Test Bank + Answer Key
Test Bank for Technical Communication 13th Edition by Mike
Markel
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Book Title: Technical Communication
Edition: 13th Edition
Author: Mike Markel
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Chapter 2
1. The standard of utility is concerned with what?
ANSWER: A successful answer would ideally include the following: The standard of utility is concerned with
the positive and negative effects that an action or a policy has, will have, or might have on others.
2. Chapter 2 lists four areas of law relevant to ethical issues in technical communication. One is copyright law.
What are two others?
ANSWER: A successful answer would ideally include the following: The other three areas are trademark law,
contract law, and liability law.
3. Chapter 2 lists four factors governing the fair-use exemption, which allows you to use copyrighted material
without permission under certain conditions. One factor is the nature and purpose of the copyrighted work.
What are the other three factors?
ANSWER: A successful answer would ideally include the following: The other three factors are the purpose
and character of the use, especially whether the use is for profit; the amount and substantiality of
the portion of the work used; and the effect of the use on the potential market for the copyrighted
work.
4. What does the symbol ® stand for, and what rights does it grant a company?
ANSWER: A successful answer would ideally include the following: The symbol indicates a word, phrase,
name, or symbol that the company has registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The
company can use the ® symbol after the product name, thus alerting others to its status as a
registered trademark.
5. What advantage does using a trademark symbol confer upon an organization?
ANSWER: A successful answer would ideally include the following: : It makes it easier for the organization to
take legal action against another organization that it believes has infringed upon its trademark.
6. An effective code of conduct has three characteristics. One is that it protects the public rather than members
of the organization or profession. What is one other characteristic of an effective code of conduct?
ANSWER: A successful answer would ideally include the following: The other two characteristics are that the
code is specific and comprehensive and that it is enforceable.
7. According to Chapter 2, what is the potential downside to whistle-blowing?
ANSWER: A successful answer would ideally include the following: Whistle-blowing is likely to hurt the
employee, his or her family, and other parties. Whistle-blowers can be penalized through negative
performance appraisals, transfers to undesirable locations, or isolation within the company.
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Chapter 2
8. According to Chapter 2, saying that a new line of air fresheners is “guaranteed to stave off any and every
odor that comes your house's way ” would be an example of what?
ANSWER: A successful answer would ideally include the following: Exaggeration
9. Chapter 2 states that as an employee, you have five obligations to your employer. One obligation is honesty
and candor. What are two of the other obligations?
ANSWER: A successful answer would ideally include the following: The other four obligations are
competence and diligence, generosity, confidentiality, and loyalty.
10. According to Chapter 2, using social media ethically entails avoiding false endorsements. What are three
other guidelines for the ethical use of social media?
ANSWER: A successful answer would ideally include the following: Other guidelines for the ethical use of
social media include separating personal social-media accounts from company-sponsored
accounts, reading the terms of service of every service to which you post, avoiding revealing
unauthorized news about your company, avoiding self-plagiarism, avoiding defamation, not live
streaming or quoting from others without permission, avoiding impersonating others, and avoiding
trademark infringement.
11. When exporting goods, U.S. companies can face ethical challenges that they do not face when selling goods
in the United States.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: a
12. Under the concept of work made for hire, anything written on the job by an employee being paid by the
organization is the property of the organization—provided that the employee agrees after the document is
written to surrender his or her copyright.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: b
13. Only professionals with management responsibilities have ethical responsibilities to the environment.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: b
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Chapter 2
14. It is generally acceptable to use company boilerplate without attribution.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: a
15. Contract law affects technical communication because technical documents sometimes contain warranty
statements.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: a
16. Fair-use guidelines mean that non-profit companies can use whatever content they want without requesting
permission.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: b
17. According to the principle of the moral minimum, it is permissible for companies to passively reinforce
patterns of discrimination in product information if the audience to which the product is being sold practices
that discrimination.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: b
18. To be effective, a code of conduct must stipulate penalties.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: a
19. When warning users about the dangers of products, writers should avoid using mandatory language such as
must and shall.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: b
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Chapter 2
20. Fair use is best described as a set of general guidelines on ways to use small parts of someone else's
copyrighted material for purposes such as commentary, criticism, and research.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: a
21. Chapter 2 lists four factors governing the fair-use exemption, which allows you to use copyrighted material
without permission under certain conditions. One factor is the nature and purpose of the copyrighted work.
