In the weak thesis statement example, 'Today, I want to discuss academic cheating,' why is the term 'academic cheating' considered problematic?

Correct answer: It can refer to many different behaviors, making the specific topic unclear.

Explanation

This question tests the understanding of why a broad term in a thesis statement is ineffective, using a specific example from the text.

Other questions

Question 1

According to modern public speaking scholars, what are the three general purposes of speaking?

Question 2

What is the primary goal of an informative speech?

Question 3

A speech explaining how a specific object or system works, such as how a bill becomes a law, is what type of informative speech?

Question 4

What distinguishes a persuasive speech from an informative speech?

Question 5

A speaker who genuinely believes that a change in behavior is in the best interest of the audience members is engaging in which type of persuasion?

Question 6

What are beliefs that people have actively engaged in and created over the course of their lives, such as a belief in a higher power, referred to as?

Question 7

What is the fundamental goal of an entertaining speech?

Question 8

A toast given at a wedding or a eulogy delivered at a funeral are examples of which type of entertaining speech?

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT one of the four primary constraints on public speaking that a speaker must consider?

Question 10

The process of starting with a broad area of knowledge like 'art' and progressively focusing on smaller categories like 'Middle Eastern art,' then 'Anatolian art,' and finally 'the Phrygian period of art' is an example of what?

Question 11

What is a personal inventory in the context of finding a speech topic?

Question 12

When using a finding aid like a best-seller list or a media outlet, what is the primary ethical responsibility of the speaker?

Question 13

What is the primary purpose of conducting a needs analysis of a potential audience?

Question 14

A specific purpose statement for a speech should answer which set of questions?

Question 15

Which of the following is the best example of a well-written specific purpose statement?

Question 16

When creating a specific purpose, the set of circumstances surrounding your speech, including the speaker, audience, text, and context, is known as what?

Question 17

A speaker wants to give a ten-minute speech on the entire history of the US Social Security program. Why is this topic choice problematic according to the chapter?

Question 18

Which of the six types of informative topics, as identified by O’Hair, Stewart, and Rubenstein, is described as the most difficult for novice speakers because it requires balancing two sides of a dispute?

Question 19

The chapter advises that it is very unlikely a speaker can alter an audience's core beliefs in what length of time?

Question 20

What is the primary function of an inspirational speech?

Question 21

Which of the following is an example of a finding aid a speaker can use to find a topic?

Question 22

When creating a specific purpose statement, why is it important to start the sentence with your audience in mind (e.g., 'To inform my audience...')?

Question 23

What is the primary risk of beginning research with only a general topic in mind instead of a clear thesis statement?

Question 24

What is defined as an individual's general predisposition toward something as being good or bad, right or wrong?

Question 25

According to the chapter, a thesis statement helps a speaker fulfill four basic functions. Which of the following is NOT one of those four functions?

Question 26

When a speaker is given a specific list of topics to choose from by their instructor, this is an example of which of the five 'End-of-Chapter Assessment' questions?

Question 27

What does the text describe as one of the most common mistakes new public speaking students make regarding the line between informing and persuading?

Question 28

A speech about the design of corsets, using a mannequin to demonstrate how they were worn, falls under which type of informative speech topic?

Question 29

What is the three-step process for conducting a formal needs analysis?

Question 30

A speaker who uses the specific purpose statement, 'To persuade the students in my class to get jiggy' is violating which tip for creating specific purposes?

Question 31

In the sample persuasive speech about corn ethanol, what does the speaker identify as the two major problems created by turning corn into fuel?

Question 32

What is the first step a speaker should take when they know the basic constraints for their speech?

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT one of the websites recommended in the chapter for finding speech topics online?

Question 35

If a speaker is preparing a speech on a topic where they have many strong feelings, why is a clear thesis statement particularly important?

Question 36

The sample entertainment speech by Adam Fink is identified as what specific type of speech?

Question 37

A speaker who uses the specific purpose 'To entertain a group of executives by describing the lighter side of life in cubicle-ville' is using which general purpose?

Question 38

What field of study was created to help people, especially businesses, become more effective at harnessing and exchanging knowledge?

Question 39

In the sample informative speech, what unique feature of the Pirahã language is described as being like 'disproving gravity' for linguists?

Question 40

The chapter provides a specific example of narrowing a topic for a five- to seven-minute informative speech. What was the final, narrowed topic?

Question 41

A subject area is defined as what?

Question 42

In the personal inventory examples, which author of the textbook was listed as being a puppeteer?

Question 43

Which of the following would be a good scope for a speech that is five to seven minutes in length, according to the end-of-chapter assessment questions?

Question 44

If a speaker is delivering a speech on the benefits of sleep but does not include a call to action to get more sleep, what is the general purpose of the speech?

Question 45

Which of the three types of general speech purposes, according to the end-of-chapter assessment, do modern scholars generally describe?

Question 46

What type of purpose is the statement 'To persuade a group of local residents to buy a car from Mitken’s Car Dealership' an example of?

Question 47

According to the chapter, where in an introduction should a thesis statement appear?

Question 48

What is the key difference between manipulative persuasion and pure persuasion?

Question 49

A speech detailing the pros and cons of blogging would be an example of which type of informative topic?

Question 50

In Adam Fink's sample entertainment speech, he quotes President Barack Obama to support his point about what?