The number of reported cases of autism spectrum disorders has ______ in the past twenty years and _________ since 2007.
A) increased slightly; increased dramatically
B) increased slightly; decreased slightly
C) decreased slightly; increased slightly
D) increased dramatically; increased even more dramatically

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The first blank suggests that there has been an increase in the reported cases of autism spectrum disorders over the past twenty years. Option A suggests that this increase has been slight. The second blank suggests that there has been a change in the rate of increase in reported cases since 2007. Option A again suggests that the increase since 2007 has been dramatic. Therefore, option A is the best choice. Note that option D is incorrect as it suggests that the rate of increase since 2007 has been even more dramatic than the increase over the past twenty years, which is not supported by the question stem.

The Number of Reported Cases of Autism Spectrum Disorders Has