion to help persuade the audience.
D) focus the audience's attention on specific points.
E) answer questions, resolve conflicts, and build consensus.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is true of an interactive presentation?

A) In an interactive presentation, the speaker delivers the presentation without deviation.
B) In an interactive presentation, the speaker answers the audience's questions and queries only at the end.
C) An interactive presentation uses questions to determine needs and probe objections.
D) Because an interactive presentation is a conversation, the speaker does not use visuals.
E) The audience interjects and asks questions, but the speaker does the majority of the talking.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

________ are primarily used to motivate the audience to act or believe.

A) Persuasive presentations
B) Employee recognition speeches
C) Goodwill presentations
D) Training sessions
E) Informative presentations

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The more you can do to personalize the opening for your audience, the better.

Question 5

Which of the following correctly states a difference between a monologue presentation and a guided discussion?

A) In a guided discussion, a speaker speaks without interruption; in a monologue presentation, a speaker encourages the listeners to intervene.
B) Unlike a guided discussion, a monologue presentation produces more audience response.
C) Unlike a guided discussion, a monologue presentation produces more commitment to the result.
D) In a monologue presentation, the speaker never functions as an expert; in a guided discussion, the speaker functions as an expert only when he or she is asked questions.
E) In a monologue presentation, the speaker plans the presentation in advance; in a guided discussion, the audience guides the flow of the presentation.

Question 6

The main purpose of an informative presentation is to

A) motivate the audience to act or believe.
B) validate the audience's commitment to organizational goals.
C) stroke the audience's egos and to help them achieve.
D) inform or teach the audience.
E) please and entertain the audience.

Question 7

The main purpose of ________ is to entertain and validate an audience.

A) proposal presentations
B) informative presentations
C) goodwill presentations
D) technical meetings
E) training sessions

Question 8

Your presentation visuals should include titles, but they do not need figure numbers.

Question 9

While planning a strategy for your presentation, you should

A) identify several key ideas that you want your audience to take home.
B) avoid using paragraph indentations and headings.
C) include complex visuals to draw the attention of your audience.
D) simplify your supporting details so that it is easy for your audience to follow them.
E) use technical jargon and treat the members of your audience as experts on the subject.

Question 10

One of the first steps in planning an oral presentation is to identify five main ideas that you want your audience to take home.

Question 11

Prezi's style of organizing visuals on one large canvas allows the presenter to relate items in a way that PowerPoint does not.

Question 12

Gestures such as swaying your feet or twisting your button work well for an oral presentation as they help you appear natural.

Question 13

Oral communication style uses more personal pronouns, less varied vocabulary, and more repetition than written communication styles.

Question 14

Opening a presentation with a joke at the audience's expense disarms them and helps establish a rapport.

Question 15

While delivering a presentation, focusing your attention on the screen may cause the audience to think you are unprepared.

Question 16

In an oral presentation, a purpose statement

A) does not influence your choice of supporting evidence.
B) is the introduction to your talk.
C) should be made after you finish preparing your presentation.
D) should be clear and direct in your presentation.
E) guides your choice of strategy.

Question 17

Ajani is the chief robotics engineer at Touch Bionics. Ajani's team has been assigned the task of developing the prototype of a new prosthetic hand. Before designing the model, Ajani prepares a presentation for his team. In his presentation, Ajani discusses the flaws of the previous model and asks his team members to suggest ways of overcoming these problems in the new model. Such a presentation is an example of a(n)

A) monologue presentation.
B) instructional presentation.
C) guided discussion.
D) goodwill presentation.
E) disquisition.

Question 18

Pitch is a voice quality that emphasizes one or more words in a sentence.

Question 19

Oral messages are better than written messages when presenting several specific details of a law, procedure, or policy.

Question 20

Weimin has been assigned the task of training the new employees at work. Which of the following types of presentations will Weimin most likely use during his training sessions?

A) validating presentations
B) informative presentations
C) goodwill presentations
D) persuasive presentations
E) decision-making presentations

Question 21

"Office rentals cost small businesses more than $30 billion per year!" This opener in an oral presentation is an example of a(n)

A) anecdote.
B) question.
C) quotation.
D) startling statement.
E) narrative statement.

Question 22

A presentation opens with "Scientists have called the digital revolution 'the biggest innovation of the century.'" This opener is an example of a

A) narration.
B) question.
C) startling statement.
D) quotation.
E) persuasive statement.

Question 23

When presenting data, which of the following is the best way to represent $20,000,049.52 in an oral presentation?

