Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The word 'although' is the best fit in the sentence because it indicates a contrast between the fact that the emergency room was not busy last night and the head nurse's decision not to let anyone end her shift early. 'Although' sets up a contrast by acknowledging the first part of the sentence while introducing the surprising or unexpected information that follows.

Choices A, B, and C do not provide the appropriate contrast needed in this context. 'Because' implies causation, 'Provided that' implies a condition for something to happen, and 'As if' implies a comparison rather than a contrast.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct word to use in this sentence is 'volunteered' as it indicates an action that Cathy did in the past. The sentence suggests that Cathy was engaging in volunteering at the hospital for the first time, so the past tense form 'volunteered' is the most appropriate choice.
Choice B ('volunteering') is incorrect because it is the present participle form and does not fit the past tense context of the sentence.
Choice C ('was volunteered') is passive voice and implies that someone else made Cathy volunteer, which is not the intended meaning.
Choice D ('volunteer') is incorrect as it is the base form of the verb and does not match the past tense requirement of the sentence.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct punctuation needed in the sentence is a comma. A comma should be placed after 'festivities' to separate the two independent clauses in the sentence: 'In addition to the hospital's regularly scheduled festivities' and 'the custodians celebrate with a party of their own.' The comma helps in improving the clarity and structure of the sentence by indicating a pause between the clauses.


Choice A, 'Period,' is incorrect because a period would create two separate sentences rather than connecting the related clauses.
Choice C, 'Apostrophe,' is incorrect as there is no need for an apostrophe in this context.
Choice D, 'Semicolon,' is incorrect because a semicolon is used to join closely related independent clauses, which is not the case in the given sentence.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The word 'our' is the best substitute for the underlined words 'the doctor's and my' in the sentence. Using 'our' indicates joint possession, making the sentence more concise and natural.

Choice A, 'his', is singular possessive and does not reflect the joint ownership implied by the sentence.
Choice B, 'their', is plural possessive and does not align with the singular subjects 'the doctor and I'.
Choice D, 'mine', is possessive for the first person singular pronoun and does not convey the shared ownership of the notes by both individuals.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct form in this sentence is 'inputting,' as it is the gerund form of the verb 'input.' The gerund form is used to show that Kalinda spends part of her day engaging in the ongoing action of inputting data from the lab.
Choice A ('inputs') is incorrect as it is the third-person singular form of the verb, which does not fit here.
Choice B ('input') is incorrect as it is the base form of the verb and does not convey the ongoing action required in this context.
Choice C ('having input') is incorrect as it suggests a completed action rather than an ongoing one.