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Resources that Matter to You A Guide to Language Devices in Rhetoric
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Final Exam Study Guide
The first part of the exam will present you with quotations from speeches that you were assigned to read and/or saw in class. You will be asked to itendfiy the speaker.
The second part of the exam is open-book and will ask you to answer andyfive of the following questions:
1. What differences exist between the ways in which you look at speeches now in contrast to the way you looked at speeches before the beginning of the class?
2. Take any two speeches from any two movements or eras (as identified in our textbook). Note their similarities and differences in means of message development. What effects did these speeches have?
3. In what ways can the use of humor, wit, or sarcasm in a speech contribute to its success? When can it have a negative effect? Use examples and quotations from the speeches we studied to illustrate your point.
4. What effects did the Chautauqua and Lyceum movements have on American speechmaking? What were the common topics discussed in the movements? Give specific examples to illustrate your answer.
5. You have studied in some detail the presidential campaigns of 1960, 1964, 1968, 2004, and 2008. Given what you considered about the presidential campaign communication, what speaking strategies and techniques would be most useful for the challenger in each campaign. (consider Kennedy the challenger in 1960 and Nixon the challenger in 1968) if you have been the head speechwriter in each encounter?
6. Many speeches we studied involved defending oneself against attacks. By using specific examples, what strategies of defense are most helpful and which are least helpful?
7. Ask yourself a question about class content and answer it. You will be evaluated by the significance of your question and the merit of your answer.
Lincoln Speeches for downloading: Cooper Union Address
Links:
TV Debates and the campaign