After a long day at work, Tracy had dinner with her family, and then took a walk to the park. What are the transitional words in the preceding sentence?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The transitional words in the sentence are 'after' and 'then,' which indicate the sequence of events that occurred. 'After' shows the order in which events took place, while 'then' is used to connect the idea of Tracy having dinner with her family before taking a walk to the park. Choices B, C, and D do not function as transitional words in this context. 'At, with, to' are prepositions indicating location or relationship, 'had, took' are past tense verbs, and 'a, the' are articles used for nouns.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Mid-America.' It is correctly hyphenated as it combines 'Mid' and 'America' to form a compound noun. Choice A, 'Ex-president,' should be hyphenated to show the prefix 'Ex-' before 'president.' Choice B, 'Hyperactive,' should not be hyphenated as 'hyper' is a prefix. Choice C, 'Self-made,' should be hyphenated to connect 'self' and 'made' in this compound adjective.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C. 'Raze' is a homophone of 'raise,' which means to destroy completely. The other choices do not contain homophones. Choice A talks about a young woman walking on a canal path, choice B discusses water heating up and expanding, and choice D mentions a previous tenant who was a chemistry teacher, none of which involve homophones. Therefore, choice C is the only sentence that contains a homophone, making it the correct answer.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The sentence is a direct question as the speaker is asking if the person will send a postcard from Germany. Therefore, the correct punctuation mark to use at the end of a question is a question mark. An exclamation mark (Choice D) is used to convey strong emotion or surprise, which is not the case here. A period (Choice A) is used for declarative statements. A colon (Choice B) is used to introduce a list or explanation, which is not needed in this context.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is an exclamation mark because it is used to convey strong emotion or excitement, which is appropriate for the sentence. A comma is not suitable here as it does not convey the level of excitement expressed in the sentence. A semicolon is used to join independent clauses or separate items in a list, which is not required in this context. A question mark would be incorrect as the statement is not a question but rather an expression of excitement.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D, 'Exclamation mark.' Exclamation marks are used to express strong emotions such as excitement, surprise, or urgency. They indicate a heightened level of emotion in a sentence. Periods (A) are used to indicate the end of a statement, commas (B) are used to separate elements in a sentence, and question marks (C) are used to indicate questions or uncertainty. In this context, the use of an exclamation mark is the most appropriate choice to convey a strong feeling or emotion.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The best way for an author to cite sources when submitting a paper for publication in an academic journal is to research and follow the citation style specified by that particular journal. This ensures that the paper meets the submission standards and requirements of the journal. Option A is incorrect because it suggests trying out different citation styles, which may not align with the journal's requirements. Option C is incorrect because it emphasizes the author's preference over adherence to journal guidelines. Option D is incorrect as it assumes the author's personal style should be used regardless of journal requirements.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A because it uses a comma to separate the day of the week from the date, as well as a comma after the month when the date is included in a sentence. In choice B, there should be commas after both the day of the week and the date. Choice C correctly uses commas after the day of the week and the date. Choice D incorrectly places the comma before the date instead of after the month.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is 'But.' In this sentence, the conjunction 'but' is used to show a contrast between the usual routine of taking a walk after breakfast and the fact that it was raining today. 'While' suggests a concurrent action, 'Because' implies causation, and 'When' introduces a time relationship, none of which are suitable in this context.