import { type PracticeQuestion } from "../../types/lesson";

export const BOUNDARIES_EASY: PracticeQuestion[] = [
  {
    id: "04bfd364",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The intense pressure found in the deep ocean can affect the structure of proteins in fish’s cells, distorting the proteins’ shape. The chemical trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) counters this effect, ensuring that proteins retain their original ______blank is found in high concentrations in the cells of the deepest-dwelling fish.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "configurations. TMAO" },
      { label: "B", text: "configurations TMAO" },
      { label: "C", text: "configurations, TMAO" },
      { label: "D", text: "configurations and TMAO" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period after “configurations” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“The intense…configurations”) and another (“TMAO…fish”). The supplementary phrase (“ensuring…configurations”) modifies the main clause of the first sentence (“The chemical…effect”), and “TMAO” is the subject of the second sentence. <br>Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences  (“The intense…configurations” and “TMAO…fish”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice D is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join sentences.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "148be4da",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Human-made (synthetic) fibers used in clothes and many other consumer products are more durable than most natural plant ______blank the manufacture of synthetic fibers requires toxic chemical solvents that can pollute air and water.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "fibers," },
      { label: "B", text: "fibers but" },
      { label: "C", text: "fibers" },
      { label: "D", text: "fibers, but" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the first main clause (“Human-made...fibers”) and the second main clause (“the manufacture...water”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice B is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "1724dac2",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>A subseasonal weather forecast attempts to predict weather conditions three to four weeks in ______blank its predictions are therefore more short-term than those of the seasonal forecast, which attempts to predict the weather more than a month in advance.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "advance," },
      { label: "B", text: "advance" },
      { label: "C", text: "advance;" },
      { label: "D", text: "advance and" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are both independent clauses, so using a semicolon to separate them is grammatically correct. <br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are both independent clauses, so a comma is not enough to separate them. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with specific punctuation (a period, a semi-colon, a colon, a dash, or a comma + a coordinating conjunction). Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are both independent clauses, so the word “and” by itself is not enough to separate them. There would need to be a comma before “and” for this choice to work.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "1f39ab8b",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a leader of Umuofia (a fictional Nigerian clan) and takes pride in his culture’s traditions. However, when the arrival of European missionaries brings changes to Umuofia, the novel asks a central question: How ______blank</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Umuofia’s traditions will be affected." },
      { label: "B", text: "will Umuofia’s traditions be affected." },
      { label: "C", text: "Umuofia’s traditions will be affected?" },
      { label: "D", text: "will Umuofia’s traditions be affected?" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the colon should be in the conventional form of a question: with the verb before the subject, and a question mark at the end. <br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice ends the sentence with a period, which isn’t right. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the colon should be that question. Choice B is incorrect. This choice ends the sentence with a period, which isn’t right. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the colon should be that question. In Standard English, questions place the verb before the subject and end with a question mark. Choice C is incorrect. This choice doesn’t conform to the conventions of Standard English. In Standard English, questions place the verb before the subject.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "26c8c88c",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>About 70,000 meteorites have been found on Earth. Although most meteorites are fragments of ______blank hundred have been identified as being from the Moon or Mars.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "asteroids. Several" },
      { label: "B", text: "asteroids, several" },
      { label: "C", text: "asteroids; several" },
      { label: "D", text: "asteroids: several" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      'Choice B is the best answer. This choice uses a comma to correctly separate the dependent clause "although…asteroids" from the independent clause "several hundred have been…Mars."<br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. "Although…asteroids" is a dependent clause. It can’t stand on its own as a sentence, which means it can’t end in a period. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. "Although…asteroids" is a dependent clause and can’t be joined to the independent clause "several hundred have been…Mars" with a semicolon. A semicolon can only join two independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. A colon can only come after an independent clause, but "although…asteroids" is a dependent clause.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "333b2b65",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>While one requires oxygen and one does ______blank and anaerobic respiration are both forms of cellular respiration—that is, they are processes by which cells break down glucose to use as energy.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "not aerobic" },
      { label: "B", text: "not. Aerobic" },
      { label: "C", text: "not, aerobic" },
      { label: "D", text: "not; aerobic" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. A comma is the appropriate way to link the dependent clause “While...not” and the independent clause that follows. <br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. “While...not” is a dependent clause, which must be separated from the independent clause that follows with some sort of punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. “While one requires oxygen and one does not” isn’t an independent clause, so it can’t stand alone as a complete sentence. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “While one requires oxygen and one does not” isn’t an independent clause, so it can’t be linked to the clause that follows with a semicolon.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "4565a53c",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Lucía Michel of the University of Chile observed that alkaline soils contain an insoluble form of iron that blueberry plants cannot absorb, thus inhibiting blueberry growth. If these plants were grown in alkaline soil alongside grasses that aid in iron solubilization, ______blank Michel was determined to find out.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "could the blueberries thrive." },
      { label: "B", text: "the blueberries could thrive." },
      { label: "C", text: "the blueberries could thrive?" },
      { label: "D", text: "could the blueberries thrive?" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is end-of-sentence punctuation. This choice correctly uses a question mark to punctuate the interrogative clause “could the blueberries thrive,” which asks a direct question at the end of the sentence. <br>Choice A is incorrect because a period can’t be used in this way to punctuate an interrogative clause, such as “could the blueberries thrive,” at the end of a sentence. Choice B is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative clause. The declarative clause “the blueberries could thrive” incorrectly indicates that it was known that the blueberries could thrive in alkaline soil, whereas Michel had yet to find this out. Choice C is incorrect because a question mark can’t be used in this way to punctuate a declarative clause, such as “the blueberries could thrive,” at the end of a sentence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "577b09fa",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Robin Wall Kimmerer of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation is a bryologist, a plant scientist who specializes in mosses. To Kimmerer, mosses are Earth’s most adaptable plants: they can clone ______blank enter a dormant state in times of drought, and grow in areas that don’t have soil.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "themselves;" },
      { label: "B", text: "themselves," },
      { label: "C", text: "themselves. And" },
      { label: "D", text: "themselves" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a series. The comma after “themselves” is used conventionally to separate the first item (“they can clone themselves”) and the second item (“enter a dormant state in times of drought”) in the series of things mosses can do. <br>Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to separate items in a simple series such as this. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “And enter.” Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the first and second items in the series.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "603755a5",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 1959, marine biologist Dr. Albert Jones founded the Underwater Adventure Seekers, a scuba diving ______blank that is the oldest club for Black divers in the United States and that has helped thousands of diving enthusiasts become certified in the field.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "club" },
      { label: "B", text: "club," },
      { label: "C", text: "club—" },
      { label: "D", text: "club, and" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use punctuation to separate it from “scuba diving club.” . <br>Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use a comma (or any kind of punctuation) to separate it from “scuba diving club.” . Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use a dash (or any kind of punctuation) to separate it from “scuba diving club.” . Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence. It makes “that is…United States” into an awkward independent clause, but it also makes “that has…field” into its own awkward independent clause without the correct punctuation separating it.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "60713427",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Polyphenols are organic compounds ______blank among their many roles, provide pigment that helps protect plants against ultraviolet radiation from sunlight.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "that—" },
      { label: "B", text: "that;" },
      { label: "C", text: "that," },
      { label: "D", text: "that:" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. The comma after “that” pairs with the comma after “roles” to separate the supplementary element “among their many roles” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions to clarify that polyphenols have many roles, and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence. <br>Choice A is incorrect because a dash can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because a colon can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "6fece68e",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Emperor Ashoka ruled the Maurya Empire in South Asia from roughly 270 to 232 BCE. He is known for enforcing a moral code called the Law of Piety, which established the sanctity of animal ______blank the just treatment of the elderly, and the abolition of the slave trade.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "life" },
      { label: "B", text: "life;" },
      { label: "C", text: "life:" },
      { label: "D", text: "life," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      'Choice D is the best answer. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. We must use a comma to separate the first two items in the list, just as a comma is used to separate "the just treatment of the elderly" and "the abolition of the slave trade."<br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. To appropriately format the list, we need punctuation to separate each item. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. While semicolons are sometimes used to separate list items, this list uses commas to separate the other list items, and lists must use the same punctuation throughout. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. While colons can be used to introduce lists, they can’t be used to separate items within a list.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "70ced8dc",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Typically, underlines, scribbles, and notes left in the margins by a former owner lower a book’s ______blank when the former owner is a famous poet like Walt Whitman, such markings, known as marginalia, can be a gold mine to literary scholars.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "value, but" },
      { label: "B", text: "value" },
      { label: "C", text: "value," },
      { label: "D", text: "value but" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of independent clauses within a sentence. An independent clause is a phrase containing a subject and a verb that can stand on its own as a sentence. This choice uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the first independent clause (“underlines…lower a book’s value”) and the second independent clause (“such markings…can be a gold mine to scholars”) to create a compound sentence. <br>Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two independent clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between two independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect because a comma is needed to mark the boundary between two coordinated independent clauses.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "7b950fc2",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 2000, Nora de Hoyos Comstock, herself an owner of a successful consulting firm, sought to increase Latina representation in corporate ______blank founded Las Comadres para las Americas, an international community that for over two decades has served as a resource and information network for Latina business professionals.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "settings she" },
      { label: "B", text: "settings, she" },
      { label: "C", text: "settings and she" },
      { label: "D", text: "settings. She" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      'Choice D is the best answer. It appropriately uses a period to mark the end of one independent clause ("In 2000…settings") and the start of another ("She founded…professionals").<br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both the clause before the blank ("In 2000…settings") and the clause after the blank ("she…professionals") are independent clauses, so they need to be separated by punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a comma splice error. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with just a comma. Linking two independent clauses with a comma also requires the use of a coordinating conjunction (like for, and, nor, but, or, yet, or so). Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, an error caused when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation or appropriate conjunctions. Since both the clause before the blank ("In 2000…settings") and the clause after the blank ("she…professionals") are independent, a comma would be required in addition to the coordinating conjunction "and."',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "89ab0d46",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>After the printing press was introduced in 1440, handwritten manuscripts from Europe’s medieval period were often destroyed and the paper used for other purposes. In one instance, pages ______blank a collection of Norse tales dating to 1270 were discovered lining a bishop’s miter (hat).</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "from:" },
      { label: "B", text: "from," },
      { label: "C", text: "from" },
