Nursing Elites

1. What is missing from the following sentence: 'He asked, When is the assignment due?'

• A. There should be quotation marks.
• B. There needs to be a semicolon after 'asked.'
• C. There should be a comma after 'assignment.'
• D. Nothing is missing.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. The sentence is missing quotation marks around 'When is the assignment due?'. Quotation marks are essential to indicate that the words enclosed are being directly quoted. Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon is not needed in this context. Choice C is incorrect as a comma is already present after 'He asked' to separate the introductory clause. Choice D is incorrect because the sentence does lack proper punctuation, which are the quotation marks.

2. Which of the following punctuation marks is used incorrectly in the sentence? "Otto, somewhat abruptly, got up out of his chair, and just like that, headed into the next room."

• A. The comma after "somewhat"
• B. The comma after "Otto"
• C. The semicolon after "that"
• D. The comma after "chair"

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The semicolon after "that" is used incorrectly; a comma should be used instead. Semicolons are typically used to join two independent clauses without a conjunction. In this sentence, the phrase "just like that" is not an independent clause, so a comma is more appropriate for separating it from the rest of the sentence. Choices A, B, and D all use commas correctly within the sentence.

3. 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.

4. What transition should be added to the beginning of sentence 2 below: Mr. Shanbourne just nodded?

• A. Surprisingly
• B. Actually
• C. Furthermore
• D. Instead

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct transition to add at the beginning of sentence 2 is 'Surprisingly.' This transition sets the tone for something unexpected or contrary to what was anticipated, emphasizing Mr. Shanbourne's reaction as not typical or predicted. Option B, 'Actually,' would not fit well as it does not imply any sense of surprise or contrast. Option C, 'Furthermore,' is used to add information rather than to indicate a surprising turn of events. Option D, 'Instead,' suggests a replacement or choice between alternatives, which is not suitable in this context.

5. Which of the following substitutions best captures the meaning of the word 'egregious' in the sentence: 'The errors were becoming so frequent and egregious that the company had no choice but to force the humbled administrator into early retirement'?

• A. thoughtless
• B. bizarre
• C. minor
• D. flagrant

Correct answer: A

Rationale: 'Egregious' means outstandingly bad or shocking. Among the given choices, 'thoughtless' is the best substitution that captures a similar meaning. This is because 'thoughtless' implies actions or errors committed without careful consideration, which aligns with the negative connotation of the word 'egregious' in the sentence. 'Bizarre' (choice B) means strange or unusual, not necessarily bad. 'Minor' (choice C) means of lesser importance or seriousness, which contrasts with the strong negativity of 'egregious.' 'Flagrant' (choice D) means obviously offensive or bad, but it does not fully capture the sense of shock and outstandingly bad conveyed by 'egregious.'

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