JumpStart – Language & Critical Thinking Skills Check

Which sentence is grammatically correct? 

I wish you _____  making that noise. It’s bothering me.

Passage:
The history of chocolate dates back thousands of years to ancient Mesoamerica, where the cacao tree grew wild. The Maya and Aztec civilizations both prized chocolate and used it in religious ceremonies. Chocolate was so highly valued that it was even used as currency. 

When the Spanish arrived in the Americas in the 16th century, they brought chocolate back to Europe, where it quickly became popular. The first chocolate factory was established in Switzerland in the 18th century, and chocolate became a mass-produced commodity. 

Today, chocolate is enjoyed all over the world in a variety of forms, from milk chocolate bars to dark chocolate truffles. 

Question: 

Which civilization used chocolate in religious ceremonies? 

“I write you in your capacity as the school board chairperson.” The word “capacity” as used here most nearly means:

Passage: 

“The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde”, by Robert Louis Stevenson 

As soon as he got home, Utterson sat down and wrote to Jekyll, 

complaining of his exclusion from the house, and asking the cause of 

this unhappy break with Lanyon; and the next day brought him a long 

answer, often very pathetically worded, and sometimes darkly mysterious 

in drift. The quarrel with Lanyon was incurable. “I do not blame our 

old friend,” Jekyll wrote, “but I share his view that we must never 

meet. I mean from henceforth to lead a life of extreme seclusion; you 

must not be surprised, nor must you doubt my friendship, if my door is 

often shut even to you. You must suffer me to go my own dark way. I 

have brought on myself a punishment and a danger that I cannot name. If 

I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also. I could 

not think that this earth contained a place for sufferings and terrors 

so unmanning; and you can do but one thing, Utterson, to lighten this 

destiny, and that is to respect my silence.” Utterson was amazed; the 

dark influence of Hyde had been withdrawn, the doctor had returned to 

his old tasks and amities; a week ago, the prospect had smiled with 

every promise of a cheerful and an honoured age; and now in a moment, 

friendship, and peace of mind, and the whole tenor of his life were 

wrecked. So great and unprepared a change pointed to madness; but in 

view of Lanyon’s manner and words, there must lie for it some deeper 

ground. 

What does Jekyll mean by saying “You must suffer me to go my own dark way” in his letter to Utterson? 

A recent study found that students who listen to classical music while studying perform better on exams than those who do not. Based on this information, what can we conclude? 

Which word is not a synonym for superfluous?

Which sentence below is correct?

Please choose the correct sentence below.

Had I known the contractor was going to take a week to show up, I _____  what I needed and done the work myself. It would have been finished by now.

Which of the following words means “constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task”?

We _____ the match if we’d had a few more minutes.

If you _____ to my advice in the first place, you wouldn’t be in this mess right now.

What is the correct use of the word “it’s” in a sentence? 

We have rewritten the following sentence omitting “you.”
In a large city, you may have massive traffic jams on your daily commute to work.

Please choose the correct sentence.

Please replace the italicized text with the best choice.
Mr. Wilson planning to teach our course in cybersecurity next term.

Please choose the best rewrite for the following sentence.

Panting, the cab pulled away just as Judy arrived. 

He was crowing about the group’s latest conquest. As used here, the word “crowing” most nearly means:

Passage: 

In 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared smallpox eradicated. This was a major achievement in the field of medicine as smallpox was a deadly disease that had plagued humanity for centuries. The eradication was made possible by a global effort to vaccinate as many people as possible, particularly in countries where the disease was still prevalent. 

Question: 

What was the reason for the eradication of smallpox? 

Passage: 

Jane had been looking forward to the museum exhibit for weeks. She had read about the artist and the collection extensively and couldn’t wait to see it in person. As she walked through the exhibit, she was struck by the beauty and complexity of the paintings. Each one seemed to tell a story and convey a different emotion. By the time she left the museum, she felt inspired and uplifted. 

Question: 

How did Jane feel about the museum exhibit?