All GRE Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #451 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The ______________ doll, left in pieces on the table, sent the little girl, who had just received the doll for christmas, into a ________________.
fleeting . . . free-fall
harmful . . . bliss
tizzy . . . fake
broken . . . frenzy
creative . . . cloud
broken . . . frenzy
"Broken," meaning damaged and in pieces, describes the state of the doll, which we know is in pieces due to the following clause. "Frenzy" works because it describes a state of panic which we could imagine a little girl to be in after just receiving a doll.
"Tizzy" is a noun, and the empty slot should almost certainly be an adjective, invalidating the answer.
"Harmful" doesn't work, as there is no indication that the doll is doing any harm, invalidating the answer.
"Creative" doesn't work, as no indications have been made about the level of creativeness the doll possesses or represents, invalidating the answer.
"Fleeting," meaning existing briefly, could work to describe the doll; however, "free-fall" doesn't work to describe the reaction of the girl after seeing the doll, invalidating the answer.
Example Question #521 : Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The ________________ school teacher, mad due to budget changes that cut her salary in half, yelled at the _________________ principal, who responded just angrily in turn
noble . . . officious
ebullient . . . erroneous
sanguine . . . salubrious
harsh . . . helping
irate . . . surly
irate . . . surly
"Irate" makes sense because it describes the anger of the school teacher. "Surly" also makes sense because it also describes the naturally angry principal who reacted negatively to the teacher.
The other answers you can rule out given their meanings:
"Ebullient" means cheerful and full of energy, which doesn't match the description of the school teacher as angry. "Harsh" may work, but "helping" certainly doesn't describe a principal who responded just as angrily. "Noble," meaning aristocratic, doesn't fit in with the context of anger here. "Sanguine," meaning optimistic, certainly doesn't fit with the anger of the teacher.
Example Question #81 : Two Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
"Pweety please" said the ____________ little girl as she begged the tired waiters for water; however, given that they were _______________ and excessively servile in nature, they gladly obliged in spite of their fatigue.
churlish . . . hungry
parched . . . obsequious
specious . . . frail
egomaniacal . . . selfish
dark . . . deep
parched . . . obsequious
"Parched" works because it describes the act of the girl begging the waiters for water, and the thirst causing her to do so. "Obsequious" works because it describes the excessively servile waiters.
"Churlish," meaning rude, doesn't work in context here, because the begging little girl has made no indications that she was behaving impolitely.
"Egomaniacal," meaning having a large ego, doesn't work here, because the little girl has simply asked for food
"Dark," meaning reflecting little light, doesn't work in context, as no clues have been given about the girls complexion or demeanor.
"Specious," meaning superficially plausible but ultimately of questionable veracity, doesn't work, as the word is typically not used to describe others.
Example Question #453 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The ______________ old man, refusing to change his harmful ways for anyone, drove away his daughter, who sought to only have ________________ people, who were open to changing their opinions, around.
crazy . . . careful
obdurate . . . flexible
daunting . . . daring
dumpy . . . droll
demonic . . . suckling
obdurate . . . flexible
"Obdurate," meaning stubborn and unwilling to change, works because it describes the old man who is unwilling to change his ways for anyone. "Flexible," meaning wiling to bend opinion or action, works because it describes the opposite of the old man, as well as the type of people who the daughter has around--people who can adapt and adjust their opinions.
While "crazy" may work to describe the old man, "careful" doesn't work in describing the type of people the daughter seeks to have in her life (those capable of changing their opinions), making the answer choice incorrect.
"Dumpy," meaning short and stout, doesn't work to describe the old man, as no indications have been given about his physical appearance, invalidating the entire answer choice.
"Daunting," meaning intimidating, could obliquely work to describe the old man; however, "daring" doesn't work as an indicator of the types of people the daughter wants around.
"Demonic" could obliquely work to describe the old man, but "suckling," meaning to be unweaned, doesn't work, as no indications have been given to suggest that the daughter wants those types of people around.
