Prof. M.

Mehl
STUDY GUIDE COMS 101

Get together in study groups of 3-4 students (i.e. your presentation cohorts.) Scan through your class
textbook Chapters 11,12,13,14,15 for the answers. The final exam is not cumulative, instead it forces
on the pragmatic second half of class. (NOTE: I will not provide an answer key.) While this guide is not
identical to your final exam it should serve very well as a contextual reference for the material covered.
Your actual final exam will have 40 questions total instead of the 30 in this old exam.

1.) According to the textbook, the most central element in all aspects of preparing
your speech is
________.
A) your supporting material
B) considering your audience
C) becoming confident in the process
D) selecting your topic

2) Alexander is making a presentation to his freshman speech class @

CALPOLY. Since he was in AP classes during his high school career, he
develops the central idea for his presentation around his experience: “Taking
AP classes in high school can help prepare you for college.” In choosing this
central idea, Alexander has not ________.
A) considered the occasion.
B) narrowed his topic.
C) conducted an environmental analysis.
D) considered his audience.
E) reduced his idea to a single topic.
3) In the previous question, Alexander’s central idea is ________.

A) appropriate because his audience will be interested in doing well in college.

B) appropriate because some of his audience will have taken AP classes.
C) inappropriate because taking AP classes is no longer possible for college students.
D) inappropriate because the audience already knows the information.
E) none of the above

4) Marcia is generating main ideas for her speech on film genres. She naturally thinks
of genres such as horror, westerns, and romantic comedies. She is using which tip for
the generation of
main ideas?

A) Think of logical
divisions.
B) Think about reasons why the central idea is true.
C) Break the central idea down into a chronological sequence.
D) Use direct, specific language.

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5) Karl is researching a speech on euthanasia. He knows that there are some
excellent journal articles on the subject, but his university’s small library doesn’t
carry the journals in which the articles appear. Karl has only a few days until he must
give the speech; what should he do?

A) Karl should use interlibrary loan to see if he can locate the needed journal articles.
B) Karl waited too late to start his research, so heʹll have to use something else instead of the
journal articles.
C) Karl should substitute Web site information for the journal articles, because material
from the Web is more accurate and current than published journal articles.
D) Karl should use a full-text database, like Lexis/Nexis, to attempt to locate complete texts
of the journal articles.
E) All of the above

6) Adrian used primarily Web sources for his informative speech about gun
control. However, his over-reliance on the Web site sponsored by the
National Rifle Association caused his speech to be slanted in one direction,
rather than presenting multiple sides of the issue. Which of the following
statements best explains this situation?

A) Adrian forgot the text’s advice about considering the accountability of a Web site before
relying too heavily on it in a speech.
B) Adrian forgot the text’s advice about determining the objectivity of a Web site before
relying too heavily on it in a speech.
C) Adrian should have found more accurate and current information, so that he didn’t rely
on the NRA Web site alone.
D) Adrian should have mixed Web sources and traditional library resources, to prevent bias
from emerging in his speech.

7) What form of supporting material is being used in the following question? ʺIf
many states profit from the institution of a lottery, why canʹt our home state
do the same?ʺ

A) an extended analogy B) a figurative analogy

C) a literal analogy D) an operational definition E) none of the above

8) Descriptions and explanations ________.

A) should be used as much as possible in the speech

B) tell a story that your audience will find it easy to relate to
C) are best when drawn out and lengthy
D) are best when used sparingly and kept brief and concrete

9) If you want to inform an audience about three equally “risky” behaviors

related to contracting HIV, which organizational pattern would work best?
A) spatial B) topical
C) chronological D) problem-solution E) None of the above

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10) In his speech on varying explanations of how the earth came into existence,
Eduardo begins with opinions, moves to inferences, and uses scientific facts in
support of his last point. What principle of supporting material organization is
Eduardo reflecting in his speech?

A) primacy to recency B) ʺsoftʺ to ʺhardʺ evidence

C) complexity D) the specificity principle E) All of the above

11) You have gained the attention of your audience, introduced your speech
topic, previewed your main points, and given your audience a reason to listen
to your speech. Next you transition into your first point. What have you left
out of this speech introduction?

A) Nothing; you have included all of the necessary elements of an effective introduction.
B) You have overlooked the preview statement.
C) You have not included the proof of your credibility.
D) You have not included your specific purpose.

12) What aspect of standard outlining procedure is NOT CORRECT in the

following example?

1. The Ironman Triathlon includes three competitive events.

1. Competitors must swim five miles.
2. Competitors bicycle for 101 miles.
3. Competitors run for over 26 miles.
2. Ironman competitions are held in many different locations in the U.S.
1. Competitions are held in Atlanta.
2. Two competitions are in New York City.
3. Honolulu hosts a competition in November.

A) The use of standard numbering and lettering.

B) The use of at least two subdivisions.
C) The use of complete sentences.
D) The use of logical divisions of an idea.

13.) Janine organized her three statistics on organ transplants according to their
significance. She saved her ʺ clincherʺ point about how easy it is to indicate
your willingness to donate by signing the back of your drivers license for the
last point before her conclusion. What organizational principle did Janine
demonstrate in this speech?

A) complexity B) specificity C) primacy D) recency

14) For your persuasive speech on assisted suicide, you decide to first provide a
hypothetical example of a terminally ill patient who requested assistance
with bringing about his own death, then to talk about the current state of the
laws covering assisted suicide. Which organizational strategy does this plan
reflect?

A) complexity B) specificity C) primacy D) ʺ softʺ to ʺ hardʺ evidence

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15) In a speech about preparing oneself for the death of a loved one, Amber
made repeated reference to the “Marching of Father Time.” She hoped to
create a sense of drama for her audience, while at the same time getting
them to seriously consider her points. What figure of speech did Amber use
in her presentation?

