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

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the Sentence Context

Read the sentence carefully to understand its context. Identify that the sentence is discussing a change in arsenic usage and its continuing impact.

Identifying Sentence Structure

Notice the sentence has two parts: one about diminished arsenic usage and the other about its ongoing presence in water and soil.

Choosing the Correct Conjunction

Determine that the correct conjunction should contrast the diminishing usage with the ongoing concern. The appropriate conjunction must show that despite the decrease in usage, the concern remains.

Evaluating Options

Evaluate the given options:A. 'After' - This indicates a sequence rather than a contrast, so it is not suitable.B. 'Although' - This indicates contrast and fits the context.C. 'Inasmuch as' - This indicates cause and effect, not contrast, so it is not suitable.D. 'Considering' - This does not specifically indicate contrast.E. 'While' - This also indicates contrast and fits the context.F. 'Because' - This indicates cause and effect, not contrast, so it is not suitable.

Comparing Suitable Options

Compare 'Although' and 'While': Both options indicate contrast. However, 'while' is typically used to contrast two simultaneous actions, whereas 'although' is better suited to contrast a change or diminishing aspect with an ongoing concern in this context.

Final Decision

Choose 'Although' as it most accurately conveys the intended meaning of contrast between diminished usage and ongoing concern.

Key concepts

Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is essential for GRE sentence completion exercises. To excel, begin by carefully reading the entire sentence. Identify the main idea and context. By understanding that the sentence in the example discusses the decreasing commercial use of arsenic and its continued impact on public health, you set the stage for finding the correct word choice. Key strategies include:

• Pinpoint the topic or main idea
• Identify key details and supporting information
• Recognize the type of relationship between the sentence parts

This builds a foundation for identifying the correct conjunction that fits the sentence's relationship.

Sentence Structure

Understanding sentence structure helps in identifying how different parts of a sentence relate. The exercise provided has a complex sentence made up of two main clauses: one clause mentions the diminishing usage of arsenic, and the other talks about the ongoing public health concern. To break it down:

• First Clause: Discusses a change (diminished usage of arsenic)
• Second Clause: Mentions an ongoing situation (continued presence of arsenic in water and soil)

Complex sentences often use conjunctions to show relationships such as contrast, cause, or addition. Recognizing the role of each clause is key to picking the accurate conjunction.

Conjunction Usage

Conjunctions are words used to connect clauses or sentences. There are different types of conjunctions for different relationships:

• Coordinating conjunctions: Connect words or clauses of equal importance (e.g., and, but, or).
• Subordinating conjunctions: Connect a dependent clause to an independent clause (e.g., although, because, while).

For the provided exercise, the correct conjunction should indicate a contrast between the two clauses. Hence, options like 'although' and 'while' are appropriate. Understanding the nuance between 'although' (which shows a strong contrast) and 'while' (which shows two actions happening at the same time) helps in making the precise choice.

Contrast in Sentences

Some sentences require conjunctions that highlight contrasts. When using conjunctions to show contrast, the goal is to express that two ideas or events are in opposition. For example, despite arsenic usage diminishing, its presence in the environment remains a concern. Key contrast conjunctions include:

• 'Although': Indicates a strong contrast between two ideas.
• 'While': Often contrasts two simultaneous actions or states.

In this exercise, both 'although' and 'while' fit the contrast requirement. However, 'although' is preferable as it better suits the strong opposing relationship between decreased usage and ongoing concern. Understanding nuances between different contrast conjunctions helps in accurately completing sentence tasks.