Passage C

Florida and Texas Practice Tests
Practice Tests for the Florida State College Basic Skills Exit Test
Passage C

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

19. Which sentence best states the main idea of this passage?

A. Interpersonal communication occurs between two people who have a relationship.

B. Three theories about interpersonal communication, giving meaning to messages sent and received, have evolved over time.

C. Communication processes are viewed as varied.

D. Interpersonal communication is always distorted by noise, occurs within a context, and involves some opportunity for feedback.

20. The interactional view of communication sees the sending and receiving of communication as

A. existing in a simultaneous relationship to each other.

B. existing in a straight line, taking place at different times.

C. exchanging turns at speaking and listening.

D. existing independently of each other.

21. The overall pattern of organization for this passage is

A. listing.

B. cause and effect.

C. classification.

D. spatial order.

22. The primary purpose of this passage is

A. give the history of communication processes.

B. analyze the importance of communication processes.

C. detail the positive and negative aspects of interpersonal communication.

D. describe the characteristics of a few theories of interpersonal communication.

23. The relationship of the parts within the following sentence is

“They’re interdependent; what one person thinks and says impacts on what the other thinks and says.” (lines 6-7)

A. statement and clarification.

B. cause and effect.

C. contrast.

D. time order

24. As used in line 3, the word distorted most nearly means

A. misused.

B. altered.

C. interrupted.

D. distracted.

25. The tone of this passage is

A. objective.

B. humorous.

C. informal.

D. clinical.

26. “Even the stranger asking for directions from a local resident has a relationship with that person.” (lines 9-10)

The above statement is a statement of

A. fact.

B. opinion.

27. “For example, you’re talking with a group of your friends, and your mother enters the group. This change in “audience” will lead to other changes; perhaps you’ll change what you say or how you say it.” (lines 30-32)

One conclusion that could be drawn from paragraph five, based on the above statements is

A. many people do not want to share information with family members.

B. many mothers demand proper respect.

C. some people may shield their mothers from information.

D. many people do not see their mothers as friends.