Developing Persuasive Speeches — Cumulative exam Answers

Mary is giving a persuasive speech about the benefits of adoption over abortion and wants to engage her audience early on. Which of the following supporting materials would probably be the most effective choice to use during the introduction of her speech?

Annie has written the following thesis statement for her persuasive speech: “All nations must unite to address the 4 main causes of global warming: natural causes, pollution, increase in population, and deforestation.” Which of the following illustrates the most appropriate way to organize her speech?

Ophelia has written this thesis statement for her informative speech: While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government. Which outline for the rest of her speech is probably the most effective? a. 1. Industrial causes of war in the North a. [supporting details] b. [specific examples] 2. Agricultural causes of war in the South a. [supporting details] b. [specific examples] Conclusion: restate thesis b. 1. Though causes on both sides were similar, the North’s cause was more just a. [supporting arguments] b. [specific examples] 2. Abolishing slavery was worth dying for a. [supporting arguments] b. [specific examples] 3. South had no right to self-government a. [supporting arguments] b. [specific examples] Conclusion: restate thesis c. 1. Similarities of the causes of war on both sides a. [supporting details] b. [specific examples] 2. Northern focus on slavery a. [supporting details] b. [specific examples] 3. Southern focus on right to self-government a. [supporting details] b. [specific examples] Conclusion: restate thesis d. 1. Compare and contrast Abraham Lincoln & Jefferson Davis a. [supporting details] b. [specific examples] 2. Abolition in the North a. [supporting details] b. [specific examples] 3. Slavery in the South a. [supporting details] b. [specific examples] Conclusion: restate thesis Please select the best answer from the choices provided

Allison, a very close friend of yours, is about to give a presentation to the class. You know that she has procrastinated and is not prepared, and that you will have to critique her performance afterwards. Which of the following is probably your best course of action?

An effective persuasive speech will _____________ and ______________.

You have been assigned to research Edgar Allen Poe. Your teacher is very clear that your speech should focus on why he is important to American literature.

Daphne owns a night club and frequently entertains large crowds. She feels very comfortable on stage and loves to make people laugh. Justin can't bear even the thought of speaking to a large group of people. He gets butterflies in his stomach and shakes so badly he can hardly stand, and once even lost his job because he refused to give a presentation to the board of directors. In order to achieve the level of confidence that Daphne seems to have achieved, Justin could start by doing all of the following except:

Chuck’s teacher has asked him to present for 15 minutes on math models in front of his math class. Chuck has had a lot of experience with public speaking, but is not very good at math. Which of the following should he do?

What is the most important thing to remember when using a presentation aid during a speech?

Shantel is preparing for a speech that she was invited to deliver in front of a small group of African, Asian, and Latino American female college students about racism in America. She wants to survey her audience ahead of time to be well prepared for her speech. Which types of questions should she ask?

“I can attest to the fact that Mark Johnson’s character is above reproach. His entire life has been devoted to the service of this community. He will be an excellent representative of the people of our town to the state legislature.” This is an example of _____________.

You see a poster advertising a speaker coming to the community center in your town. The title of the speech is “Surviving Peer Pressure: Finding your Anti-Drug”. What can you infer about the intended audience of this speech?

Daniel is giving a speech and loses his place because he didn’t prepare clear notes. He gets really nervous and frazzled as he tries to continue. He mispronounces several words throughout his speech such as ethic, conformity, and individualism. In the middle of the speech he puts his hands over his face, looks down at the podium and starts to mumble parts of his speech at a very high speed. He rushes through the rest of the speech, never looking up at the audience, and then runs off the stage. In evaluating Daniel’s vocal delivery all of the following are problems for the speaker except?

Kevin didn’t hear the last half of Angela’s speech, because he was thinking about how he disagreed with something she said. He then decided the majority of the information she presented didn’t apply to him. This is an example of a failure to _________________.

Steve is preparing a speech for his World History class. All of the following are ways he can make his speech clear and interesting except:

Jim has been given the assignment to speak to his biology class on the function and structure of a cell. Which of the following is the best approach he could take?

Which of the following is not likely a benefit of public speaking?

Lori has chosen to speak on the current state of the economy in the U.S. Which of the following quotes is the least likely to be a good choice for her to include? a. “The U.S. Federal Reserve extended liquidity facilities for domestic financial institutions and currency swap lines with 13 central banks on Tuesday to keep money flowing in a banking system shattered by the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.” - CNN.com b. President Obama said in a speech at George Mason University, "There is no doubt that the cost of this plan will be considerable. It will certainly add to the budget deficit in the short term. But equally certain are the consequences of doing too little or nothing at all." c. "I hope you're confident about our economy. I am. We've got some short-term issues to deal with. Fourth quarter growth slowed to .6 percent. In other words, there are signs that our economy are slowing." -Vice President Joe Biden d. “The economy of the United States is the largest national economy in the world. Its gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated as $14.3 trillion in 2008. The U.S. economy maintains a high level of output per person (GDP per capita, $46,800 in 2008, ranked at around number ten in the world).” - wikipedia.org Please select the best answer from the choices provided

Which statement is an example of restating an idea?

Amber is a spokeswoman for a large corporation that has been in the news lately for allegedly engaging in illegal business practices. She is giving an official statement to the press that will be broadcast on national television. Which of the following should she do?