Professional Documents
Culture Documents
SBP PDF
SBP PDF
) es+ because being located on a higher 2oor is a nonverbal indication of prestige and importance
%. Which of the following is a way to deemphasi"e negative information?
A) 6ention the negative information only once in the message
B) )ut the negative information in the last sentence of a paragraph at the bottom of the page(
C) )ut the negative information in a vertical list(
) ive the negative information plenty of space(
&. Which of the following should NOT be used in a negative situation where you wish to avoid blaming the
audience?
A) the you$attitude B) hidden negatives C) impersonal expressions ) passive verbs
'. B%ach pilot must pass through airport security and show his identi'cation card+ ust like the passengers
do(B This sentence is
A) grammatically correct and bias$free( B) grammatically correct but not bias$free(
C) neither grammatically correct nor bias$free( ) bias$free but not grammatically correct(
(. Which of the following is a sexist ob title?
A) Hireman B) )ilot C) Nurse ) 6anager
1. All of the following are techni&ues for creating positive emphasis %-.%)T
A) ustifying negative information by providing reasons and explanations(
B) focusing on what the audience can do rather than on limitations(
C) avoiding words with negative connotations(
) putting bad news at the beginning of a message to get it over with(
11. ,n which of the following situations would using the word ByouB typically NOT be appropriate?
A) When commending an employee for a ob well done
B) When congratulating a colleague on a promotion
C) When correcting a subordinate for not completing a task properly
) When re&uesting budget information from the accounting department
1!( Which of the following sentences would be considered the D,D%*T level of politeness?
A) *ubmit your budget re&uest to me by Ianuary @5st(
B) )lease submit your budget re&uest to me by Ianuary @5st(
C) our budget re&uest must be on my desk by Ianuary @5st(
) Would you please submit your budget re&uest to me by Ianuary @5st?
1". Which of the following is NOT an example of a hidden negative?
A) )lease be patient while we work to resolve this issue( B) B8utB after a negative statement
C) ou look in better shape since you have been going to the gym( ) BDoweverB after a positive
statement
1#. Bou will never regret your decision to insure your company with %&uity 6utual .o(B What is the
primary 2aw in this sentence? A) ,t contains a hidden negative( B) ,t is not
bias$free(
C) ,t is insulting and condescending( ) ,t contains a double negative(
1$. B, have made an arrangement with the distributor so that , can o!er customers a free printer with
every new computer that you purchase this week(B ,ndicate the alternative that both correctly evaluates
the sentence and correctly explains the reason for the evaluation(
A) ood you$attitude because it contains a reader bene't
B) ood you$attitude because focuses on w hat the reader will do
C) Lacks you$attitude because it focuses on what the writer has done or will do
) Lacks you$attitude because it does not mention what the writer has done or will do
CH#
1. A sentence that sounds like an afterthought might begin with which of the following?
A) And we have a new training programJ B) Hurthermore+ the tax laws are in
our favorJ
C) 6oreover+ it is getting increasing diCcultJ ) 8ut in the future we will try toJ
!. Which of the following will help make your business writing easy to read?
A) Fsing nouns rather than verbs to carry the weight of sentences B) ,ncreasing wordiness
C) Fsing transition words that link ideas ) Fsing passive verbs more often
than active verbs ". Which of the following is NOT a consideration when choosing words to communicate
an idea?
A) the words you used so far in the message
B) whether the message will be printed or sent via e$mail
1$. Which is NOT a &uestion you would ask when revising your document for content and clarity?
A) 1oes your document meet the needs of the organi"ation and of the reader?
B) Dave you given readers all the information they need to understand and act on your message?
C) 1oes the design of the document make it easy for readers to 'nd the information they need?
) Are generali"ations and bene'ts backed up with ade&uate supporting detail?
CH%
1. The design of a document can communicate all of the following %-.%)T
A) the relationship the writer wants to have with the reader(
B) the level of professionalism of the writer(
C) the level of formality of the document(
) the &uality of the written content in the document(
!. ood document design is particularly important for
A) )ost$it notes B) Text messages C) 8rochures ) %$
mail messages
". Which of the following would be considered a violation of a convention?
A) A sales letter is computer generated on preprinted letterhead(
B) .lipart is included in a )ower)oint presentation(
C) A business report is printed on legal$si"e paper(
) A resume is sent in an electronic format
#. Which of the following is an example of the inter level of communication design described by
.ommunications )rofessor .harles ostelnick?
