The tone of a text is ____________ if the words say the opposite of what they really mean.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is 'A: ironic.' In literature, irony is when there is a contrast between what is said and what is meant. It is a technique used to convey humor, sarcasm, or to emphasize a point indirectly. 'Earnest' (choice B) refers to being sincere or genuine, which is the opposite of what the question is describing. 'Confused' (choice C) does not accurately capture the concept of words saying the opposite of what they mean. 'Unambiguous' (choice D) means clear and not open to interpretation, which is the opposite of a situation where words have a hidden or opposite meaning.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The main idea of the paragraph is to highlight the dangers associated with coal mining. The sentence 'Coal miners risk injury and health issues on a daily basis' supports the concept that coal mining is a dangerous job. Choice B is incorrect as it focuses on cleanliness rather than safety. Choice C is incorrect as the location of coal mining is not the primary focus of the paragraph. Choice D is incorrect as it does not encompass the full extent of risks mentioned in the paragraph.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'Performed by one person.' 'Unilateral' means something done by one person or group without the agreement of another. Choice B is incorrect as it suggests the opposite of what 'unilateral' means. Choice C is incorrect as it does not capture the essence of 'unilateral.' Choice D is incorrect as it is not directly related to the definition of 'unilateral.'

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The subject 'Neither' is singular, so the correct verb form to use is 'is.' In this sentence, 'boys' is part of a prepositional phrase 'of the boys' and does not affect the verb agreement. 'Are' (choice B) is plural and does not match the singular subject. 'Were' (choice C) is past tense and not suitable for the present context. 'Be' (choice D) is an infinitive form and does not agree with the subject.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is 'chiefs.' 'Chief' follows the standard rule for forming the plural by adding an 's' at the end. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect as they do not follow the standard pluralization rule for the word 'chief.' 'Chieves,' 'chievs,' and 'chiefes' are not valid plural forms of 'chief.'

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'The plump, old, white cat basked in the warm sunlight.' Commas should be used to separate coordinate adjectives describing the cat. In this sentence, 'plump,' 'old,' and 'white' are coordinate adjectives, each providing distinct information about the cat. Option B incorrectly places a comma after 'white,' creating a nonessential element. Option C lacks commas to separate the coordinate adjectives. Option D incorrectly places a comma after 'cat,' causing a punctuation error.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct contraction to use in this sentence is 'who's,' which is short for 'who is.' In the given context, 'who's' indicates the correct possessive form, clarifying that the clients are confused about who is in charge. Choice B, 'Whos,' is incorrect as it does not use an apostrophe to indicate the omitted letter. Choice C, 'Who'll,' is incorrect as it is a contraction for 'who will,' which does not fit the context of the sentence. Choice D, 'Who,' is incorrect as it is not a contraction and does not clarify the intended meaning of the sentence.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The word 'shear' means to cut, while 'sheer' in this context means 'complete' or 'unqualified.' The correct spelling in the sentence should be 'sheer.' Choice A, 'peeked' is the correct past tense of 'peek,' meaning to glance quickly or briefly. Choice B, 'through' is the correct preposition to indicate moving in one side and out the other. Choice D, 'scene,' is the correct term for a part of a play or movie, not 'seen,' which is the past participle of 'see.'

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is 'A: Likely.' An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In this sentence, 'likely' is an adverb that modifies the verb 'annoyed,' expressing the probability or likelihood of the action. The other choices, 'B: Annoyed,' 'C: Assigned,' and 'D: Unnecessary,' are not adverbs. 'Annoyed' is a past tense verb, 'Assigned' is a past tense verb, and 'Unnecessary' is an adjective describing the type of busy work assigned. Therefore, 'A: Likely' is the only adverb in the sentence.