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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The sheer number of people in the audience overwhelmed the actress as she peeked through the curtain before scene one. Which of the following correctly describes an error in the sentence above?
- A. The homophone 'sheer' should be 'shear.'
- B. The homophone 'peaked' should be 'peeked.'
- C. The homophone 'through' should be 'threw.'
- D. The homophone 'scene' should be 'seen.'
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B. In this context, 'peaked' should be 'peeked,' meaning to take a quick look. The other choices are incorrect: A is wrong because 'sheer' is the correct term referring to the absolute or complete number of people; C is incorrect as 'through' is the right term indicating looking by going across something; D is inaccurate as 'scene' is the correct term for a part of a play or film.
Which of the following words is hyphenated correctly?
- A. Ex-president
- B. Hyperactive
- C. Self-made
- D. Mid-America
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is 'Mid-America.' It is correctly hyphenated as it combines 'Mid' and 'America' to form a compound noun. Choice A, 'Ex-president,' should be hyphenated to show the prefix 'Ex-' before 'president.' Choice B, 'Hyperactive,' should not be hyphenated as 'hyper' is a prefix. Choice C, 'Self-made,' should be hyphenated to connect 'self' and 'made' in this compound adjective.
Which of the following is a correct thesis statement?
- A. President Perez pledged to improve living conditions for all during her well-attended inauguration speech, which drew thunderous applause.
- B. President Perez graduated first in her class at Harvard University after defending a capstone project on inequality.
- C. President Perez is our greatest leader because her proposal of a universal income will eradicate inequity among citizens.
- D. President Perez was interviewed on television in February, where she spoke without commercial interruption for 1 hour.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Choice C is the correct thesis statement because it presents a clear argument or claim, making it a strong thesis statement. The thesis statement asserts President Perez as the greatest leader based on her proposal of a universal income to eradicate inequity among citizens. This statement sets a specific focus and direction for the essay or discussion that follows. Choices A, B, and D do not function as thesis statements. Choice A provides a descriptive event but lacks a clear argument. Choice B highlights an achievement but does not establish a central claim. Choice D mentions an interview but does not present a focused argument as required in a thesis statement.
Which of the following examples correctly uses quotation marks?
- A. "Where the Red Fern Grows" was one of my favorite novels as a child.
- B. Though he is famous for his roles in films like "The Great Gatsby" and "Titanic," Leonardo DiCaprio has never won an Oscar.
- C. Sylvia Plath's poem, "Daddy," will be the subject of this week's group discussion.
- D. "The New York Times" reported that many fans are disappointed in some of the trades made by the Yankees this off-season.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct use of quotation marks in choice A is to enclose the title of a book, 'Where the Red Fern Grows,' indicating that it is a specific title that should be distinguished from the rest of the sentence. Choice B incorrectly uses quotation marks for movie titles, which should be italicized or underlined. Choice C correctly uses quotation marks for the title of a poem. Choice D has an extra space before the opening quotation mark, which is incorrect.
Which of the following is the complete subject of the following sentence? All of Shannon's family and friends helped her to celebrate her 50th birthday at Caf© Sorrento.
- A. Family and friends
- B. All
- C. All of Shannon's family and friends
- D. Shannon's family and friends
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The complete subject in the sentence is 'All of Shannon's family and friends.' This phrase encompasses the entirety of the group involved in celebrating Shannon's 50th birthday at Caf© Sorrento. It includes both her family and friends collectively, highlighting the full extent of individuals who participated in the celebration. The term 'All of Shannon's family and friends' is essential for providing a comprehensive subject that covers everyone who contributed to making the event special. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not capture the complete scope of individuals involved in the birthday celebration, unlike choice C which encompasses both Shannon's family and friends.