The teacher shared several apothegms with the class, hoping that the short, wise sayings would inspire thoughtful discussions.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: In this context, apothegms refers to short, wise sayings meant to convey wisdom or provoke thought. Apothegms are concise and insightful, serving as nuggets of wisdom. The term 'instructions' implies a set of directions or guidelines, not reflective of the nature of apothegms. 'Questions' are queries seeking information or answers, not synonymous with wise sayings. 'Lectures' are formal presentations or speeches, which are more extensive and detailed compared to the concise nature of apothegms.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: In the sentence, 'fought' is the only word that functions as a verb. It shows action, as it is the past tense of the verb 'fight.' The other words in the sentence do not serve as verbs in this context. 'Control' and 'trade' can also be verbs, but in this specific sentence, they are not used as verbs but as nouns. 'Those' is a pronoun and does not function as a verb.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The sentence above is a complex sentence because it contains an independent clause 'You are a helpful assistant' and a dependent clause 'What type of sentence is the sentence above?'. A complex sentence is formed by joining an independent clause with one or more dependent clauses. In this case, the dependent clause 'What type of sentence is the sentence above?' cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because the sentence does not contain multiple independent clauses (compound) or a combination of independent and dependent clauses (compound-complex).

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: In the sentence, 'earlier' describes when the Hapsburg rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire effectively ended. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs in a sentence. In this case, 'earlier' modifies the verb 'ended,' indicating the time of the action. Choice A 'call' is a verb. Choice C 'could' is a modal verb expressing possibility or ability. Choice D 'phone' is a noun, not an adverb. Therefore, 'earlier' is the only word among the options functioning as an adverb in the sentence.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The purpose of the parentheses in the sentence is to set off useful information that does not fit directly into the flow of the sentence. Parentheses are commonly used to provide additional details, explanations, or examples that are helpful but not essential to the main point of the sentence. In this case, the information about the Austro-Hungarian Empire is presented in parentheses to offer context but is not crucial to the main idea being communicated. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect as they do not accurately describe the function of parentheses in this context.