Nursing Elites

1. What is the main point of the passage?

• A. The narrator is gaining favor with the emperor and his court and experiencing cultural entertainment.
• B. The emperor is hosting a dance competition to determine high-ranking officials.
• C. The candidates for high offices are trained in rope-dancing to display their skills.
• D. The emperor's court engages in various entertainments to showcase their talents.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The main point of the passage is that the narrator, through his gentleness and good behavior, is gaining favor with the emperor and his court. He describes how he interacts with the natives and experiences the country's shows, such as the rope-dancers. The passage focuses on the narrator's progress in understanding the language and his experiences with the cultural entertainment of the emperor's court. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect as they focus on specific details mentioned in the passage rather than the overall main point.

2. Which definition most closely relates to the usage of the word moult in the passage?

• A. An adventure of sorts, especially underwater
• B. Mating act between two insects
• C. The act of shedding part or all of the outer shell
• D. Death of an organism that ends in a revival of life

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The definition that most closely relates to the usage of the word 'moult' in the passage is the act of shedding part or all of the outer shell. The passage mentions how some insects remain under water until they are ready to undergo their final moult and attain the winged state. This process involves shedding their old skin or exoskeleton to transition from the aquatic larval stage to the aerial adult stage. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not align with the specific context provided in the passage. Choice A talks about an adventure underwater, which is unrelated to the biological process of moulting. Choice B refers to a mating act between insects, which is not the focus of the passage. Choice D discusses the death of an organism leading to a revival of life, which is not connected to the moulting process described in the passage.

3. In a volleyball game, who can score a point?

• A. the receiving team
• B. the serving team
• C. any team
• D. neither team

Correct answer: B

Rationale: According to the passage, only the serving team can score in a volleyball game. After the ball is served, the serving team earns points by winning a rally. The receiving team aims to stop the serving team and win the rally to gain the serve. Therefore, the correct answer is the serving team. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect as the receiving team does not score points, both teams do not score, and there is indeed scoring in volleyball.

4. What does the following sentence most nearly mean? The preparatory instars of such insects are aquatic; the adult instar is aerial.

• A. The volume of water is necessary to prepare the insect for transition rather than the volume of the air.
• B. The abdomen of the insect is shaped like a star in the water as well as in the air.
• C. The stage of preparation in between molting occurs in the water, while the final stage is in the air.
• D. These insects first breathe in the water through gills, but then use the same organs to breathe in the air.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The sentence is describing the life cycle of certain insects where their preparatory instars occur in the water, while the adult instar lives in the air. This means that the stage of preparation between molting or shedding of the exoskeleton happens in the water, but the final stage as adults is in the air. Choice A is incorrect as it misinterprets the meaning of the aquatic and aerial environments for the insect's life stages. Choice B is incorrect as it introduces a concept of the insect's abdomen being shaped like a star, which is not mentioned or relevant to the sentence. Choice D is incorrect as it introduces information about the insects' breathing organs, which is not directly related to the sentence's meaning about their life stages.

5. Which of the following stories' messages is significantly distorted through the use of an irrelevant detail?

• A. A soft profile about a local politician's part-time rock band that mentions his political differences with his bandmates
• B. A feature story of a local business owner running for political office in which she admits to having employed illegal laborers
• C. A profile of several local Jewish and Arab business leaders that mentions ongoing hostilities in the Middle East
• D. A news report about a local citizen protesting property tax rates that includes details about an immigration violation he committed twenty years previously

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D. In the news report about a local citizen protesting property tax rates that includes details about an immigration violation he committed twenty years previously, the irrelevant detail about the immigration violation distracts from the main message of the protest against property tax rates. The inclusion of this detail shifts the focus away from the citizen's current concerns and the reasons for his protest, thus distorting the story's message. Choices A, B, and C do not include irrelevant details that significantly distort the main messages of the stories. Choice A mentions political differences with bandmates but still focuses on the politician's part-time rock band. Choice B discusses the employment of illegal laborers but remains centered on the business owner's political aspirations. Choice C talks about ongoing hostilities in the Middle East but does not veer away from the main focus on the local Jewish and Arab business leaders.

Similar Questions