Nokea
A student reads the following sentence: A hundred years ago, automobiles were rare, but now cars are ubiquitous. However, she doesn't know what the word ubiquitous means. Which key context clue is essential to decipher the word's meaning?
- A. Ago
- B. Cars
- C. Now
- D. Rare
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The key context clue essential to decipher the word 'ubiquitous' is the word 'now.' By comparing the rarity of automobiles a hundred years ago to their ubiquity now, the student can infer that 'ubiquitous' means something that is commonplace or found everywhere. Choice A ('Ago') refers to the past and does not provide information about the current state of cars. Choice B ('Cars') only contrasts rare and ubiquitous without indicating the change over time. Choice D ('Rare') simply contrasts with 'ubiquitous' without showing the transition from rarity to ubiquity.
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Reread the following sentence from the passage: 'Don't hit me with arguments about greater freedom for workers.' Which of the following would be a more formal way to rewrite the sentence?
- A. I disagree with the argument about contract workers having greater freedom.
- B. Stop telling me that freelancers have more freedom!
- C. Is there actually freedom for workers?
- D. I've already heard.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Choice A, 'I disagree with the argument about contract workers having greater freedom,' is the correct answer. This sentence rephrases the original statement in a more formal and respectful tone, which is suitable for formal writing. Choice B is too direct and lacks formality. Choice C does not address the argument directly and poses a question instead of providing a formal statement. Choice D is dismissive and does not offer a formal rewrite of the original sentence.
The lake was clear and shimmering, and it was such a friendly day; therefore, he dove right in. Which of the following describes the grammar problem in the sentence above?
- A. Ambiguous word choice
- B. Inappropriate transition word choice
- C. Tense disagreement
- D. Incomplete sentence
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Ambiguous word choice. In this sentence, the word 'friendly' is ambiguous and does not clearly convey the intended meaning. The context of the sentence suggests that 'friendly' is used inappropriately to describe a day, making the sentence unclear. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because the issue in the sentence does not relate to transition words, tense disagreement, or an incomplete sentence.
A teacher notices that, when students are talking to each other between classes, they are using their own unique vocabulary words and expressions to talk about their daily lives. When the teacher hears these non-standard words that are specific to one age or cultural group, what type of language is she listening to?
- A. Slang
- B. Jargon
- C. Dialect
- D. Vernacular
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is 'Slang.' Slang refers to informal words or phrases that are specific to a particular group of people, such as young people or a specific culture. In this scenario, the teacher is hearing non-standard words and expressions used by students, which aligns with the definition of slang. Jargon typically refers to specialized terminology used within a specific profession or group. Dialect refers to a particular form of a language that is specific to a region or social group. Vernacular refers to the everyday language spoken by people in a particular region or country.
Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
- A. A carpenter must use certain tools - hammers, saws, chisels - to finish a job.
- B. A carpenter must use certain tools: hammers, saws, chisels to finish a job.
- C. A carpenter must use certain tools hammers, saws, chisels to finish a job.
- D. A carpenter must use certain tools; hammers, saws, chisels to finish a job.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Choice A is the correct answer as the sentence is correctly punctuated using em dashes to set off the list. The em dashes help to clearly separate the list of tools from the rest of the sentence. In Choice B, a colon is used, which is incorrect as colons are typically used to introduce a list, not within the list itself. Choice C lacks any punctuation to separate the list, making it unclear and incorrect. Choice D uses semicolons, which are not appropriate for separating items in a list, making it incorrect as well.
Which of the following examples is a compound sentence?
- A. Shawn and Jerome played soccer in the backyard for two hours.
- B. Marissa last saw Elena and talked to her this morning.
- C. The baby was sick, so I decided to stay home from work.
- D. Denise, Kurt, and Eric went for a run after dinner.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction (such as 'and,' 'but,' 'so,' etc.) or a semicolon. In this case, 'The baby was sick' and 'I decided to stay home from work' are two independent clauses connected by the coordinating conjunction 'so.' Choice A is a simple sentence with one independent clause. Choice B is a complex sentence with an independent clause 'Marissa last saw Elena' and a dependent clause 'and talked to her this morning.' Choice D is also a simple sentence with one independent clause.