If nearly all of the people in
the race finished, what word
or phrase does the modifier
belong to?

answer: b (host)

viruses use the cells of living organisms to reproduce. the cell which is used by virus is called as "host cell". it is a living cell in which virus multiplies, example bacteria, plant or an animal cell.

in this, the virus is a parasite, which uses host cell for its benefit (reproduction) by using the cell machinary of host cell.

every four years the american people choose a new president, and 1988 is one of those years."

21 balloons is the story of professor william sherman's travels.

in 1883, he set off from san francisco for a balloon ride over the pacific and was found a month later floating with 21 balloons in the atlantic ocean. this seemed an astounding feat and everyone wanted to know what had happened.    

professor sherman was loyal, however, and said he would tell his tale first to the western american explorers club in san francisco, of which he was a member. this built up suspense for several chapters before he began to tell of the wonders of his adventures and the amazing island of krakatoa, an island which had just been blown up by a volcano.  

the residents of krakatoa are all millionaires who live under a "gourmet government" of their own devising. we get to see all the incredible adventures that creative people with unlimited resources would create according to the author.