2014-07-18 09:00:19

The school nurse worried about the bug bite on the child because of the _____ that surrounded it, since similar swelling is often a sign of infection.

(A) discernment
(B) scarring
(C) persuasion
(D) perturbation
(E) distension

The correct answer is E
Explanation: To find the missing word, try to predict its meaning by looking at clues int he sentence. Here, the best clue is the phrase "since similar swelling," a phrase that implies that the child himself/herself had swelling around the bug bite. This suggests that the missing word means "swelling," making choice E correct: "distension" is "swelling or pressure caused from within."

None of the other choices work, either:

discernment: the ability to judge well
scarring: the action of leaving a permanent mark on the skin where a sore or wound has not fully healed
persuasion: the action of causing someone else to believe something
perturbation: something that causes anxiety or uneasiness