Question 16

'Their' in line 5 refers to white citizens.

The word 'their' in line 5 specifically refers to the white citizens mentioned in the context. The extract states that more than 80% of the white citizens traced their ancestry back to England, indicating that 'their' is used to denote possession among this group.

A) immigrants

This option is incorrect because the term 'immigrants' does not directly relate to the phrase in question. The context discusses the demographic breakdown of the U.S. population, specifically focusing on white citizens, rather than immigrants at that point.

B) people of Hispanic origin

This option is not accurate as 'their' does not pertain to people of Hispanic origin. The sentence structure and context imply that 'their' relates to a specific group that is being quantified, which are the white citizens, rather than the Hispanic population who were present before European settlers.

C) white citizens

This is the correct option because 'their' in line 5 refers to the white citizens, as it is stated that over 80% of them traced their ancestry back to England. This indicates a clear connection between the possessive pronoun and the white citizens discussed in the census data.

D) Native Americans

This option is incorrect since 'their' does not refer to Native Americans. The extract mentions Native Americans separately and does not link them with the ancestry information provided about white citizens.

Conclusion

In summary, 'their' clearly refers to the white citizens as indicated by the context of the extract. Other options either misinterpret the subject of the sentence or refer to groups not directly associated with the ancestry information. Thus, the correct answer is definitively C, as it aligns with the demographic details presented.