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Chapter 4 Selecting a Topic and a PurposeTrue-False QuestionsStudents are to indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false by circling the appropriate letter.Multiple Choice QuestionsStudents are to indicate the best answer for each question by circling the correct letter.1.Which of the following people is likely to give a speech on curriculum andtextbooksa.The head of a travel agency.b.The real estate agent.c.The movie director.d.The middle-school principal.2.Most people speak best about subjects __________.a.in which they are most interestedb.with which they are most familiarc.about which they are most curiousd.at which they are most surprised3.For __________ speeches, you can think of subjects about which you holdstrong opinions and beliefs.a.persuasivermativememoratived.introductory4.If you are having trouble selecting a topic, there are a number of__________ procedures you can follow to get started.a.creativeb.regularc.identifyingd.brainstorming5.If personal inventory doesn’t work, try a technique called __________.a.groupingb.clusteringc.categorizingd.classifying6.Which of the following topic ideas is NOT likely to be included in thesublist for Three Gorgesa.Academy Awards.b.Yangtze River.c.Chongqing.d.Mountains.7.All of the following topic ideas are relevant to the category of plans andpolicies EXCEPT __________.a.Develop Solar Powerb.Cook Yunnan foodc.Change graduation Requirementsd.Build a New Computer Center8.When your general purpose is to persuade, you act as __________.a.an advocate or a partisanb. a politician or a statesmanc.an academician or a researcherd. a marketer or an advertiser9.All of the following specific purpose statements are effective EXCEPT__________.a.to inform my audience about recent discoveries of dinosaur fossilsb.to inform my audience that yoga is extremely coolc.to persuade my audience that harsher penalties are needed to prevent thepractices of fraudulent land developersd.to inform my audience about the scientific uses of hot-air balloons10. Which of the following tips for specific purpose statements is falsea.Write the purpose statement as a full infinitive phrase.b.Avoid figurative language in your purpose statement.c.Express your purpose as a question, not as a statement.d.Make sure your specific purpose is not too vague or general.11.No matter how well you construct your speeches, they are likely to__________ unless you speak about matters of interest to your listeners.a.fall flatb.become offensivec.misleadd.be illogical12.You should choose a specific purpose you can achieve __________.a.in no more than an hourb.in the allotted timec.in the least possible timed.in no less than 10 minutes13.A six-minute speech will consist of roughly __________ words.a.120 to 150b.300 to 350c.520 to 800d.720 to 90014.Which of the following specific purpose statements is NOT likely to behandled well in the time allotted for classroom speechesa.To inform my audience about the rise and fall of ancient Rome.b.To persuade my audience to convert to vegetarianism.c.To inform my audience of the history, styles, and cultural impact ofqipao.d.To inform my audience about the role of technology in Chinese history.15.Which of the following tips for central idea is falsea.Make sure the central idea is not too specific.b.Express the central idea as a full sentence.c.State the central idea as a declarative sentence, not as a question.d.Avoid figurative language in the central idea.16.The central idea “Banning violent content on television is a good idea”is considered ineffective because __________.a.it is not a full sentenceb.it is a questionc.it is too generald.it includes figurative language17.According to your textbook, brainstorming is especially helpful when youare having trouble __________.a.determining the general purposeb.determining the specific purposec.phrasing the central idead.choosing a speech topic18.After choosing a topic, what is the next step of speech preparationa.Phrasing the central idea.b.Analyzing the occasion.c.Determining the general purpose.d.Selecting the specific purpose.ing Yahoo or other subject-based search engines on the Internet isrecommended in your textbook as one method of __________ for a speech topic.a.siftingb.consultingc.brainstormingd.deliberating20.Which of the following is out of place in a speech to informa.Advocating.b.Explaining.c.Reporting.d.Telling.21.When the general purpose of your speech is to __________, you act primarilyas a teacher or lecturer.a.convinceb.entertainrmd.persuade22.Advocating a position is most appropriate when the general purpose of yourspeech is to __________.a.inspireb.persuadec.entertainrm23.“Improving personal relationships” is a poorly phrased specific purposefor a speech because it is __________.a.too technical for a classroom speechb.written as a sentence rather than a declarative phrasec.written as a fragment rather than a full infinitive phrased.expressed in figurative language24.“Knowing how to deal with stress” is a poorly phrased specific purposefor a classroom speech because it __________.a.is too technicalb.does not include a reference to the audiencec.contains figurative languaged.written as a sentence rather than a declarative phrase25.According to your textbook, what is the most important early step in theprocess of developing a successful speecha.Creating a preliminary bibliography.b.Researching for speech materials.c.Formulating the specific purpose.d.Brainstorming for a central idea.26.As a specific purpose statement, “To inform my audience about computertechnology” is too __________.a.trivialb.broadc.technicald.detailed27.“To inform my audience about the basic steps in car maintenance and how toprotect their investment with auto insurance” is a poorly phrased specific purpose statement for a classroom speech because it __________.a.is too specificb.contains figurative languagec.contains more than one distinct idead.is written as a statement instead of a question28.