A) personification B) simile
C) hyperbole D) alliteration E) none of the above

16.) After doing a survey of his class, Ryan decided his discussion of Teslaʹ s death
ray device would be difficult for his audience to follow. One of the ways he
adapted to this was to paraphrase and repeat vital information at the end of
each main point. What device was Ryan using in his speech?

A) internal summary B) transition C) preview D) final summary E) all of the above

17) To add a sort of poetic touch to his speech on inspirational teachers, Ralph
described his favorite high school teacher as “an inspiration unequaled,” “a
genius unrivaled,” and “a comedian unbridled.” What stylistic, dramatic
device did Ralph employ?

A) omission B) inversion
C) suspension D) antithesis E) all of the above

18) All the following are recommendations on the use of gestures EXCEPT

A) you should vary your gestures.

B) with culturally diverse audience, use fewer gestures.
C) when speaking to a large audience, use bold and more dramatic gestures.
D) use as many gestures as possible so long as they are natural and not forced.
E) your gestures should be definite.

19) Which of the following is a recommendation for your posture when giving a
presentation?
A) It is appropriate to slouch slightly if you are giving an informal presentation.
B) If you are going to sit during a presentation, sit in a chair that does not elevate you above
your audience.
C) It is acceptable to lean on the lectern.
D) Avoid sitting during a presentation.

20) Tomas was asked to speak to his local Rotary Club. From what he could learn
about the club, the membership was made up of professionals who attended
on their lunch hour in between other business appointments. When Tomas
went to speak, he wore his favorite sweater and some jeans. What advice
does your text offer when deciding if this was appropriate?

A) Always dress as formally as possible.

B) Never dress more formally than the audience is dressed.
C) Your dress should conform to the expectations of the audience for the occasion.
D) Wear what you are most comfortable wearing.

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21) Your delivery outline should ________.
A) use complete sentences
B) include an abbreviated form our your introduction and conclusion
C) not include your sources
D) include your purpose statement.

22) Kelly really prided himself on his knowledge of British royal history. He had
three main points in his informative speech, his first being the ancient lineage
of Queen Elizabeth. By the time he got through his first point, four minutes
of his six-minute time allotment for the speech had been used. What was
Kellyʹs error in this situation?

A) not relating new information to old

B) not reinforcing his key ideas verbally
C) not reinforcing his key ideas nonverbally
D) not pacing the flow of his information

23) Stewart was presenting information about the newest in MP3 players. In
describing the features, he covered the newest and most technical aspects of the
new players. What challenges might Stewart face in making sure his audience
understands the information?

A) Keeping his ideas simple.

B) Making his examples vivid.
C) Including enough technical terminology.
D) Including enough technical examples.

24.) In her persuasive speech, Martha spoke about the alleged espionage by the
Chinese, and the possible theft of U.S. nuclear armament secrets. She got the
audience to think about the possibility that China could one day rise up and
use high-tech nuclear weapons against the United States She challenged
them to monitor Senate hearings on the problem and to get involved by
writing or e-mailing their congress persons. What form of motivation did
Martha successfully employ in her speech?
A) an appeal to patriotism
B) an appeal to basic self-esteem and self-actualization needs
C) a positive visualization
D) a fear appeal

25.) Tomʹ s persuasive presentation advocated increasing penalties for juvenile

offenders. In his conclusion, Tomʹ s call to action for his audience was, ʺ If you think
we should have stiffer penalties for juvenile offenders, then write your
congressman.ʺ Which guideline does this disregard?

A) The language is too dramatic and is likely to incite a negative emotional response in
listeners.
B) Using the term ʺ congressmanʺ as a generic for all persons in congress is a biased, sexist
practice.
C) The language isnʹ t vivid enough to arouse the attention of an audience, nor to move them
to action.
D) The language isnʹ t vivid, nor is it simple enough for an audience to understand.

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26) Jessica argued that in Europe, teenagers are allowed to drink, and alcohol
abuse among teenagers is lower than in the United States, therefore,
lowering the drinking age would decrease alcohol abuse among teenagers in
the United States. This is what type of reasoning?

A) non-sequitur B) deductive
C) analogy D) bandwagon

27) “All ministers are honest people; Rev. Thompson is a minister; therefore,
Rev. Thompson is an honest man” is an example of ________.

A) inductive reasoning B) a syllogism

C) a form of causal reasoning D) a fallacy known as ad hominem

28) Thea is arguing against the bond proposal that would raise money to build a
bike lane on the main avenue coming into the University. She dismisses the opposing
argument, describing the group that proposed the bonds as “liberal do gooders.” By
making this claim, she is asking the audience to believe her based on which type of
reasoning fallacy?

A) red herring B) ad hominem

C) appeal to misplaced authority D) non sequitur

29) In her persuasive speech, Beatrice says the following: ʺ So, by using these
simple steps, you will save time, money, and energy.ʺ What form of persuasive
appeal is this?

A) positive motivation
B) negative or guilt- based emotion
C) cognitive dissonance
D) an appeal to the audienceʹ s self- esteem needs

30) In your speech to a group of high school students, you explain how you have seen
people do stupid things at parties as a result of drinking, youʹ ve seen how drunken
people put themselves at risk, and youʹ ve heard of peopleʹ s reputations being
ruined because of alcohol- related incidents. Because of what youʹ ve seen, you want
to urge your listeners to avoid drinking in social situations so they will not suffer the
consequences similar to those you discussed. What form of reasoning have you used
in this speech?

A) deductive B) inductive C) causal D) syllogistic

See you for finals!

Prof. M. Mehl

PROF. M. MEHL – SAMPLE FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE