Test Bank for Speech Craft, 2e Joshua Gunn

Test Bank for Speech Craft, 2e Joshua Gunn (All Chapters)

Chapter 1

• Why is public speaking said to have impressive power?
• It confers a higher social status on the speaker.
• It can influence the thoughts and actions of others.
• It involves manipulation of mass audiences.
• It requires the speaker to become an expert on the topic.

ANSWER: b

• Which statement would Gorgias most likely agree with?
• Only fools and the uneducated can be persuaded through speech.
• The ability to speak effectively is a gift everyone is born with.
• All speakers feel nervous before giving a speech; fear of failure is in all of us.
• Public speaking has the power to change the world—for better or worse.

ANSWER: d

• The study of public speaking is almost always taught with which other subject?
• ethics
• political science
• analogy
• art

ANSWER: a

• Which statement would Isocrates agree with?
• Public speaking can be mastered through the application of law-based rules.
• Leaders should seek to restrict public speaking to experts on the topics being discussed.
• Speakers must find ways to engage their audiences.   
• Public speaking cannot teach moral character.

ANSWER: d

• The formal study of public speaking is rare in nondemocratic countries because these countries:
• do not have the educational resources that are available in democratic countries.
• understand that most people have speech anxiety.
• do not allow free speech.
• prioritize the conversational speech model over the civic model.

ANSWER: c

• “Public speaking is very much a form of seduction. The speaker is attempting to charm the audience

members and entice them to engage in whatever action it is that they want them to engage in.” This statement 1 / 4

BEST aligns with which Greek orator's view of public speaking?

• Plato
• Aristotle
• Isocrates
• Gorgias

ANSWER: d

• Which freedom is protected in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
• freedom of the press
• freedom to be secure in their papers
• freedom to engage in civil disobedience
• freedom of groups of any kind to assemble

ANSWER: a

• Lloyd is feeling nervous about giving his first speech in front of his entire department at work and asks a

friend for advice. What is the BEST advice the friend can give?   

• “Sound authoritative and be the expert.”
• “Read from note cards so you don't have to look up at the audience.”
• “Think of the audience as an ally—they understand what it's like to be a speaker.”
• “Begin by telling the audience you are nervous and asking for their understanding.”

ANSWER: c

9. All forms of public speaking are about:

• bringing people together.
• persuading a group to accept the speaker's viewpoint.
• informing an audience of something new.
• celebrating an event, an idea, or a person.

ANSWER: a

• Regardless of the speech situation, any group brought together and spoken to constitutes a(n):
• techne.
• multitude.
• organization.
• public.

ANSWER: d

• A speaker who is nervous about speaking in public may be reassured by remembering that:
• the audience wants to hear the speaker.
• the burden of understanding is on the audience.
• most people in the audience are not paying attention.
• many in the audience have never given a public speech.

ANSWER: a

• / 4

• When listening to a public speaker, many people imagine themselves in the speaker's shoes. What does this

describe?

• sympathy
• empathy
• appreciation
• conversation

ANSWER: b

• Simone feels uncomfortable whenever she has to speak face to face with people she doesn't know well.

Dalila feels very nervous anytime she has to speak in front of a group but not when speaking to people one on

one. It is likely that:

• Simone has a speaking phobia, whereas Dalila has stage fright.
• Simone has stage fright, whereas Dalila has a speaking phobia.
• Simone experiences communication apprehension, whereas Dalila experiences speech anxiety.
• Simone experiences speech anxiety, whereas Dalila experiences communication apprehension.

ANSWER: c

• Beck confides to a friend that he is getting nervous about an upcoming speech he has to give for school.

What advice should the friend give him?   

• “Tell yourself that everything you're feeling is just excitement about giving the speech.”
• “Just stop thinking about it. Trust that you know the material, and it will all work out.”
• “Make a list of everything you are afraid of and rate them in terms of their likelihood of happening.”
• “Memorize your speech. Then, when you are giving the speech, you will be focused on recall and

won't notice the audience.”

ANSWER: a

• Which primary fear does public speaking often invoke?
• forgetting what is supposed to be said
• being the center of attention
• being judged by others
• tripping on the words

ANSWER: c

• Ariel is taking a public speaking course. Which practice will her instructor most likely teach to help her and

her classmates reduce their speech anxiety?

• planning and preparation techniques
• breathing and muscle relaxation exercises
• improvisation and acting techniques
• vocal projection and eye contact strategies

ANSWER: a

• / 4

• Which person's strategy to reduce speech anxiety is most likely to be effective?
• Rita, who plans to reduce the length of her speech
• Derrick, who channels his nervous energy into planning
• Elaina, who thinks of herself as the center of attention
• Henry, who carefully and repeatedly contemplates all the “what ifs”

ANSWER: b

• Four classmates are preparing for an upcoming speech assignment, and each is employing a different tactic

to reduce their anxiety. Which student is most likely to INCREASE her speech anxiety based on the tactic used?

• Natalie limits speech rehearsals to keep her speech as spontaneous as possible.
• Ava tells herself that the nervousness she is feeling is positive and related to the thrill of speaking.
• Lexie mentally pictures herself giving the speech with confidence and the audience applauding

afterward.

• Esra plans to give a practice speech in front of some friends before speaking in front of the class.

ANSWER: a

• When do people experience the most speech anxiety?
• while delivering a speech
• during speech rehearsals
• as they anticipate making a speech
• when they are choosing a topic to speak about

ANSWER: c

20. Compared with speakers centuries ago, speakers today are expected to:

• consider the audience as a partner.
• be an expert authority on the topic.
• be ethical in their use of public speech.
• acknowledge being nervous while speaking.

ANSWER: a

• What is the main way in which the conversational model differs from the civic model of public speaking?
• The conversational model involves speaking to one audience member, whereas the civic model

involves speaking to many.

• The conversational model is reserved for small group settings, whereas the civic model is common

with large audiences.

• The conversational model sees public speaking as a dialogue between the speaker and the audience,

whereas the civic model sees public speaking as a component of a much larger democratic dialogue among communities.

• The conversational model is focused on the audience, whereas the civic model focuses on the unique

gifts or skills of the speaker.

ANSWER: c

• Which model of public speaking is understood to be a component of a large democratic dialogue among
• / 4