QUESTION: 85 Topic Exam A: Section 1 (English)

DIRECTIONS: In the passage below, certain phrases are underlined and numbered <x>. The question will present alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is the best, choose "NO CHANGE".

Batman

[§1] Pow! Bam! Zap! Batman triumphs again, foiling evil-doers like the Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman to save the citizens of Gotham City. This superhero created in 1939 and known worldwide, continues <1> to be one of the most popular comic strip characters ever created.

[§2] Batman was the brainchild of comic book artist Bob Kane. Who was <2> just 22 years old when he was asked to create a new superhero for DC Comics. Superman was a phenomenal success, and DC Comics wanted another hero, just as powerful, to appeal to its readers. Kane's idea for Batman reportedly came from Leonardo da Vinci's famous sketch of a man flying with bat-like wings <3> and the masked heroes of the Shadow and Zorro series.

[§3] Kane's Batman was a big success <4> right from the start. The masked hero soon moved from comic books to its own newspaper strip, and in 1943, Batman episodes were aired on the radio. In 1966, live-action Batman shows hit the TV screen, giving ABC network the ratings boost it badly needed. The series was wildly popular, and the syndicated show still airs today on channels such as the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.

[§4] Why was Batman so popular? The answer may lie in the background Kane gave his character. Batman is really Bruce Wayne, a millionaire who witnessed the murder of his parents as a child. He vowed to avenge their deaths and the bringing of criminals <5> to justice. He didn't have any supernatural powers. Instead, he devotes <6> his life to training his body and mind to fight crime and used his wealth to develop high-tech tools and weapons, like his famous Batmobile, to aid him in his quest. Thus <7> Kane created a superhero who is just as human as the rest of us, one who <8> suffered and has dedicated himself to righting wrongs. In Batman, Kane gave us an image of our own superhero potential.

<5>: