The student feared she would fail, so she thought she should study harder. Which of the following is a correct revision of the ambiguous sentence above?

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Option D is the clearest revision as it expresses the student's concern directly through dialogue. The use of quotation marks provides clarity, and the student's worry about failing is stated clearly. The other options either lack clarity or contain grammatical issues. Option A introduces an unnecessary condition with 'unless' which changes the original meaning. Option B introduces a third-person perspective that is not present in the original sentence. Option C is awkwardly constructed and does not convey the student's concern effectively.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Option D is not a simple sentence because it contains multiple independent clauses joined by conjunctions ('but' and 'and'). Simple sentences consist of a single independent clause, which is a complete sentence with a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought on its own. In contrast, option D includes multiple independent clauses about Hercule Poirot, his habits, and Miss Marple, making it a compound sentence rather than a simple one. Choices A, B, and C are all simple sentences as they each express a single complete thought with a subject and a verb, without joining multiple independent clauses together.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: In this context, the word 'fastidious' describes someone who pays great attention to detail, is very meticulous, and particular about things being perfect. Henry's behavior of keeping his workspace organized and ensuring everything is in its proper place indicates his meticulous nature. 'Fussy' aligns best with this meaning as it conveys being hard to please and excessively attentive to detail, which accurately describes Henry's behavior. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect as they do not capture the essence of being meticulous and attentive to detail, which is the central meaning conveyed by 'fastidious' in this context.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The word 'extraneous' means something that is irrelevant or unnecessary to the main topic at hand. In the given sentence, 'extraneous' is used to describe details that are not related to the main findings of the study, indicating that they are unnecessary and irrelevant. Therefore, 'irrelevant' is the correct explanation. Choices 'sophisticated,' 'diligent,' and 'useful' do not convey the concept of being unnecessary or unrelated, making them incorrect in the context of the sentence.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Option B, 'When he leaped to the saddle, his horse bolted,' effectively removes the dangling modifier by clearly connecting the action of the subject ('he leaped to the saddle') with the consequence ('his horse bolted'). This restructuring ensures that the sentence is stylistically and logically clear. Choice A changes the order of the actions, which alters the original meaning. Choice C incorrectly places 'he leaped to the saddle' after 'His horse bolted,' leading to confusion. Choice D does not address the dangling modifier issue and maintains the original error in sentence structure.