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".
Haiti
[§1] Although my friends and family were skeptical of whether <1> I would be safe, I boarded the plane in New York boldly <2> and flew to Haiti. My college roommate had agreed to take medical supplies to a rural clinic where his brother was a physician, and I agreed to go and help.
[§2] When me and my roommate <3> landed at the airport in the capital Port au Prince, the chaos inside the airport was frightening. Dozens of men approached us while gesturing to our luggage, and yelling at us in Creole. They wanted us to select their taxis. I was thrilled <4> when my roommate smiled at someone who called our names through the crowd.
[§3] Papi, our designated transporter, was a Haitian man in his early twenties who works <5> for the physician. He warmly welcomed us to his country, and seemed to have a great sense of humor. <6> He laughed nonstop during our ride through the capital city. Once we were on the open highway, Papi taught us basic Creole greetings to pass the time during our excessively long four-hour commute. <7>
[§4] The mountainous town where we would spend the week was beautiful, and I immediately fell in love with the place and its people. The views rocked! <8> Even though I could not fluently speak Creole, I made the most of my time with the land and its inhabitants. Several daily tasks kept me busy that week. The medical clinic was a modest two-room building, and their <9> staff needed help reorganizing the supply pantry. I removed, counted, sorted, and restocked supplies, <10> before adding the additional resources we brought from the United States. After I cleaned and organized the supply pantry, I assisted a visiting nutritionist with distributing vitamins to the locals. <11>
[§5] Each evening, two dozen young children would sit on the porch where my roommate and I stayed. They laughed constantly, they <12> always found joy in the simplest of things. They did teach <13> us to count in Creole and read children's stories to us in French. They invited us to kick balls with them and chase yard chickens. Even though they did not have many toys, the children entertained one another with conversation, laughter and storytelling.
[§6] When it was time to leave Haiti and return to New York, I was sad to say goodbye. Although my roommate and I delivered medical supplies to their community, the people gave us memories that will last the rest of our lives. <14>
<7>:
- NO CHANGE
- pass the time during our excessively long commute
- pass the time during our excessive four-hour commute
- pass the time during our commute
Answer(s): D
Explanation:
D is the correct answer because of wordiness and redundancy. A, B, and C are incorrect because "excessively," "long," and "four-hour" are redundant when combined. In addition, the lengthy description is wordy. Although longer sentences may be grammatically correct, short sentences are the best choice to minimize wordiness.