Question

in the ever - evolving world of biotech, 1982 marked a commercial breakthrough—genentech ____ first genetically engineered human insulin. produced via recombinant dna technology, this drug transformed diabetes treatment worldwide. within just five years, more than 2 million patients in the united states alone had transitioned from animal - derived insulin to humulin, demonstrating its rapid clinical adoption.
17
mark for review
which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of standard english?
a released humulin, the
b released humulin—the
c released humulin) the
d released humulin; the

Explanation:

To determine the correct choice, we analyze the punctuation and sentence structure. The phrase "first genetically engineered human insulin" is an appositive that renames "Humulin". We need to set off the appositive correctly. A dash (—) is used here to introduce the appositive, so we need to check the punctuation before the appositive. The part before the appositive is a complete clause ("Genentech released Humulin"), and the appositive provides additional information. Option B uses a dash after "Humulin" to introduce the appositive, which is correct. Option A uses a comma, which is incorrect as it would create a comma splice or incorrect separation. Option C uses a closing parenthesis, which is incorrect as there is no opening parenthesis. Option D uses a semicolon, which is incorrect as the second part is not an independent clause.

Answer:

B. released Humulin—the