What is another factor?
a. the effect of the use on the potential market for the copyrighted work
b. the degree of difficulty you might encounter if you did seek permission to use the copyrighted work
c. whether the copyrighted work was published on the Internet, in which case it can be considered to
be in the public domain
d. whether you intended to cause the copyright holder any harm—financial or otherwise—by using the
copyrighted material
ANSWER: a
22. Chapter 2 lists four ways you can help protect your client's or your employer's trademark. One is to use the
trademark symbol. Which one of the following methods is also listed in the chapter?
a. Distinguish trademarks from other material, perhaps by setting the trademark in a different typeface
or by using boldface type for emphasis.
b. Use the trademarked item in various grammatical forms, including as an adjective (Xerox® copiers),
a noun (Xeroxes®), and a verb (Xerox® 500 copies).
c. Use the plural form (Xeroxes®) or the possessive form (Xerox's® quality) of the term whenever
possible.
d. Include a prominent warning about the civil and criminal penalties for infringing on the protections
afforded by trademark law, similar to the FBI warning about copyright that appears at the beginning
of rental movies.
ANSWER: a
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Chapter 2
23. According to Chapter 2, saying that a recently fired employee was “offered an alternative career
opportunity” would be an example of which of the following?
a. exaggeration
b. euphemism
c. legalistic construction
d. none of the options are correct
ANSWER: b
24. The standard of utility is concerned with which of the following?
a. the relationships we have with other individuals
b. whether the positive and negative effects of an action or a policy will be distributed fairly among a
group
c. the positive and negative effects that an action or a policy has, will have, or might have on others
d. the basic needs and welfare of individuals
ANSWER: c
25. Chapter 2 lists four areas of law relevant to ethical issues in technical communication. One is copyright law.
What are two others?
a. trademark law and contract law
b. international law and criminal law
c. martial law and liability law
d. international law and martial law
ANSWER: a
26. What does the symbol ® indicate about a word, phrase, or symbol?
a. It has been registered for trademark protection under the Regency d'Internationale Agreement of
1996.
b. It has been registered for trademark protection with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
c. It has been registered for trademark protection with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but with
"reserved" status.
d. The company claims the design or device as a trademark but has not yet registered the trademark.
ANSWER: b
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Chapter 2
27. According to Chapter 2, ethicists such as Manuel Velasquez (2011) argue that whistle-blowing is justified if
three conditions are satisfied. One condition is that there is strong evidence that the organization is doing
something that is hurting or will hurt other parties. What is one other condition?
a. The employee has made a serious attempt to resolve the problem through internal channels.
b. The employee can be reasonably certain he or she will not be penalized for whistle-blowing.
c. The employee has suffered personal harm as a result of the wrongdoing, such as the loss of a
promotion, a substantial decrease in salary, or physical injury.
d. The wrongdoing involves members of a minority group or affects individuals granted specific rights
under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
ANSWER: a
28. Which of the following is NOT a guideline for using social media ethically and legally, according to
Chapter 2?
a. Keep your private social-media accounts separate from those at work.
b. Avoid revealing unauthorized news about your own company.
c. Work efficiently by repurposing pieces of content you wrote for other workplace documents.
d. Avoid false endorsements.
ANSWER: c
29. What does liability law have to do with technical communication?
a. Liability law regulates the words and pictures available for use in sets of instructions.
b. Liability law says that a manufacturer or seller of a product is liable for injuries or damages caused
by the use of that product.
c. Liability law puts the responsibility for product safety on consumers.
d. Liability law requires instructions to fit on a single printed page.
ANSWER: b
30. Which of these resources is likely to be available to employees of a company with a strong ethical culture?
a. a formal code of conduct
b. a way to avoid regulations that might affect the company's profitability
c. kickbacks from suppliers or customers
d. conflicts of interest
ANSWER: a
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Chapter 2
31. Which of the following preferences does Creative Commons NOT give copyright owners a means to
control?
a. whether their work can be shared only in noncommercial environments
b. whether users of the work must attribute it
c. whether the copyright will expire after a fixed amount of time
d. whether others may alter or build on the existing work
ANSWER: c
32. A writer preparing an electrician's manual is considering inserting company-designed danger symbols to
denote the potential for electrocution. In deciding whether to do so, what should the writer's primary concern
be?
