Nursing Elites

1. The sentence 'The audience was captivated by the speaker's compelling story' implies that the audience:

• A. Was bored and disinterested.
• B. Found the story confusing.
• C. Was completely absorbed and engaged.
• D. Disagreed with the speaker's message.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The term 'captivated' in the sentence indicates that the audience was completely engrossed and engaged by the speaker's compelling story. This implies that they were absorbed and highly interested in what was being presented. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because 'captivated' suggests a positive and attentive reaction from the audience rather than boredom, confusion, or disagreement.

2. What is the function of a colon when used to introduce a list?

• A. A colon joins two related sentences.
• B. A colon sets off direct quotes longer than five words.
• C. A colon introduces a list or explanation after a complete sentence.
• D. A colon separates clauses in a compound sentence.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: When a colon is used to introduce a list, it is placed after a complete sentence and serves to signal that what follows will be a list or an explanation related to the preceding sentence. Choice A is incorrect because a colon doesn't join two related sentences; it introduces what follows after a complete sentence. Choice B is incorrect as a colon is not used to set off direct quotes longer than five words; quotation marks are used for that purpose. Choice D is incorrect because a colon does not separate clauses in a compound sentence; it is used to introduce a list or explanation after a complete sentence.

3. The plump old white cat basked in the warm sunlight. Which of the following options correctly punctuates the above?

• A. The plump, old, white cat basked in the warm sunlight.
• B. The plump, old, white, cat basked in the warm sunlight.
• C. The plump, old white cat basked in the warm sunlight.
• D. The plump old white cat, basked in the warm sunlight.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'The plump, old, white cat basked in the warm sunlight.' Commas should be used to separate coordinate adjectives describing the cat. In this sentence, 'plump,' 'old,' and 'white' are coordinate adjectives, each providing distinct information about the cat. Option B incorrectly places a comma after 'white,' creating a nonessential element. Option C lacks commas to separate the coordinate adjectives. Option D incorrectly places a comma after 'cat,' causing a punctuation error.

4. The speaker's enthusiasm was contagious. Which word is the noun form of the adjective 'enthusiastic'?

• A. enthusiastic
• B. enthusiastically
• C. enthusiasm
• D. enthuse

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is 'C: enthusiasm.' The noun form of the adjective 'enthusiastic' is 'enthusiasm.' Nouns are often formed from adjectives by changing the suffix; in this case, '-ic' in 'enthusiastic' changes to '-m' in 'enthusiasm.' 'Entusiastic' is an adjective and does not function as a noun. 'Enthusiastically' is an adverb as it describes how something is done, not a noun. 'Enthuse' is a verb and does not represent the noun form of 'enthusiastic.' It is important to understand the relationships between different parts of speech when analyzing word forms.

5. 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.

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