A) twenty thousand and forty-nine million dollars
B) just over twenty million dollars
C) twenty million and fifty dollars
D) less than twenty-one million dollars
E) twenty million dollars

Question 24

Which of the following guidelines should you follow when planning a strategy for your presentation?

A) Base your presentation on five or more key points to help your audience connect with at least one.
B) Avoid using props or pictures in your presentation as this could distract your audience from the main objectives.
C) Be up-front about negatives and inconsistencies in your presentation, even if the audience does not enquire about them.
D) When using data, include detailed numbers and various statistics for context.
E) Simplify the main idea, supporting details, visuals, words, and sentences.

Question 25

Which of the following guidelines should you follow to create a strong opening for your presentation?

A) Read out the opening of your presentation from written notes to seem more organized.
B) Avoid opening your presentation with a startling statement.
C) Personalize your opening to the needs and interests of the audience.
D) Begin your presentation with a joke directed against the audience.
E) Introduce your presentation by stating your name and topic.

Question 26

Which of the following is a typical example of a signpost?

A) In addition to this, wind energy can reduce reliance on natural gas.
B) If you have any questions, please raise your hands.
C) Finally, let us talk about what we can do to help.
D) Can you all hear me loud and clear at the back?
E) If I speak too fast for you to follow, please let me know.

Question 27

The Transportation Department of Cartagena is organizing a presentation on road safety for World Road Safety Day. Which of the following statements will best help make the presentation relevant to the audience's experiences?

A) Safety is the number-one priority of our department.
B) Remember how your heart raced the last time you had a close call on the road?
C) Seat belts save lives. Make sure you put them on while driving.
D) You are required by law to wear your seat belt while driving.
E) The department cares about your safety. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Question 28

Which of the following guidelines should you follow when ending a presentation?

A) End with a question.
B) Do not reference the opening.
C) Avoid restating the main point.
D) End with a vivid, positive picture.
E) Avoid telling the audience what to do.

Question 29

Which of the following is true about the 1-2-3 pattern of organizing information in an oral presentation?

A) This pattern works best when the audience will find your solution easy to accept.
B) This pattern may be necessary when the audience will find your solution hard to accept.
C) This pattern works best when the history of a problem helps show its complexity or magnitude.
D) This pattern works well when you want to organize short, informative briefings.
E) This pattern works well when you want the audience to see the weaknesses in a particular strategy.

Question 30

When opening an oral presentation, you should ideally

A) ask a question to get the audience's attention, then immediately move on.
B) explain why you are qualified to speak on the topic.
C) summarize the five vital points of your presentation.
D) capture the audience's interest and establish a rapport with them.
E) begin by reading information out loud from your notes or references.

Question 31

Which of the following patterns of organizing the body of a presentation works best when you want to use history to show a problem's complexity or magnitude?

A) comparative advantages
B) pro-con
C) problem-cause-solution
D) chronological
E) 1-2-3

Question 32

Which of the following is a difference between the comparative advantages and the problem-cause-solution patterns of organizing the body of a presentation?

A) The problem-cause-solution pattern presents only those solutions that might work; the comparative advantages pattern presents both solutions that might work and those that might not.
B) The problem-cause-solution pattern may be necessary when the audience will find your solution hard to accept; the comparative advantages pattern works best when the audience will accept your solution easily.
C) The problem-cause-solution pattern begins by explaining symptoms of a problem; the comparative advantages pattern begins by explaining many obvious solutions.
D) The problem-cause-solution pattern ends the discussion with a solution; the comparative advantages pattern ends the discussion with multiple solutions.
E) The problem-cause-solution pattern explains the symptoms of a problem; the comparative advantages pattern does not.

Question 33

Kazimir is conducting a presentation on how to increase employee productivity. He bases his entire speech on eight main points and clearly shows how each of these points is related to the others. He also ensures that the audience remembers the information better by using colorful visuals to illustrate his ideas. In addition, Kazimir presents the information as a story and uses metaphors to grab the audience's attention. To improve his presentation, Kazimir should

A) avoid using metaphors.
B) minimize the use of colors and visuals.
C) limit his presentation to three main points.
D) not turn the information into a story.
E) not focus on the relationship between the main points.

Question 34

"Our largest competitor will be taking over our company next month." This opener in an oral presentation is an example of a(n)

A) question.
B) anecdote.
C) quotation.
D) narrative statement.
E) startling statement.

Question 35

When using visuals, you can help your audience follow the progression of ideas through

A) headers, images, or color.
B) maps, graphs, or tables.
C) text and bullet points.
D) signposts and review.
E) vivid language and narratives.

Question 36

To create an effective PowerPoint presentation you should

A) present complex ideas on a single slide.
B) use your slides as a mnemonic device.
C) present the visuals and text separately.
D) try to limit all your information to a single slide.
E) create slides that take a few minutes to understand.

