Unlike a traditional comic book, a graphic novel is released as one single publication, either in the form of one long story or an anthology. Which of the following is an appropriate synonym for traditional as it is used in the sentence?

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: In this context, 'traditional' is used to describe the characteristic of a comic book that follows long-established conventions. The word 'conventional' is the most appropriate synonym because it implies something that follows standard or established practices. 'Old-fashioned' suggests something outdated, which is not the intended meaning here. 'Expensive' and 'popular' do not relate to the context of how comic books are released and do not align with the meaning of 'traditional' in this specific context.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause connected by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. In choice C, the sentence 'Because the distance between stars in the galaxy is far greater than the distance between planets' is a dependent clause introduced by the subordinating conjunction 'Because,' while the rest of the sentence 'interstellar travel is expected to be an even bigger challenge than interplanetary exploration' forms the independent clause. This combination of an independent clause and a dependent clause makes choice C a complex sentence. Choices A, B, and D do not contain both an independent and dependent clause connected in the way that choice C does, thus they do not qualify as complex sentences.

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: C

Rationale: The comma (,) is used to separate the introductory clause 'After a twelve-hour workday' from the main clause 'James was exhausted when he heard the news.' This punctuation correctly indicates the relationship between the two clauses without interrupting the flow of the sentence. Choice A (.), a period, would create two separate sentences, which is not appropriate in this context. Choice B (;) is too strong of a pause and semicolons are typically used to connect closely related independent clauses. Choice D (-) is an em dash, which is used to set off an abrupt break or interruption in the sentence, not to separate an introductory clause from the main clause.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The comma following 'Day' is used incorrectly. Commas are typically not used after single-word identifiers like 'Day' in a sentence unless they are part of a list. In this case, the holiday is referred to as 'Parents' Day,' where the apostrophe is used correctly to indicate possession. The comma following 'Day' is unnecessary and should be removed for proper punctuation. Choices A and D both use apostrophes correctly to indicate possession, so they are not incorrect. The comma following 'Congo' in choice C is necessary to set off the introductory phrase 'a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of Congo.' Therefore, the correct answer is B.