RICAS Communication Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student wants to convince the school board to extend library hours. Which type of writing would be MOST effective?
- A personal narrative about visiting the library
- A persuasive letter with evidence and a clear argument (Correct answer)
- A fictional story set in a library
- A descriptive poem about books
Correct answer: A persuasive letter with evidence and a clear argument
A persuasive letter with evidence and a clear argument is the most effective format for convincing an audience to take action.
Question 2: Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?
- I wanted to go to the game; but it rained.
- She studied hard; she passed the exam. (Correct answer)
- He ate dinner; and then watched TV.
- We left early; because traffic was bad.
Correct answer: She studied hard; she passed the exam.
A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
Question 3: When reading an informational text, what is the PRIMARY purpose of identifying the author's central claim?
- To memorize the entire passage
- To understand the main point the author is trying to make (Correct answer)
- To find all the vocabulary words
- To count the number of paragraphs
Correct answer: To understand the main point the author is trying to make
Identifying the central claim helps readers understand the main argument or point the author is communicating throughout the text.
Question 4: Which transitional phrase BEST shows a cause-and-effect relationship?
- In addition
- On the other hand
- As a result (Correct answer)
- For example
Correct answer: As a result
'As a result' signals that what follows is a consequence of what was previously stated, showing cause and effect.
Question 5: A speaker is giving a presentation on climate change. Which technique would BEST help the audience remember key statistics?
- Reading every statistic from a script without looking up
- Showing a visual chart and explaining the data aloud (Correct answer)
- Only speaking quickly to cover more information
- Avoiding numbers because they are confusing
Correct answer: Showing a visual chart and explaining the data aloud
Pairing visual aids with verbal explanation reinforces information and improves audience retention.
Question 6: What does it mean to 'paraphrase' a source in your writing?
- Copy the exact words and put them in quotes
- Restate the idea in your own words while keeping the original meaning (Correct answer)
- Ignore the source and write your own idea
- Delete the source after reading it
Correct answer: Restate the idea in your own words while keeping the original meaning
Paraphrasing means restating someone else's idea in your own words while accurately preserving the original meaning.
Question 7: Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
- Running quickly, she caught the bus.
- Running quickly, the bus was caught. (Correct answer)
- She ran quickly to catch the bus.
- The bus was caught after she ran quickly.
Correct answer: Running quickly, the bus was caught.
In 'Running quickly, the bus was caught,' the modifier 'running quickly' incorrectly appears to describe the bus, not a person.
RICAS Communication Skills 2
A student wants to convince the school board to extend library hours.
Which type of writing would be MOST effective?