Question

in the early 1900s, the architect elina sokolov designed the karsen civic hall to withstand frequent ground tremors; its brick facade, however, was later reinforced with steel after a 1937 inspection revealed hairline cracks. the building’s restoration team, seeking to preserve the original exterior, proposed two options: replacing damaged sections with matching ____ inserting discreet steel bracing behind the walls. the final plan adopted the latter approach because it balanced structural safety with historical appearance.

18
which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of standard english?
a brick or
b brick, or
c brick; or
d brick: or

Explanation:

To determine the correct choice, we analyze the structure of the sentence. The two options proposed ("replacing damaged sections with matching brick" and "inserting discreet steel bracing behind the walls") are two independent clauses or phrases that need to be properly separated. A semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses, and a comma is not appropriate here as the two parts are distinct options. Option C uses a semicolon to separate the two options, which is correct for showing the two proposed approaches. Option A lacks proper separation, Option B uses a comma which is incorrect for separating two independent - like structures here, and Option D has an incorrect colon usage.

Answer:

C. brick; or