IXL - Choose punctuation to avoid fragments and run-ons.

Ancient mathematicians probably used symbols to represent the "empty columns," or zeros, in a number such as __________ the concept of zero as a number wasn't developed until the fifth century CE.

100; however,

The following marsupials are all native to ____________________ koalas, wombats, and Tasmanian devils.

Australia: kangaroos,

Francis Scott Key penned the lyrics to the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," after the battle of ______________ was inspired by the sight of the American flag still flying above the fort after twenty-five hours of bombardment by the British.

Fort McHenry; he

Two official versions of written Norwegian, Bokmal and Nynorsk, are used in _________ shares much in common with written Danish, while Nynorsk was created to preserve the Old Norse language.

Norway. Bokmal

Sir William Herschel discovered _________ was also the first astronomer to accurately describe the spiral structure of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Uranus, and he

Marvin's summer vacation in Montana consisted almost entirely of outdoor __________ riding, hiking, swimming, and fishing.

activities: horseback

The spelling bee contestant appeared undaunted by the word ___________ she still asked to hear the word used in a sentence.

ameliorate, but

A colony of carpenter bees built a nest in the decrepit wood shed in our ____________ don't intend to disturb them in their new home.

backyard. We

Gwen traced her family's lineage back to the eighteenth ____________ cross-referenced her grandmother's stories with a genealogical index at the library.

century. She

Taking a good photograph of the moon at night can be _________________ you may have better luck getting a clear image if you attach your camera to a tripod and choose a low ISO setting, which decreases your camera's sensitivity to light.

challenging; however,

Now that they've retired, my grandparents spend most weekends volunteering for local _______________ hosting dinner parties at their lake home.

charities or

Although Japser was born in Canada, his parents are U.S. ________________ he has dual citizenship and can seek employment in either country.

citizens; therefore,

While it is true that some species of chameleons have the ability to change their skin ____________ typically use this attribute to regulate their body temperatures--not to elude detection.

color, they

The city's infrastructure favors motorists over __________ parking is far more prevalent than bicycle lanes.

cyclists; curbside

Akira's writing is effective because it is ____________ is able to communicate complex ideas with few words.

economical; she

The venerable old elm tree had sheltered and shaded two generations of our ______________ it was starting to decay and had to be cut down.

family; nevertheless,

The city's narrow cobblestone streets gave it a medieval ______________ the electric street lights on every corner were constant reminders of its modernity.

feel; however,

The Tiktaalik roseae, an aquatic creature that lived roughly 375 million years ago, is the first known species to have developed characteristics of four-legged animals while still retaining the features typically associated with ____________, scales, and gills.

fish: fins

The figure skater pirouetted with __________ she failed to properly execute her flip jump.

grace, but

Ken observed that the jar's metal lid was easier to unscrew after it was ___________ realized the lid loosened up because metal expands when it gets hot.

heated. He

Rana sylvatica, a species of wood frog, endures harsh winters in a state of frozen ________________ can survive with two-thirds of its body water completely frozen.

hibernation; it

Romance languages, which can be all traced back to a form of Latin that was spoken during the Roman Empire, __________________, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.

include French

The Dadaists, a group of twentieth-century artists who sought to destroy or deconstruct conventional definitions of art, ___________________, Tristan Tzara, Man Ray, and Max Ernst.

included Marcel Duchamp

Many genres of popular music have been heavily influenced by American blues, _______________, rock, hip hop, and soul.

including jazz

Whenever we invited Arianna to a party, she would decline our ____________ we would simply never hear back from her.

invitation, or

The phone call between astronaut Sunita Williams and marine biologist Tim Shank on January 26, 2007, was the first of its ____________ was orbiting 220 miles from Earth, and Shank was 2 miles deep in the ocean.

kind. Williams

The objective of kite fighting, a popular sport in Afghanistan, is to slice another person's kite string with the string of your __________ race to be the first to recover a kite once its string has been severed.

kite. Children

Aaron was an obvious choice for team captain, as he had all of the qualities of a great ________ charisma, intelligence, foresight, and courage.

leader:

The Voyager I space probe, launched on September 5, 1977, was equipped with a time capsule called the Golden Record. This capsule was loaded with images of Earth and selections of popular _______________ meant to educate extraterrestrials about life on Earth.

music and was

Nurses at the Ashland county hospital work long hours with little ___________ receive generous benefits.

pay but

A fitness guru and overachiever, Martin has summited four of the world's tallest ______________ in Alaska, Mount Elbrus in Russia, Mont Blanc in France, and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

peaks: Denali

Sean's thrift is evident in his refusal to dispose of ___________ even saves the extra forks and knives that are delivered with his take-out orders.

plasticware; he

Michelle was an experienced speed chess _______ still struggled with the pace of competitive tournaments.

player but

Until we reach a rural area with little or no light __________ are unlikely to see a shooting star.

pollution, we

You must be present at the raffle drawing in order to claim a ___________ if you leave early, you automatically forfeit your potential winnings.

prize; consequently,

The term auteur describes a film director who assumes total artistic control over a film's _________________ it implies that by guiding the direction, cinematography, and lighting of a film, the director--not the screenwriter--becomes its true author.

production; furthermore,

It's propeller buzzing loudly, the seaplane taxied across the lake past the ______________ steadily increased its speed in preparation for takeoff.

sailboats and

People who are lactose intolerant can obtain calcium from the following non-dairy __________________, salmon, baked beans, and almonds.

sources: collards

Some features of Earth that are visible from ____________ Himalayan mountains, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and the human-made islands off the coast of Dubai.

space are the

Before Vicky travels to a country where a foreign language is ___________ makes sure to learn a few key phrases in that language--such as how to greet people and how to ask for directions.

spoken, she

Though the log cabin was furnished with a wood ____________ poorly insulated single-pane windows were no match for the cruel North Dakota winter.

stove, the

Certain items are indispensable for a wilderness backpacking trip, ________ compass, a map, a water filter, and a pocket knife.

such as a

The community garden receives ample sunlight and rainfall but is plagued by various pests, ____________, slugs, squirrels, and rabbits.

such as aphids

Studies suggest that meditation has many health benefits, _______________ cardiovascular health, decreased cortisol ( a hormone related to stress levels), and lower blood pressure.

such as improved

Stream of consciousness is a literary style that mimics the flow of natural ________________ abandons conventional punctuation.

thought and

Japan's Akashi Strait Bridge was built in a seismically unstable region prone to earthquakes and ______________ its engineers designed it to withstand winds up to 180 miles an hour.

tsunamis, so

The mountain pass was closed due to inclement __________ our plans for an adventurous ski weekend were ruined.

weather, so

Before Mexican freetail bats migrate to Mexico for the _____________ can be seen flying out from under Austin's Congress Avenue Bridge every evening.

winter, they

Jada rarely talks about work when she is at home or lets her home life interfere with her ____________ has an impressive ability to keep one from intruding upon the other.

work; she

Although wild strawberries grow around the_______ cultivated varieties that are most commonly eaten today originated from a hybrid of plants taken from Virginia and Chile.

world, the