Chapter 7 Review Questions
Please make sure to answer the six review questions on Page 13 in complete sentences.
“Supporting Your Ideas” by Sarah Stone Watt, Ph.D., Public Speaking Project is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Review Questions
1.For each of the claims below, identify the most compelling form of evidence that the speaker might offer. List as many as you can think of.
a.Photo-retouching alters our perspective on beauty.
b.The Internet is an effective protest tool.
c.Body scanners in airports are detrimental to our health.
2.You are giving a speech about the importance of legislation banning text messaging while driving. You want to offer diverse support for your argument that the legislation is necessary. What research tools would you use to find the following forms of evidence?
a.A personal narrative concerning the effects of texting while driving.
b.An academic study concerning the effects of texting while driving.
c.Existing legislation regarding cell phone use in automobiles.
d.A visual aid for your speech.
3.Checking the quality of your evidence is an important step in refining support for your argument. What are three elements that you should look for when determining source quality? Why is each element necessary?
4.You are giving a speech about bed bugs. You point out that bed bugs are a common pest that can be found almost anywhere. You have found a variety of sources for your speech including a bed bug registry website where people can report seeing bed bugs in hotels, an encyclopedia entry on bed bugs, a blog containing pictures and personal testimony about an experience with bed bugs, a scientific study on the conditions under which bed bugs thrive, and a psychological study concerning the way that people are conditioned to respond to the sight of bugs in their bed. Which of these is the most credible source to support your point? Why?
5.The following is an excerpt from John F. Kennedy’s 1963 Civil Rights Address. Read the excerpt, and offer your own paraphrase of his ideas without incorporating any direct quotations from the text:
I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened (Kennedy, 1963).
6.Imagine you are giving a speech on ______________ [fill in the blank]. Write a potential specific purpose statement. Then identify three types of research that you would integrate in order to offer balanced and compelling support for your statement.
