Context Clues in Two-Blank Sentences

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ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning › Context Clues in Two-Blank Sentences

Questions 1 - 10
1

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

The demagogue worked day and night,                      the passions of the                      against those whom he declared to be the “privileged few.”

exciting . . . disenfranchised

garnering . . . intelligentia

discussing . . . bankers

overriding . . . recalcitrant

exculpating . . . many

Explanation

To answer this question, it helps to know the meaning of "demagogue". This is a person who tries to lead in political and public matters by using emotions. He or she stirs up the emotions of the people to get them to act in a certain manner. This should lead you to think "exciting" is the correct first word. ("Exciting" can merely mean arousing strong feelings.) Still, you may be tempted to choose "many" for the second blank. However, "exculpatory" means getting out of trouble. That makes no sense here. The best option is "exciting ... disenfranchised". To be "disenfranchised" means to be powerless in a society. This contrasts well enough to the demagogue's "privileged few." To "gain the franchise" means to become able to vote. Voting allows people to have some power in society.

2

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

The demagogue worked day and night,                      the passions of the                      against those whom he declared to be the “privileged few.”

exciting . . . disenfranchised

garnering . . . intelligentia

discussing . . . bankers

overriding . . . recalcitrant

exculpating . . . many

Explanation

To answer this question, it helps to know the meaning of "demagogue". This is a person who tries to lead in political and public matters by using emotions. He or she stirs up the emotions of the people to get them to act in a certain manner. This should lead you to think "exciting" is the correct first word. ("Exciting" can merely mean arousing strong feelings.) Still, you may be tempted to choose "many" for the second blank. However, "exculpatory" means getting out of trouble. That makes no sense here. The best option is "exciting ... disenfranchised". To be "disenfranchised" means to be powerless in a society. This contrasts well enough to the demagogue's "privileged few." To "gain the franchise" means to become able to vote. Voting allows people to have some power in society.

3

Choose the pair of words that best completes the following sentence.

No one liked attending the miserly old man's dinner parties; he kept a                      menu and sent people home hungry, unlike his jolly neighbor, whose tables were filled with                      amounts of provender.

sparse . . . copious

munificent . . . extraneous

abundant . . . meager

superior . . . sumptuous

parsimonious . . . sparing

Explanation

If no one likes the old man's parties (described as "miserly," note!) because they go home hungry, the best prediction for describing his menu would be scarce, small, or tiny. Since the old man's neighbor is unlike the old man, we should predict that his parties are the opposite and that he offers lots of food. The word we want there should be similar to lots, large, huge, or generous.

First, eliminate as many wrong pairs as you can. "Munificent" means extremely generous or _giving—_completely opposite of the word for which we are looking! No miser is "munificent"! Likewise, "abundant" means overflowing or richly supplied. That won't work. "Superior" means of higher quality or quantity than others. Our best options are "sparse," which means scanty or thin, and "parsimonious," which means miserly or stingy. So, to choose between them, let's look at the second word. "Sparing" means limited or scanty, and "copious" means abundant and plentiful. The best choice is "sparse . . . copious."

4

Choose the pair of words that best completes the following sentence.

No one liked attending the miserly old man's dinner parties; he kept a                      menu and sent people home hungry, unlike his jolly neighbor, whose tables were filled with                      amounts of provender.

sparse . . . copious

munificent . . . extraneous

abundant . . . meager

superior . . . sumptuous

parsimonious . . . sparing

Explanation

If no one likes the old man's parties (described as "miserly," note!) because they go home hungry, the best prediction for describing his menu would be scarce, small, or tiny. Since the old man's neighbor is unlike the old man, we should predict that his parties are the opposite and that he offers lots of food. The word we want there should be similar to lots, large, huge, or generous.

First, eliminate as many wrong pairs as you can. "Munificent" means extremely generous or _giving—_completely opposite of the word for which we are looking! No miser is "munificent"! Likewise, "abundant" means overflowing or richly supplied. That won't work. "Superior" means of higher quality or quantity than others. Our best options are "sparse," which means scanty or thin, and "parsimonious," which means miserly or stingy. So, to choose between them, let's look at the second word. "Sparing" means limited or scanty, and "copious" means abundant and plentiful. The best choice is "sparse . . . copious."

5

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

Many good-willed people decided to take up the cause of                        on behalf of the enslaved population, believing that none deserved to have their rights so totally                     .

emancipation . . . curbed

freedom . . . questioned

fighting . . . inquired

arguing . . . notarized

shouting . . . lacerated

Explanation

The sentence implies that people are supporting the slaves against an injustice. Although it does not say such, we can at first assume the injustice to be slavery. This is particularly the case based on an investigation of the options provided for the second blank. "Lacerated" means cut open. This would be metaphorical at best. "Notarized" makes no sense here. "Totally questioned" really is a bit of a strange pairing, for the sentence implies that this is a matter of something more than mere questioning. To be "totally inquired" does not fit grammatically. Therefore, the best pair of answers is "emancipation . . . curbed." To "emancipate" is to free. It comes from the word for "hand" in Latin, which we find in words like "manual" (e.g. "manual labor") and manuscript (meaning "handwritten"). To "e-manicipate" is to set free the hands of someone. To "curb" is to restrain or hold back.

