Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Biology
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The passage narrates how the author completed a first MOOC offered by Johns Hopkins on an online platform. It mentions the specific topic of this course and explains why the author chose it at that time. The question asks you to identify the subject area to which this first MOOC belonged. This is a factual detail that comes directly from the early part of the passage.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The key concept is distinguishing between the subject of the specific course the author actually took and the variety of subjects available later. The course the author completed is directly linked with biology and health sciences through clinical trials and ethics. Other areas like nutrition, mythology, and business appear later in the passage as examples of additional courses, not as the first course taken. To answer correctly, you must focus on the author’s explanation of why that particular course was chosen.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the sentence that describes the first MOOC the author completed.
Step 2: Note that this course was on “clinical trials and ethical practices,” offered by Johns Hopkins.
Step 3: Read further to see why the author enrolled, and find the line stating it was “the only biology related course open at the time.”
Step 4: Recognize that this clearly places the course within the broad subject area of biology and medical science.
Step 5: Compare with the options: Nutrition, Mythology, and Business are mentioned later as examples of other courses, not as the specific course completed.
Step 6: Conclude that the correct answer is Biology.
Verification / Alternative check:
A quick way to verify is to recall the detailed description of the course design. The passage states that it was mainly intended for health care professionals who would be involved in actual clinical trials, which is clearly a biological and medical context. None of the other options fit this description. Nutrition is related to health but appears only in the later list of diverse MOOC subjects; mythology and business are clearly unrelated to clinical trials. This confirms that Biology is the correct subject area.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Nutrition is mentioned later as one of many possible course topics, but it is not the subject of the specific course the author completed.
Mythology appears as “Greek mythology” in the list of other subjects available on MOOCs, not as the first course taken.
Business is likewise cited as a later subject area in the expanding MOOC catalogue and not as the authors first MOOC topic.
Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes skim the passage and latch onto the later list of subjects, mistakenly thinking that the question refers to that general catalogue instead of the particular course described earlier. Another pitfall is to overlook the phrase “biology related,” which is a very strong clue. To avoid these mistakes, always distinguish between the specific personal experiences of the narrator and the broader examples given later for illustration.
Final Answer:
The first MOOC the author completed was related to “Biology”, specifically clinical trials and ethical practices in health care.
Discussion & Comments