      { label: "D", text: "from—" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The word “from” introduces a prepositional phrase that modifies the noun “pages” and provides essential information about their origin. No additional punctuation is needed after “from” in this context. <br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error, illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of the prepositional phrase with a colon. Also, a colon can only follow an independent clause, but what comes before the blank could not stand on its own as a complete sentence. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error, illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of the prepositional phrase with a comma. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error, illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of the prepositional phrase with a dash.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "8a3998f1",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>After the United Kingdom began rolling out taxes equivalent to a few cents on single-use plastic grocery bags in 2011, plastic-bag consumption decreased by up to ninety ______blank taxes are subject to what economists call the “rebound effect”: as the change became normalized, plastic-bag use started to creep back up.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "percent, such" },
      { label: "B", text: "percent and such" },
      { label: "C", text: "percent. Such" },
      { label: "D", text: "percent such" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period after “percent” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“After…percent”) and another (“Such…up”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join sentences. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“After…percent” and “Such…up”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "9091458d",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Emperor penguins don’t waddle out of the ocean. They launch themselves at such a high speed that they travel up to two meters before landing. How ______blank A layer of microbubbles on their plumage reduces friction as the penguins speed to the surface.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "they are able to move so fast!" },
      { label: "B", text: "are they able to move so fast." },
      { label: "C", text: "they are able to move so fast." },
      { label: "D", text: "are they able to move so fast?" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is end-of-sentence punctuation. This choice correctly uses a question mark to punctuate the interrogative sentence “how are they able to move so fast?” The interrogative sentence asks a direct question, and the next sentence answers it. <br>Choice A is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative sentence. The exclamative sentence “how they are able to move so fast!” emphasizes the penguin’s high rate of speed, but it doesn’t set up the next sentence’s explanation of how the penguins achieve such speeds. Choice B is incorrect because a period can’t be used in this way to punctuate an interrogative sentence. Choice C is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative sentence. The exclamative sentence “how they are able to move so fast” emphasizes the penguin’s high rate of speed, but it doesn’t set up the next sentence’s explanation of how the penguins achieve such speeds.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "91fbd59d",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Award-winning cinematographer James Wong Howe was known for his innovative filming techniques. While filming a boxing match for the movie Body and Soul ______blank Howe had a handheld camera operator wear roller skates. This allowed the operator to move smoothly around actors in a boxing ring, creating an immersive experience for viewers.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "(1947), and" },
      { label: "B", text: "(1947)," },
      { label: "C", text: "(1947) and" },
      { label: "D", text: "(1947)" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary element and a main clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“While...1947”), which indicates when the action occurred, and the main clause (“Howe had a handheld camera operator wear roller skates”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because a comma paired with the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between the supplementary element (“While…1947”) and the main clause (“Howe…skates”). Choice C is incorrect because the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join the supplementary element (“While…1947”) and the main clause (“Howe…skates”). Choice D is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary element and the main clause with appropriate punctuation.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "96499989",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Fans of science fiction will ______blank multiple references to classic sci-fi stories in Janelle Monáe’s song lyrics, including her recurring nods to the plot of the 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "appreciate the" },
      { label: "B", text: "appreciate. The" },
      { label: "C", text: "appreciate, the" },
      { label: "D", text: "appreciate: the" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      'Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested here is punctuation between a verb and object. No punctuation is needed between the verb ("appreciate") and its object ("the multiple references..."). The object helps complete the idea of the verb—in this case, it explains what fans of science fiction will appreciate—and any punctuation between the two results in an ungrammatical sentence.<br>Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and its object. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and its object. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and its object.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "96953201",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In her two major series “Memory Test” and “Autobiography,” painter Howardena Pindell explored themes ______blank healing, self-discovery, and memory by cutting and sewing back together pieces of canvas and inserting personal artifacts, such as postcards, into some of the paintings.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "of" },
      { label: "B", text: "of," },
      { label: "C", text: "of—" },
      { label: "D", text: "of:" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a preposition and its complement. No punctuation is needed between the preposition “of” and its complement, the noun phrase “healing, self-discovery, and memory.” <br>Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between a preposition and its complement. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between a preposition and its complement. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between a preposition and its complement.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "9902d2de",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The Alvarez theory, developed in 1980 by physicist Luis Walter Alvarez and his geologist son Walter Alvarez, maintained that the secondary effects of an asteroid impact caused many dinosaurs and other animals to die ______blank it left unexplored the question of whether unrelated volcanic activity might have also contributed to the mass extinctions.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "out but" },
      { label: "B", text: "out, but" },
      { label: "C", text: "out" },
      { label: "D", text: "out," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the first main clause (“the Alvarez…out”) and the second main clause (“it left…extinctions”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "a1e0c981",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In her book The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, author Maxine Hong Kingston examines themes ______blank childhood, womanhood, and Chinese American identity by intertwining autobiography and mythology.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "of:" },
      { label: "B", text: "of" },
      { label: "C", text: "of—" },
      { label: "D", text: "of," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. “Themes of childhood” is one noun phrase, with “themes of” implicitly carrying over to the other items on the list (“themes of childhood, <strong>themes of</strong> womanhood, and <strong>themes of</strong> Chinese American identity”).  <br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, “In her book…themes of” is not an independent clause, thanks to the dangling “of” at the end, so it can’t precede a colon. Choice C is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, “In her book…themes of” is not an independent clause, thanks to the dangling “of” at the end, so it can’t precede a single dash. Choice D is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. “Themes of” implicitly carries over to each item on the list (“themes of childhood, <strong>themes of</strong> womanhood, and <strong>themes of</strong> Chinese American identity”), so we don’t want to use a comma to separate it.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "a466679a",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 1976, the Inuit rock group Sikumiut recorded the album People of the Ice. Though only their first record, it shows a band already skilled at the difficult task of making music that sounds easy and fun. On songs like “Utirumavunga,” Lucassie Koperqualuk’s guitar riffs effortlessly ______blank Charlie Adams’s delightfully catchy vocal melodies.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "blend, with" },
      { label: "B", text: "blend. With" },
      { label: "C", text: "blend; with" },
      { label: "D", text: "blend with" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a verb and a prepositional phrase. No punctuation is needed between the verb “blend” and the prepositional phrase “with Charlie Adams’s delightfully catchy vocal melodies.” The prepositional phrase completes the idea of the sentence, explaining with what Koperqualuk’s guitar riffs blend. <br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the prepositional phrase.  Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the prepositional phrase.  Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the prepositional phrase.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "aab78b25",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Psychophysicist Howard Moskowitz was hired by a soda company to determine how much artificial sweetener ______blank After conducting consumer taste tests, he found that no such ideal existed: participants expressed a wide range of preferences for different blends of sweetener, carbonization, and flavoring.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "do most people prefer in a diet drink?" },
      { label: "B", text: "do most people prefer in a diet drink." },
      { label: "C", text: "most people prefer in a diet drink?" },
      { label: "D", text: "most people prefer in a diet drink." },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. This sentence is a statement: “Moskowitz was hired by a soda company to determine how much artificial sweetener most people prefer in a diet drink.” So a period is the most appropriate punctuation mark.  <br>Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This sentence is not a question—it’s a statement. So a question mark is not the appropriate punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. We already have the verbs “was hired…to determine” in this sentence. The verb “do” is not needed and results in a confusing, ungrammatical sentence. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This sentence is not a question—it’s a statement. So a question mark is not the appropriate punctuation.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "b1e8b87f",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Winding through the ice atop Norway’s Jotunheim Mountains is the Lendbreen pass, an ancient route that was used by hunters, farmers, traders, and travelers in the Middle Ages before eventually falling into disuse. Recently, archeologists have ______blank knives, horseshoes, wool tunics, and thousands of other artifacts from the icy pass.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "unearthed:" },
      { label: "B", text: "unearthed," },
      { label: "C", text: "unearthed—" },
      { label: "D", text: "unearthed" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      'Choice D is the best answer. No punctuation should separate the verb "unearthed" and its objects (i.e, what was "unearthed"): "knives, horseshoes, wool tunics, and thousands of other artifacts."<br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb "unearthed" from its objects (i.e, what was "unearthed") with a colon. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb "unearthed" from its objects (i.e, what was "unearthed") with a comma. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb "unearthed" from its objects (i.e, what was "unearthed") with a dash.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "b35cefb7",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The fine, powdery substance that covers the Moon’s surface is called regolith. Because regolith is both readily available and high in oxygen ______blank scientists have wondered whether it could be used as a potential source of oxygen for future lunar settlements.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "content and" },
      { label: "B", text: "content," },
      { label: "C", text: "content" },
      { label: "D", text: "content, and" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subordinate clause and a main clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause (“Because...content”) and the main clause (“scientists...settlements”). <br>Choice A is incorrect. Joining the subordinate clause (“Because...content”) and the clause that follows (“scientists...settlements”) with the conjunction “and” results in an ungrammatical sentence that lacks a main clause. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause and the main clause with appropriate punctuation. Choice D is incorrect. Joining the subordinate clause (“Because...content”) and the clause that follows (“scientists...settlements”) with a comma and the conjunction “and” results in an ungrammatical sentence that lacks a main clause.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "c21df211",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 1959, the film industry debuted Smell-O-Vision. Theaters were fitted with specialized vents that emitted odors at specific points in a ______blank as the scent of roses when roses appeared in a scene. Smell-O-Vision failed to impress, however, with one reviewer declaring it “briefly weird and not very interesting.”</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "movie such" },
      { label: "B", text: "movie; such" },
      { label: "C", text: "movie. Such" },
      { label: "D", text: "movie, such" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      'Choice D is the best answer. The comma appropriately separates the nonessential descriptive aside "such as…scene" from the independent clause "Theaters were…movie." Since the descriptive example of roses isn’t necessary for the sentence to function, it needs to be set off with punctuation.<br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence. Since the example of roses isn’t necessary for the sentence to function, the descriptive aside "such as…scene" needs to be separated from the preceding independent clause with some sort of punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. A semicolon can only be used to separate two independent clauses, but "such…scene" is not an independent clause and couldn’t stand on its own as a sentence. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. The descriptive aside "Such…scene" is not an independent clause and can’t stand on its own as a sentence.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "cabe71d4",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Both Sona Charaipotra, an Indian American, and Dhonielle Clayton, an African American, grew up frustrated by the lack of diverse characters in books for young people. In 2011, these two writers joined forces to found CAKE Literary, a book packaging ______blank specializes in the creation and promotion of stories told from diverse perspectives for children and young adults.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "company," },
      { label: "B", text: "company that" },
      { label: "C", text: "company" },
      { label: "D", text: "company, that" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use and punctuation of an integrated relative clause. This choice correctly uses the relative pronoun “that” and no punctuation to create an integrated relative clause that provides essential information about the noun phrase (“a book packaging company”) that it modifies. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it doesn’t use a relative pronoun to link the verb phrase beginning with “specializes” to the noun phrase that it modifies (“a book packaging company”). Choice C is incorrect because it doesn’t use a relative pronoun to link the verb phrase beginning with “specializes” to the noun phrase that it modifies (“a book packaging company”). Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the integrated relative clause beginning with “that specializes” and the noun phrase that it modifies (“a book packaging company”).",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "ce81d0b7",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The life spans of rockfish vary greatly by species. For instance, the colorful calico rockfish (Sebastes dalli) can survive for a little over a ______blank the rougheye rockfish (Sebastes aleutianus) boasts a maximum life span of about two centuries.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "decade: while" },
