Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Option C is the correct answer because it disrupts the flow of the sentence and introduces unnecessary information. The phrase 'over the years since 1958' is irrelevant in this context and does not contribute to the intended meaning of the sentence. The sentence is focused on the recent changes to the pension, not its historical evolution. Choices A, B, and D provide clear and concise ways to revise and combine the underlined portion of the sentences, maintaining a logical and relevant sentence structure.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses that are joined by coordinating conjunctions such as 'and,' 'but,' or 'or.' In choice A, the sentence contains two independent clauses separated by the coordinating conjunction 'and': 'Plague, generally not a major public health concern, actually continues to spread among rodent populations today' and 'it even occasionally makes its way into a human host.' Choice B is a complex sentence as it contains a dependent clause 'which seeks answers to humanity's questions about its past' and an independent clause 'is significantly helped by new technologies.' Choice C is a simple sentence with one independent clause: 'In the fight against obesity, countries around the world are imposing taxes on sodas and other sugary drinks in an effort to curb unhealthy habits.' Choice D is a complex sentence with a dependent clause 'Because the assassination of President John F. Kennedy continues to haunt and fascinate Americans' and an independent clause 'new movies, books, and television series about it are released every year.'

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: In sentence B, "Ukrainians" is capitalized because it is referring to a specific group of people, and "Malanka" is also capitalized as it is a holiday name. This follows the rules of capitalization for proper nouns. Choices A, C, and D contain correct capitalization, but they also include additional capitalizations that are unnecessary. For instance, in choice A, "African white-backed vultures" should not be capitalized unless it is part of a proper noun or a title. In choice C, while "Neptune" and "Earth" should be capitalized as they are names of celestial bodies, the word "sun" is not capitalized unless it is used as part of the proper noun "Sun." Choice D correctly capitalizes proper nouns like "Edward Jenner" and "Immunology," but the general terms like "Father" and "vaccine" do not need capitalization unless they are part of a title or a specific name.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Option C is the correct answer because it disrupts the flow of the sentence and introduces unnecessary information. The phrase 'over the years since 1958' is irrelevant in this context and does not contribute to the intended meaning of the sentence. The sentence is focused on the recent changes to the pension, not its historical evolution. Choices A, B, and D provide clear and concise ways to revise and combine the underlined portion of the sentences, maintaining a logical and relevant sentence structure.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'dollars.' 'Bucks' is a slang term for dollars. The use of 'bucks' in this sentence is informal and colloquial compared to the other word choices, making it the slang word in the sentence. 'Cost,' 'steep,' and 'tag' are all standard English words that are not considered slang in this context.