Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct word to fill in the blank is 'break.' In this context, 'break' refers to a pause or rest, which is what Dr. Capra needed after completing the intense surgery. 'Brake' (choice A) refers to a device used to slow or stop a vehicle. 'Brink' (choice C) means the edge or verge of something. 'Broke' (choice D) is the past tense of 'break' and is grammatically incorrect in this sentence.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The word 'laying' is used incorrectly in the sentence. The correct word should be 'laying' when referring to the action of setting up a brick foundation. Therefore, the correct choice is 'D: laying.' In this context, 'lying' would imply being in a horizontal position, which is not the intended meaning. Choices A, B, and C are not incorrect in the sentence and do not affect the clarity or correctness of the statement.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is 'him or her' because it agrees with the singular noun 'child.' When referring to a singular subject of unknown gender, 'him or her' is a suitable pronoun choice to maintain grammatical correctness. Options B, C, and D are incorrect as they do not match the singular form of 'child.' Using 'them' (B) would be plural, 'it' (C) is not appropriate for a person, and 'she or he' (D) is unnecessarily wordy and less commonly used in modern English.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: 'Badly' is the correct adverb to modify 'danced'. In this context, 'badly' is used to describe the manner in which the student danced, indicating that her dancing performance was not good, contrasting with her singing ability. 'Poorly' (choice C) is also an adverb, but 'badly' is more commonly used in this context to describe performance in an artistic or skill-based activity. Choice D, 'poorer,' is incorrect as it is the comparative form of 'poor,' not the appropriate adverb to describe how she danced.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: In the sentence, 'She asked ____ to take her around the corner to the drugstore,' the correct word to fill in the blank is 'him.' The pronoun 'him' is in the objective case and is used correctly as the object of the verb 'asked.' The other options ('his,' 'he,' and 'his'') are either possessive or nominative cases, which do not fit the grammatical structure needed here. 'His' is possessive, 'he' is nominative, and 'his'' is incorrect due to the unnecessary apostrophe.