      { label: "B", text: "decade. While" },
      { label: "C", text: "decade; while" },
      { label: "D", text: "decade, while" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a main clause and a subordinate clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“the colorful…decade”) and the subordinate clause (“while…centuries”) that provides contrasting information about the life span of rougheye rockfish. <br>Choice A is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a subordinate clause. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “while.” Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a subordinate clause.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "d75d57a0",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>While many video game creators strive to make their graphics ever more ______blank others look to the past, developing titles with visuals inspired by the “8-bit” games of the 1980s and 1990s. (The term “8-bit” refers to a console whose processor could only handle eight bits of data at once.)</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "lifelike but" },
      { label: "B", text: "lifelike" },
      { label: "C", text: "lifelike," },
      { label: "D", text: "lifelike, but" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subordinate clause and a main clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause (“While…lifelike”) and the main clause (“others look to the past”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in an incomplete sentence with no main clause. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause (“While…lifelike”) and the main clause (“others…past”). Choice D is incorrect because it results in an incomplete sentence with no main clause.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "dddfa043",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Before the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, transporting goods by wagon between New York City and the Midwest took up to forty-five days and cost one hundred dollars per ton. By linking the Hudson River to Lake ______blank canal reduced transport time to nine days and cut costs to six dollars per ton.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Erie; the" },
      { label: "B", text: "Erie (the" },
      { label: "C", text: "Erie, the" },
      { label: "D", text: "Erie: the" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the introductory supplementary phrase (“By linking the Hudson River to Lake Erie”), which identifies how the canal reduced transport time, and the main clause (“the canal reduced transport time to nine days and cut costs to six dollars per ton”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between a supplementary phrase (“By…Erie”) and the main clause (“the canal...ton”). Choice B is incorrect because an open parenthesis can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between a supplementary phrase (“By…Erie”) and the main clause (“the canal...ton”). Choice D is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between an introductory supplementary phrase (“By…Erie”) and the main clause (“the canal...ton”).",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "de55ec71",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Generations of mystery and horror ______blank have been influenced by the dark, gothic stories of celebrated American author Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849).</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "writers" },
      { label: "B", text: "writers," },
      { label: "C", text: "writers—" },
      { label: "D", text: "writers;" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. When, as in this case, a subject (“Generations of mystery and horror writers”) is immediately followed by a verb (“have been influenced”), no punctuation is needed. <br>Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "e15c50b2",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>A standard Argo float, a type of autonomous robot, measures temperature and salinity in the upper regions of ice-free oceans. More advanced floats can measure a wider range of ______blank and monitor seasonal ice zones.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "variables: travel to greater depths" },
      { label: "B", text: "variables, travel to greater depths," },
      { label: "C", text: "variables travel to greater depths," },
      { label: "D", text: "variables, travel to greater depths;" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a series. The comma after “variables” is used conventionally to separate the first and second items in the series, and the comma after “depths” is used conventionally to separate the second and third items. <br>Choice A is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to separate items in a simple series. Choice C is incorrect because a comma is needed after “variables” to separate the first and second items in the series. Choice D is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to separate items in a simple series.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "ea8f4658",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>When particles are suspended in liquid (like pollen in a water glass), they will zigzag randomly through the liquid and collide with one another in perpetuity. This type of random, continuous ______blank is known as Brownian motion, can be observed throughout the natural world.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "movement: which" },
      { label: "B", text: "movement, which" },
      { label: "C", text: "movement which" },
      { label: "D", text: "movement. Which" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      'Choice B is the best answer. This choice correctly uses commas to set off the nonessential relative clause "which is known as Brownian motion" that provides extra information about the "random, continuous movement" that isn’t necessary for the function of the sentence.<br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. The relative clause "which is known as Brownian motion" is a nonessential supplement. Nonessential supplements need to be set apart from the rest of the sentence with a pair of commas, dashes, or parentheses, so we can’t use a colon here. Also, notice that colons can only come after an independent clause, which isn’t the case here. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. The relative clause "which is known as Brownian motion" is a nonessential supplement, so it should be separated from the rest of the sentence by a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a comma after "motion," so we need to add a comma before "which." This choice is missing that comma. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. "This type of random, continuous movement" is not an independent clause and can’t stand alone as a full sentence, so we can’t put a period here.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "f2eaaf5d",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>At eight paragraphs long, the preamble to the constitution of ______blank country in Western Asia—is much longer than the one-paragraph preamble to the United States Constitution.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Bahrain—a" },
      { label: "B", text: "Bahrain, a" },
      { label: "C", text: "Bahrain a" },
      { label: "D", text: "Bahrain: a" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. The dash after “Bahrain” pairs with the dash after “Asia” to separate the supplementary element “a country in Western Asia” from the rest of the sentence. <br>Choice B is incorrect because a comma can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because a colon can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
];

export const BOUNDARIES_MEDIUM: PracticeQuestion[] = [
  {
    id: "01a32c84",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The first computerized spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin’s VisiCalc, improved financial recordkeeping not only by providing users with an easy means of adjusting data in spreadsheets but also by automatically updating all calculations that were dependent on these ______blank to VisiCalc’s release, changing a paper spreadsheet often required redoing the entire sheet by hand, a process that could take days.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "adjustments prior" },
      { label: "B", text: "adjustments, prior" },
      { label: "C", text: "adjustments. Prior" },
      { label: "D", text: "adjustments and prior" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is used correctly to mark the boundary between the first sentence (“The...adjustments”) and the second sentence (“Prior...days”). Because the adverbial phrase beginning with “prior” indicates when changing a spreadsheet required redoing the sheet by hand, that phrase belongs with the second sentence. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. Two sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice D is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join the sentences.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "083a35dc",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Po’Pay was a Tewa leader from Ohkay Owingeh, a pueblo located about twenty-five miles north of present-day Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was instrumental in organizing the Pueblo Revolt of ______blank as a result of his leadership, the Spanish colonizers were expelled from the region for a time.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "1680" },
      { label: "B", text: "1680 and" },
      { label: "C", text: "1680," },
      { label: "D", text: "1680, and" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “and” to join the first main clause (“He…1680”) and the second main clause (“as…time”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "0f39b19c",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>After a spate of illnesses as a child, Wilma Rudolph was told she might never walk again. Defying all odds, Rudolph didn’t just walk, she ______blank the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, she won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes and clinched first place for her team in the 4x100-meter relay, becoming the first US woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "ran—fast—during" },
      { label: "B", text: "ran—fast during" },
      { label: "C", text: "ran—fast, during" },
      { label: "D", text: "ran—fast. During" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“Defying…fast”) and another sentence that begins with a supplementary phrase (“During…Olympics”). <br>Choice A is incorrect. When a dash is present in a sentence (“ran—fast”), it’s not conventional to use another dash (“fast—during”) to mark the boundary between sentences because it creates a potentially confusing sentence. In this context, a period, semicolon, or colon would be clear and more conventional. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“Defying…fast”) and (“during…Olympics”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "145d5ca7",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Gathering accurate data on water flow in the United States is challenging because of the country’s millions of miles of ______blank the volume and speed of water at any given location can vary drastically over time.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "waterways and the fact that," },
      { label: "B", text: "waterways, and the fact that," },
      { label: "C", text: "waterways, and, the fact that" },
      { label: "D", text: "waterways and the fact that" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation within two coordinated noun phrases. When, as in this case, a noun phrase (“the country’s millions of miles of waterways”) is coordinated with another noun phrase (“the fact”) followed by an integrated relative clause (“that the volume...time”), no punctuation is needed. <br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "267a13e2",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 2010, archaeologist Noel Hidalgo Tan was visiting the twelfth-century temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia when he noticed markings of red paint on the temple ______blank the help of digital imaging techniques, he discovered the markings to be part of an elaborate mural containing over 200 paintings.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "walls, with" },
      { label: "B", text: "walls with" },
      { label: "C", text: "walls so with" },
      { label: "D", text: "walls. With" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period after “walls” is used correctly to mark the boundary between the first sentence (“In...walls”) and the second sentence (“With…techniques”), which starts with a supplementary phrase. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“In...walls” and “with...paintings”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “so” can’t be used in this way to join sentences.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "2b512e65",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Eli Eisenberg, a genetics expert at Tel Aviv University in Israel, recently discovered that ______blank have a special genetic ability called RNA editing that confers evolutionary advantages.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      {
        label: "A",
        text: "cephalopods, ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish",
      },
      {
        label: "B",
        text: "cephalopods—ocean dwellers—that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish,",
      },
      {
        label: "C",
        text: "cephalopods, ocean dwellers that include: the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish,",
      },
      {
        label: "D",
        text: "cephalopods—ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish—",
      },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. In this choice, the dash after “cephalopods” pairs with the dash after “cuttlefish” to clearly separate the supplementary element “ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions to explain what cephalopds are, and the pair of dashes indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element that explains what cephalopods are from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element that explains what cephalopods are from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element that explains what cephalopods are from the rest of the sentence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "2c84f96a",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 2017, artists Isabel and Ruben Toledo redesigned the costumes and sets for The Miami City Ballet’s production of The ______blank to reviewers, the Toledos’ designs helped infuse the production with elements of Miami’s Latin American culture.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Nutcracker according," },
      { label: "B", text: "Nutcracker, according" },
      { label: "C", text: "Nutcracker according" },
      { label: "D", text: "Nutcracker. According" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“In 2017...Nutcracker”) and another (“According...culture”). The supplementary element “according to reviewers” modifies the main clause of the second sentence (“the Toledos’...culture”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Furthermore, no punctuation is needed within the supplementary element “according to reviewers.” Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "3ed5ebb4",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In her analysis of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth (1905), scholar Candace Waid observes that the novel depicts the upper classes of New York society as “consumed by the appetite of a soulless ______blank an apt assessment given that The House of Mirth is set during the Gilded Age, a period marked by rapid industrialization, economic greed, and widening wealth disparities.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "materialism”; and" },
      { label: "B", text: "materialism” and" },
      { label: "C", text: "materialism,”" },
      { label: "D", text: "materialism”" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a main clause and a supplementary noun phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“scholar…materialism”) and the supplementary noun phrase (“an apt assessment”) that describes Waid’s observation about how The House of Mirth depicts the upper classes of New York society. <br>Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon and the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between a main clause and a supplementary noun phrase. Choice B is incorrect. Joining the main clause (“scholar…materialism”) and the following noun phrase with the conjunction “and” results in a confusing and illogical sentence that suggests that the novel depicts the upper classes of New York society as “an apt assessment,” which doesn’t make sense in this context. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause and the supplementary noun phrase with appropriate punctuation.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "403d7bb5",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>According to Naomi Nakayama of the University of Edinburgh, the reason seeds from a dying dandelion appear to float in the air while ______blank is that their porous plumes enhance drag, allowing the seeds to stay airborne long enough for the wind to disperse them throughout the surrounding area.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "falling," },
