Sentence Completion

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ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning › Sentence Completion

Questions 1 - 10
1

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The children were amazed at how the                      trapeze artist was able to walk the tight rope and fly through the air.

nimble

clumsy

sensitive

perspicacious

moronic

Explanation

The sentence calls for a word that describes the type of movements of a trapeze artist, specifically the ability to walk a tight rope or fly through the air. The word that most closely fits this description would be “nimble.”

2

The story was published                     , so Wallace knew that contacting the author would be a challenging task, as no one knew who he or she was.

anonymously

anomalously

copiously

evanescently

credulously

Explanation

Since no one knows who wrote the story, we're looking for an adverb that describes something done in a way so as to have one's identity remain secret. While "anomalously" and "anonymously" sound extremely similar, they have very different meanings: "anomalously" means "done in a way that deviates from expectations or norms" and "anonymously" means "done in a way that does not identify someone by name." So, "anonymously" is the best answer choice.

3

Jason's professor liked his creative writing piece, but thought that it was too full of                      sayings like "the early bird gets the worm" that detracted from the work because of how overused the sayings were.

trite

authentic

novel

pardonable

necessary

Explanation

We can infer that because Jason's creative writing piece was full of overused sayings, we need to pick out a word that means something like "overused" to describe those sayings. Neither "authentic" nor "novel" will do, because each of those words is an antonym to "overused." "Trite" is an adjective that is used of a remark, opinion, or idea and means "overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness," and because it is the answer choice that best suits the sentence's context, "trite" is the correct answer.

4

The hike that Marty took with his friends followed a                      route full of twists and turns, and when he began to worry that they were getting lost, he began to                      in his backpack for the map of the area.

tortuous . . . fumble

winding . . . disregard

straightforward . . . search

uncomplicated . . . lunge

derelict . . . participate

Explanation

We can infer that because the hiking route is described as "full of twists and turns," we need to pick out an adjective for the first blank that means something like "twisting" or "turning" to describe it. Either "tortuous" ("full of twists and turns") or "winding" ("following a twisting or spiral course") could be potentially correct. For the second blank, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "search" to describe how Marty looked in his backpack for the map. Either "fumble" ("move clumsily in various directions using the hands to find one's way") or "fish" ("search, typically by groping or feeling for something concealed") could be potentially correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "tortuous" and "fumble" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "tortuous . . . fumble."

5

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The                      of Andrew Jackson was infamous among politicians in his time; even after he achieved phenomenal success they could not bear his consistent                     .

arrogance . . . smugness

concentration . . . laziness

delegation . . . mollycoddling

apathy . . . gregariousness

degradation . . . excellence

Explanation

From the use of the words “infamous” and “could not bear” you know that the blanks being described are probably negative. You also know that the blanks must be similar or identical in meaning because there is no clause or conjunction indicating a change in meaning. The correct answer is therefore arrogance and smugness; this is the only answer choice in which the meanings of the two answers are similar. Delegation means to allocate tasks; mollycoddling means to pamper and spoil someone; apathy means not caring; gregariousness refers to sociability; degradation describes the squalor of something.

6

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The couple didn't like the food at the restaurant very much, but nonetheless frequented it merely due to its                      to their apartment.

displacement

taste

appearance

proximity

atmosphere

Explanation

"Proximity" means simply nearness to something. Here, we are given contextual clues that tell us that their restaurant choice had something to do with their apartment. All the answers would be reasons to choose the place, but "proximity" is the only one that has to do with their apartment.

7

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Chelsea's                      sister almost never stops talking and interrupts every conversation she overhears.

garrulous

garbled

complicit

prosperous

apprehensive

Explanation

Since we know from the sentence's context that Chelsea's sister talks a lot, we're looking for an adjective that has to do with speech, and specifically means "talkative." While "garbled" has to do with speech and messages, it means distorted and refers to speech itself, not the people who speak. Since "garrulous" means talkative, it is the correct answer.

8

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt gave many explanatory speeches to the American public, hoping to                      fears over the lengthening economic crisis.

allay

exacerbate

harmonize

propagate

undulate

Explanation

This question requires a small amount of critical thinking on your part. You likely will conclude that the President would be seeking to remove or help ameliorate the fears of the American people during a depression. This would lead you to the correct answer “allay,” which means to calm or relieve. "Exacerbate" is opposite in meaning and means make something greater or worse; "harmonize" means complement; "propagate" means to spread; and "undulate" means to roll and ripple.

9

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt gave many explanatory speeches to the American public, hoping to                      fears over the lengthening economic crisis.

allay

exacerbate

harmonize

propagate

undulate

Explanation

This question requires a small amount of critical thinking on your part. You likely will conclude that the President would be seeking to remove or help ameliorate the fears of the American people during a depression. This would lead you to the correct answer “allay,” which means to calm or relieve. "Exacerbate" is opposite in meaning and means make something greater or worse; "harmonize" means complement; "propagate" means to spread; and "undulate" means to roll and ripple.

10

Jason's professor liked his creative writing piece, but thought that it was too full of                      sayings like "the early bird gets the worm" that detracted from the work because of how overused the sayings were.

trite

authentic

novel

pardonable

necessary

Explanation

We can infer that because Jason's creative writing piece was full of overused sayings, we need to pick out a word that means something like "overused" to describe those sayings. Neither "authentic" nor "novel" will do, because each of those words is an antonym to "overused." "Trite" is an adjective that is used of a remark, opinion, or idea and means "overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness," and because it is the answer choice that best suits the sentence's context, "trite" is the correct answer.

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