Question

english test
45 minutes—75 questions
directions: in the passages that follow, some words and phrases are underlined and numbered. in the answer column, you will find alternatives for the words and phrases that are underlined. choose the alternative that you think is best, and fill in the corresponding bubble on your answer sheet. if you think that the original version is best, choose
o change,\ which will always be either answer choice a or f. you will also find questions about a particular section of the passage, or about the entire passage. these questions will be identified either by an underlined portion or by a number in a box. look for the answer that clearly expresses the idea, is consistent with the style and tone of the passage, and makes the correct use of standard written english. read the passage through once before answering the questions. for some questions, you should read beyond the indicated portion before you answer.
passage i
walter reed’s medical breakthrough
just over 100 years ago, one of the most important medical discoveries, in modern times relieved the suffering and saved the lives of untold thousands. this major breakthrough was the identification of the cause and spread of the disease yellow fever. for several centuries, yellow fever was a scourge upon societies in various parts of the world, striking towns and killing thousands of people.
thanks to the efforts of major walter reed and many courageous volunteers, the mechanisms for contracting and spreading yellow fever were uncovered.
during reed’s lifetime, it was a common acceptance that yellow fever was spread by contact with infected items; such as the clothing or blankets of a person with yellow fever. some doctors, however, questioned this notion, as the spread of yellow fever was not consistent

1. a. no change

b. discoveries in modern, times
c. discoveries, in modern times,
d. discoveries in modern times

1. f. no change

g. was in societies as a scourge
h. was a scourge and also problematic in societies
j. was annoying

1. a. no change

b. in spite of
c. it was
d. regardless of

1. f. no change

g. accepted as a common fact
h. commonly accepted
j. accepted in a common way

1. a. no change

b. items. such as
c. items, such as
d. items such as being

Explanation:

1. "discoveries in modern times" is a correct pre - positional phrase without the need for a comma separating "discoveries" and "in modern times". So the answer is D.
2. "was a scourge upon societies" is the most appropriate and concise way to describe the impact of yellow fever. The other options are either wordy or do not convey the same intensity. So the answer is F.
3. "Thanks to" indicates the cause - and - effect relationship correctly. "In spite of" and "Regardless of" change the meaning, and "It was" is not appropriate here. So the answer is A.
4. "commonly accepted" is the most concise and standard way to express the idea. The other options are wordy. So the answer is H.
5. "items, such as" is the correct punctuation and usage. A semicolon is not needed here, and "items. Such as" and "items such as being" are incorrect. So the answer is C.

Answer:

1. D. discoveries in modern times
2. F. NO CHANGE
3. A. NO CHANGE
4. H. commonly accepted
5. C. items, such as