      { label: "B", text: "falling:" },
      { label: "C", text: "falling;" },
      { label: "D", text: "falling" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the rest of the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while falling is that their plumes enhance drag.” . <br>Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while falling is that their plumes enhance drag.” . Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while falling is that their plumes enhance drag.” . Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while falling is that their plumes enhance drag.” .",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "40c3589d",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Luci Tapahonso is the inaugural poet laureate of the Navajo Nation. Her book Sáanii Dahataal/The Women Are Singing—a combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and ______blank serves as a testament to her versatility as a writer.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "prose;" },
      { label: "B", text: "prose" },
      { label: "C", text: "prose," },
      { label: "D", text: "prose—" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. “A combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match. <br>Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "432b1ede",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The forty-seven geothermal springs of Arkansas’ Hot Springs National Park are sourced via a process known as natural groundwater recharge, in which rainwater percolates downward through the earth—in this case, the porous rocks of the hills around Hot ______blank collect in a subterranean basin.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Springs to" },
      { label: "B", text: "Springs: to" },
      { label: "C", text: "Springs—to" },
      { label: "D", text: "Springs, to" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. The dash after “Springs” pairs with the dash after “earth” to separate the supplementary element “in this case, the porous rocks of the hills around Hot Springs” from the rest of the sentence. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because a comma can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "4ba99a6f",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Seneca sculptor Marie Watt’s blanket art comes in a range of shapes and sizes. In 2004, Watt sewed strips of blankets together to craft a 10-by-13-inch ______blank in 2014, she arranged folded blankets into two large stacks and then cast them in bronze, creating two curving 18-foot-tall blue-bronze pillars.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "sampler later," },
      { label: "B", text: "sampler;" },
      { label: "C", text: "sampler," },
      { label: "D", text: "sampler, later," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice uses a semicolon in a conventional way to join the first main clause (“In 2004…sampler”) and the second main clause (“in 2014…pillars”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. The word “later” is an adverb and cannot be used to join two main clauses unless it is preceded by a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. The word “later” is an adverb and cannot be used to join two main clauses unless it is preceded by a conjunction.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "548f4956",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>It is generally true that technological change is a linear process, in which once-useful technologies are replaced by new and better ______blank the reawakening of interest in the steam engine (from advocates of carbon-neutral rail travel) reminds us that ostensibly obsolete technologies may be brought back into service to address society’s changing needs.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "ones, even so;" },
      { label: "B", text: "ones even so," },
      { label: "C", text: "ones; even so," },
      { label: "D", text: "ones, even so," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice uses a semicolon in a conventional way to join the first main clause (“It is…ones”) and the second main clause  (“even so…needs”). Furthermore, the placement of the semicolon after “ones” indicates that the supplementary phrase “even so” modifies the following clause (“the reawakening...needs”), resulting in the most logical and grammatically complete sentence. With this punctuation, the sentence logically indicates that the recent interest in an old technology like steam engines is despite the fact that technological change typically seeks out new technologies. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a confusing and illogical sentence. Placing the semicolon after “so” indicates that the supplementary element “even so” modifies the first clause of the sentence, which doesn’t make sense in this context. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. It fails to mark the boundary between the two main clauses with appropriate punctuation. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join the two main clauses of the sentence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "5cc85f01",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>A conceptual artist and designer embraced by both the art world and the fashion ______blank Mary Ping was chosen to curate the exhibition Front Row: Chinese American Designers for the Museum of Chinese in America.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "world" },
      { label: "B", text: "world:" },
      { label: "C", text: "world;" },
      { label: "D", text: "world," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”), which describes Mary Ping, and the main clause (“Mary…America”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”) and the main clause (“Mary…America”) with appropriate punctuation. Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to join the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”) and the main clause (“Mary…America”). In this context, the colon incorrectly suggests that the information in the supplementary phrase is an explanation or amplification of the information in the main clause (Mary Ping being chosen to curate the exhibition), which isn’t the case. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”) and the main clause (“Mary…America”). Semicolons are conventionally used to separate two main clauses or to separate items in a complex series.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "67667d72",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Humans were long thought to have begun occupying the Peruvian settlement of Machu Picchu between 1440 and 1450 CE. However, a team led by anthropologist Dr. Richard Burger used accelerator mass spectrometry to uncover evidence that it was occupied ______blank 1420 CE, according to Burger, humans were likely inhabiting the area.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "earlier. In" },
      { label: "B", text: "earlier, in" },
      { label: "C", text: "earlier, which in" },
      { label: "D", text: "earlier in" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“However...earlier”) and another (“In...area”). The supplementary phrase “in 1420 CE” modifies “humans,” the subject of the third sentence. <br>Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Moreover, the subordinating conjunction “which” creates a confusing and illogical sentence that suggests that the supplementary phrase beginning with “in” modifies the previous information (“However...earlier”) rather than the information that follows. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“However...earlier” and “in...area”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "6b49f5f1",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 1727, dramatist Lewis Theobald presented a new play, Double Falsehood, at a London theater. Theobald claimed that his drama was based on a little-known play by William Shakespeare, Cardenio. Many, including poet Alexander Pope, were ______blank historians have determined that Shakespeare’s company did perform a play called Cardenio in 1613.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "skeptical but" },
      { label: "B", text: "skeptical, but" },
      { label: "C", text: "skeptical," },
      { label: "D", text: "skeptical" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      'Choice B is the best answer. There are two independent clauses in the sentence, each with a subject and a verb: "many...were skeptical" and "historians have determined…." These clauses can be grammatically joined by a comma and the coordinating conjunction "but."<br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation. Two independent clauses can’t be joined by just the coordinating conjunction "but." A comma would also be required. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error called a comma splice. This sentence contains two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"). A comma alone can’t join two independent clauses. That requires a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation. This sentence contains two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"), which need to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "74ce2f05",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>A study led by scientist Rebecca Kirby at the University of Wisconsin–Madison found that black bears that eat human food before hibernation have increased levels of a rare carbon isotope, ______blank due to the higher 13C levels in corn and cane sugar. Bears with these elevated levels were also found to have much shorter hibernation periods on average.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "carbon-13, (13C)" },
      { label: "B", text: "carbon-13 (13C)" },
      { label: "C", text: "carbon-13, (13C)," },
      { label: "D", text: "carbon-13 (13C)," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. The comma after “(13C)” pairs with the comma after “isotope” to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element defines the “rare carbon isotope,” and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)” from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)” from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)” from the rest of the sentence. The comma after “carbon-13” isn’t necessary because the parentheses around “13C” already separate this element from the rest of the sentence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "7f48b098",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Photosynthesis, the mechanism by which plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into ______blank is fueled in part by an enzyme called Photosystem II that harvests energy-giving electrons from water molecules.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "nutrients" },
      { label: "B", text: "nutrients and" },
      { label: "C", text: "nutrients," },
      { label: "D", text: "nutrients—" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. The comma after “nutrients” pairs with the comma after “photosynthesis” to separate the supplementary element “the mechanism by which plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into nutrients” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions to define the term “photosynthesis,” and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a conjunction can’t be paired with a comma in this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because a dash can’t be paired with a comma in this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "870ae7ec",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Detroit natives Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey have combined their two passions, Detroit and beekeeping, to improve the health of their city’s flowers and other vegetation. In 2017, the couple converted a vacant lot in the city into an ______blank in the years that followed they acquired nine additional lots and established more than 35 hives.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "apiary," },
      { label: "B", text: "apiary, and" },
      { label: "C", text: "apiary and" },
      { label: "D", text: "apiary" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. This choice uses a comma plus a coordinating conjunction to link them together, which is one of the correct ways to link two independent clauses. <br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. A comma by itself is not enough punctuation to link two independent clauses. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. Independent clauses can only be linked in a few ways, including with a comma plus a coordinating conjunction. This choice uses the coordinating conjunction “and,” but it is missing the comma beforehand. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. Independent clauses need to have certain kinds of punctuation marks between them. This choice doesn’t use any punctuation between the two clauses.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "89fbc3eb",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The Mission 66 initiative, which was approved by Congress in 1956, represented a major investment in the infrastructure of overburdened national ______blank it prioritized physical improvements to the parks’ roads, utilities, employee housing, and visitor facilities while also establishing educational programming for the public.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "parks and" },
      { label: "B", text: "parks" },
      { label: "C", text: "parks;" },
      { label: "D", text: "parks," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice uses a semicolon to correctly join the first main clause (“The Mission…parks”) and the second main clause that begins with “it.” <br>Choice A is incorrect. When coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "8f6d6ae6",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Archaeologists have estimated that the pre-Columbian Native American city of Cahokia, located across the Mississippi River from modern-day St. Louis, Missouri, had as many as 20,000 inhabitants in the year 1150 ______blank it one of the largest cities in North America at the time.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "CE making" },
      { label: "B", text: "CE. Making" },
      { label: "C", text: "CE, making" },
      { label: "D", text: "CE; making" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The phrase “making…at the time” provides additional information about Cahokia that’s not required for the sentence to make sense or function grammatically. As a nonessential supplement, this phrase should be separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma. <br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence. The nonessential descriptive aside “making…at the time” needs to be separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. “Making…at the time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as a sentence. Thus, it can’t be separated from the rest of the sentence with a period. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. “Making…at the time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as an independent clause. Since a semicolon can only link two independent clauses, using one here creates an error.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "a427a52c",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The Lion Light system, developed by Kenyan inventor Richard Turere, consists of LED lights installed around the perimeter of livestock pastures. Powered with ______blank the blinking LEDs keep lions away at night, thus protecting the livestock without risking harm to the endangered lions.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "energy collected, by solar panels, during the day" },
      { label: "B", text: "energy collected by solar panels during the day" },
      { label: "C", text: "energy collected by solar panels during the day," },
      { label: "D", text: "energy, collected by solar panels during the day," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“powered…day”), which describes how the LEDs are powered, and the main clause (“the blinking…night”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase and the main clause with appropriate punctuation. Furthermore, placing commas around the phrase “by solar panels” suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase and the main clause with appropriate punctuation. Choice D is incorrect. Placing commas around the phrase “collected by solar panels during the day″ suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "ac5536c1",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Beatrix Potter is perhaps best known for writing and illustrating children’s books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902), but she also dedicated herself to mycology, the study of ______blank more than 350 paintings of the fungal species she observed in nature and submitting her research on spore germination to the Linnean Society of London.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "fungi; producing" },
      { label: "B", text: "fungi. Producing" },
      { label: "C", text: "fungi producing" },
