Chapter 14: Developing the Introduction

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 14.1

Which of the following is not a function of an introduction?

To grab the audience’s attention

To tell the audience what they are about to hear

To provide in-depth information

To establish your credibility

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is C.

Question 14.2

At what point in the process should you create the introduction for your speech?

Before doing your research

After you’ve developed the body of the speech

After doing your research, but before writing the body

It should be worked on throughout the writing of the speech

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is B.

Question 14.3

What sources would you rely on for attention-getting quotations for your speech?

Famous individuals

Movies

Books

All of the options are correct.

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is D.

Question 14.4

This attention-getting device gets the audience thinking without the expectation that they will actually respond.

Telling a story

Posing a rhetorical question

Making a startling statement

Establishing common ground

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is B.

Question 14.5

When posing a rhetorical question, you should be sure your audience knows which of the following?

That your speech will attempt to answer the question

That you expect your audience to answer the question later

That you will interrupt your presentation to invite actual responses

That you will poll the audience at the end of the speech

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is A.

Question 14.6

If you want to gain your audience’s attention with powerful and meaningful statistics, you should present this information in __________.

a humorous statement

a question

a startling statement

a quotation

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is C.

Question 14.7

Which of the following techniques can help you build rapport with your audience and place them immediately at ease?

Posing a question

Offering a startling statement

Using humor

Quoting a famous person

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is C.

Question 14.8

Which type of humor is the safest form of humor to use in a speech?

Sarcasm

Jokes making fun of the audience

Jokes matching the speech occasion

Stereotypes

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is C.

Question 14.9

“My fellow Americans, on this day I vow with all my power to maintain peace, democracy, and liberty for all.” With these words, the speaker is attempting to __________.

make a startling statement

establish common ground

prove his or her credibility

pose a rhetorical question

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is B.

Question 14.10

When you open a speech with the following statement: “We are all here today to remember the life of an honored soldier,” you are __________.

acting inappropriately

establishing credibility

building rapport

referring to the occasion

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is D.

Question 14.11

In the introduction to a speech, after you’ve gained the audience’s attention, the next step is to __________.

preview the topic and purpose of your speech

jump directly to your first main point in the speech body

preview what you’ll say in the conclusion

list your main points in reverse order

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is A.

Question 14.12

Why might a person include her credentials and previous work with pediatric cancer patients in the introduction of a speech?

To put the audience at ease

To establish credibility as a speaker

To preview the speech’s main points

To motivate the audience to action

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is B.

Question 14.13

“I have felt passionately about conservation issues ever since I started volunteering with the city’s local chapter of the Nature Conservancy four summers ago.” This statement is intended to help the speaker __________.

refer to the occasion

establish common ground

establish credibility

appeal to the altruistic side of the audience

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is C.

Question 14.14

A technique to help the audience mentally organize your speech is to __________ in the introduction.

use humor

preview your main points

motivate your audience

establish rapport

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is B.

Question 14.15

__________ is not a way to motivate your listeners to accept your goals.

Convincing the audience that the topic is relevant to them

Addressing the topic’s practical implications and what the audience stands to gain by listening to you

Convincing the audience that the speech purpose is consistent with their motives and values

Omitting information and cultivating a sense of mystery so that the audience is left wanting more

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is D.