Parts of Speech in Two-Blank Sentences

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ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning › Parts of Speech in Two-Blank Sentences

Questions 1 - 10
1

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

I am not a particularly __________ person, so I have had difficulties __________ into new communities after moving to a new city.

sociable . . . assimilating

nonchalant . . . meandering

dissolute . . . wandering

prosperous . . . rendering

dynamic . . . sequencing

Explanation

In this problem, there are few clues to help you solve for the words apart from seeing which two words fit together when plugged in for the blank terms. “Nonchalant” means not caring and “meandering” means walking indirectly; would someone who does not care about things have trouble walking indirectly? No, that makes no sense. We can eliminate that answer choice. Eventually, it should become clear that the correct answer is “sociable” and “assimilating.” “Sociable” means friendly and good at talking to people and “assimilating” means fitting in to a new culture. Would someone who is not good at talking to people have trouble fitting in a new city? Yes, that makes sense. To provide further help, “dissolute” means immoral and “wandering” means walking aimlessly; “prosperous” means successful and wealthy and “rendering” means depicting or showing; and “dynamic” means forceful or exciting and “sequencing” means putting in order.

2

Grandmother Sylvia never spoke ill of anybody that she knew or did not know. This did not prevent her from making __________ remarks about others. She merely pronounced such views in carefully crafted __________.

offensive . . . euphemisms

snide . . . prevarications

understated . . . verbiage

judgmental . . . mischaracterizations

heinous . . . epigrams

Explanation

The key here is that Sylvia covered her remarks up. "Euphemisms" are indirect expressions that avoid what would be potentially offensive words. The word comes from two Greek bases. The prefix “eu-” means good and is seen in English words like “eulogy” (good speech, a speech that presents someone else well). The second half comes from “pheme,” meaning to speak, and is seen in English words like “blaspheme” or “blasphemy.”

3

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

While Hannah knew that her teacher would consider her claim to have written three lab reports in a single evening __________, she knew that he would not be able to __________ her story because it was true.

dubious . . . debunk

doubtful . . . prove

authentic . . . disprove

reasonable . . . authenticate

hazy . . . reject

Explanation

For the first blank, we can infer that Hannah's teacher might assume that her claim "to have written three lab reports in a single evening" might be untrue, so we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "false" or "probably false." Either "doubtful" ("not known with certainty; improbable; not established as genuine or acceptable") or "dubious" ("not to be relied upon; suspect") could be potentially correct. For the second blank, the word is describing what Hannah's teacher will not be able to do to her story because it is true. So, we need to pick out a word that means something like "reject" or "prove false." Either "disprove" ("prove that something is false") or "debunk" ("expose the falseness or hollowness of a myth, idea, or belief") could be potentially correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "dubious" and "debunk" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "dubious . . . debunk."

4

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

Sally __________ when she saw the __________ height restriction for the roller coaster she had wanted to ride because she assumed that she was not tall enough to ride; while no one under five feet tall could ride with no exceptions, she was luckily exactly that height.

despaired . . . compulsory

saddened . . . encouraged

celebrated . . . mandatory

participated . . . overturned

forgot . . . jubilant

Explanation

For the first blank, we need to pick out a word that means something like grew sad, because we know that Sally wanted to ride the roller coaster and assumed she could not because of the height restriction. Either "despaired" (gave up) or "saddened" (grew sad) could be correct. For the second blank, since we know that there no were exceptions to the height rule, either "compulsory" (obligatory) or "mandatory" (compulsory) could be correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "despaired" and "compulsory" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "despaired . . . compulsory."

5

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

The fox had predominantly __________ fur, but its fluffy tail was tipped in white and __________ down to a delicate point.

russet . . . tapered

red . . . widened

cerulean . . . narrowed

yellow . . . swelled

lavender . . . enlarged

Explanation

Because the sentence's subject is a fox and all of the available answer choices for the first blank are adjectives describing color, we need to pick out an adjective that describes a shade of red, because foxes typically have predominantly reddish fur. Either "red" or "russet" ("reddish brown in color") could be potentially correct. For the second blank, we can infer that because the fox's tail "(verb)ed down to a delicate point" that either "tapered" ("diminished or reduced or caused to diminish or reduce in thickness toward one end") or "narrowed" could be potentially correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "russet" and "tapered" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "russet . . . tapered."

6

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

The ___________ scientist decided that he would attempt to __________ his competitor’s work, making it appear dubious to the general scientific community.

rival . . . discredit

underhanded . . . question

recalcitrant . . . dispute

judgmental . . . overthrow

arrogant . . . destroy

Explanation

Here, the best option is to pay heed to the second blank. The scientist wants to make his competitor’s work seem "dubious," that is, doubtful; therefore, he would like to make its credibility questionable by the broader community. It is best to say that he wishes to “discredit” it. Regarding the first blank, we really are not told anything about the first scientist’s character in the sentence. This means that the best option is the one that merely states what we can imply from the rest of the sentence, namely, that he is a "\[competitor\]," or a "rival" scientist.

7

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."

8

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

Awed by the park's natural beauty, the tourist __________ through the Yosemite valley floor, allowing every sight __________ time to sink in.

ambled . . . ample

meandered . . . meager

hurried . . . harried

plodded . . . plenteous

dashed . . . sparse

Explanation

For the first blank, "ambled" (to walk at a relaxed pace) or "meandered" (to take a winding course) would work. "Plodding" would be about the same speed, but with a sense more of fatigue or resentment than of awe, and you might want to "hurry" or "dash" on to see what's around the next turn, but the context suggests a pace that allows sufficient time to meditate on the beauty. For the second blank (for the word pairs that we have not yet eliminated), "ample" (plenty) makes the most sense.

9

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

In that scene of the movie, the __________ con man has committed a crime, and __________ the police officer into blaming it on his associate and arresting the wrong man.

ignoble . . . dupes

meritorious . . . hoodwinks

dastardly . . . admits

contrived . . . assists

dreary . . . rescinds

Explanation

We can infer that because the con man commits a crime and then blames it on his associate, we need to pick out an adjective to describe him that means something like "not honorable." Either "ignoble" ("not honorable in character or purpose") or "dastardly" ("wicked and cruel") could be correct. For the second blank, we need to pick out a verb that means something like "fools" because we know that the police officer "arrest\[s\] the wrong man." Either "dupes" ("deceives; tricks") or "hoodwinks" ("deceives or tricks (someone") could be correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "ignoble" and "dupes" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "ignoble . . . dupes."

10

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

I am not a particularly __________ person, so I have had difficulties __________ into new communities after moving to a new city.

sociable . . . assimilating

nonchalant . . . meandering

dissolute . . . wandering

prosperous . . . rendering

dynamic . . . sequencing

Explanation

In this problem, there are few clues to help you solve for the words apart from seeing which two words fit together when plugged in for the blank terms. “Nonchalant” means not caring and “meandering” means walking indirectly; would someone who does not care about things have trouble walking indirectly? No, that makes no sense. We can eliminate that answer choice. Eventually, it should become clear that the correct answer is “sociable” and “assimilating.” “Sociable” means friendly and good at talking to people and “assimilating” means fitting in to a new culture. Would someone who is not good at talking to people have trouble fitting in a new city? Yes, that makes sense. To provide further help, “dissolute” means immoral and “wandering” means walking aimlessly; “prosperous” means successful and wealthy and “rendering” means depicting or showing; and “dynamic” means forceful or exciting and “sequencing” means putting in order.

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