A) A report from the human resources department includes an organi"ational chart(
B) A brochure uses a large bold font for its headings(
C) A policy and procedures manual uses a consistent design+ layout+ and color theme on all the pages of
the document(
) A bullet list is inserted in the middle of a printed page to present a series of 've key recommendations(
$. A company#s business plan includes four graphs+ one diagram+ and several photos that are strategically
placed within the document( This is example of which of .ommunications )rofessor .harles ostelnick#s
levels of communication design?
A) %xtra B) ,ntra C) *upra ) ,nte
%. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of headings?
A) They make a document shorter(
B) They break up the page+ making it look less formidable and more interesting(
C) They enable your reader to see how the document is organi"ed at a glance(
) They help your reader to turn &uickly to sections of special interest(
&. elly made one design error in the business document she ust prepared( What is the mistake?
A) *he used white space to separate and emphasi"e points(
B) *he typed the document in all capital letters(
C) *he only used two di!erent fonts(
) *he put the most important element in the top left &uadrant of the page(
'. Which of the following is a way to e!ectively create white space?
A) Fse paragraphs of uniform length( B) Avoid using lists(
C) ,ncrease the font si"e( ) ,nsert headings where topics change
(. ou are preparing a one$page handout for a business presentation that will include a small photo of a
new prototype you hope to design( *o that the photo gets maximum emphasis on a page otherwise 'lled
with text+ place it
A) in the top left &uadrant of the page B) in the bottom left &uadrant of the page(
C) in the center of the page ) on the back of the page
1. A company#s total budget is allocated among six departments in une&ual amounts( The best visual to
show the proportionate share that each department will receive is a
A) table B) bar chart C) line graph ) pie chart
11. Which of the following is NOT a design issue to address when creating visually attractive documents?
A) Deadings B) rammatical errors C) White space )
Hont styles
1!. When you are presenting a series of numbers in a business document+ you should use a
A) line graph B) table C) pie chart ) bar chart
1". Hor which situation would a bar chart NOT be an appropriate visual?
d. 'nding out what employees wear at the organi"ation where you are applying and dress ust one level
above that(
#. A ob applicant should prepare a list of &uestions to ask during the interview( Which of the following is
an appropriate &uestion?
a. What salary are you o!ering for this position?
*. Dow pro'table has the company been over the last 've years?
c. What type of training opportunities are there for keeping current in the 'eld?
d. Dow many sick days would , be allotted each year?
$. All of the following are examples of traditional interview &uestions %-.%)T/
a. Where do you see yourself in thirty years?
*. What have you read recently?
c. What makes you think you are &uali'ed to work for this company?
d. What is your greatest weakness?
%. The best time to begin discussing salary and bene'ts is
a. during the ob interview(
*. after you have the ob o!er(
c. in the follow$up letter after the ob interview(
d. in the ob application letter(
&. All of the following are good ways to prepare for salary negotiations %-.%)T
a. researching on the Web(
*. contacting friends who are now in the workforce to 'nd out what they are making(
c. asking the interviewer what the average rate is for the ob(
d. checking trade ournals(
'. ,f you have more than one ob o!er+ it is imperative to determine what is most important to you( All of
the following are good &uestions to ask yourself %-.%)T/
a. Am , willing to take work home?
*. Am , willing to travel?
c. Where do , want to live?
d. Will this position give me time to look for another ob?
(. Which is NOT typical behavior of a successful interviewee?
a. 6aking eye contact often with the interviewer
*. Fsing technical argon that only people in the company would be familiar with
c. Asking &uestions about what the company does and who its competition is
d. )ersonali"ing the &uestions asked and relating them to the ob
1. our interviewer calls you into his oCce at 55/@= for your 55/== interview and points to a low chair
across from his large desk( De looks at you but says nothing for at least one minute( Hinally he asks+ BWhat
are you doing here?B ou are probably in a
a. stress interview(
*. situational interview(
c. behavioral interview(
d. second interview(
11. ,n a ob interview you are asked to discuss a crisis situation that you were involved in at a previous ob
and to talk about how you worked as part of a group in dealing with it( ou are probably in a
a. stress interview(
*. second interview(
c. behavioral interview(
d. situational interview(
1!. 1uring a ob interview you are asked to organi"e and prioriti"e tasks that are listed in the inbox of an
e$mail account( ou are probably in a
a. second interview(
*. situational interview(
c. behavioral interview(
d( stress interview(
1". our interviewer asks you BWhy in the world would you apply for this ob when your only experience is
coaching a high school basketball team?B our best response is to
a. say Bou are ust defensive about basketball because you are so short(B
*. say B, know what you#re doing( ou#re trying to see how , respond to stressful &uestions( Let#s move on
to something else(B
c. get up and walk out(
d. say Bou#re asking if my experience working with and managing a team can help your company with its
committee work+ and of course those skills will transfer over(B
1#. 1uring an interview+ it is recommended that you
a. watch for cues from the interviewer that indicate he or she is ready to move on to another &uestion(
*. be honest about how diCcult and incapable your previous employer was(
c. only take cell phone calls if they are extremely important(
d. contain your enthusiasm for the ob so that you do not seem desperate(
1$. Which of the following should you NOT do in the close of a ob interview?
