Deck 15: Writing Reports

Question 1

When discussing a company's financial data in a report, it is important to use an independent source of information along with the company's annual reports and press releases.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Which of the following elements of a report helps clarify the organizational problem, the specific technical questions to be answered, and the rhetorical purpose of the report?

A) bibliography
B) preface
C) table of contents
D) glossary
E) purpose statement

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following is true of good report problems?

A) They should be hinted at but never explicitly mentioned in the report.
B) They should be solvable in the time you have available.
C) Their solutions should remain unclear even after the report has been produced.
D) They should include a broad range of issues.
E) They should have no effect on or relationship to the purpose statement.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Ernesto, a production manager at a manufacturing facility, prepares a report that evaluates an action proposed by the management committee of his company. He illustrates through evidence that the proposed action will not provide the expected productivity gains. In this case, Ernesto is preparing a(n) ________ report.

A) problem-solving
B) sales
C) feasibility
D) audit
E) annual

Question 5

Hypothetical questions, which ask people to imagine what they would do, generally yield more reliable answers than questions about critical incidents or key past events.

Question 6

Which type of report documents the causes of a failure or possible products that are not economically or technically feasible under current condition?

A) trip
B) closure
C) accident
D) interim
E) credit

Question 7

Letters, memos, and computer printouts of numerical information are examples of formal reports.

Question 8

Processing information before presenting it to the audience is considered a manipulation of the data and should be completely avoided.

Question 9

The conclusions and recommendations section of a report presents new information that was excluded from the rest of the report.

Question 10

In chronological progress reports, you should summarize your progress in terms of goals and the original schedule, using measurable statements.

Question 11

Khadiyah needs to gather information through primary research, as she considers that to be the most reliable form of information. Which of the following should she do to gather information through primary research?

A) Collect library research reports.
B) Use published statistics.
C) Search in old editions of research reports.
D) Conduct online searches.
E) Conduct surveys.

Question 12

You should write the purpose statement only after researching the specific alternatives the report will discuss.

Question 13

Which of the following criteria does a good report problem in business or administration meet?

A) The problem is broad and covers a wide range of subjects.
B) The problem is intricate, but not challenging.
C) The audience for the report is able to implement the recommended action.
D) The facts are insufficient to show that the recommendation will solve the problem.
E) The data, evidence, and facts, while you can't understand them, are easily available to you.

Question 14

Shakira includes notes and a list of references to provide bibliographic information to readers. This process is called documentation.

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of a formal report?

A) an internal minutes of the meeting report printed on a company's memo template
B) a computer printout of a company's sales figures for a specific period
C) a memo describing an event that will be retained on file
D) a long document with a title page, a transmittal, and a table of contents
E) a hard copy of a company's production figures

Question 16

Doniello, a manager of a language translation firm, must explain and substantiate the need for the purchase of the latest AI machine translation software. In order to do so, he needs to write a(n) ________ report.

A) audit
B) feasibility
C) payback
D) problem-solving
E) justification

Question 17

A(n) ________ report provides information, but does not include an analysis or a recommendation.

A) feasibility
B) audit
C) payback
D) annual
E) sales

Question 18

Elisa, a student working for her school journal, is conducting a rough pretest of a survey to determine the maximum amount students are willing to pay for the journal. She distributes the survey questionnaire to the first 20 students who walk into the union room. The sample she is using is typically called a ________.

A) quota sample
B) random sample
C) stratified sample
D) convenience sample
E) census

Question 19

Information crucial to your proof should appear in the appendix rather than the body of the report.

Question 20

It is ideal to use the word you for reports with multiple audiences to help readers identify with your recommendations.

Question 21

Salma is preparing a report titled "The Rate of Urban Development in Various Districts." After analyzing the data collected, she prepares a draft of the table of contents. Which of the following is she most likely to include in the appendix of her report?