      { label: "D", text: "fungi, producing" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between two supplementary phrases following the coordinate clause (“but she…mycology”). This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary noun phrase (“the study of fungi”) that defines the term “mycology” and the supplementary participial phrase (“producing...London”) that provides additional information about the extent to which Potter dedicated herself to mycology. <br>Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join two supplementary phrases following a coordinate clause. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “producing.” Choice C is incorrect. The lack of punctuation results in a sentence that illogically suggests that the study of fungi is producing more than 350 paintings.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "ad046778",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>To humans, it does not appear that the golden orb-weaver spider uses camouflage to capture its ______blank the brightly colored arachnid seems to wait conspicuously in the center of its large circular web for insects to approach. Researcher Po Peng of the University of Melbourne has explained that the spider’s distinctive coloration may in fact be part of its appeal.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "prey, rather," },
      { label: "B", text: "prey rather," },
      { label: "C", text: "prey, rather;" },
      { label: "D", text: "prey; rather," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. The semicolon is correctly used to join the first main clause (“To humans…prey”) and the second main clause (“rather…approach”). Further, the comma after the adverb “rather” is correctly used to separate the adverb from the main clause (“the brightly…approach”) it modifies, logically indicating that the information in this clause (how the spider’s behavior appears to humans) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (how the spider’s behavior does not appear to humans). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without appropriate punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. Placing the comma between the first main clause “To humans…prey” and the adverb “rather” illogically indicates that the information in the first main clause is contrary to what came before, which doesn’t make sense in this context.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "b0a525be",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Santa Clara Pueblo artist Roxanne Swentzell’s sculpture Mud Woman Rolls On consists of five human figures made of clay and plant fiber and arranged in descending size; each figure holds the smaller one in front of it. The arrangement of the figures, according to ______blank represents her idea that “we all come from the Earth, generation after generation.”</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Swentzell" },
      { label: "B", text: "Swentzell," },
      { label: "C", text: "Swentzell:" },
      { label: "D", text: "Swentzell—" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts the flow of the sentence, so it needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks: two commas, two dashes, or a pair of parentheses. We already have a comma before “according,” so we must add a comma after “Swentzell.” . <br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts the flow of the sentence, so it needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks: one before and one after the phrase. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The arrangement of the figures, according to Swentzell” is not an independent clause, so it can’t come before a colon. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts the flow of the sentence, so it needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a comma at the beginning, so we have to use another comma here to match. We can’t just switch to a dash! .",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "b6560e5a",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Materials scientist Marie-Agathe Charpagne and her colleagues believed they could improve on the multicomponent alloy NiCoCr, an equal-proportions mixture of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and chromium (Cr), by replacing chromium with ruthenium ______blank the alloy that resulted, NiCoRu, turned out to be an unsuitable replacement for NiCoCr.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "(Ru)" },
      { label: "B", text: "(Ru) but" },
      { label: "C", text: "(Ru)," },
      { label: "D", text: "(Ru), but" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses. This choice correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the first main clause (“Materials…Ru”) and the second main clause (“the alloy…NiCoCr”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "be34a3df",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 2008, two years after the death of science fiction writer Octavia Butler, the Huntington Library in ______blank received a collection of more than 8,000 items, including Butler’s private notes, research materials, manuscripts, photos, and drawings. Today, the Octavia E. Butler Collection is one of the most researched archives at the library.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "California," },
      { label: "B", text: "California:" },
      { label: "C", text: "California—" },
      { label: "D", text: "California" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington Library in California”) from its verb (“received”). <br>Choice A is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington Library in California”) from its verb (“received”). Choice B is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington Library in California”) from its verb (“received”). Choice C is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington Library in California”) from its verb (“received”).",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "c04e9136",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three pioneers in the field of click chemistry: two-time Nobel laureate Barry Sharpless, who coined the term “click chemistry” in 1998; Carolyn Bertozzi, founder of the Bertozzi Group at ______blank and Morten Meldal, a professor at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Stanford" },
      { label: "B", text: "Stanford," },
      { label: "C", text: "Stanford:" },
      { label: "D", text: "Stanford;" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      'Choice D is the best answer. This choice correctly uses a semicolon to punctuate a complex list (which is made up of items that have commas in them).<br>Choice A is incorrect. This is a complex list, indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." What comes after the blank is a separate list item, so punctuation is needed after "Stanford." Choice B is incorrect. This is a complex list, indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." The items in this list have internal punctuation in the form of commas and must therefore be separated by semicolons to avoid confusion. Choice C is incorrect. This is a complex list, indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." Colons aren’t used to separate items in a list.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "c101fc44",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>How do scientists determine what foods were eaten by extinct hominins such as Neanderthals? In the past, researchers were limited to studying the marks found on the fossilized teeth of skeletons, but in 2017 a team led by Laura Weyrich of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA tried something ______blank the DNA found in Neanderthals’ fossilized dental plaque.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "new: sequencing" },
      { label: "B", text: "new; sequencing" },
      { label: "C", text: "new, sequencing:" },
      { label: "D", text: "new. Sequencing" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. “A team…tried something new” is an independent clause leading to an explanation of what the new thing was. A colon can only be used at the end of an independent clause, and typically introduces further explanation that expands upon the first clause, which makes a colon the perfect choice here. <br>Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. “Sequencing…dental plaque” can’t stand on its own as a sentence, and so it can’t be linked to the independent clause “a team…tried something new” with a semicolon. Only two independent clauses can be connected in this way. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. If “sequencing” is included in the first clause, it can no longer stand on its own as a complete idea. Since a colon can only come at the end of an independent clause, using one in this way creates an error. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. “Sequencing…dental plaque” can’t stand on its own as a sentence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "c8540a5b",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Swedish scientists Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann developed a method for measuring the concentration of different proteins in a biological sample. Their ______blank ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), is used to detect and measure proteins that indicate the presence of certain diseases.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "method (called" },
      { label: "B", text: "method—called" },
      { label: "C", text: "method, called" },
      { label: "D", text: "method called" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. The comma after “method” pairs with the comma after the closing parenthesis to separate the supplementary element “called ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions to identify the name of Engvall and Perlmann’s method, and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence. <br>Choice A is incorrect because an opening parenthesis can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a dash can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "cdbbbf94",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>As British scientist Peter Whibberley has observed, “the Earth is not a very good timekeeper.” Earth’s slightly irregular rotation rate means that measurements of time must be periodically adjusted. Specifically, an extra “leap second” (the 86,401st second of the day) is ______blank time based on the planet’s rotation lags a full nine-tenths of a second behind time kept by precise atomic clocks.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "added, whenever" },
      { label: "B", text: "added; whenever" },
      { label: "C", text: "added. Whenever" },
      { label: "D", text: "added whenever" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a verb and a preposition. When, as in this case, a verb (“is added”) is immediately followed by a preposition (“whenever”), no punctuation is needed. <br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the preposition. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the preposition. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the preposition.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "eef91a50",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Nine months before Rosa Parks made history by refusing to comply with the segregated seating policy on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus, a fifteen-year-old Montgomery girl named Claudette Colvin was arrested for the same ______blank to some historians, Colvin’s arrest led to Parks’s action and eventually to the desegregation of Montgomery’s bus system.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "offense. According" },
      { label: "B", text: "offense, according" },
      { label: "C", text: "offense according" },
      { label: "D", text: "offense and according" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses. Separating them with a period and turning them into their own sentences is the only grammatically correct choice among the provided options. <br>Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a comma splice error, which is a punctuation error that occurs when two independent clauses are joined by only a comma. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses, so they need to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses, so they need to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are independent clauses, so we would need to put a comma before the coordinating conjunction “and” to join them properly.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "fcaff694",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The city of Pompeii, which was buried in ash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, continues to be studied by archaeologists. Unfortunately, as ______blank attest, archaeological excavations have disrupted ash deposits at the site, causing valuable information about the eruption to be lost.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      {
        label: "A",
        text: "researchers, Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn,",
      },
      {
        label: "B",
        text: "researchers, Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn",
      },
      {
        label: "C",
        text: "researchers Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn",
      },
      {
        label: "D",
        text: "researchers Roberto Scandone, and Christopher Kilburn",
      },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a restrictive coordinated noun phrase. No punctuation is needed within or around the coordinated noun phrase “researchers Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn” because it would create an illogical separation between the noun “researchers” and the coordinated noun phrase “Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn.” <br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Placing a pair of commas around the coordinated noun phrase “Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn” creates an illogical separation between the noun “researchers” and the aforementioned coordinated noun phrase. In this case, it illogically suggests that researchers in general bear the specific names Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the noun “researchers” and the coordinated noun phrase “Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn.” Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed within the coordinated noun phrase “Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn.”",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "fe41f258",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In ancient Greece, an Epicurean was a follower of Epicurus, a philosopher whose beliefs revolved around the pursuit of pleasure. Epicurus defined pleasure as “the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the ______blank that all life’s virtues derived from this absence.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "soul,” positing" },
      { label: "B", text: "soul”: positing" },
      { label: "C", text: "soul”; positing" },
      { label: "D", text: "soul.” Positing" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a participial phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“Epicurus…‘soul’”) and the participial phrase (“positing…absence”) that provides additional information about how Epicurus defined pleasure. <br>Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a participial phrase. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a participial phrase. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “positing.”",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
];

export const BOUNDARIES_HARD: PracticeQuestion[] = [
  {
    id: "0a114526",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 1937, Chinese American screen actor Anna May Wong, who had portrayed numerous villains and secondary characters but never a heroine, finally got a starring role in Paramount Pictures’ Daughter of Shanghai, a film that ______blank “expanded the range of possibilities for Asian images on screen.”</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "critic, Stina Chyn, claims" },
      { label: "B", text: "critic, Stina Chyn, claims," },
      { label: "C", text: "critic Stina Chyn claims" },
      { label: "D", text: "critic Stina Chyn, claims," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The conventions being tested are punctuation use between titles and proper nouns and between verbs and integrated quotations. No punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun “Stina Chyn” from the title that describes Chyn, “critic.” Because “Stina Chyn” is essential information identifying the “critic,” no punctuation is necessary. Further, no punctuation is needed between the verb “claims” and the following quotation because the quotation is integrated into the structure of the sentence. <br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun “Stina Chyn.” Setting the critic’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun “Stina Chyn.” Setting the critic’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Additionally, no punctuation is needed between “claims” and the integrated quotation. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb “claims” and its subject, “critic Stina Chyn.” Additionally, no punctuation is needed between the verb “claims” and the integrated quotation.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "0fa289a7",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 1955, Indian Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray released his first movie, Pather ______blank quiet black-and-white drama about a family in rural India, Ray’s film was quite different from the loud, colorful action-romance movies that were popular at the time.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Panchali a" },
