ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning › One-Blank Sentences
Kevin was not known for making __________ arguments, for his sentences were often labyrinthine, obscure masses of confusion.
lucid
vertiginous
amazing
childish
unaccomplished
The contrast here is between obscurity and clarity. When something or someone is “lucid,” he or she is able to express ideas or thoughts in a clear manner. The word actually comes from base words for “light,” which are found in English relatives like “lucent,” “translucent,” and even “Lucifer” (the so-called “light bearing angel” who later fell from grace, according to Christian tradition).
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The actor missed his __________ and entered the scene a bit later than planned, but luckily it didn't affect the plot of the play.
cue
summons
jump
tardiness
project
We know that the actor missed some direction telling him to enter the scene, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "signal." While "summons" might seem like the correct answer, "cue" fits the context of the sentence better; while "summons" means "an authoritative or urgent call to someone to be present or to do something" or "an order to appear before a judge or magistrate, or the writ containing it," "cue" means "a thing said or done that serves as a signal to an actor or other performer to enter or to begin their speech or performance." Because "cue" best fits the theatrical context of the sentence, "cue" is the correct answer.
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Although the question of the soul’s immortality was interesting to the physicist, he was not currently concerned with it, as it was __________ to the questions he was asking in his experiment on the rotation of the earth on its axis.
extraneous
ridiculous
disconcerting
upending
absurd
The important thing to note in this sentence is that, in his experiment at least, the physicist is unconcerned with the question of the soul’s immortality. The question could be said to be “outside” of his concerns or irrelevant for his considerations. When something is called “extraneous” it is being described as being thus unrelated. The word comes from the Latin for “external” or “foreign.”
Kevin was not known for making __________ arguments, for his sentences were often labyrinthine, obscure masses of confusion.
lucid
vertiginous
amazing
childish
unaccomplished
The contrast here is between obscurity and clarity. When something or someone is “lucid,” he or she is able to express ideas or thoughts in a clear manner. The word actually comes from base words for “light,” which are found in English relatives like “lucent,” “translucent,” and even “Lucifer” (the so-called “light bearing angel” who later fell from grace, according to Christian tradition).
The doctors and policeman __________ to solve the case and serve justice to the kidnapper.
collaborated
compromised
imputed
reconciled
submitted
Because two different professions are coming together to solve, the best choice is "collaborated," which means to work together.
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Robert’s words were almost always __________, having little real content and ultimately no meaning for those to whom they were directed.
vacuous
tedious
detached
distant
helpless
The key expression here is “having little real content.” The words were therefore empty or “vacuous,” a word with clearly related terms like “vacuum” and “vacuity.”
The image of the apple was starkly visible in the __________ of the painting, standing out from the coffee shop portrayed behind it.
foreground
scenery
stillness
details
background
The contrast expressed in this sentence is between the apple and the coffee shop, which is apparently behind the apple (as implied by “portrayed behind it \[the apple\]”). When something sits “in front” of other things so as to be very visible, it is said to be in the “foreground,” literally the “front ground” of the image, view, or painting.
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
The mill makes flour by __________ wheat between two large, heavy stones which are turned as horses pull them.
pulverizing
flattening
dealing
whetting
climbing
We know that the mill makes flour by crushing wheat between two large stones, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "crushing." While "flattening" might seem like a potentially correct answer, "pulverizing" is the better choice, as "pulverizing" means "reducing to fine particles" or, more informally, "defeat utterly." Because "pulverizing" best fits the context of the sentence, it is the correct answer.
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Although the house was relatively new, it was in a state of significant disrepair, to the point that it looked much worse than many old, __________ buildings in town.
dilapidated
venerable
Victorian
outmoted
outdated
The implication in this sentence is that the house was in more disrepair than even many other deteriorating houses in town. The best word to match this sense is “dilapidated,” which means “falling apart due to age or lack of care.” It is derived from the prefix “di-” meaning “apart or down from” and the Latin word for stone, “lapis.” The stone lapis lazuli is so named because it is the stone (lapis) from the place in Persia (now Iran) that was Latinized as Lazulus.
The image of the apple was starkly visible in the __________ of the painting, standing out from the coffee shop portrayed behind it.
foreground
scenery
stillness
details
background
The contrast expressed in this sentence is between the apple and the coffee shop, which is apparently behind the apple (as implied by “portrayed behind it \[the apple\]”). When something sits “in front” of other things so as to be very visible, it is said to be in the “foreground,” literally the “front ground” of the image, view, or painting.