A) analysis of causes and possible solutions
B) information that directly relates to the discussion in the body
C) information that is essential for the proof of the report
D) supporting data that will be carefully looked over by specialists
E) crucial statistics on development rates in different cities

Question 22

Blue Hills, an organization that works to protect forests and wildlife in Indonesia, conducts research on protected forest cover and encroached forest land. This research does not result in any further action or recommendation. In its report, the organization documents the research conducted by summarizing research findings. This is an example of a(n) ________ report.

A) recommendation
B) justification
C) annual
D) after action
E) informative

Question 23

While writing a report, which of the following is recommended for using headings?

A) Use subheads when there is only one division within a main heading.
B) Use headings that are non-parallel with one another.
C) Use a subhead immediately after a heading.
D) Use a heading as an antecedent for a pronoun.
E) Use talking heads to tell the audience what to expect.

Question 24

Gudrun, a campaign manager at Help Aid, needs to purchase computers for distribution in a few villages. This action will enable her to achieve one of the milestones of the literacy campaign she is working on. Which of the following kinds of reports does she need to prepare to substantiate the need for placing an order for 30 computers?

A) credit
B) interim
C) justification
D) payback
E) closure

Question 25

Which of the following should most heavily influence how much information you include in a report?

A) whether you agree with your findings
B) the audience's expected reaction to your research and conclusions
C) the intellectual capabilities of the audience
D) whether the information is widely known or relatively obscure
E) how the information will affect the profitability of the report sponsor

Question 26

Which of the following patterns of organizing data works well when the solutions the audience is likely to favor will not work?

A) compare/contrast
B) elimination of alternatives
C) pro-and-con
D) chronological
E) problem-solution

Question 27

A(n) ________ report evaluates two or more alternatives before suggesting that one among them be chosen, and usually consists of the decision to be made, a listing of the alternatives, and an explanation of the criteria.

A) recommendation
B) interim
C) closure
D) credit
E) payback

Question 28

Which of the following means attributing an idea or fact to its source in the body of the text?

A) quotation
B) documentation
C) acknowledgement
D) citation
E) plagiarism

Question 29

Ambrosio, a marketing executive, distributes samples of a new detergent to prospective buyers and requests them to voice their thoughts as they use the product. This is an example of ________.

A) information surveys
B) focus groups
C) heuristic surveys
D) interruption interviews
E) think-aloud protocols

Question 30

Yosef, a branch manager of a travel company in Florida, needs to prepare a report on the challenges faced by the accounts, marketing, and reservation departments of his branch. In the report, he also needs to include different ways of resolving the issues faced by each department. Which of the following patterns of organizing data would best help Yosef present his report?

A) functional
B) chronological
C) spatial
D) pro-and-con
E) geographic

Question 31

How many layers of headings should be included in a complicated report?

A) none
B) only one
C) up to two
D) up to three
E) five or more

Question 32

Kellen has to submit a quarterly report in which he makes recommendations to his company's decision makers on which products have potential for growth. He also has a lot of supporting technical data that will be analyzed by only a few interested engineers. Where should he include the supporting data?

A) executive summary
B) bibliography
C) list of references
D) body of the report
E) appendix

Question 33

Which of the following is a mirror question for the following answer? Question: "How often do you use the parking garages downtown?"

Question 34

Hari needs to conduct a survey over three months among employees completing their probationary period. This survey needs to be undertaken to determine how company orientation and training processes can be improved. He has several closed questions prepared for the survey, but he does not know if the choices provided are adequate. He should

A) conduct a pretest with open questions to find commonly chosen categories.
B) conduct a pretest to ensure that the terms used mean different things to different people.
C) conduct the survey as it is and leave an "others" category for each question.
D) ensure that his multiple-choice questions are not mutually exclusive and exhaustive.
E) conduct a pretest with closed questions to find categories that matter to respondents.

Question 35

Which of the following is true of analyzing numbers from databases and numbers from a survey conducted?

A) Numerical information cannot serve as data in support of a recommendation.
B) The mean is calculated by adding all the numbers and multiplying the total by the number of samples.
C) The average is the number that occurs most often in a list of observations.
D) The median refers to the number that is exactly in the middle in a ranked list of observations.
E) The range is the average of two numbers in the center of a list.

