Nokea
Janine was so nervous that she was surprisingly graceless and awkward on stage. What is the meaning of the word 'graceless' as used in the sentence below?
- A. Against fear
- B. Without religion
- C. Lacking elegance
- D. Full of caution
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The word 'graceless' in this context means lacking elegance or poise. Janine's nervousness caused her to act awkwardly and without the elegance one would typically expect on stage. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect. 'Against fear,' 'Without religion,' and 'Full of caution' do not accurately capture the meaning of 'graceless' in the given sentence.
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As the tour group approached the bottom of Chichen Itza, the prodigious Mayan pyramid, they became nervous about climbing its distant peak. Based on the context of the sentence, which of the following words shows the correct meaning of the word prodigious?
- A. Very large
- B. Famous
- C. Very old
- D. Fancy
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: In this context, the word 'prodigious' is used to describe the Mayan pyramid at Chichen Itza. The tour group's nervousness about climbing its distant peak indicates that the pyramid is impressive in size and scale, invoking a sense of awe or grandeur. Therefore, the correct meaning of 'prodigious' in this context would be 'very large.' Choice B, 'Famous,' is incorrect as the sentence focuses on the size rather than the fame of the pyramid. Choice C, 'Very old,' and choice D, 'Fancy,' do not accurately capture the intended meaning of 'prodigious' as used in this context.
A teacher wants to counsel a student about using the word ain't in a research paper for a high school English class. What advice should the teacher give?
- A. Ain't is not in the dictionary, so it isn't a word.
- B. Because the student isn't in college yet, ain't is an appropriate expression for a high school writer.
- C. Ain't is incorrect English and should not be part of a serious student's vocabulary because it sounds uneducated.
- D. Ain't is a colloquial expression, and while it may be appropriate in a conversational setting, it is not standard in academic writing.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The teacher should advise the student that 'ain't' is a colloquial expression, and while it may be suitable in informal or conversational settings, it is not standard in academic writing. Using colloquialisms like 'ain't' in formal research papers can diminish the professionalism and clarity of the writing. Choice A is incorrect as the presence of a word in the dictionary does not solely determine its appropriateness in formal writing. Choice B is incorrect because the student's academic level does not justify the use of non-standard English. Choice C is incorrect as it focuses on the perceived uneducated sound of 'ain't' rather than its appropriateness in formal writing, which is the key concern for the research paper in question.
What type of sentence is the following: 'If it rains tomorrow, the picnic will be canceled'?
- A. Simple
- B. Compound
- C. Complex
- D. Compound-complex
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The given sentence, 'If it rains tomorrow, the picnic will be canceled,' is a complex sentence. It consists of an independent clause 'the picnic will be canceled' and a dependent clause 'If it rains tomorrow.' A simple sentence contains just one independent clause, a compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses, and a compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Therefore, choices A, B, and D are incorrect for this sentence.
What part of speech is the word 'silently' in the sentence 'The masked villain silently laughed while watching the hero struggle to escape'?
- A. Preposition
- B. Adverb
- C. Verb
- D. Adjective
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: 'Silently' is an adverb in this sentence as it describes how the villain laughed. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. In this case, 'silently' is modifying the verb 'laughed,' indicating the manner in which the action was performed. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect. 'Silently' is not a preposition (A) as it doesn't show a relationship between nouns or pronouns. It is not a verb (C) because it doesn't express an action or state of being. Additionally, it is not an adjective (D) since it does not describe a noun or pronoun.
Which of the following sentences uses correct subject-verb agreement?
- A. There are two constellations that can be seen from the back of the house.
- B. At least four of the sheep need to be sheared before the end of summer.
- C. Lots of people were auditioning for the singing competition on Saturday.
- D. Everyone in the group has completed the assignment on time.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Choice C is the correct answer as it demonstrates proper subject-verb agreement. 'Lots of people' is a plural subject, requiring the plural verb 'were.' The verb 'auditioning' is also in the correct tense to match the subject. Choices A, B, and D contain errors in subject-verb agreement. In Choice A, 'There is two constellations' should be corrected to 'There are two constellations' to match the plural subject. In Choice B, 'four of the sheep needs' should be 'four of the sheep need' to agree with the plural subject. In Choice D, 'Everyone in the group have completed' should be 'Everyone in the group has completed' to match the singular subject 'Everyone.'