a. *how enthusiasm for the ob(
*. Ask the interviewer when the company plans to make a hiring decision(
c. ive a 'nal explanation for a weakness that you have(
d. *tate why you are a good match for the ob(
CH1
1. ,nformation overload
A. keeps people well informed and up to date
B. forces people to be selective about the messages they open and read(
C. is a primary purpose of informative and positive messages(
. ensures that people get all the important information that they need
!. Which of the following would be considered an informative or positive message?
A. .onvincing the local tax commissioner that your property tax hike is too high
B. Advising your sta! that there is no money in the budget for raises this year
C. 0e&uesting information from a supplier about a new product on the market
. Letting customers know that your company can now accept orders online
". Which of the following is NOT a desired outcome of an informative or positive message?
A. The reader accepts the message and does not respond
B. The reader fully understands the message
C. The reader responds in writing with a few &uestions
. The reader is left with a good impression of the writer and his or her organi"ation(
#. )atrick is pu""led by how an informative message from a colleague in the same oCce building was
delivered to him( What may have happened?
A. )atrick received an e$mail without a subect line
B. )atrick received an interoCce memo with yesterday#s date
C. )atrick received a Hederal %xpress overnight document package at 5=/@= a(m(
. )atrick received a voice mail because he was away from his desk when the call came in(
$. One of the primary purposes of simple informative messages is to
A. meet the needs of the writer(
B. communicate information to the reader(
C. emphasi"e negative elements of a situation
. re&uest a response from the reader(
%. Which would NOT be an appropriate reason for meeting with colleagues face to face?
A. ou need a permanent record of your discussion for the 'le(
B. our colleagues# signatures are re&uired on the 'nal document(
C. ou will be working together on a complex proect and you have never met before(
. ou need to brainstorm to reach a rather &uick decision(
&. Which is appropriate for an e$mail message?
A. A somewhat degrading comment about a colleague#s writing abilities
B. An urgent notice to committee members letting them know of a change in location for their afternoon
meeting
C. *arcasm because your boss+ who was late to work this morning+ reminds the sta! to return from breaks
on time
. ossip that your friend at another company would love to hear
'. of business writing does NOT
A. indicate that the writer is familiar with writing conventions(
B. make writing more e!ective(
B. .hronologies of events
C. Thanks
. 0easons for the refusal
#. Which of the following is a negative message?
A. An acknowledgement
B. A letter that accompanies an order
C. A disciplinary notice
. A ob application letter
$. Which of the following would NOT be an audience response to a negative message?
A. ,t doesn#t matter one way or the other(
B. , am really disappointed in your company#s service(
C. We#ll be taking our business elsewhere next time(
. ou#ll be hearing from my attorneyQB
%. Writers may disappoint or upset readers when delivering bad news+ and the situation may become even
worse if
A. they feel they have been taken seriously(
B. they were in the same position+ they would have made the same decision(
C. the decision was di!erent for other people(
. the decision is reasonable in light of current circumstances(
&. Which is an appropriate way for a subordinate to begin a message to her supervisor letting him
know that an important shipment that was due to arrive this morning has been lost in transit?
