Parrots, among the most intelligent birds in the world, have been prized pets for many centuries; in fact, the first recorded instance of parrot training was written in the thirteenth century. Which of the following is a synonym for prized as used in the sentence?
- A. unlikely
- B. misunderstood
- C. rewarded
- D. valued
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In the context of the sentence, 'prized' is used to describe how much people value parrots as pets. Synonyms for 'prized' in this context would include esteemed, cherished, or valued, making option D the most suitable choice. Options A, B, and C do not accurately capture the meaning of 'prized' in this sentence.
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Everyday items like potatoes, bread, onions, and even saliva are the tools of art conservators, who work to clean and restore works of art. Which of the following is misspelled in the sentence above?
- A. potatoes
- B. saliva
- C. conservators
- D. restore
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct spelling is 'potatoes,' with the correct plural form being used in this context. The other choices are spelled correctly: 'saliva,' 'conservators,' and 'restore.' 'Saliva' refers to a bodily fluid, 'conservators' are professionals who work on art conservation, and 'restore' means to bring something back to its original condition or state.
On Parents' Day, a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of Congo, families celebrate parents' both living and deceased. Which of the following punctuation marks is used incorrectly?
- A. the apostrophe in Parents' Day
- B. the comma following Day
- C. the comma following Congo
- D. the apostrophe in parents'
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The comma following 'Day' is used incorrectly. Commas are typically not used after single-word identifiers like 'Day' in a sentence unless they are part of a list. In this case, the holiday is referred to as 'Parents' Day,' where the apostrophe is used correctly to indicate possession. The comma following 'Day' is unnecessary and should be removed for proper punctuation. Choices A and D both use apostrophes correctly to indicate possession, so they are not incorrect. The comma following 'Congo' in choice C is necessary to set off the introductory phrase 'a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of Congo.' Therefore, the correct answer is B.
Which of the following phrases follows the rules of capitalization?
- A. President Carter and his advisors
- B. Robert Jones, the senior Senator from California
- C. my Aunt and Uncle who live out West
- D. the party on New Year's Eve
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B. In this phrase, the words 'Senator' and 'California' are capitalized correctly since they refer to a specific position and a proper noun, respectively. 'Senator' is capitalized as it is part of the title and 'California' is capitalized as a proper noun. Choice A is incorrect because 'President' should be capitalized when it precedes a specific name, like 'President Carter.' Choice C is incorrect because 'Aunt' and 'Uncle' are not proper nouns and should not be capitalized. Choice D is incorrect because only 'New Year's Eve' should be capitalized as it is a proper noun for the event.
After a twelve-hour workday, James was exhausted when he heard the news.
- A. .
- B. ;
- C. ,
- D. -
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The comma (,) is used to separate the introductory clause 'After a twelve-hour workday' from the main clause 'James was exhausted when he heard the news.' This punctuation correctly indicates the relationship between the two clauses without interrupting the flow of the sentence. Choice A (.), a period, would create two separate sentences, which is not appropriate in this context. Choice B (;) is too strong of a pause and semicolons are typically used to connect closely related independent clauses. Choice D (-) is an em dash, which is used to set off an abrupt break or interruption in the sentence, not to separate an introductory clause from the main clause.
Her new tennis racket cost her a hundred dollars, but it was worth the steep price tag. Which of the following words from the sentence is slang?
- A. cost
- B. dollars
- C. steep
- D. tag
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'dollars.' 'Bucks' is a slang term for dollars. The use of 'bucks' in this sentence is informal and colloquial compared to the other word choices, making it the slang word in the sentence. 'Cost,' 'steep,' and 'tag' are all standard English words that are not considered slang in this context.