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| 1 | |
Clustering is an activity that some writers use to |
| | A) | Generate ideas. |
| | B) | Create a list of reviewers. |
| | C) | Analyze their audience. |
| | D) | Build a checklist of things to review when they're editing. |
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| 2 | |
Which of the following is NOT a clue that an executive (for example, the CEO of a company you are considering as an investment, or perhaps the president of your own company) might not be telling the truth about the latest quarter's earnings? |
| | A) | Presenting competitors in an unfavourable light. |
| | B) | Speaking in general terms rather than giving specifics. |
| | C) | Using inflated language in descriptions. |
| | D) | Using passive constructions and third person phrases extensively. |
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| 3 | |
If you have done thorough, detailed planning before beginning a writing project, you should be able to skip the revising and editing steps later on. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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| 4 | |
A storyboard is a type of outline. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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| 5 | |
Reading something aloud will help you proofread more effectively. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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| 6 | |
Why are reports written in a more formal style that avoids contractions and personal pronouns and spells out acronyms and abbreviations? |
| | A) | Because they might be included as evidence in a legal proceeding. |
| | B) | Because they could be read by so many different people, sometimes years in the future. |
| | C) | Because the audience would almost always include senior executives. |
| | D) | Because the discourse communities that typically write reports (such as engineers and accountants) prefer more formal, precise language. |
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| 7 | |
If someone says: "We will be following these new expense reporting procedures going forward," the phrase "going forward" could be seen as |
| | A) | An indication that the new rules are permanent and you won't be "going backward" to the old system. |
| | B) | An overused cliché that adds little information to the message. |
| | C) | A businesslike term that indicates the speaker intends to be taken seriously. |
| | D) | A thoughtful effort to make sure everyone understands that the procedure is really changing. |
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| 8 | |
The terms "rich customer" and "discerning client" |
| | A) | Have a different connotation. |
| | B) | Convey the same meaning. |
| | C) | Have a different denotation. |
| | D) | Both project a positive impression. |
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| 9 | |
Putting your readers in your sentences (by using the second-person pronoun "you") is a good way to |
| | A) | Deflect their attention away from your company when you're delivering bad news. |
| | B) | Convince readers that you deserve another chance if you've made an error. |
| | C) | Show a culturally diverse audience that you treat everyone equally. |
| | D) | Make your writing easier to read. |
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| 10 | |
When youare writing for the Web, you should put the main point up front, then follow with details. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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| 11 | |
When youare writing for the Web, how quickly do you need to capture readers' attention? |
| | A) | Two seconds. |
| | B) | Ten seconds. |
| | C) | Four seconds. |
| | D) | Fifteen seconds. |
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| 12 | |
If you ask your co-worker Steve to give you feedback on a document, he might address all of the following questions with you EXCEPT: |
| | A) | How many hours did you spend on the actual writing? |
| | B) | Is your pattern of organization effective? |
| | C) | Is the message adapted to your audience(s)? |
| | D) | Are there any problems with your word choice or sentence structure? |
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| 13 | |
If one of your reviewers gives you harsh feedback that makes you feel defensive, what should you do? |
| | A) | Talk to the reviewer and explain what you meant in the places where she obviously didn't understand. |
| | B) | Send the reviewer a link to a third-party document that explains how to give constructive feedback. |
| | C) | Put the reviewer's comments aside for awhile, until you can read them without feeling defensive. |
| | D) | Make a mental note never to ask that reviewer for comments again because the feedback isn't helpful. |
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