Question 37

Which of the following guidelines should you keep in mind when designing slides for PowerPoint presentations?

A) Make a minimum of seven points on each slide.
B) Use a variety of backgrounds to make your presentation look attractive.
C) Choose a dark background if the lights will be off during your presentation.
D) Use high contrast between the words and backgrounds of your slides.
E) Try to create slides that have more text than visuals.

Question 38

Which of the following common modes of openers in an oral presentation would most help in getting the audience to participate actively?

A) an anecdote
B) a question
C) a quotation
D) a startling statement
E) a narration

Question 39

Shoshanah is giving a presentation to the board of directors at Hearth Co., a furniture manufacturer. The main objective of her presentation is to emphasize the need for a new brand ambassador to endorse the company's latest line of dining sets. She begins by explaining why they have to find a new ambassador. Then she mentions the names of a few candidates who are the board's most obvious choices and explains why each of them would not be a good brand ambassador. Finally, she concludes her presentation by suggesting a suitable candidate for the position of brand ambassador and explains the reasons for her choice. According to this scenario, Shoshanah has organized the body of her presentation using which pattern?

A) comparative advantages
B) pro-con
C) problem-cause-solution
D) chronological
E) 1-2-3

Question 40

Which of the following is a difference between oral and written styles of presenting information?

A) The oral style of presenting information uses more personal pronouns than the written style.
B) The oral style of presenting information uses longer sentences than the written style.
C) The oral style of presenting information uses more varied vocabulary than the written style.
D) The oral style of presenting information uses less repetition than the written style.
E) The oral style of presenting information uses more complex words than the written style.

Question 41

Fadhlan has just delivered a presentation to an aid agency on the exploitation of child labor in the textiles industry. The director of the organization has a question regarding wage averages in the textile industry. Fadhlan does not know the answer. Which of the following statements will best help Fadhlan handle the question?

A) "The textile industry is large, and estimating the average wage is quite difficult."
B) "I am not sure of wage averages in the textile industry, but I will check and get back to you."
C) "You will find it interesting to know wage statistics will not affect our campaign in any way."
D) "The textile industry is an extensive one, but you could check the website of the labor department for details."
E) "This is a good question. You could refer to the handouts distributed."

Question 42

Discuss, with examples, how informative presentations are different from goodwill presentations.

Question 43

The rising or falling inflection that tells you whether a group of words is a question or a statement, whether the speaker is uncertain or confident, and whether a statement is sincere or sarcastic is referred to as

A) tone of voice
B) stress
C) timbre
D) pitch
E) enunciation

Question 44

Practicing a speech out loud will help you

A) eliminate signposts from your presentation.
B) increase the number of filler sounds in your speech.
C) focus on the words and not the emotions you wish to communicate.
D) figure out what filler sounds you can use in your speech.
E) work on transitions that move your speech from one point to the next.

Question 45

Ugne is delivering a presentation to a large group of people at an economic forum. Her presentation is on the effects of tariffs on international trade. She is using a microphone so that her voice can reach the ends of the large conference hall. Ugne focuses on carefully producing all the sounds of each word she speaks so that the members of the audience at the end of the hall can hear her speech clearly. In this instance, Ugne is focusing on

A) controlling the tone of her voice.
B) emphasizing her words.
C) enunciating her words.
D) controlling the pitch of her voice.
E) stressing her words.

Question 46

Which of the following statements about using visual aids in presentations is true?

A) Visuals should include a lot of text for the benefit of both speaker and audience.
B) Most presentations require graphs, charts, or other visual aids.
C) Images distract the audience and therefore reduce emotional impact.
D) Content in maps or graphs is better described orally than presented visually.
E) Word-free images can make your presentation more professional.

Question 47

Joaquin wants to convince the marketing manager of his nonprofit to advertise their medical aid program on cable television. What kind of presentation should Joaquin use to convince the marketing manager that cable is the right medium for their advertising? Explain your choice.

Question 48

To use technology effectively for a presentation, it is important to remember to

A) use only the equipment in your own workplace.
B) try to fix the equipment yourself if it is not functioning.
C) have a backup plan in case of a technology failure.
D) include more material on your slides than in your oral presentation.
E) arrive exactly on time so that you can begin your presentation right away.

Question 49

Rhys is giving the keynote speech at a conference on social media's impact on global news and communications. During his presentation, he encourages audience members to comment, ask questions, and engage one another in conversation via Twitter. Rhys is using a process known as

A) online tools.
B) concurrent conversations.
C) information dissemination.
D) backchanneling.
E) hashtagging.