      { label: "B", text: "Panchali, which was a" },
      { label: "C", text: "Panchali, a" },
      { label: "D", text: "Panchali. A" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      'Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence ("In…Panchali") and another ("A quiet…time"). The phrase beginning with "a quiet" modifies the subject of the next sentence, "Ray’s film."<br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "109d5bbb",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>With some 16,000 in attendance, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and ______blank or FESTAC ‘77, as the event was more commonly known—became the largest pan-African event on record. FESTAC drew people from around the world to Lagos, Nigeria, for a monthlong celebration of Black and African art, scholarship, and activism.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Culture:" },
      { label: "B", text: "Culture—" },
      { label: "C", text: "Culture," },
      { label: "D", text: "Culture" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The text uses a dash to introduce a nonessential element that explains the acronym FESTAC. The dash matches the dash that comes after “known,” ending the descriptive aside. <br>Choice A is incorrect. A colon can only come after an independent clause, which isn’t the case here. Choice C is incorrect. While punctuation is required to set off “or FESTAC…known” from the rest of the sentence, nonessential elements must be separated from the sentence with matching punctuation. Since a dash appears on the other side of the element, we can’t use a comma here. Choice D is incorrect. The descriptive aside “or FESTAC…known” is a nonessential element that must be separated with punctuation from the rest of the sentence. This choice fails to add the necessary punctuation before the nonessential element.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "1b97cce9",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Hegra is an archaeological site in present-day Saudi Arabia and was the second largest city of the Nabataean Kingdom (fourth century BCE to first century CE). Archaeologist Laila Nehmé recently traveled to Hegra to study its ancient ______blank into the rocky outcrops of a vast desert, these burial chambers seem to blend seamlessly with nature.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "tombs. Built" },
      { label: "B", text: "tombs, built" },
      { label: "C", text: "tombs and built" },
      { label: "D", text: "tombs built" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period after “tombs” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“Archaeologist...tombs”) and another (“Built...nature”). <br>Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice C is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join the two sentences. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“Archaeologist...tombs” and “Built...nature”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "1ee4485c",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Journalists have dubbed Gil Scott-Heron the “godfather of rap,” a title that has appeared in hundreds of articles about him since the 1990s. Scott-Heron himself resisted the godfather ______blank feeling that it didn’t encapsulate his devotion to the broader African American blues music tradition as well as “bluesologist,” the moniker he preferred.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "nickname, however" },
      { label: "B", text: "nickname, however;" },
      { label: "C", text: "nickname, however," },
      { label: "D", text: "nickname; however," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and two supplementary elements. In this choice, the commas after “nickname” and “however” are correctly used to separate the supplementary adverb “however” from the main clause (“Scott-Heron…nickname”) on one side and the supplementary participial phrase (“feeling…bluesologist”) on the other. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary adverb “however” and the supplementary phrase (“feeling…bluesologist”). Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the supplementary adverb “however” and the supplementary phrase (“feeling…bluesologist”). Choice D is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“Scott-Heron…nickname”) and the supplementary word and phrase (“however” and “feeling…bluesologist”). Moreover, placing the semicolon after “nickname” illogically signals that the following information (Scott-Heron’s feeling that the nickname didn’t encapsulate his devotion to the blues tradition) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (Scott-Heron’s resistance to the nickname).",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "2bb7416a",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In paleontology, the term “Elvis taxon” gets applied to a newly identified living species that was once presumed to be extinct. Like an Elvis impersonator who might bear a striking resemblance to the late musical icon Elvis Presley himself, an Elvis taxon is not the real thing, ______blank is a misidentified look-alike.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "however but it" },
      { label: "B", text: "however it" },
      { label: "C", text: "however, it" },
      { label: "D", text: "however. It" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so making them into two separate sentences is grammatically correct. <br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at least a comma + a coordinating conjunction. This choice provides the coordinating conjunction “but,” but it’s missing a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with a semicolon, a colon, a dash, a period, or a comma + a coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at least a comma + a coordinating conjunction. This choice provides a comma, but it’s missing a coordinating conjunction.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "2c4cd76d",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Researchers studying magnetosensation have determined why some soil-dwelling roundworms in the Southern Hemisphere move in the opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field when searching for ______blank in the Northern Hemisphere, the magnetic field points down, into the ground, but in the Southern Hemisphere, it points up, toward the surface and away from worms’ food sources.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "food:" },
      { label: "B", text: "food," },
      { label: "C", text: "food while" },
      { label: "D", text: "food" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is colon use within a sentence. A colon used in this way introduces information that illustrates or explains information that has come before it. In this case, the colon introduces the following explanation of why some roundworms in the Southern Hemisphere move in the opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field. <br>Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two long independent clauses (“Researchers…food” and “in…sources”) such as these. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two clauses (“Researchers…food” and “in…sources”) are fused without punctuation. Furthermore, the conjunction “while” fails to indicate that what follows is an explanation of why some roundworms in the Southern Hemisphere move in the opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two clauses (“Researchers…food” and “in…sources”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "2fd05c15",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In crafting her fantasy fiction, Nigerian-born British author Helen Oyeyemi has drawn inspiration from the classic nineteenth-century fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Her 2014 novel Boy, Snow, Bird, for instance, is a complex retelling of the story of Snow White, while her 2019 novel ______blank offers a delicious twist on the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "­­Gingerbread—" },
      { label: "B", text: "­­Gingerbread," },
      { label: "C", text: "Gingerbread" },
      { label: "D", text: "­­Gingerbread:" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. When, as in this case, a subject (“her 2019 novel Gingerbread”) is immediately followed by a verb (“offers”), no punctuation is needed. <br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "59094d87",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The Tantaquidgeon Museum in Uncasville, Connecticut, was founded in 1931 with the goal of showcasing the culture and history of the Mohegan ______blank today, nearly a century later, it is the oldest Native-owned and -operated museum in the country.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Tribe, and" },
      { label: "B", text: "Tribe" },
      { label: "C", text: "Tribe and" },
      { label: "D", text: "Tribe," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a comma and a coordinating conjunction (“and”) to join two independent clauses (“The Tantaquidgeon…Tribe” and “Today…country”). <br>Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after “Tribe” are both independent, so they need to be separated with some sort of punctuation. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after “and” are both independent, so they can’t be linked with just a conjunction. A comma would also be required. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. The clauses before and after “Tribe” are both independent, so they can’t be linked with just a comma. A coordinating conjunction like “and” or “but” would also be required.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "594b4a94",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The field of geological oceanography owes much to American ______blank Marie Tharp, a pioneering oceanographic cartographer whose detailed topographical maps of the ocean floor and its multiple rift valleys helped garner acceptance for the theories of plate tectonics and continental drift.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "geologist," },
      { label: "B", text: "geologist" },
      { label: "C", text: "geologist;" },
      { label: "D", text: "geologist:" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. “Marie tharp” is essential information that completes the first clause — the first clause doesn’t function without it. So we don’t want to separate it with punctuation. <br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much to American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means it’s essential information and should not be separated by a comma. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much to American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means it’s essential information and should not be separated by a semicolon. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much to American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means it’s essential information and should not be separated by a colon.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "59a246dc",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>When external forces are applied to common glass made from silicates, energy builds up around minuscule defects in the material, resulting in fractures. Recently, engineer Erkka Frankberg of Tampere University in Finland used the chemical ______blank to make a glassy solid that can withstand higher strain than silicate glass can before fracturing.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "compound, aluminum oxide" },
      { label: "B", text: "compound aluminum oxide," },
      { label: "C", text: "compound, aluminum oxide," },
      { label: "D", text: "compound aluminum oxide" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation around noun phrases. No punctuation is needed because the noun phrase “aluminum oxide” is a restrictive appositive, meaning that it provides essential identifying information about the noun phrase before it, “the chemical compound,” and thus doesn’t require punctuation around it. <br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice C is incorrect because the noun phrase “aluminum oxide” is a restrictive appositive. Setting the phrase off with punctuation suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "5aae2475",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Stomata, tiny pore structures in a leaf that absorb gases needed for plant growth, open when guard cells surrounding each pore swell with water. In a pivotal 2007 article, plant cell ______blank showed that lipid molecules called phosphatidylinositol phosphates are responsible for signaling guard cells to open stomata.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "biologist, Yuree Lee" },
      { label: "B", text: "biologist Yuree Lee," },
      { label: "C", text: "biologist Yuree Lee" },
      { label: "D", text: "biologist, Yuree Lee," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No punctuation is needed to offset the proper noun “Yuree Lee” form the title “plant cell biologist” that describes Lee. <br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed around the proper noun “Yuree Lee.” Setting the phrase off with punctuation suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "62120607",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>From afar, African American fiber artist Bisa Butler’s portraits look like paintings, their depictions of human faces, bodies, and clothing so intricate that it seems only a fine brush could have rendered them. When viewed up close, however, the portraits reveal themselves to be ______blank stitching barely visible among the thousands of pieces of printed, microcut fabric.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "quilts, and the" },
      { label: "B", text: "quilts, the" },
      { label: "C", text: "quilts; the" },
      { label: "D", text: "quilts. The" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“the portraits...quilts”) and the supplementary noun phrase (“the stitching...fabric”) that provides a further description of how the portraits can be identified as quilts. <br>Choice A is incorrect. A comma and the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a supplementary noun phrase. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a supplementary noun phrase. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “the stitching.”",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "6d4b2e1e",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The 1977 play And the Soul Shall Dance depicts two Japanese American farming families in Depression-era Southern California. Critics have noted the way pioneering ______blank compares the experiences of issei (Japanese nationals who emigrated to America) and nisei (their American-born children).</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "playwright, Wakako Yamauchi," },
      { label: "B", text: "playwright, Wakako Yamauchi" },
      { label: "C", text: "playwright Wakako Yamauchi," },
      { label: "D", text: "playwright Wakako Yamauchi" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      'Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi" from the title that describes Yamauchi, "pioneering playwright." Because "Wakako Yamauchi" is essential information identifying the "pioneering playwright," no punctuation is necessary.<br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Setting the playwright’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the title "pioneering playwright" and the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi" and the verb "compares."',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "6ea8c23f",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 2018, a team of researchers led by Dr. Caitlin Whalen compiled every available measurement of ocean mixing rates from the past two decades. With this novel data set, the team was able to determine how current-driven mixing varies across ______blank and what impact it has on the distribution of heat and nutrients in the ocean.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "regions," },
      { label: "B", text: "regions:" },
      { label: "C", text: "regions;" },
      { label: "D", text: "regions" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      'Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between coordinates in a sentence. The two elements "how…regions" and "what…ocean" work together as coordinates to complete the description of what the team was able to determine. Because there are only two coordinates in this case (as opposed to a series of three or more), no punctuation is needed between them.<br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean."',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "73a6603c",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>On sunny days, dark rooftops absorb solar energy and convert it to unwanted heat, raising the surrounding air ______blank a light-colored covering to an existing dark roof, either by attaching prefabricated reflective sheets or spraying on a paint-like coating, helps combat this effect.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "temperature; by adding" },
      { label: "B", text: "temperature, adding" },
      { label: "C", text: "temperature. Adding" },
