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Practice Test 3 - ISEE Middle Level Verbal Reasoning

20 questions. Answer them in any order, then submit to see your score and every explanation.

  1. In a story about a lost dog, the narrator describes two different searches. First, the family makes a request by asking neighbors to watch for the dog and call if they see it. They use a friendly tone and thank people for helping. Later, a frustrated cousin issues a command by telling everyone to stop what they are doing and search immediately. The narrator notes that a request invites cooperation, while a command expects obedience. Some neighbors respond quickly to the request because they feel respected. Others react poorly to the command because it sounds bossy. The family learns that how they speak can change how people help. What does request mean in contrast to command as used in the text?
  2. SULLEN
  3. The mayor's speech, full of empty promises and tired clichés, was met with ------- from the jaded and unimpressed audience.
  4. At the end of the service, the priest offered a -------, asking for divine favor and protection for the congregation.
  5. PRUDENT:
  6. After weeks of arduous training and little rest, the marathon runners were understandably ------- and longed for the end of the race.
  7. The lawyer questioned the ------- of the witness's statement, suggesting that it was full of inconsistencies and not to be trusted.
  8. NOTORIOUS
  9. The discovery of a single fossil was significant, but the subsequent unearthing of an entire, well-preserved skeleton was a truly ------- find for the paleontologists.
  10. The scientist approached the new, unverified data with -------, knowing from experience that initial findings could often be misleading.
  11. VIVID
  12. Unable to ------- the angry crowd, the speaker was forced to end his speech prematurely and leave the stage.
  13. The city council voted to ------- the old law that prevented shops from opening on Sundays, citing the need to encourage economic activity.
  14. STURDY
  15. Choose the word that best fills the gap in the sentence. After the hike, Ben is ______ and gulps water.
  16. ASSESS:
  17. Which sentence best explains the difference between observe and participate in the passage? During a weekend cleanup, a group of students meets at a park near their school. At first, Tessa stands by the path and watches how the team organizes supplies. She notices who hands out gloves and who keeps track of filled bags. She listens as the leader explains where to place recyclables and where to place trash. Tessa stays quiet, because she wants to understand the plan before she acts. She sees that some areas have broken glass, so the leader assigns older students there. After a few minutes, Tessa steps forward and asks for a grabber tool. She begins picking up wrappers near the benches and drops them into a bag. When she finds a sharp can, she calls the leader over instead of touching it. As she works, she hears others talking and laughing, and she joins their conversation. A friend asks if she was nervous to start, and Tessa admits she was unsure at first. She says watching helped her learn what to do safely. Later, she takes a turn weighing bags and recording totals on a clipboard. By the end, Tessa feels tired but satisfied, because she did more than stand on the sidelines. She realizes there is value in careful watching, but change happens faster when you join in. The leader thanks everyone for helping, including those who started slowly. Tessa walks home thinking about how she moved from learning to doing.
  18. A textbook passage describes a country where many people dislike unfair taxes. At first, a small group refuses to pay and blocks a local road. The author calls this a rebellion because it is a limited uprising against leaders. Months later, the protests spread to many cities, and new leaders propose a different form of government. The author calls that a revolution because it aims to replace the entire system. The passage notes that a rebellion may end after one law changes, but a revolution seeks bigger change. Some citizens join only when they believe the old rules will be rewritten. Based on the passage, which of the following best captures the difference between rebellion and revolution?
  19. DILIGENT:
  20. While a brief summary can provide the main points of the book, it cannot ------- the experience of reading the author's rich, descriptive prose.

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