“To inform about saving for retirement” is a poorly phrased specificpurpose statement because it __________.a.is too specificb.does not include a reference to the audiencec.contains figurative languaged.is written as a statement instead of a question29.As a specific purpose statement, “To inform my audience about globalwarming” is too __________.a.scientificb.broadc.personald.detailed30.Identify the flaw in the following specific purpose statement for aclassroom speech: “To inform my audience about the solar system.”a.It’s too shallow.b.It’s tooc.It’s too remote.d.It’s too impersonal.31.Identify the flaw in the following specific purpose statement for aclassroom speech: “To inform my audience about the stock market.”a.It’s too figurative.b.It’s too detailed.c.It’s too general.d.It’s too technical.32.The specific purpose of Stephanie’s informative speech is “To inform myaudience about ballet.” Are there any flaws in Stephanie’s specificpurposea.Yes. Stephanie’s specific purpose is too broad.b.Yes. Stephanie’s specific purpose is too impersonal.c.Yes. Stephanie’s specific purpose is written as a statement rather than aquestion.d.Yes. Stephanie’s specific purpose mentions her audience.33.“To inform my audience about the three basic steps in preventivemedicine” is an example of a __________.a.specific purposeb.thesis statementc.central idead.general purpose34.“To inform my audience about the symptoms, causes, and treatment ofchronic fatigue syndrome” is an example of a __________.a.thesis statementb.general purposec.specific purposed.main point35.“To inform my audience how our local water treatment facility ensures thesafety of our drinking water” is an example of a __________.a.specific purposeb.transition statementc.general purposed.central idea36.“To inform my audience about the four major elements in rope climbing” isan example of a __________.a.speech topicb.general purposec.specific purposed.thesis statement37.According to your textbook, “Getting an internship at a major corporationrequires a great deal of work, but the rewards are well worth the effort”is an example of a(n) __________.a.speech proposalb.specific purposermative thesisd.central idea38.“The three main methods of harvesting trees in professional logging areselective cutting, clear cutting, and row thinning” is an example of a __________.a.specific purposeb.transitionc.central idead.signpost39.“The three major factors to consider when purchasing a bicycle are thekind of riding you plan to do, the amount of riding you plan to do, and the amount of money you are willing to spend” is an example of a __________.a.specific purposeb.central ideac.general purposed.topic statement40.Chang thinks he’d like to give an informative speech for class on whatit’s like to be an international student on a . college campus. Hisspecific purpose is “To persuade my audience to be more accepting ofinternational students.” His central idea is “An international student’s accent, use of English, and cultural customs should be accepted rather than criticized.” Has Chang made any mistakes in this processa.No. Chang has covered all the bases for an informative speech.b.Yes. Chang’s specific purpose contains too much figurative language.c.Yes. Chang’s central idea contains two or more unrelated ideas.d.Yes. Chang’s specific purpose is not suitable for an informative speech. Short Answer Questions1.The specific purpose is a single infinitive phrase that states preciselywhat a speaker hopes to accomplish in his or her speech.2. A one-sentence statement that sums up or encapsulates the major ideas of aspeech is called the central idea.3.List at least three questions you should ask about the suitability of yourspecific purpose for your audience.a.b.c.Possible answers include:Does my purpose meet the assignmentCan I accomplish my purpose in the time allottedIs the purpose relevant to my audienceIs the purpose too trivial for my audienceIs the purpose too technical for my audience4.Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for apersuasive speech: “Something must be done about cybercrime.”It is too general; it does not indicate what “must be done.”5.Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for aninformative speech: “How to tell fake antique crocks.”It is not written as a complete sentence.6.Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for aninformative speech: “What are the major styles of Chinese silkembroidery”It is written as a question, rather than as a statement.7.Explain what is wrong with the following poorly written central idea for apersuasive speech: “Graffiti artists are a public nuisance.”It is expressed with figurative language.8.What is wrong with the following specific purpose statement for aninformative speech Rewrite the statement to conform with the criteria givenin your textbook for effective specific purpose statements.IneffectiveSpecific Purpose: The major beliefs of the Buddhist religion.Error:It is written as a fragment, not as a fullinfinitive phrase.More EffectiveSpecific Purpose:To inform my audience about the major beliefs ofthe Buddhist religion.9.What is wrong with the following specific purpose statement for aninformative speech Rewrite the statement to conform with the criteria givenin your textbook for effective specific purpose statements.IneffectiveSpecific Purpose: To inform my audience about World War II.Error:It is too vague or general; doesn’t indicatewhat specific aspects of World War II will bedealt with in the speech.More EffectiveSpecific Purpose:To inform my audience about World War IIcausalities.10.What is wrong with the following specific purpose statement for apersuasive speech Rewrite the statement to conform with the criteria given in your textbook for effective specific purpose statements.IneffectiveSpecific Purpose: What measures should be taken to reverse ruralbrain drainError:It is written as a question, not as a statement.More EffectiveSpecific Purpose:To persuade my audience that three measuresshould be taken to reverse rural brain drain. Essay Questions1.Your textbook discusses four methods of brainstorming for a speech topic.In a brief essay, identify and explain three of those methods.2.Why is determining the specific purpose such a vital step in the process ofpreparing a speech3.What is the difference between a specific purpose and a central ideaIllustrate your answer by developing a specific purpose statement and a central idea for a hypothetical speech about a topic of your choice.4.What are the characteristics of a well-worded central idea Explain why eachcharacteristic is important.5.Imagine that you have been asked to inform a local community group aboutlife as a college student. In a well-developed essay, describe what your general purpose, specific purpose, and central idea would be for thisspeech. Then draft three main points for a speech on this topic.。