Question

______ commercial arsenic usage has diminished, its ongoing presence in water and soil continues to be a major public health concern, given the extremely high toxicity of the substance. a. After b. Although c. Inasmuch as d. Considering e. While f. Because

Short answer

'b. Although' is the best choice.

Step-by-step solution

- Understand the Sentence

Read the sentence carefully to understand its structure and meaning. The sentence talks about two contrasting ideas: the decrease in commercial arsenic usage and the ongoing public health concern due to its presence.

- Identify the Relationship

Determine the relationship between the two parts of the sentence. The relationship is contrastive because it mentions the reduction in use but still emphasizes a major concern.

- Analyze the Options

Evaluate each option to see which one best indicates a contrast: a. 'After' suggests a sequence in time. b. 'Although' indicates contrast. c. 'Inasmuch as' means 'because'. d. 'Considering' means taking into account. e. 'While' also indicates contrast. f. 'Because' indicates causation.

- Choose the Best Option

Since the sentence needs a word to indicate contrast between the reduced usage and ongoing concern, the best options are 'Although' and 'While'.

- Final Selection

Select the option that fits the context of contrasting ideas smoothly. 'Although' or 'While' could both work, but 'Although' is more directly contrasting. Therefore, 'Although' is the best choice.

Key concepts

Concept of Contrastive Conjunctions

Contrastive conjunctions are words that connect two clauses by highlighting a contrast between them. They play an essential role in sentence completion exercises, especially in exams like the GRE. To understand their function, consider the contrast in a sentence: one part may introduce a situation while the other shows an opposing outcome or idea. Examples of contrastive conjunctions include:

• 'Although'
• 'While'
• 'Nevertheless'
• 'However'

Using these words correctly ensures the sentence conveys the intended meaning. For instance, in the exercise given, 'Although' and 'While' were identified as the best options to show the contrast between diminished arsenic usage and its ongoing health concern.

Understanding Public Health Concerns

Public health concerns refer to issues that affect the health of populations rather than individuals. These can be caused by a variety of factors, such as environmental pollutants, infectious diseases, and lifestyle choices. Arsenic in water and soil remains a significant public health concern due to its toxicity. Even if its commercial usage has decreased, its presence in the environment can lead to serious health problems, including:

• Cancer
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Neurological disorders

Addressing these concerns involves public policy, community action, and ongoing scientific research. The pivotal role of understanding public health concerns is to develop preventive measures and mitigate the impacts on large populations.

Sentence Structure Analysis

Analyzing sentence structure is crucial for comprehending and solving sentence completion exercises effectively. By breaking down a sentence, you can identify the relationships between its parts. For the provided exercise, let's analyze its structure and meaning clearly: One part of the sentence mentions the reduced commercial usage of arsenic, and the other part talks about the continuous public health issue due to its toxic presence. Recognizing this contrast helps identify which word or phrase best connects and completes the sentence. For GRE questions, commonly focused areas in sentence structure include:

• The subject and predicate relationship
• Clause identification
• Conjunction usage
• Contextual understanding

Mastering these aspects will aid in effective sentence completion and improve overall performance in language-related components of the GRE.