Question 50

Mahnoor recently delivered a presentation to her investors on a possible setback to her company's clean energy campaign. Her audience found her presentation professional and well-prepared. Which of the following did Mahnoor most likely do in her presentation?

A) spoke in a monotone
B) avoided looking directly at audience members
C) kept her attention focused on her notes
D) kept her feet together and stood still
E) varied the tone, stress, and pitch of her voice

Question 51

Which of the following statements is true of the pitch of a voice?

A) A high-pitched voice is usually perceived as being more authoritative than a low-pitched voice.
B) A high-pitched voice is usually perceived as being less pleasant to listen to than a low-pitched voice.
C) Your voice tends to go down in pitch when you're angry or excited.
D) Women tend to have lower-pitched voices than men.
E) When you increase the volume of your speech, your pitch tends to go lower.

Question 52

List the five advantages that oral messages have over written messages.

Question 53

You have just presented a grim but realistic prediction of your company's earnings for the next quarter to the board of directors. The chairman of the board is unhappy with your analysis and says, "This company has turned a profit for the past twenty years! How can you be so pessimistic about the next three months?" Which of the following is the best way to respond to his question?

A) "Past success doesn't rule out future hardship."
B) "You're right! Our estimates could be incorrect."
C) "Do you have alternative data that paints a different picture?"
D) "You're concerned about our accuracy. Our projections are based on…"
E) "I'm the expert on this data, so I know I'm correct."

Question 54

Renata is giving a presentation on the impact of a recent marketing campaign on sales during the last quarter. In using a table to represent the data, she cuts out a few columns and rounds off the numbers so the audience can focus on the important aspects of the visual. She includes a title for the table and describes it to her colleagues in detail, reading off each point of data from the slide. She also has printed versions of the table to give to her audience. What could Renata do to use this visual more effectively in her presentation?

A) Include all the data, rather than cutting columns.
B) Remove the title from the visual to eliminate extra detail.
C) Rather than reading from the visual, summarize the story it tells.
D) Include precise numbers, rather than rounding them off.
E) Do not use handouts, as they will distract the audience.

Question 55

How do monologue presentations, guided discussions, and interactive presentations differ from one another?

Question 56

Camille is about to deliver a presentation to an important client. This presentation could either land her a promotion or get her into trouble on the basis of its effectiveness. Camille is nervous. Which of the following should Camille do to calm herself before delivering the presentation?

A) Have an extra cup of coffee to keep herself alert and vigilant.
B) Be frank and humorously announce to everyone that she is nervous.
C) Calm her nerves by having an alcoholic beverage.
D) Avoid checking out the arrangements, as this could increase her anxiety.
E) Remind herself that her adrenaline levels are up and will help her do her best.

Question 57

Esinam gives a presentation to a group of trainees at her store on how to deal with angry, dissatisfied customers. Just as she finishes, one of the trainees, Owen, asks her a question about what he should do if he isn't sure of the information to be provided to a customer. Esinam should handle Owen's question by

A) nodding her head to indicate that she understands the question.
B) telling Owen that she has already answered the question in her presentation.
C) linking her answer to the points she's covered during her presentation.
D) saying, "That is an excellent question!"
E) attempting to respond to Owen's question even when she isn't sure about the answer.

Question 58

What are the five common modes for openers in oral presentations?

Question 59

Which of the following is true of using notes in an oral presentation?

A) You should use key phrases in your notes to help you if you go blank during your presentation.
B) While delivering your presentation, you should focus most of your attention on your notes.
C) While delivering your presentation, you should direct your gaze at the screen and not the audience.
D) While delivering your presentation, you should hold your note cards very low, so that the audience cannot view them.
E) You should prepare your notes so that you can read directly from them during the presentation.

Question 60

PowerPoint and Prezi presentations differ in which of the following ways?

A) PowerPoints are uninteresting, and Prezi presentations are more engaging.
B) PowerPoint uses a linear progression, and Prezi uses panning and zooming.
C) PowerPoint displays hierarchies and spatial relationships, and Prezi does not.
D) Prezi can be custom designed, and PowerPoint has only basic templates.
E) Prezi animations and sound effects can be distracting; but a PowerPoint's are not.

Question 61

Explain the 1-2-3 pattern of organizing information with the help of an example.

Question 62

How should you handle questions when delivering an oral presentation? What are the key points to keep in mind?

Question 63

What are the guidelines for designing presentation slides?

Question 64

List four ways of planning a strong conclusion.

Question 65

What are the different voice qualities you need to develop for a good speaking voice when delivering an oral presentation?