Nursing Elites

1. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences includes members whose topics of study span many disciplines such as math, science, arts, humanities, public affairs, and business. Which of the following is an appropriate synonym for disciplines as it is used in the sentence?

• A. locations
• B. regions
• C. punishments
• D. fields

Correct answer: D

Rationale: In this context, 'disciplines' refers to specific areas of study or fields of expertise. Therefore, the most appropriate synonym for 'disciplines' would be 'fields.' Options A, B, and C do not accurately convey the meaning of 'disciplines' in the given sentence. 'Locations' and 'regions' refer to physical places, while 'punishments' is entirely unrelated to the context of academic or professional fields of study.

2. Which of the following is a complex sentence?

• A. When skywriting, a pilot flies a small aircraft in specific, particular formations, creating large letters visible from the ground.
• B. The public defense attorney was able to maintain her optimism despite her dearth of courtroom wins, her lack of free time, and her growing list of clients.
• C. Because the distance between stars in the galaxy is far greater than the distance between planets, interstellar travel is expected to be an even bigger challenge than interplanetary exploration.
• D. Invented in France in the early nineteenth century, the stethoscope underwent a number of reiterations before the emergence of the modern form of the instrument in the 1850s.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause connected by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. In choice C, the sentence 'Because the distance between stars in the galaxy is far greater than the distance between planets' is a dependent clause introduced by the subordinating conjunction 'Because,' while the rest of the sentence 'interstellar travel is expected to be an even bigger challenge than interplanetary exploration' forms the independent clause. This combination of an independent clause and a dependent clause makes choice C a complex sentence. Choices A, B, and D do not contain both an independent and dependent clause connected in the way that choice C does, thus they do not qualify as complex sentences.

3. Which of the following sentences is a compound sentence?

• A. The sky is clear, and the stars are bright.
• B. Although it was late, he stayed up.
• C. She reads books.
• D. While she reads, she listens to music.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. A compound sentence consists of two independent clauses joined by a conjunction or a semicolon. In sentence A, 'The sky is clear' and 'the stars are bright' are two independent clauses joined by the conjunction 'and.'<br>Choice B is a complex sentence as it has a dependent clause ('Although it was late') and an independent clause ('he stayed up').<br>Choice C is a simple sentence with only one subject and one verb.<br>Choice D is a complex sentence with a dependent clause ('While she reads') and an independent clause ('she listens to music').

4. Which of the following is an example of a complex sentence?

• A. Tabitha tried rock climbing, despite her fear of heights.
• B. Tabitha tried rock climbing; she had a fear of heights.
• C. Tabitha tried rock climbing and had a fear of heights.
• D. Tabitha tried rock climbing despite having a fear of heights.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D. A complex sentence consists of an independent clause and at least one dependent clause. In this case, 'Tabitha tried rock climbing' is the independent clause, and 'despite having a fear of heights' is the dependent clause, making it a complex sentence. Choice A has been corrected to include a complete dependent clause, 'despite her fear of heights.' Choice B is incorrect because the semicolon does not appropriately connect the clauses. Choice C is incorrect as it combines two independent clauses without a dependent clause. Therefore, only choice D correctly forms a complex sentence with an independent and dependent clause.

5. Which sentence avoids a comma splice?

• A. The wind howled, the branches swayed, and rain lashed against the windows.
• B. He packed his bags, checked the weather forecast, and then hit the road.
• C. The movie was entertaining; it was also thought-provoking.
• D. Tired and hungry, she stopped for a quick bite at the cafe.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Option C uses a semicolon to correctly separate the two independent clauses 'The movie was entertaining' and 'it was also thought-provoking.' This usage of a semicolon avoids a comma splice, which occurs when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction or appropriate punctuation. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they all contain comma splices. In choice A, the comma splice is present between 'The wind howled' and 'the branches swayed.' In choice B, the comma splice occurs between 'He packed his bags' and 'checked the weather forecast.' Choice D has a comma splice between 'Tired and hungry' and 'she stopped for a quick bite at the cafe.'

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