A. After yesterday+ , did not think things could get any worseQ
B. We received most of the items we were expecting in this morning#s delivery(
C. , ust learned that our order has been misdirected and won#t be here today(
. We need to think about using a di!erent shipping company(
'. ,n a bad news memo to subordinates+ you should open with
A. a bu!er(
B. an alternative(
C. an apology(
. a clear statement of the problem(
(. O!ering the audience an alternative when you cannot comply with their original re&uest
A. gives the audience another way to get what they want(
B. is a way of handling the situation without having to deliver the bad news at all(
C. is a cowardly way of avoiding the issue(
. indicates that you do not care very much about the audience(
1. An e!ective refusal in a negative message
A. is emphasi"ed as much as possible for clarity(
B. is stated ust before the valid reasons that the writer will present(
C. is vague so that readers do not become unnecessarily upset(
. can be implied rather than stated directly(
11. Which of the following is a negative subect line?
A. B0eduction of Travel 8ene'tsB
B. B.hange in )ersonal Leave )olicyB
.( B,mproving On$Time )erformanceB
. B0esults of .ustomer *ervice *urveyB
1!. Which of the following should be mentioned to defend a decision to deny an audience something they
re&uested?
A. .ompany policy
B. All possible reasons+ both weak and strong
C. A strong reason even though it makes the company look bad
. An audience bene't in spite of the decision
1". Which sentence is 6O*T appropriate to include in a negative message?
A. B, know you will agree that it makes sense to relocate to the south side of the city(B
B. BHortunately+ there are some bene'ts to relocating that may make the move easier(B
C. B, am sorry to tell you that things are going to change around here(B
. B, am afraid that it has become too expensive to continue to rent this oCce space(B
1#. ,n negative messages+ the best endings
. .ompany executives and managers remain in the F(*( and have to 'nd creative ways to manage
migrant workers from a distance(
$. 1iversity in the workforce tends to
A. reduce company pro'ts(
B. limit new perspectives and thinking(
C. help companies adapt to the di!erent segments of the global economy(
. force women and minorities into low$status+ low$paying obs(
%. ,n low$context cultures+ which of the following w ould rate as D,D when compared to high$context
cultures?
A. Fse of nonverbal signs to communicate
B. ,mportance of relationships
C. 0eliance on words to communicate
. )reference for an indirect communication strategy
&. Which of the following is characteristic of a high$context culture?
A. Agreements made in writing are binding(
B. 0elationships are more important than immediate results(
C. .larity and confrontation are valued(
. Attention to detail is extremely important(
'. 8usiness communication practices in the *audi Arabia place importance on politeness+ ambiguity+ and
relationships+ indicating that this culture
A. is polychronic(
B. is monochronic(
C. has low$context preferences(
. has high$context preferences(
(. Iapanese business people are more likely than F(* business people to
A. compete with one another(
B. enforce a written agreement(
C. sit &uietly for periods of time(
. maintain direct eye contact when speaking to superiors(
1. Which of the following is NOT a possible nonverbal message that a person may send when he refuses
maintain eye contact with you?
A. De lacks con'dence in himself(
B. De is lying(
C. De is visually impaired(
. De does not respect you(
11. Which of the following does NOT demonstrate nonverbally that the president of a company has power
and status?
A. Dis oCce is the largest and is located on the top 2oor(
B. No one says anything when he keeps them waiting for a n appointment(
C. De nods his head and smiles fre&uently during a videoconference with the overseas oCce(
. De sits at the head of the boardroom table at meetings(
1!. Learning about nonverbal language is valuable for all of the following %-.%)T
A. helping us proect the image we want(
B. making us aware of the signals we are interpreting in other people(
C. preventing us from sending any unintended negative messages in the future(
. giving us more control over the symbols and cues we communicate to others(
1". ,n which type of culture do people tend to tend to schedule their time and do one task at a time?
A. )olychromic
B. 6onochronic
C. Digh$context
. Low$context
1#. ou will be presenting for >= minutes to an audience at a professional conference( Which is a good
combination when considering how your voice can be most e!ective in conveying professionalism?
A. Hre&uent long pauses+ unvaried tone+ average volume
B. 7ery loud volume+ very low pitch+ clear enunciation
C. Digh pitch+ very rapid pace+ unvaried tone
. 7aried pitch+ varied tone+ varied volume
A. demographics(
B. di!erences(
C. how things have changed over time(
. word choice(
". ,f your experiment disproves your hypothesis+ you can still write a meaningful report by doing all of the
following %-.%)T/
A. change your hypothesis to match your results(
B. divide the discussion to show what part of the test succeeded(
C. identify changes that might yield a di!erent result(
. discuss circumstances that may have a!ected the results
#. Which data is 6O*T appropriate for the appendix of a report rather than the body?