a. codes of conduct
b. liability law
c. copyright law
d. whistle-blowing
ANSWER: b
33. When your state's revenues for the year are 40 percent below estimates, the state legislature cuts education
funds by 40 percent but reduces farmers' subsidies by only 20 percent. Which moral standard does this action
violate?
a. care
b. utility
c. justice
d. rights
ANSWER: c
34. Systems Software, Inc. is introducing a new piece of sophisticated graphics software. A recently hired writer
has been assigned to write the Getting Started manual for the product. Being a novice, the writer first pages
through similar manuals written by other graphics software companies to get ideas about how to write the
manual. Which of the following statements is true?
a. The writer has violated copyright law.
b. The writer has ignored an express warranty.
c. The writer has taken advantage of the fair-use concept.
d. The writer has done nothing ethically wrong.
ANSWER: d
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Chapter 2
35. You work for a pharmaceutical company. During your lunch breaks, you have become acquainted with one
of the graphic artists at your company. He has just finished designing a logo for a new product, and the logo is
now on your company's website. He mentions that he created the new design by downloading a logo that he
found on an automaker's website and changing it a little. Which of the following statements is true?
a. Your company is protected by the fair-use concept because your company and the other company
are in different industries.
b. Your company is protected by the work-made-for-hire concept.
c. Your company has probably violated the automaker's trademark.
d. Your company is protected because there is no trademark or registered trademark symbol after the
logo on the automaker's website.
ANSWER: c
36. You are writing the second edition of a user manual to be included with software sold to the general public.
You want to reuse a portion of the introductory materials from the first edition but cannot determine who wrote
that section or what the contractual conditions were. What should you do?
a. Nothing
b. Rewrite the introductory materials yourself.
c. Register the work with the appropriate government agency.
d. Include a disclaimer when you insert the materials from the first edition.
ANSWER: a
37. In one state, West County and East County share a border. The state capital is in East County. Many
residents of West County (almost half of all adults in the county) commute to East County for work. East
County has high levels of air pollution, and residents there must get their car exhaust systems tested every two
years. Although West County has less air pollution than East, the pollution levels in West are rising. The state
Department of Environmental Regulation orders that residents of West County must now get their car exhaust
systems tested every two years as well. What moral standard best explains this decision by the Department of
Environmental Regulation?
a. care
b. utility
c. rights
d. clarity
ANSWER: b
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Chapter 2
38. Steven is selling a used car that is 10 years old. He found a way to set the odometer back 50,000 miles,
making his car appear more valuable than it actually is. A potential buyer looks at the car and is amazed at the
low mileage. He asks Steven if anyone has tampered with the odometer. Steven replies, “Hey, that would be
illegal. No one wants to get caught doing something illegal.” What type of misleading statement did Steven
make in his reply?
a. an exaggeration
b. a euphemism
c. a false implication
d. a double negative
ANSWER: c
39. Juliana was assigned to analyze the process her company uses to write proposals. She worked on her report
for more than a month. Rashmi in the marketing department and John in the finance department gave Juliana a
lot of information and had several meetings with her. Juliana placed an acknowledgments section in her report,
where she thanked Rashmi and John. What standard best explains Juliana's decision to acknowledge her
colleagues?
a. justice
b. rights
c. utility
d. care
ANSWER: d
40. Your company, Acme Co., is sponsoring a three-hour field day for children at a local park, featuring games,
sports, and snacks. Parents must register their children for the field day online. Your company wants to take
pictures of children at the event, but it needs parents' permission. Which option below best describes an ethical
way to get parents' permission?
a. Place a checkbox on the online form next to text that reads “I agree to the terms and conditions of
the field day” and provide a link to a separate page of terms and conditions. Design the form so that
this checkbox is already checked when the parent gets to that page.
b. Provide a link in the online form to a separate page of terms and conditions. Have the company
lawyers write the terms and conditions in legal language and with citations of relevant laws in case
another lawyer reads them.
c. Place a checkbox on the online form next to text that reads “I agree to allow Acme Co. to take
pictures of my child or children to record and promote field-day activities.” Design the form so that
this checkbox is not checked when the parent gets to that page.
d. Include a note in small print at the bottom of the sign-up form informing parents that children may
be photographed at the event.
ANSWER: c
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