GRE Verbal : Adjectives and Adverbs in One-Blank Texts

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #321 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

The teenage girl was usually __________, so few people believed her when she was actually serious.

Possible Answers:

facetious

staid

stern

obtuse

solemn

Correct answer:

facetious

Explanation:

The sentence details that "few people believed her when she was actually serious." This indicates that the correct answer will mean joking or unserious. "Facetious," meaning flippant or sarcastic, is the best choice among the answers.

Example Question #322 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

The boy was kicked out of school for __________ behavior, which put the school in repeated difficult situations.

Possible Answers:

irreproachable

precocious

indecorous

understated

innocuous

Correct answer:

indecorous

Explanation:

The boy is being "kicked out of school," indicating the behavior is not what the school would deem appropriate. The correct answer needs to indicate his poor behavior. "Indecorous," meaning inappropriate or unseemly, is the best choice among the answers.

Example Question #323 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

The emotions were __________ in him until his mother's cutting remark made them explode out of him.

Possible Answers:

dormant

slack

extemporaneous

pervasive

volatile

Correct answer:

dormant

Explanation:

The subject's emotions "explode out of him" only after the "cutting remark" from his mother. This indicates the emotions were not well shown before the remark. "Dormant," meaning laying inactive or not above the surface, is the correct answer choice.

Example Question #324 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

The teacher believed the poor student had __________ intelligence other teachers had not brought out in him, but that she could.

Possible Answers:

palpable

latent

explosive

torrential

limpid

Correct answer:

latent

Explanation:

The sentence describes the teacher thinking she could "bring out" the intelligence in the "poor student." This means the missing word has to indicate something hidden or underdeveloped, the definition of "latent."

Example Question #325 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

The __________ animal was an easy target for the predators hunting the pack.

Possible Answers:

problematic

concealed

unobtrusive

veiled

plodding

Correct answer:

plodding

Explanation:

The animal described by the missing word is an "easy target" for predators, who are presumably looking for the obvious animal. The correct answer should make the subject of the sentence stick out in some way. "Plodding," meaning exremely slow and heavy, is the best choice among the answers.

Example Question #326 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

The time it took to travel to the wedding was __________ and meant he could not attend.

Possible Answers:

unprepossessing

unassuming

modest

negotiable

prohibitive

Correct answer:

prohibitive

Explanation:

The subject of the sentence "could not attend" the wedding, because of the travel requirements. The correct answer will indicate the travel was problematic or there wa a great deal of it. "Prohibitive," meaning exorbitantly expensive or impossible, is the best choice among the answers.

Example Question #327 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

The film followed the familiar trope where an unattractive girl gets a makeover into a highly __________ woman.

Possible Answers:

mitigating

duping

arresting

complicating

enervating

Correct answer:

arresting

Explanation:

The sentence describes "the familiar trope" of woman changing from "an unattractive girl" into a woman described by the missing word. The correct answer will mean the opposite of "unattractive." "Arresting," meaning attracting attention or striking, is the best chocie among the answers.

Example Question #328 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

The mother was extremely __________ and sought to play off her children's emotions.

Possible Answers:

perfunctory

indigent

pithy

generous

manipulative

Correct answer:

manipulative

Explanation:

The sentence describes the woman as seeking to "play off her children's emotions." The correct answer needs to parallel this playing of emotions. "Manipulative," meaning scheming and calculating, is the best choice among the answers.

Example Question #329 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

The musician was highly __________, and few critics understood what he would do next.

Possible Answers:

restorative

enigmatic

mundane

dull

psychotic

Correct answer:

enigmatic

Explanation:

The key words in the sentence are that "few critics understood" the musician. The correct answer should indicate an unpredictability or strangeness to the musician's career. "Enigmatic," which means puzzling or mysterious, which is the best choice among the answers.

Example Question #1021 : Text Completion

The boys' attempts to take the car were almost admirably __________, as they were nearly certain to be caught.

Possible Answers:

serene

perspicacious

clever

irreproachable

foolhardy

Correct answer:

foolhardy

Explanation:

The sentence notes the boys "were nearly certain to be caught," which is the best description of the plan besides the missing word. The correct answer must show that the boys were neither careful nor wise. "Foolhardy," meaning reckless and imprudent, is the best choice among the answers.

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