MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ARTS

COMMUNICATION SKILLS CENTRE

Basics of Communication Skills
CODE: CS101

Sessional Examination

May/June 2014

DURATION: 3 HOURS

Instructions

• Answer all questions in this paper

• Candidates will be penalised for repeating material used in answering other questions.
• Marks will be awarded for clear, grammatically correct and well constructed sentences. 9
 t.

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS IN THIS PAPER

Question 1

1.1 A general report is usually used to give readers information of incidences or events
otherwise not planned for. Read the following notes and answer the following question.

NOTES Blue Fuels is a company that distributes fuels in Zimbabwe. Fuels they
supply are petrol, diesel and paraffin. You work for this company as an Operations
Manager. Recently, a disgruntled retrenched employee set fire in one of your second
largest storage facility. The storage facility was gutted by lire, which took close to
48hours to put out. There has been extensive damage/loss to human lives (employees)

• and property (buildings, vehicles). An estimated US$10.8 million dollars in losses has
been recorded by your team. Methods used to gather your data during investigations
include interviews, analysis of security CCTV video footage, analysis of Fire Brigade,
Police and Medical reports

Question Using the notes above draft a general report as requested by the Managing
Director of Blue Fuels. Bear in mind to use visuals to show your reader facts
around the accident. 1101

Question 2

2.1 Analyse the information below and draw up a typical end-text reference list using
a referencing convention recommended in your department.

Source Author (s) Titles Yr Place Web Other

Book Dr. Martin How to get rich 1990 Nairobi --- Longman
Boss
2 Book K. Homer Of drinking & Crime 2000 Oxford --- Oxford UP
and D. Boris
3 Article Prof. Dumiso The East or West? 2013 London www.sagepub.com Vol. 2 No.6.,
(journal) Xuma Rethinking Journal a!
development in Africa. Development
4 Article Clin Mpofu The World mourns Dec. Harare www.herald.co.zw The Herald,
N/paper Madiba 2013 Tuesday 12
December
5 TV 0. Winfrey The Oprah Reality 2012 New www.oprshow.co.tv Watched on
Show Show York local television
channel, 3
January 2014
aired from
I 6:00hrs to
I_ 1700hrs
1101
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Question 3

3.1 Use another visual which is not a table which may best show the data below.

Data representing R cr S TransportCompany's Transport Equipment operating

in the live cities.

Mode of Harare Mbambane Gweru Lobamba Cape Totals

transport Town
Air 20 30 25 2 6 83
Road 75 44 40 56 45 260
Rail • 5 26 30 18 24 103
Sea 0 0 5 24 25 54

• Total 100 100 100 100 100 500

151

Question 4

4.1 Define Curriculum Vitae 1 11

4.2 What steps should one take in preparing a good CV? [2]

4.3 Give any two purposes to which CVs are put in business communication. [2]

4.4 Which information might be presented under the following sections in a typical CV?

4.4.1 PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• 4.4.2 REFEREES

4.4.3 ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

4.4.4 PROFESIONAL QUALIFICATIONS -

4.4.5 WORK EXPERIENCE [10]

Question 5

5.1 Explain the importance of credibility in persuasive speaking and identify different ways
of establishing credibility. 161