Question 36

Identify the correct statement about presenting information effectively in reports.

A) Avoid topic sentences to prevent redundancy of text.
B) Use passive verbs and impersonal constructions of sentences to add value.
C) Use words such as "claims" and "contends" in order stay as close to the source as possible.
D) Do not use your own sentence structure to present the information.
E) Ensure that your headings are parallel with each other.

Question 37

Abraham recently volunteered to work on a fuel-efficiency campaign conducted in the city by a nonprofit organization. Based on his findings, he writes a report recommending the use of cruise control and overdrive gears. He lists the advantages and disadvantages of using them. He also explores the elements that the use of overdrive gears could exploit to its advantage and a few external troublesome areas that have to be overcome. In this case, which of the following patterns of organizing information did Abraham use?

A) chronological
B) spatial
C) geographic
D) SWOT analysis
E) elimination of alternatives

Question 38

While Mariko and Tina are having a telephone conversation, both use the word "ascent" at different points of the conversation. While Mariko uses the word to mean "progressing upward," Tina interprets it as "assent." This scenario is representative of ________.

A) sampling
B) branching
C) digressing
D) rebuttal
E) bypassing

Question 39

Shaozu is working on an environmental campaign that aims to spread awareness about deforestation through electronic media. He needs to prepare a report that will present the benefits and drawbacks of using electronic media over print media. Which of the following patterns of organizing information will best serve his purpose?

A) problem-solution
B) chronological
C) pro-and-con
D) geographic
E) spatial

Question 40

An e-commerce company, Zeda, posts a survey on its website and invites the site's visitors to complete the survey. Which of the following statements is true of this approach of online surveying?

A) It generates a random sample.
B) The results are not available immediately for computing.
C) It involves more costs in comparison to telephone surveys.
D) The response rate for this approach is much lower than telephone surveys.
E) The results do not tend to reflect the opinions of the entire population.

Question 41

Jada, who works in a clothing store, has been asked by her manager to create a report that outlines the factors to be considered if they decide to relocate their business. While creating the report, she outlines the relative importance of the cost of office space to the availability of skilled workers in the introduction section of the report. In which of the following sections should Jada include this information?

A) scope
B) limitations
C) criteria
D) assumptions
E) methods

Question 42

Which of the following should be adhered to when incorporating quotations in your reports and business proposals?

A) Place quotation marks for indented quotations to set the passage as a quote.
B) Always summarize the main point of a quotation in a single sentence before the quotation itself.
C) Don't use citation and documentation if you quote someone in your writing.
D) Use long quotations extensively in your business proposals.
E) Indent long quotations on the right to set them off from your text.

Question 43

List and explain the various types of reports based on the variety of information they can provide.

Question 44

List the possible documents that can be included in the appendix of a report.

Question 45

Rafael is close to completing the second phase of his project, but he cannot progress further until he receives his second installment of funds. In which of the following ways should Rafael communicate this information to his funder?

A) "The first phase is near completion and we are ready to begin the second phase as soon as we receive the funding."
B) "I have completed the first phase, and I'm waiting on you to send the rest of the funds to progress further."
C) "I have not yet received the funds from your end to allow me to begin the second phase of my project."
D) "I may not complete the project on time, as I am unable to begin the second phase."
E) "I am completing the first phase of the project and still waiting for the funds to proceed."

Question 46

Nicole is writing a report for her company, Alpha International, with a recommendation to organize a fund-raising campaign. The campaign will try to provide aid to people whose homes have been destroyed by a recent catastrophic flood. Which of the following titles would be an appropriate title for her report?

A) Campaign to Help Flood Victims
B) Efforts Made by Alpha International
C) Effects of Floods
D) Money Required to Do Our Part
E) Donate to Help Us

Question 47

In which of the following sections of a report should the release date be included?

A) executive summary
B) illustration
C) title page
D) letter of transmittal
E) body

Question 48

A sentence reads, "According to Thomas Friedman, the world is…" (Friedman, 2013, p. 13). This is an example of

A) an abstract.
B) plagiarism.
C) a citation.
D) documentation.
E) an acknowledgement.

