Question

name:
grammar
wrangell-st. elias national park, the largest national park in the united states, represents everything compelling about alaska. 5 it is ______ than belgium. it showcases towering mountains such as mount st. elias, which stands more than 18,000 feet tall, as well as glaciers.
5
(a) immense; larger, in fact,
(b) immense, larger—in fact
(c) immense—larger, in fact,
(d) immense—larger, in fact—

basket weaving is one of the most widespread crafts in history: originating in the middle east around 7,000 years ago, it spread to every continent except antarctica. 6 the preservation of ancient baskets is difficult, however, because most items are made of natural materials like wood, grass, and vines, which ______ rapidly. as a result, much of the history of basket making has been lost.
6
(a) decay
(b) decays
(c) has decayed
(d) decayed

stretch:
the poet w.h. auden’s contradictions made him a difficult person to fathom. although he appeared to lead a chaotic existence, he was also obsessively punctual and adhered to a strict work schedule. 7 his poems, which on the surface often appear to be simple, straightforward ______ defy easy understanding as well.
7
(a) compositions—often
(b) compositions often
(c) compositions often,
(d) compositions, often

Explanation:

Question 5:

The phrase "larger, in fact" is a parenthetical clarification of "immense." Em dashes are used here to set off this explanatory phrase, and since it interrupts the sentence to add extra information, we need a pair of em dashes to frame it properly, which connects back to the main clause about the park's size compared to Belgium.

Question 6:

The relative clause "which ____ rapidly" refers to "natural materials," a plural noun. In present tense, plural subjects take the base form of the verb, so "decay" is correct for a general, ongoing fact about these materials.

Question 7:

The sentence needs a parenthetical phrase to show that the poems' seeming simplicity is contrasted with their complexity. The em dash sets off "often" as an interrupting detail that emphasizes the contrast between the surface simplicity and the actual difficulty of understanding the poems, while maintaining grammatical flow.

Answer:

1. (D) immense—larger, in fact—
2. (A) decay
3. (A) compositions—often