A. A &uarter$page data table that relates to the discussion on page <<
B. The conclusions that resulted from the research
C. ,nformation that is crucial to the proof
. A copy of the survey you administered
$. ,n a comparison$contrast report+ it is best to use the criteria rather than the alternatives when
A. One alternative is clearly superior(
B. The reader wants to compare and contrast the options independently of your recommendation(
C. The reader will intuitively grasp the alternative as a whole rather than as the sum of its parts(
. The criteria are hard to separate(
%. The pattern that is L%A*T e!ective when you want to deemphasi"e the disadvantages of a proposed
solution because it does not permit you to bury the disadvantages between neutral or positive material is
the
A. problem$solution( B. eliminating alternatives( C. general to particular( . pro and
con(
&. ou are writing a report that recommends renovation proects at each of your three locations in the city(
The most appropriate organi"ational pattern would be
A. pro and con( B. functional( C. geographic( .
chronological(
'. Which of the following is 6O*T likely to evaluate several alternatives?
A. Heasibility report B. Annual report C. .losure report .
*ales report
(. ,f you want to recommend that your company upgrade its e&uipment+ it would be 6O*T likely that you
would write a
A. feasibility report( B. closure report( C. usti'cation report( .
formal proposal(
1. Which of the following is appropriate for reports?
A. Avoid using headings and transitions( B. ,ntroduce the visuals in the document(
C. Fse a very formal style to impress readers( . Fse slang and contractions(
11. Which of the following is likely to help readers follow your report easily?
A. .ontractions
B. 0epetition
C. Topic sentences
. )repositions
1!. Which of the following parts of the formal report would be the 8%*T place to include proof for the
recommendations?
A. 8ody
B. 6ethods
C. .onclusion
. )urpose
1". ou are writing a report on the level of customer satisfaction at each of your three locations( Which of
the following is the 8%*T title for your report?
A. Why .ustomers Are 1issatis'ed at our Oakland 8ranch
B. Not All .ustomers Are Dappy With Our *ervice
C. .ustomers Dave ,nteresting Things to *ay
. 0esults of .ustomer *ervice *urvey at Three Locations
1#. ou have 'nished a report that you prepared as an outside consultant to a 'rm( When you send it out+
the report will be accompanied by
A. an e$mail acknowledgement(
B. a letter of transmittal(
C. a self$addressed+ stamped envelope(
. a thank$you letter(
1$. Which of the following parts of the formal report would be L%A*T likely to give the w riter#s
recommendation?
A. Abstract
B. Title
C. 6ethods
. Transmittal
CH1&
1. Which is NOT one of the three purposes for giving oral presentations?
A. To persuade
B. To debate
C. To build goodwill
. To inform
!. Which of the following is an informative presentation?
A. )romoting a new service that your company is o!ering
B. .onvincing customers to upgrade to a higher level of service
C. 1emonstrating three successful sales techni&ues to new employees
. %ntertaining the audience to stroke the customers# egos
". A presentation designed to entertain and validate the audience is anM
A. persuasive presentation(
B. informative presentation(
C. oral presentation(
. goodwill presentation(
#. All of the following would be examples of persuasive presentations %-.%)T
A. selling a company#s service to a new client(
B. changing an audience#s opinion to secure enough votes for an innovative new policy(
C. stroking the audience#s egos to validate their commitment to the organi"ation(
. convincing upper management to accept a proposal for hiring additional personnel(
$. Which of the following purposes of an oral presentation is speci'c in nature?
A. BThis presentation will cover interpersonal skills+ telephone eti&uette+ and upselling(B
B. BThis presentation will show that some departments are not providing high levels of customer service(B
C. BThis presentation will cover customer service(B
. BThis presentation will explain why customers are so important to the success of the company(B
%. An oral message is preferable to a written one when one of the goals is to
A. report many speci'c details of a law+ policy+ or procedure(
B. present extensive or complex 'nancial data(
C. modify a proposal that may not be acceptable in its original form(
. minimi"e undesirable emotions(
&. The speaker presents &uestions or issues that both speaker and audience have agreed on in advance(
This is characteristic of anM
A. )ower)oint presentation(
B. guided presentation(
C. interactive presentation(
. monologue presentation(
'. ood strategies for planning oral presentations include all of the following %-.%)T
A. learning about the physical conditions in which you will be speaking(
B. analy"ing the audience and adapting t he message to them(
C. incorporating proper headings and paragraph indentation(
. simplifying what you want to say(
(. Which of the following is a way to make ideas relevant to the audience?
A. *tating why you are passionate about the subect
B. Linking what you say to their experiences