SAT Critical Reading : Parts of Speech in Two-Blank Sentences

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #2291 : Psat Critical Reading

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

At the most __________ hours, my young nephew’s __________ pace subsides and he is willing to sleep.

Possible Answers:

unpredictable . . . frenetic

reasonable . . . moderate

ostentatious . . . preponderant

predictable . . . calm

inconceivable . . . judicious

Correct answer:

unpredictable . . . frenetic

Explanation:

"Unpredictable" means difficult to foretell or foresee, while "frenetic" means hectic or frantic. It is very reasonable to conclude that a young nephew running at a hectic pace would have a bedtime which is difficult to anticipate, dependent upon his pace subsiding.

Example Question #81 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

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

A person who wishes to conquer Mount Everest must be both __________ and __________—ready to take the risks of an adventurer and naturally prepared for anything.

Possible Answers:

intolerable . . . haughty

narcissistic . . . valiant

intrepid . . . intuitive 

audacious . . . dynamic

passionate . . . focused

Correct answer:

intrepid . . . intuitive 

Explanation:

The second part of the sentence describes two characteristics of a person. “ready to take risks” describes a word meaning “without fear,” while “naturally prepared” describes a word meaning instinctual. Intrepid . . . intuitive fit these descriptions.

Example Question #26 : Two Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

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

Although James tends to be a bit __________ at times, his usual __________ demeanor makes him a pleasure to be around during a relaxing vacation.

Possible Answers:

abrasive . . . placid

tenacious . . . objective

temperamental . . . facetious 

whimsical . . . grave

oblivious . . . tranquil

Correct answer:

abrasive . . . placid

Explanation:

It is being implied that James’ personality can be described two different ways here, and so we should look for words that mean the opposite of one another. For him to be a pleasure around during a “relaxing vacation,” we would expect him to be described as calm and peaceful. The answer "abrasive . . . placid" fits.

Example Question #22 : Two Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

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

The young author discovered that true fame was ________ and ________; not only did he struggle to get the manuscript published, but also once it was made public, the media quickly lost all interest in the book.

Possible Answers:

vexatious . . . querulous

unattainable . . . discouraging 

irascible . . . subtle

oblique . . . laudable

onerous . . . gratifying

Correct answer:

vexatious . . . querulous

Explanation:

“Unattainable . . . discouraging” does not fit since the sentence indicates that the author did get the manuscript published, so he did attain a goal, and yes, that was discouraging but we need a word that relates to why the media lost interest so quickly.

“Onerous . . . gratifying” starts well since onerous does mean difficult and a struggle but why then would the situation be gratifying which means satisfying?

“Vexatious . . . querulous” sounds most promising since vexing could mean struggling as in working out a puzzle and “quer” is a root found in words like inquiry, question and query which indicates that an answer is sought.

“Oblique . . . laudable” does not seem to work in the sentence. “Oblique” is interesting since it might indicate an unusual direction as related to fame but “laudable” includes the Latin word root “laud.” The word refers to praise as in a laudable effort, laudatory and laugh which indicates merriment.

“Irascible . . . subtle” does not seem to work since irascible sounds like irritate, irate and ire which all relate to anger. Anger is different from a struggle and subtle does not relate to the media losing interest quickly.

Example Question #23 : Two Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

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

Alice Ann’s Irish Dancing style was __________ yet __________: although each move was copied exactly from the master form, her execution was flawless.

Possible Answers:

derivative . . . perfected

exciting . . . memorable

interpretive . . . auspicious

cryptic . . . inept

repetitive . . . viable

Correct answer:

derivative . . . perfected

Explanation:

This double-blank sentence gives you a clue with “although” since it indicates a change is found in the sentence. The words we are looking for might be opposite or at least related in some way. The first blank means “copied exactly from the master” while the second one means “execution was flawless” so begin by checking the answers to see which ones match the clues as stated in the sentence.

For the phrase “copied exactly from the master”: does exciting, derivative, repetitive, cryptic or interpretive match up best? Only “derivative” works well since it means taken from another source; although “interpretive” sounds good, it does not mean copied exactly.

Now try the second part of this answer: does “perfected” mean about the same as “execution was flawless”? Yes.

Example Question #31 : Two Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

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

Standing __________ in the spotlight, the actress seemed __________ to her audience; many thought she resembled an angel.

Possible Answers:

inspiringly . . . smug

confidently . . . self-indulgent

brightly . . . demonic

shrouded . . . heavenly

luminously . . . ethereal

Correct answer:

luminously . . . ethereal

Explanation:

"Luminous" means brightly shining, while "ethereal" means otherworldly or angelic. An actress standing in a spotlight would be extremely well-lit and would appear to be like an angel.

Example Question #32 : Two Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

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

Watching a film about a __________ love affair between two people __________ a romantic spark between Mary and Mark.

Possible Answers:

ardent . . . squelched

dull . . . bolstered

tragic . . . diverted

torrid . . . kindled

perverse . . . quashed

Correct answer:

torrid . . . kindled

Explanation:

“Torrid” means passionate when describing relationships and excessively hot when describing climates or temperatures, and “kindle” means start a fire or stir up. A movie about a passionate love affair caused a romantic spark to stir between Mary and Mark. Although “ardent” means passionate, “squelched” means extinguished, which doesn't make sense in the context of the sentence.

 

Example Question #33 : Two Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

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

The __________ university had very __________ requirements for admission in order to maintain its prestige.

Possible Answers:

abysmal . . . exacting

preeminent . . . insidious

eminent . . . malleable

illustrious . . . stringent

empirical . . . rigorous

Correct answer:

illustrious . . . stringent

Explanation:

A prestigious school is well thought of and thus has difficult admissions barriers. Thus, both answers must reflect positively on the school; therefore "eminent . . . malleable" and "preeminent . . . insidious" can be removed on the basis of their negative and unstable admissions requirements. Assuming that admission is difficult because the prestigious school is of high caliber, the school could not be "abysmal." The last incorrect choice does not relate to positive or negative qualities of a university at all, in that "empirical" relates to data.

Example Question #34 : Two Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

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

The virus was so __________ and deadly that it quickly spread throughout the entire country; in a matter of months, most of the major cities were __________.

Possible Answers:

noxious . . . growing

salutary . . . quarantined

virulent . . . depopulated

benign . . . emptied

caustic . . . expanding

Correct answer:

virulent . . . depopulated

Explanation:

The correct answer refers to the dangerous nature of the virus ("virulent") as well as how the cities were adversely affected by it as a result ("depopulated"). The wrong answers only address one of these two; they either claim that the virus is helpful ("salutary") or not overly harmful ("benign") or that the cities were aided ("expanding" and "growing") by the virus.

Example Question #105 : Two Blank Sentences

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

Because Frank wrote the book in the __________ style he uses in his academic writing, the casual audience it was aimed at believed that it was unnecessarily __________.

Possible Answers:

prosaic . . . complicated

aureate . . . unembellished

grandiloquent . . . facile

highfalutin . . . arcane

unadorned . . . recondite

Correct answer:

highfalutin . . . arcane

Explanation:

The correct answer points to the complex nature of the writing that the author usually uses in his academic writing ("highfalutin") and how it made it overly difficult for an average person to understand ("arcane"). The incorrect answers fail to work in both categories; either they assert that the writing is not highbrow ("prosaic" and "unadorned") or that the audience believes that the book is too simple ("unembellished" and "facile").

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