Read the following passage and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct option:
The Entertaining Speech -
There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old there is no respect for age. I missed it coming and going.
- J. B. Priestley
Unlike the Persuasive Speech, which changes mindsets, and the informative Speech, which transfers knowledge, an Entertaining speech makes the speaker and the listener feel good about life and themselves. An Entertaining Speech is light, fun and gracious. Speeches in the form of toasts, roasts, stand-ups, and after dinner chats are examples of entertaining speeches. An Entertaining Speech sells or promotes happiness and gratitude. Still, as speeches go, the Entertaining Speech needs a good opening, a good closing, and a fun-filled relevant middle. The closing need not be a summary or a call for action, but it needs to end on a high and happy note.
The elements of an entertaining speech are:
- Several humorous anecdotes about the characters involved
- Dialogues between characters
- A "flip" look at serious things
- Preferably spoken in the first person and told in the present tense
- Ideas and suggestions in the speech should be quick on the set-up and quicker on the punch
- Several voice modulations should be part of the delivery style
- It should not be very long
The speaker also needs to open up and get close to the audience mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Which of the following is not an example of an Entertaining Speech?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Valedictory at a seminar
A valedictory is a farewell speech at the close of an event; at a seminar it sums up the sessions and thanks the participants. It is formal and informative, not a speech meant to entertain, so it is not an example of an Entertaining Speech.
Example: The vice-chancellor gave the valedictory address on the last day of the conference.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Stand -ups in the club — Incorrect. True in the passage: the passage names stand-ups among the forms of entertaining speeches.
Option 2: The Best Man's speech at a wedding reception — Incorrect. True in the passage: the Best Man's speech is a light, humorous toast to the couple, the kind of speech the passage counts as entertaining.
Option 3: Welcome toast at a farewell — Incorrect. True in the passage: the passage lists toasts as examples of entertaining speeches.