The management training program emphasizes developing leadership skills, improving communication abilities, and _______.

4
reading

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A

how to resolve conflicts

B

conflict resolution is important

C

building team cohesion

D

teams should be cohesive

Correct Answer: C

Choice C is the best answer. This question tests parallel structure in a series.

  1. Context clues: The series uses gerund phrases: "developing..., improving..."
  2. Meaning: Items in a series must maintain the same grammatical form.
  3. Verify: "developing..., improving..., and building..." maintains parallel gerund structure.

💡 Strategy: Items in a series must be parallel in grammatical form (all nouns, all gerunds, all infinitives, etc.).

Choice A is incorrect because "how to resolve" is an infinitive phrase, not a gerund. Choice B is incorrect because it's a complete clause, not a gerund phrase. Choice D is incorrect because it's a complete clause with a different structure.