It is time to put your knowledge to the test! We’ve covered a lot of ground over the last few days, from the psychology of body language to the "Great Vowel Shift" that made English spelling so tricky.
The Week 2 Challenge:
1. Active Listening involves a technique called "Paraphrasing." What does this mean?
- Staying silent until the other person finishes speaking.
- Repeating the speaker's core idea back to them in your own words.
- Interrupting to give your own opinion immediately.
- Writing down every word the speaker says.
2. Which word best describes a deep, pensive sadness, often without an obvious cause?
- Despondent
- Forlorn
- Melancholy
- Elated
3. Identify the "Active Voice" version of this sentence: "The budget was approved by the manager."
- The budget has been approved by the manager.
- The manager approved the budget.
- The manager was approving the budget.
- Approval was given to the budget by the manager.
4. In the 7-38-55 rule of communication, what percentage of a message's meaning is conveyed through body language?
- 7%
- 38%
- 55%
- 93%
5. What does the "Eat the Frog" time management strategy suggest you do?
- Do the easiest tasks first to build momentum.
- Do the hardest, most important task first thing in the morning.
- Multitask to get more things done at once.
- Spend your morning answering all your emails.
6. Which two words were combined to create the portmanteau "Staycation"?
- Stay + Communication
- Stay + Location
- Stay + Vacation
- State + Vacation
7. Choose the correct word for this sentence: "The team is proud of _____ recent success."
- its
- it’s
- its’
- it is
8. Which of these is the most appropriate subject line for a formal email to a teacher?
- Hey, I have a question
- URGENT!!!
- Question about the project
- Clarification Needed: Grade 11 English Assignment
9. What historical event is largely responsible for why English words are spelled differently than they are pronounced?
- The Industrial Revolution
- The Great Vowel Shift
- The Norman Conquest
- The invention of the Internet
10. You are at your desk. You want your colleague (who is across the room) to move a file away from you to the filing cabinet. Should you use "Bring" or "Take"?
- Bring
- Take
Answer Key & Explanations:
- B (Repeating the core idea) — Paraphrasing confirms you understood and makes the speaker feel heard.
- C (Melancholy) — Despondent is about losing hope; Melancholy is that pensive, "poetic" sadness.
- B (The manager approved the budget.) — This is direct and shows exactly who performed the action.
- C (55%) — Most of our emotional communication is visual.
- B (Do the hardest task first) — Tackling your "frog" early prevents procrastination.
- C (Stay + Vacation) — A vacation spent at home!
- A (its) — This is the possessive form. No apostrophe is needed.
- D (Clarification Needed: Grade 11 English Assignment) — It is professional and tells the reader exactly what the email is about.
- B (The Great Vowel Shift) — This occurred just as the printing press was "freezing" English spelling.
- B (Take) — Because the object is moving away from your current location, you use "take."
The Raddix Takeaway:
If you got 8 or more correct, your communication skills are becoming world-class! If you struggled with a few, go back and re-read the blogs for those days. Remember: a growth mindset turns every "mistake" into a learning opportunity.