      { label: "D", text: "temperature by adding" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is used correctly to mark the boundary between the first sentence (“On…temperature”) and the second sentence (“Adding…effect”). The gerund phrase beginning with “adding” is the subject of the second sentence, and the verb phrase “helps combat this effect” describes what adding a light-colored covering can do. <br>Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the sentence “On...temperature” and the supplementary phrases that follow. Doing so leaves the verb phrase “helps combat” without a subject and thus results in a grammatically unconventional sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a confusing and illogical sentence that suggests that adding a light-colored covering to an existing dark roof raises the temperature of the surrounding air. Furthermore, it creates ambiguity by leaving the verb phrase “helps combat” without a subject (so it isn’t clear what helps combat the effect).",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "78b88c04",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Joshua Hinson, director of the language revitalization program of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, helped produce the world’s first Indigenous-language instructional app, Chickasaw ______blank Chickasaw TV, in 2010; and a Rosetta Stone language course in Chickasaw, in 2015.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Basic; in 2009, an online television network;" },
      { label: "B", text: "Basic; in 2009, an online television network," },
      { label: "C", text: "Basic, in 2009; an online television network," },
      { label: "D", text: "Basic, in 2009, an online television network," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a complex series. It’s conventional to use a semicolon to separate items in a complex series with internal punctuation, and in this choice, the semicolon after “2009” is conventionally used to separate the first item (“the world’s…2009”) and the second item (“an online…2010”) in the series of things that Hinson helped create. Further, the comma after “Basic” correctly pairs with the comma after “app,” and the comma after “network” correctly pairs with the comma after “TV” to set off the supplemental elements (“Chickasaw Basic” and “Chickasaw TV”) that provide the names of the app and the TV network, respectively. Altogether, the punctuation in this choice results in a sentence that clearly indicates that Hinson helped make a language app in 2009, an online TV network in 2010, and a language course in 2015.  <br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to punctuate the complex series in a way that makes clear that Hinson helped make a language app in 2009, an online TV network in 2010, and a language course in 2015. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to punctuate the complex series in a way that makes clear that Hinson helped make a language app in 2009, an online TV network in 2010, and a language course in 2015. Choice D is incorrect because the comma after “2009” doesn’t match the semicolon used to separate the second and third items in the complex series.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "790fc366",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Using satellite remote sensing, Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, director of NASA’s Harvest Africa initiative, gathers important data on crop health. Nakalembe doesn’t just compile the ______blank she also shares her findings with African farmers, enabling them to make data-driven decisions about managing critical food crops.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "information, though;" },
      { label: "B", text: "information, though," },
      { label: "C", text: "information; though" },
      { label: "D", text: "information though," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      'Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses ("Nakalembe doesn’t just…though" and "she also shares..."). This choice also appropriately includes "though" in the first clause, where it logically belongs.<br>Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma instead of a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but." "Though" is a transition word, but it’s not a coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. A semicolon can only be used to link two independent clauses. However, if "though" is included in the second clause, it turns the second clause into a dependent clause, so a semicolon can’t be used after "information." Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma instead of a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but."',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "7ce4ee13",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>After immigrating from Mexico and obtaining U.S. citizenship, Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo entered politics, earning a reputation for being a fervent defender of Hispanic civil rights. In 1919 Larrazolo was elected governor of ______blank in 1928 he became the nation’s first Hispanic U.S. Senator.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "New Mexico and" },
      { label: "B", text: "New Mexico," },
      { label: "C", text: "New Mexico, and" },
      { label: "D", text: "New Mexico" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      'Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction "and" to join the first main clause ("In 1919 Larrazolo was elected governor of New Mexico") and the second main clause ("in 1928 he became the nation’s first Hispanic US Senator").<br>Choice A is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "83898524",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In addition to advocating for South America’s independence in two political treatises, the Cartagena Manifesto and the Letter from Jamaica, Simón Bolívar personally led armies against the Spanish, liberating three South American territories—New Granada (present-day Colombia and Panama), Venezuela, and Quito (present-day ______blank from colonial rule.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Ecuador,)" },
      { label: "B", text: "Ecuador)" },
      { label: "C", text: "Ecuador)," },
      { label: "D", text: "Ecuador)—" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. The dash after “Ecuador” and the closing parenthesis pairs with the dash after “territories” to separate the supplementary element (“New…Ecuador”) from the rest of the sentence. The supplementary element specifies the three South American territories that Simón Bolívar liberated, and the pair of dashes indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Furthermore, punctuation isn’t needed between “Ecuador” and the closing parenthesis. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because a comma can’t be paired with a dash to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "84658166",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 1943, in the midst of World War II, mathematics professor Grace Hopper was recruited by the US military to help the war effort by solving complex equations. Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than just ______blank as a pioneering computer programmer, Hopper would help usher in the digital age.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "equations, though:" },
      { label: "B", text: "equations, though," },
      { label: "C", text: "equations. Though," },
      { label: "D", text: "equations though" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation to mark boundaries between supplements and clauses. The comma after “equations” is used to separate the independent clause (“Hopper’s…equation”) from the supplementary adverb phrase “though.” The colon after “though” is used to mark the boundary between the clause ending with “though” and the following clause (“as…age”). A colon used in this way introduces information that illustrates or explains information that has come before it. In this case, the colon after “though” introduces the following explanation of how Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than just solving equations: she would become a pioneering computer programmer. <br>Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two independent clauses (“Hopper’s…though” and “as…age”) such as these. Choice C is incorrect because it results in an illogical sequence of sentences. Placing the period after “equations” and beginning the next sentence with “Though” illogically suggests that the following information (that Hopper would help usher in the digital age) is contrary to the information in the previous sentence (Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than just solving equations). Instead, the information that follows supports the information from the previous sentence by explaining how her work and influence extended beyond solely solving equations. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two independent clauses (“Hopper’s…though” and “as…age”) are fused without punctuation.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "886dc9f9",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>On July 23, 1854, a clipper ship called the Flying Cloud entered San Francisco ______blank left New York Harbor under the guidance of Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy and his wife, navigator Eleanor Creesy, a mere 89 days and 8 hours earlier, the celebrated ship set a record that would stand for 135 years.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Bay and having" },
      { label: "B", text: "Bay. Having" },
      { label: "C", text: "Bay, having" },
      { label: "D", text: "Bay having" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period after “Bay” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“On…Bay”) and another sentence that begins with a supplementary phrase (“Having…years”). Here, the supplementary phrase beginning with “having” modifies the subject of the second sentence, “the celebrated ship.” <br>Choice A is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two sentences. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“On…Bay” and “having…years”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "960dec02",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>A recent study tracked the number of bee species present in twenty-seven New York apple orchards over a ten-year period. ______blank found that when wild growth near an orchard was cleared, the number of different bee species visiting the orchard decreased.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Entomologist Heather Grab:" },
      { label: "B", text: "Entomologist, Heather Grab," },
      { label: "C", text: "Entomologist Heather Grab" },
      { label: "D", text: "Entomologist Heather Grab," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a name and title and between a subject and a verb. No punctuation is needed between the proper noun “Heather Grab” and “entomologist,” the title that describes Grab. Additionally, no punctuation is needed between the sentence’s subject (“Entomologist Heather Grab”) and the main verb (“found”) that indicates what Grab did. <br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Setting the entomologist’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "a8fa749a",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Nigerian author Buchi Emecheta’s celebrated literary oeuvre includes The Joys of Motherhood, a novel about the changing roles of women in 1950s ______blank a television play about the private struggles of a newlywed couple in Nigeria; and Head Above Water, her autobiography.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Lagos, A Kind of Marriage," },
      { label: "B", text: "Lagos; A Kind of Marriage," },
      { label: "C", text: "Lagos, A Kind of Marriage:" },
      { label: "D", text: "Lagos; A Kind of Marriage" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a complex series (a series including internal punctuation). In this choice, the semicolon after “Lagos” is conventionally used to separate the first item (“The Joys…Lagos”) and the second item (“A Kind…Nigeria”) in the series. Further, the comma after “Marriage” correctly separates the title “A Kind of Marriage” from the supplementary phrase (“a television…Nigeria”) that describes it. <br>Choice A is incorrect because the comma after “Lagos” doesn’t match the semicolon used later in the series to separate the second item (“A Kind…Nigeria”) from the third item (“and…autobiography”). Choice C is incorrect because the comma after “Lagos” doesn’t match the semicolon used later in the series to separate the second item (“A Kind…Nigeria”) from the third item (“and…autobiography”). Additionally, a colon can’t be used in this way to separate the title “A Kind of Marriage” from the supplementary phrase (“a television…Nigeria”) that describes it. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the title “A Kind of Marriage” from the supplementary phrase (“a television…Nigeria”) that describes it.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "a9e5b788",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In discussing Mary Shelley’s 1818 epistolary novel Frankenstein, literary theorist Gayatri Spivak directs the reader’s attention to the character of Margaret Saville. As Spivak points out, Saville is not the protagonist of Shelley’s ______blank as the recipient of the letters that frame the book’s narrative, she’s the “occasion” of it.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "novel" },
      { label: "B", text: "novel," },
      { label: "C", text: "novel; rather," },
      { label: "D", text: "novel, rather," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice correctly uses a semicolon to join a main clause (“Saville...novel”) and a second main clause (“she’s...it”) preceded by supplementary elements (“rather...narrative”). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, the comma after “novel” can’t be used in this way to join the two main clauses.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "aaa1907f",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>To serve local families during the Great Depression, innovative New York City librarian Pura Belpré offered storytelling in both English and Spanish, an uncommon ______blank celebrated el Día de los Tres Reyes Magos, an important community holiday; and put on puppet shows dramatizing Puerto Rican folktales.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "practice, at the time" },
      { label: "B", text: "practice at the time;" },
      { label: "C", text: "practice, at the time," },
      { label: "D", text: "practice at the time," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      'Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of elements in a complex series. It’s conventional to use a semicolon to separate items in a complex series with internal punctuation, and in this choice, the semicolon after "time" is conventionally used to separate the first item ("offered…time") and the second ("celebrated…holiday") in the series of activities that librarian Pura Belpré offered. Moreover, the semicolon after "time" matches the semicolon used later to separate the second item ("celebrated...holiday") and the third ("and...folktales") in the series.<br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the first item and the second item in the complex series. Furthermore, a comma isn’t needed between the noun "practice" and the prepositional phrase "at the time" because the prepositional phrase is essential to the full meaning of the phrase "an uncommon practice at the time." Choice C is incorrect because a comma after "time" doesn’t match the semicolon used later to separate the second ("celebrated...holiday") and third ("and...folktales") items in the series. Furthermore, a comma isn’t needed between the noun "practice" and the prepositional phrase "at the time" because the prepositional phrase is essential to the full meaning of the phrase "an uncommon practice at the time." Choice D is incorrect because a comma after "time" doesn’t match the semicolon used later to separate the second ("celebrated...holiday") and third ("and...folktales") items in the series.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "aab74a3b",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Researcher Lin Zhi developed a process for increasing the tensile strength—measured in gigapascals, or GPa—of silkworm ______blank dissolving and reweaving the silk in a solution of iron metal ions, zinc, and sugar, Zhi increased the amount of force required to stretch it from approximately 0.5 GPa to 2 GPa.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "silk, by" },
      { label: "B", text: "silk by" },
      { label: "C", text: "silk and by" },
      { label: "D", text: "silk. By" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      'Choice D is the best answer. The independent clauses "researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" can be grammatically separated by a period. They can stand alone as sentences, and this is the only choice that lets them do that.<br>Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." A comma alone isn’t enough. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. The coordinating conjunction "and" isn’t enough to link them by itself. We need a comma, too.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "adf210e7",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The haiku-like poems of Tomas Tranströmer, which present nature- and dream-influenced images in crisp, spare language, have earned the Swedish poet praise from leading contemporary ______blank them Nigerian American essayist and novelist Teju Cole, who has written that Tranströmer’s works “contain a luminous simplicity.”</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "writers. Among" },
