Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. A thesis statement should be specific to provide clear direction for the paper and focus the argument. This helps guide the writing process and ensures that the paper stays on track. Choice B is incorrect because the written work should support and prove the thesis statement, not disprove it. Choice C is incorrect because the thesis statement typically appears at the beginning of a paper to introduce the main argument. Choice D is incorrect because supporting evidence is crucial in any thesis statement, regardless of whether it expresses an opinion or not.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The passage indicates that the writer is a student writing a first draft of a paper. The language used in the passage is informal and lacks precision, suggesting it is not written by a professional in a business environment or a researcher for a scientific journal. The focus on experimenting with hitting a golf ball also aligns more with a student exploring a topic rather than an established author of literature.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The suffix "-ness" indicates a state or quality, as seen in words like "happiness" (the state of being happy). Choice A, "-ic," typically denotes characteristics or qualities, such as in "heroic." Choice C, "-ous," often signifies the presence of a quality or relationship, like in "poisonous." Choice D, "-ful," usually means full of or characterized by, as in "beautiful." Therefore, the correct answer is B because it best fits the description of indicating a state or quality.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: In this sentence, 'increasingly' is functioning as an adverb. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to describe the manner, degree, or frequency of an action. In this case, 'increasingly' describes how the difficulty of the hike was growing as we approached the mountain top. Choice A, 'Adjective,' is incorrect as adjectives modify nouns or pronouns, not verbs. Choice B, 'Interjection,' is also incorrect because interjections are words used to express strong emotions or sentiments, not to describe actions or qualities. Choice C, 'Verb,' is incorrect as 'increasingly' is not a verb; it does not express an action or state of being.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. A thesis statement should be specific to provide clear direction for the paper and focus the argument. This helps guide the writing process and ensures that the paper stays on track. Choice B is incorrect because the written work should support and prove the thesis statement, not disprove it. Choice C is incorrect because the thesis statement typically appears at the beginning of a paper to introduce the main argument. Choice D is incorrect because supporting evidence is crucial in any thesis statement, regardless of whether it expresses an opinion or not.