6

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

Many good-willed people decided to take up the cause of                        on behalf of the enslaved population, believing that none deserved to have their rights so totally                     .

emancipation . . . curbed

freedom . . . questioned

fighting . . . inquired

arguing . . . notarized

shouting . . . lacerated

Explanation

The sentence implies that people are supporting the slaves against an injustice. Although it does not say such, we can at first assume the injustice to be slavery. This is particularly the case based on an investigation of the options provided for the second blank. "Lacerated" means cut open. This would be metaphorical at best. "Notarized" makes no sense here. "Totally questioned" really is a bit of a strange pairing, for the sentence implies that this is a matter of something more than mere questioning. To be "totally inquired" does not fit grammatically. Therefore, the best pair of answers is "emancipation . . . curbed." To "emancipate" is to free. It comes from the word for "hand" in Latin, which we find in words like "manual" (e.g. "manual labor") and manuscript (meaning "handwritten"). To "e-manicipate" is to set free the hands of someone. To "curb" is to restrain or hold back.

7

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

The promotion to supervisor was all that Larry had been working for, and when it went to a coworker to whom Larry considered himself superior, he was                      and considered                      his position.

distraught . . . resigning

enamored . . . discussing

contemporary . . . lamenting

furious . . . acquiring

oblivious . . . donating

Explanation

That Larry considers the promoted coworker to be inferior to himself tells us that his emotions towards this coworker should be negative. "Furious" and "distraught" are each potentially correct choices for the first blank, because "furious" is synonymous with enraged and "distraught" is synonymous with upset. This leaves "resigning" or "acquiring" as options for the second's second blank. "Resign" means to give up one's position, and "acquire" means obtain or receive, so "resign" makes more sense because this is clearly a situation where Larry is considering leaving the company.

8

Choose the pair of words that best completes the following sentence.

Accused of being a                      since he hadn't attended school in three months, Roger defended himself by claiming he had been abducted by aliens, but everyone thought his excuse was                     .

truant . . . ludicrous

vagabond . . . credible

traitor . . . feeble

paragon . . . admirable

transient . . . tenable

Explanation

Let's look for clues in the sentence. The first blank is followed by "hadn't attended school in three months," so we want a word that means being absent, not attending, or gone. "Paragon" doesn't work. That means a great example of some idea or someone we admire or look up to. "Traitor" is a little too extreme; that means someone who commits treason or betrays a cause. We are left with "transient," which when used as a noun, means someone who is present only for a short time;"vagabond," which means wanderer; and "truant," which means someone who stays away from school when they are required to attend. "Truant" is the best fit for the sentence between those three remaining answer choices. Let's check the second word, "ludicrous." Our sentence clue is that it describes everyone's response to Roger's claim that he had been kidnapped by aliens. Most likely, everyone would think his excuse was silly or unbelievable, and "ludicrous" means ridiculous or absurd. This word pair fits.

9

Choose the pair of words that best completes the following sentence.

Accused of being a                      since he hadn't attended school in three months, Roger defended himself by claiming he had been abducted by aliens, but everyone thought his excuse was                     .

truant . . . ludicrous

vagabond . . . credible

traitor . . . feeble

paragon . . . admirable

transient . . . tenable

Explanation

Let's look for clues in the sentence. The first blank is followed by "hadn't attended school in three months," so we want a word that means being absent, not attending, or gone. "Paragon" doesn't work. That means a great example of some idea or someone we admire or look up to. "Traitor" is a little too extreme; that means someone who commits treason or betrays a cause. We are left with "transient," which when used as a noun, means someone who is present only for a short time;"vagabond," which means wanderer; and "truant," which means someone who stays away from school when they are required to attend. "Truant" is the best fit for the sentence between those three remaining answer choices. Let's check the second word, "ludicrous." Our sentence clue is that it describes everyone's response to Roger's claim that he had been kidnapped by aliens. Most likely, everyone would think his excuse was silly or unbelievable, and "ludicrous" means ridiculous or absurd. This word pair fits.

10

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

The promotion to supervisor was all that Larry had been working for, and when it went to a coworker to whom Larry considered himself superior, he was                      and considered                      his position.

distraught . . . resigning

enamored . . . discussing

contemporary . . . lamenting

furious . . . acquiring

oblivious . . . donating

Explanation

That Larry considers the promoted coworker to be inferior to himself tells us that his emotions towards this coworker should be negative. "Furious" and "distraught" are each potentially correct choices for the first blank, because "furious" is synonymous with enraged and "distraught" is synonymous with upset. This leaves "resigning" or "acquiring" as options for the second's second blank. "Resign" means to give up one's position, and "acquire" means obtain or receive, so "resign" makes more sense because this is clearly a situation where Larry is considering leaving the company.

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