      { label: "B", text: "writers among" },
      { label: "C", text: "writers; among" },
      { label: "D", text: "writers, among" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“The haiku-like…writers”) and the supplementary phrase (“among…Cole”) that specifies a contemporary writer who has praised Tomas Tranströmer’s haiku-like poems. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “among.” Choice B is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause and the supplementary phrase with appropriate punctuation. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“The haiku-like…writers”) and the supplementary phrase (“among…Cole”).",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "b15724fc",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>American writer Edwidge Danticat, who emigrated from Haiti in 1981, has won acclaim for her powerful short stories, novels, and ______blank her lyrical yet unflinching depictions of her native country’s turbulent history, writer Robert Antoni has compared Danticat to Nobel Prize–winning novelist Toni Morrison.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "essays, praising" },
      { label: "B", text: "essays and praising" },
      { label: "C", text: "essays praising" },
      { label: "D", text: "essays. Praising" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period after “essays” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“American…essays”) and another (“praising…Morrison”). The participial phrase beginning with “Praising” modifies the subject of the second sentence, “writer Robert Antoni.” <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“American…essays” and “Praising…Morrison”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "ba8ebf49",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The poem Beowulf begins with the word “hwæt,” which is an Old English ______blank as “hark!” or “listen!” in some versions, the word was playfully rendered as “bro!” by Maria Dahvana Headley in her 2020 translation of the poem.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "exclamation, translated" },
      { label: "B", text: "exclamation and translated" },
      { label: "C", text: "exclamation translated" },
      { label: "D", text: "exclamation. Translated" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      'Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence ("The poem…exclamation") and another sentence that begins with a supplementary element ("Translated…poem"). The supplementary element "translated as ‘hark!’ or ‘listen!’ in some versions" modifies the subject of the second sentence, "the word" (referring to hwæt).<br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice after "exclamation." A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction "and" can’t be used in this way to join sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice after "versions." A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "be37d4ae",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>During the English neoclassical period (1660–1789), many writers imitated the epic poetry and satires of ancient Greece and Rome. They were not the first in England to adopt the literary modes of classical ______blank some of the most prominent figures of the earlier Renaissance period were also influenced by ancient Greek and Roman literature.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "antiquity, however" },
      { label: "B", text: "antiquity, however," },
      { label: "C", text: "antiquity, however;" },
      { label: "D", text: "antiquity; however," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary phrase following a clause. This choice uses a comma to separate the supplementary adverb phrase “however” from the independent clause it modifies (“They …antiquity”) and uses a semicolon to join the first independent clause (“They …antiquity”) and the second independent clause (“some…literature”). Further, placing the semicolon after “however” indicates that the information in the clause that this part of (that neoclassical writers were not the first to adopt classical literary modes) is contrary to what might be assumed from the information in the previous sentence (that the neoclassical writers were unique in imitating classical epic poetry and satires). <br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary after “however” between the two independent clauses with appropriate punctuation. Choice B is incorrect because the comma after “however” can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between the two independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect because placing the semicolon after “antiquity” illogically indicates that the information in the clause that this part of (that prominent Renaissance figures were also influenced by classical literature) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (that neoclassical writers were not the first to adopt classical literary modes).",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "c06af4d8",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Sociologist Alton Okinaka sits on the review board tasked with adding new sites to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places, which includes Pi‘ilanihale Heiau and the ‘Ōpaeka‘a Road Bridge. Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions ______blank all historical designations must be approved by a group of nine other experts from the fields of architecture, archaeology, history, and Hawaiian culture.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "single-handedly, however;" },
      { label: "B", text: "single-handedly; however," },
      { label: "C", text: "single-handedly, however," },
      { label: "D", text: "single-handedly however" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary word or phrase between two main clauses. This choice correctly uses a comma to separate the supplementary adverb “however” from the preceding main clause (“Okinaka doesn’t…single-handedly”) and a semicolon to join the next main clause (“all…culture”) to the rest of the sentence. Further, placing the semicolon after “however” correctly indicates that the information in the preceding main clause (Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions single-handedly) is contrary to what might be assumed from the information in the previous sentence (Okinaka sits on the review board that adds new sites to the Hawaii Register of Historic Places). <br>Choice B is incorrect because placing the semicolon after “single-handedly” and the comma after “however” illogically indicates that the information in the next main clause (all historical designations must be approved by a group of experts) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions single-handedly). Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Commas can’t be used in this way to punctuate a supplementary word or phrase between two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "c468db1c",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>A group of ecologists led by Axel Mithöfer at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany examined the defensive responses of two varieties of the sweet potato ______blank TN57, which is known for its insect resistance, and TN66, which is much more susceptible to pests.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "plant." },
      { label: "B", text: "plant;" },
      { label: "C", text: "plant" },
      { label: "D", text: "plant:" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      "Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A group…plant”) and the supplementary element (“TN57…pests”) and to introduce the following elaboration on the specific varieties of sweet potato plants that were examined. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “TN57.”  Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“A group…plant”) and the supplementary element (“TN57…pests”). A semicolon is conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally used to introduce an element that explains or amplifies the information in the preceding clause. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A group...plant”) and the supplementary element (“TN57...pests”) with appropriate punctuation.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "db24ecc9",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>The Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden in Norway and the Jardim Botânico of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil are two of many botanical gardens around the world dedicated to growing diverse plant ______blank fostering scientific research; and educating the public about plant conservation.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "species, both native and nonnative," },
      { label: "B", text: "species, both native and nonnative;" },
      { label: "C", text: "species; both native and nonnative," },
      { label: "D", text: "species both native and nonnative," },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a complex series (a series including internal punctuation). The semicolon after “nonnative” is correctly used to separate the first item (“growing diverse plant species, both native and nonnative”) and the second item (“fostering scientific research”) in the series of things that botanical gardens are dedicated to. Further, the comma after “species” is correctly used to separate the noun phrase “diverse plant species” and the supplementary phrase “both native and nonnative” that modifies it. <br>Choice A is incorrect because a comma (specifically, the comma after “nonnative”) can’t be used in this way to separate items in a complex series. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to separate the noun phrase “diverse plant species” and the supplementary phrase “both native and nonnative” that modifies it. Further, a comma can’t be used in this way to separate items in a complex series. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the noun phrase “diverse plant species” and the supplementary phrase “both native and nonnative” that modifies it. Further, a comma can’t be used in this way to separate items in a complex series.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "e76e74e8",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Over twenty years ago, in a landmark experiment in the psychology of choice, professor Sheena Iyengar set up a jam-tasting booth at a grocery store. The number of jams available for tasting ______blank some shoppers had twenty-four different options, others only six. Interestingly, the shoppers with fewer jams to choose from purchased more jam.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "varied:" },
      { label: "B", text: "varied," },
      { label: "C", text: "varied, while" },
      { label: "D", text: "varied while" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "A",
    explanation:
      "Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of a colon within a sentence. In this choice, the colon is used in a conventional way to introduce the following description of how the number of jams available varied. <br>Choice B is incorrect because it creates a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses (“the number…varied” and “some…six”). Choice C is incorrect because it results in an illogical and confusing sentence. Using the conjunction “while” to join the main clause (“the number…varied”) with the following clause’s description of the number of jams available suggests that the variation in the number of jams is in contrast to some shoppers having twenty-four options. Choice D is incorrect because it results in an illogical and confusing sentence. Using “while” in this way suggests that the number of jams available varied during the time in which some shoppers had twenty-four options and others had six. The sentence makes clear, however, that what follows “varied” is a description of the variation, not a separate, simultaneous occurrence.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "f30a478e",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>A study published by Rice University geoscientist Ming Tang in 2019 offers a new explanation for the origin of Earth’s ______blank structures called arcs, towering ridges that form when a dense oceanic plate subducts under a less dense continental plate, melts in the mantle below, and then rises and bursts through the continental crust above.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "continents geological" },
      { label: "B", text: "continents: geological" },
      { label: "C", text: "continents; geological" },
      { label: "D", text: "continents. Geological" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      "Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A study…continents”) and the supplementary phrase (“geological…above”) and to introduce the following explanation of the origin of Earth’s continents. <br>Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A study…continents”) and the supplementary phrase (“geological…above”) with appropriate punctuation. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“A study…continents”) and the supplementary phrase (“geological…above”). A semicolon is conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally used to introduce an element that explains or amplifies the information in the preceding clause, making it the better choice in this context. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “geological.”",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "f868d438",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In 2018, the innovative works of Congolese sculptor and architect Bodys Isek ______blank were featured in City Dreams, a solo exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "Kingelez;" },
      { label: "B", text: "Kingelez," },
      { label: "C", text: "Kingelez" },
      { label: "D", text: "Kingelez:" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "C",
    explanation:
      "Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. No punctuation is needed when the subject of a sentence is immediately followed by a main verb. In this case, the sentence’s subject (“the innovative works of Congolese sculptor and architect Bodys Isek Kingelez”) is followed by the main verb “were featured,” and no punctuation should come between them. <br>Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb.",
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "fba5d8d1",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>In a 2016 study, Eastern Washington University psychologist Amani El-Alayli found that, among the study participants who experienced frisson (a physiological response akin to goosebumps or getting the chills) while listening to music, there was one personality trait that they scored particularly ______blank openness to experience.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "high. On" },
      { label: "B", text: "high on;" },
      { label: "C", text: "high on" },
      { label: "D", text: "high on:" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "D",
    explanation:
      'Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to experience") and to introduce the information that identifies which personality trait participants scored especially high on.<br>Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with "on" and separates a necessary preposition from the clause beginning with "there." Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to experience"). A semicolon is conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally used to introduce an element that explains or amplifies the information in the preceding clause, making the colon the better choice in this context. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to experience").',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
  {
    id: "fdb16e20",
    type: "mcq",
    passage:
      "<p>Quantum particles of light—photons—provide an unhackable means of transmitting encryption keys over networks, as attempts to observe particles in quantum states will invariably alter the particles ______blank dismantle any information they transmit.</p>",
    questionHtml:
      "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?",
    choices: [
      { label: "A", text: "and in the process," },
      { label: "B", text: "and, in the process," },
      { label: "C", text: "and in the process—" },
      { label: "D", text: "and, in the process" },
    ],
    correctAnswer: "B",
    explanation:
      'Choice B is the best answer. This choice uses paired punctuation in the form of two commas to set off the nonessential phrase "in the process."<br>Choice A is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a nonessential element and needs to be set off with paired punctuation. We need a comma after "and" to match the one after "process." Choice C is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a nonessential element and needs to be set off with paired punctuation, so we would need a dash after "and" to match the one following "process." Choice D is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a nonessential element and needs to be set off with paired punctuation. We would need a comma after "process" to match the one following "and."',
    hasFigure: false,
  },
];
