All GRE Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #51 : Two Blank Texts
Choose the set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Despite the prosecution’s claim that Milo’s statements were __________, Milo continued to __________ the veracity of his testimony.
inconsequential . . . divert
uncanny . . . bolster
spurious . . . aver
partisan . . . contest
false . . . protest
spurious . . . aver
Key words here are "despite" (indicating that we're looking for a shift in meaning) and "veracity" (truthfulness). "Spurious" (false) and "aver" (to assert) best complete the sentence.
Example Question #52 : Two Blank Texts
Choose the set of words that best completes the following sentence.
It was true that Trevor wasn’t particularly renowned for his propriety, but he was still shocked that his __________ brother neglected to invite him to his wedding. Surely, Trevor was capable of refraining from his usual __________ for a single night.
abstemious . . . debauchery
garrulous . . . grandiloquence
insipid . . . chicanery
complaisant . . . harangue
vindictive . . . alacrity
abstemious . . . debauchery
The first key word here is "propriety" (respectability, uprightness). The second blank is set up to contrast with "propriety." "Debauchery" (drunkenness, corruptness) fits. Knowing that, we can assume that his brother expresses the opposite of this; he is "abstemious" (self-disciplined, sober).
Example Question #53 : Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Even though the plot was heralded by many critics as __________, it was actually __________ to last summer’s box office hit.
singular . . . analogous
peerless . . . antithetical
plebeian . . . homologous
mundane . . . akin
unparalleled . . . disparate
singular . . . analogous
Since there is a sentence shift, we are looking for two words that are dissimilar in meaning. “Analogous” describes something that is similar or comparable to something else in a particular way. “Singular” has several definitions. “Singular” can mean exceptional, or it can mean bizarre. In this case, it means one-of-a-kind. “Singular . . . analogous” is the correct answer.