ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning Practice Test: Practice Test 2

Read the embedded passage, then answer: Which answer best reflects the author's intended nuance in describing “community policing”?

The mayor’s office announced a “community policing reset,” promising a gentler relationship between officers and residents. The author notes the appeal of the phrase: it suggests proximity, trust, and shared responsibility. Yet he cautions that proximity can be either partnership or surveillance, depending on who controls the terms. In some neighborhoods, officers attend block meetings and learn names; in others, the same program manifests as more stops, more data collection, and more reasons to treat ordinary life as suspicious.

The author is careful not to romanticize either side. He acknowledges that residents often want safety and resent being told they must choose between protection and dignity. He also concedes that officers work under pressures that reward visible activity over patient listening. Still, he argues that the city’s “reset” risks becoming a rebranding exercise if it expands contact without changing incentives or accountability. The author points out that the plan highlights new uniforms and outreach events, while remaining vague about disciplinary procedures and complaint transparency. In other words, the policy may increase familiarity without increasing fairness. The author’s conclusion is restrained: community policing could help, but only if it is defined by shared power rather than merely shared space.​​

The politician's ------- speech, filled with vague promises and evasive answers, only served to ------- the voters' suspicions about her true intentions.

INSIPID:

The museum's decision to ------- its collection by acquiring contemporary works was ------- by traditionalists who preferred classical pieces exclusively.

SANGUINE:

A textbook chapter describes an ideology as a set of beliefs about how society should function, including ideas about rights, responsibilities, and the role of government. The author notes that leaders often use ideology to justify laws and persuade citizens, even when people disagree on what is fair. In the chapter, ideology is presented as a guiding framework rather than a single policy. What is the intended meaning of ideology as used in the passage?

In an experiment on memory, the scientist changed only one variable at a time, such as the length of study sessions, while keeping the room, instructions, and test format identical. This approach helped the team determine which specific factor influenced recall. The passage notes that if several variables shifted together, the results would be difficult to interpret. In the passage, what does the word variable mean?

TENACIOUS:

ERUDITE:

The historian's ------- account of the battle was praised for its objectivity, though some critics argued that her ------- tone made the dramatic events seem less compelling to general readers.

The professor's lecture was ------- rather than linear, jumping between related concepts and historical periods in a way that initially confused but ultimately enlightened students.

INSIDIOUS:

In a nature description, the trail passes through a “lush” meadow, not an “overgrown” field. Which tone does lush set?​

The root 'cred' means 'believe' or 'trust,' as in 'credible.' The word 'incredulous' uses the prefix 'in-' (not) with this root. An incredulous person would most likely:

Read the passage, then answer: A biology class investigated how light affects seedling growth, and the teacher emphasized controlling each variable. Students placed identical plants in the same soil and watered them equally, but they changed the number of hours of light each group received. Because only the light exposure differed, the class could analyze the results without confusing light with other influences. After measuring height over ten days, they synthesized the data to determine which condition produced the strongest stems. In the passage, what does the word variable mean?

The term 'misanthropy' is formed from the Greek prefix 'mis-' meaning 'hatred' and 'anthropos' meaning 'human being.' However, a student who understands only the prefix might incorrectly assume the word means:

LUGUBRIOUS:

A judge writing a legal opinion should avoid which of the following expressions?

The novelist's latest work was praised for its   portrayal of human nature, revealing uncomfortable truths that many readers found difficult to acknowledge.

FASTIDIOUS:

The journalist's investigation was   in its scope, covering not only the immediate scandal but also the systemic issues that enabled such corruption.

In an essay about poetry, the author identifies a recurring motif of storms, noting that thunder and sudden rain appear at major turning points. The passage clarifies that a motif is not the entire theme but a repeated element that reinforces the poem’s concerns about uncertainty and change. Because the storm imagery returns again and again, it becomes a pattern readers learn to recognize. In the passage, what does the word motif mean?

Although the new CEO's management style appeared ------- to employees accustomed to rigid hierarchies, her ------- approach ultimately improved both morale and productivity.

VITRIOLIC:

Which sentence demonstrates appropriate formal register for a grant proposal?