Nursing Elites

1. During the Civil War, the United States, still a fairly young country, was divided into the North and South on strongly felt issues. President Abraham Lincoln took a stand on the side of the North, which ultimately emerged victorious. What is the most appropriate topic sentence for the passage below?

• A. The Civil War was a war that was not easily won, but hard fought.
• B. The Civil War ended in 1865.
• C. Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederate States.
• D. Many countries have had civil wars.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The topic sentence sets the stage for the discussion that follows. Choice A, 'The Civil War was a war that was not easily won, but hard fought,' is the most appropriate as it introduces the theme of the challenges faced during the Civil War and the determination required for victory. Choice B, 'The Civil War ended in 1865,' is a factual statement but does not lead into the paragraph content. Choice C, 'Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederate States,' introduces a different historical figure not central to the paragraph. Choice D, 'Many countries have had civil wars,' is a broad statement not related to the specific context of the Civil War in the United States.

2. Which of the following examples is a compound sentence?

• A. Shawn and Jerome played soccer in the backyard for two hours.
• B. Marissa last saw Elena and talked to her this morning.
• C. The baby was sick, so I decided to stay home from work.
• D. Denise, Kurt, and Eric went for a run after dinner.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction (such as 'and,' 'but,' 'so,' etc.) or a semicolon. In this case, 'The baby was sick' and 'I decided to stay home from work' are two independent clauses connected by the coordinating conjunction 'so.' Choice A is a simple sentence with one independent clause. Choice B is a complex sentence with an independent clause 'Marissa last saw Elena' and a dependent clause 'and talked to her this morning.' Choice D is also a simple sentence with one independent clause.

3. What is the most effective way to combine the following sentences? 1. The colonists refused to buy stamps. 2. They were determined to get the Stamp Act repealed.

• A. The colonists refused to buy stamps and they were determined to get the Stamp Act repealed.
• B. The colonists refused to buy stamps, and they were determined to get the Stamp Act repealed.
• C. The colonists refused to buy stamps, and were determined to get the Stamp Act repealed.
• D. The colonists refused to buy stamps, were determined to get the Stamp Act repealed.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The conjunction 'and' is used to connect the two independent clauses in the most effective and grammatically correct way. This choice maintains the clarity of the sentence and the relationship between the two ideas. Choice A is incorrect as it lacks the necessary conjunction to properly connect the two independent clauses. Choice C is incorrect as it misses the subject 'they' before 'were determined.' Choice D is incorrect as it lacks the necessary coordinating conjunction 'and' before 'were determined,' resulting in a run-on sentence.

4. Which of the following is a dependent clause?

• A. Over the course of the day
• B. After I finish my homework
• C. I can't use my mother's car
• D. Through the tunnel

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is 'After I finish my homework.' This is a dependent clause because it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. It relies on the rest of the sentence for context and meaning. Choice A, 'Over the course of the day,' is a prepositional phrase, not a dependent clause. Choice C, 'I can't use my mother's car,' is an independent clause as it can function as a complete sentence on its own. Choice D, 'Through the tunnel,' is also a prepositional phrase and not a dependent clause.

5. The sheer number of people in the audience overwhelmed the actress as she peeked through the curtain before scene one. Which of the following correctly describes an error in the sentence above?

• A. The homophone 'sheer' should be 'shear.'
• B. The homophone 'peaked' should be 'peeked.'
• C. The homophone 'through' should be 'threw.'
• D. The homophone 'scene' should be 'seen.'

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. In this context, 'peaked' should be 'peeked,' meaning to take a quick look. The other choices are incorrect: A is wrong because 'sheer' is the correct term referring to the absolute or complete number of people; C is incorrect as 'through' is the right term indicating looking by going across something; D is inaccurate as 'scene' is the correct term for a part of a play or film.

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