SAT OwlQuestion bank / Words in Context
Before vaccines were developed, measles infected nearly every child in the United States. Once a vaccine became widely available in the 1960s, the number of cases ______ dramatically, falling by more than 99 percent within a few decades.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
declined
multiplied
fluctuated
persisted
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
The phrase "falling by more than 99 percent" tells us the number of cases went down. "Declined" means decreased.
Choice C, "fluctuated," means rose and fell irregularly, which does not match a steady drop of more than 99 percent.
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