Question 49

Explain the different types of survey samples and their appropriateness to particular survey situations.

Question 50

Explain some of the limitations of using Twitter as a research tool

Question 51

Regarding the different sections of a report, which of the following allows a reader to evaluate the report on appropriate grounds?

A) scope statement
B) assumptions section
C) methods section
D) purpose statement
E) criteria section

Question 52

Saoirse is writing a progress report on the development of a new software program for a client. She and her team faced a technical glitch last week, which has since been solved. Which of the following is the best way to present this information to the client?

A) "I'm really sorry, but we're running two days behind schedule. We will however be back on schedule by the end of the month."
B) "We have had a major problem last week because of which our work is affected to an extent. However, we should be able to finish by the due date."
C) "We overcame a major technical glitch last week. We are now on track to finish the work by the due date."
D) "Owing to the huge technical problem we faced last week, we are a little behind schedule. We may need an extension on the deadline"
E) "Please accept our sincere apologies. We will be unable to complete the work according to the estimated deadline."

Question 53

Isabella has completed writing a chronological progress report on marketing a newly launched line of clothing. Which of the following statements would best summarize her report?

A) "As discussed, we are more or less on track with the project deadline and work schedule."
B) "Things are going well, and we have only had one significant setback so far."
C) "The project is 25 percent complete and going according to our planned work schedule."
D) "Although we had planned on progressing at 10 percent pace every week, we are doing much more."
E) "We had strived to achieve our targets by the end of the month, but we are outdoing our targets."

Question 54

Li-Yong is researching for a project titled "The Harmful Impact of Pesticides on Our Environment" and will soon have a research assistant joining him in this project. With another person working on the project, Li-Yong is confident that the work will be completed ahead of the deadline. However, when he conveyed this good news to the funding agency, they found his statement slightly offensive. Which of the following did Li-Yong most likely say?

A) "You will be thrilled to know that a research assistant will be joining me to work on the project."
B) "There will be an additional member on the team who will help expedite the process substantially."
C) "From next week, we will have a research assistant working on the project with me. We expect to finish the work before deadline."
D) "Having a research assistant work on the project will help us complete the work a week before the expected date."
E) "A research assistant will start working on the project from next week to help complete the project at the earliest."

Question 55

Which of the following does a background section of a report mainly cover?

A) sources used to find the solution
B) limitations of the report
C) testimonials establishing the credibility of the report
D) problems that are not addressed in the report
E) information detailing the history of the problem

Question 56

Naija is writing a report on a campaign for children's rights that she had organized. She is currently working on a section of the report that mentions the person who authorized the campaign and the intended purpose of the campaign. The section also highlights areas of future additional research. This section is intended to help orient the reader to the report and build a good image of the report and the writer. Which section of the report is Naija most likely to be working on?

A) List of illustrations
B) Title page
C) Background or history
D) Executive summary
E) Memo of transmittal

Question 57

Passing off words or ideas of others as your own is called

A) plagiarism.
B) documentation.
C) abstraction.
D) citation.
E) piracy.

Question 58

List the criteria for a good report problem.

Question 59

Nicole is writing a progress report. In the report, she proposes a different approach from the one that was previously approved, while also remaining open to the idea of continuing with the original plan. What is Nicole's progress report trying to accomplish?

A) to enhance her image
B) to float trial balloons
C) to prepare her audience mentally for a problem
D) to speculate about her audience's feelings
E) to minimize potential problems

Question 60

Which of the following are used to present the logic skeleton of a report and to give the most useful information in the shortest space?

A) summary abstracts
B) talking heads
C) purpose statements
D) assumptions
E) limitations

Question 61

Explain what task progress reports are.

Question 62

List and explain some of the tips for using and documenting sources in a research paper.

Question 63

Why is it necessary, in a formal report, to include a section that gives the background of the situation or the history of the problem?

Question 64

Describe and explain three guidelines that help you organize report data in a way that is most useful to readers.

Question 65

What is the difference between a topic heading and a talking head? Use an example to illustrate each.