Question

use this dictionary entry to answer the question.
ist-(suffix): one who is devoted to something latin
what is the meaning of the word specialist in paragraph 5 of the
passage?
○ a place where people are treated for serious injuries
○ a person who researches common diseases
○ a place where doctors study medicine
○ a person who is an authority on a specific subject
reading passage
5 my parents took me to a hearing specialist. the diagnosis was pretty
straightforward: in both ears, i’d lost some hearing at one range and a lot of hearing another. the constant ringing was connected to the hearing loss. of course i asked
the doctor, “so what can you do about it?” her response—“the hearing loss is
irreversible”—wasn’t the answer i was expecting.
6 how had something as innocent as music done so much damage? here’s a brief
explanation.
7 there are hair cells in the inner ear that are involved in your ability to hear.
excessively loud noise can kill these cells, and the longer you’re exposed to the loud
noise, the greater the number of cells that are destroyed. the greater the number of
cells that are destroyed, the worse your hearing gets. once those hair cells have died
they stay dead, so your hearing isn’t likely to get better in the future.
8 genetics—that is, the genes you’ve inherited—may play a role in how your ears
react to loud sounds. but whether or not you’re at risk of damaging your hearing
depends mainly on two things: how loud the music or other noise is and how long

Explanation:

The dictionary entry says "ist - (suffix): one who is devoted to something". A "hearing specialist" is a person with expertise in hearing. The option "a person who is an authority on a specific subject" matches, as a specialist is an authority in their field. Other options refer to places or incorrect roles (like researching common diseases, not matching "hearing specialist").

Answer:

D. a person who is an authority on a specific subject