Nursing Elites

1. Which of the following correctly completes the sentence? 'A childhood reading of Tales from Shakespeare permanently _____ Helene’s interest in studying the Great Bard.'

• A. piqued
• B. peaked
• C. peked
• D. peeked

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The word 'piqued' means to stimulate or arouse interest or curiosity. In this context, the sentence is referring to Helene’s interest in Shakespeare being stirred or awakened, which makes 'piqued' the correct word. Both 'peaked' and 'peeked' have different meanings (reaching the highest point and looking quickly, respectively) that do not fit the sentence. 'Peked' is not a valid word and does not make sense in the context of the sentence. Therefore, option 'A' is the correct choice.

2. 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.

3. Which of the following sentences is written in the active voice?

• A. John threw the ball.
• B. The ball was thrown by John.
• C. The ball had been thrown by John.
• D. The ball is thrown by John.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'John threw the ball.' Active voice sentences have the subject performing the action, which is the case in this sentence where 'John' is the subject performing the action 'threw.' Choices A, C, and D are in passive voice where the subject receives the action rather than performing it.

4. Hampton was born and raised in Maywood, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in 1948. Which revision best improves the sentence?

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. in Maywood, of Chicago, Illinois in 1948.
• C. in Maywood, of Chicago, Illinois, in 1948.
• D. in Chicago, Illinois of Maywood in 1948.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The corrected choice C 'in Maywood, of Chicago, Illinois, in 1948.' is the best revision as it places commas around the city and state, as well as around the year, improving clarity and readability. Choice A is incorrect as it does not provide the necessary punctuation for clarity. Choice B incorrectly places 'of Chicago' between 'Maywood' and 'Illinois,' disrupting the flow of information. Choice D reverses the order of 'Chicago, Illinois' and 'Maywood,' making it structurally incorrect.

5. 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.

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