Example Question #1712 : Text Completion
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Adoll's ________________ new album, 34, smashed every conceivable record, and left other _________________ celebrities looking like one hit wonders.
tacky . . . tingly
healthy . . . heavy
corny . . . crafty
jaunty . . . open
incredible . . . major
incredible . . . major
"Incredible," meaning extraordinary, describes the album which smashed many records. "Major," meaning big, describes the types of celebrities who are left looking small next to Adoll's success.
"Corny," meaning trite, doesn't work as no indications have been made to suggest that the album is as such, invalidating the answer.
"Healthy" doesn't work, as albums typically don't promote health, invalidating the answer.
"Tacky," meaning poor quality, doesn't work, as the album was indicated to have smashed many records and be a great success, invalidating this answer.
"Jaunty," meaning expressing cheer, doesn't work, as no indications have been made about the tone of the album, invalidating the answer.
Example Question #522 : Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Although he took copious notes, her expertise on how to be ________________ was _____________; women rejected him every time.
execrable . . . barren
enchanting . . . puissant
beguiling . . . potent
deplorable . . . effete
alluring . . . impotent
alluring . . . impotent
If her expertise were “potent” or “puissant,” then women wouldn’t have rejected him every time. These two words can be eliminated. It is unlikely that her expertise involved teach him how to be “execrable” or “deplorable.” People don’t need instructions on how to be bad at something. “Alluring” means attractive and tempting. “Impotent” means powerless or ineffective. “Alluring . . . impotent” is the correct answer.
Example Question #523 : Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The week of _____________ downpour was the cause of the flood. After the storm abated, ________________ branches, wooden boards, and various household items covered the streets.
torrential . . . alluvial
tumultuous . . . fortuitous
relentless . . . contingent
balmy . . . residual
tepid . . . lingering
torrential . . . alluvial
“Balmy” weather is mild and relaxing, so it couldn’t possibly cause a flood. If water is described as “tepid,” it means that it is lukewarm. “Torrential” refers to heavy rain. “Alluvial” is used to describe what’s left after running water has died down. “Torrential . . . alluvial” is the correct answer.
Example Question #524 : Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
It wasn’t that the author was particularly unfriendly, it was just that he preferred being ____________; he avoided conversations like the plague and became especially _________________ in large groups.
introverted . . . declamatory
amicable . . . laconic
aloof . . . taciturn
supercilious . . . reticent
standoffish . . . eloquent
aloof . . . taciturn
“Supercilious” means someone is acting arrogantly and above everyone else. Since the sentence states the author was not that unfriendly, we could reasonably rule out “supercilious.” “Amicable” means friendly, but that doesn’t quite describe the author either. “Aloof” is when someone keeps to themselves. “Taciturn” means quiet and reluctant to join in conversations. “Aloof . . . taciturn” is the best answer.
Example Question #461 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The Summa logicae of William of Ockham was a(n) ________________ work for many later logic texts, all of which owed a great debt to this weighty, _________________ work of philosophy.
impenetrable . . . recondite
seminal . . . substantial
intriguing . . . airy
momentous . . . technical
facile . . . esoteric
seminal . . . substantial
The general idea of this sentence is that the Summa logicae was a kind of source text for other, later logic texts. (They "owed a great debt" to the work.) Whenever something is called a "seminal" work, it is an important source in this way. Actually, the word "seminal" comes form the Latin word for "seed." Hence, seminal things are like "seeds" that grow into other things that bud forth from them. The Latin word semina has many derivatives in English. "Insemination" is the process of making someone pregnant; it is the process of placing the male "seed" into the female egg. (Granted, the idea of "male seed" is certainly a bit of old-fashioned Aristotelian biology.) Likewise, as "seminary" where Christian clergy are trained actually means seedbed—as though the people being trained are like seeds that will grow into fully mature clergy members.
As for the second blank, you are just looking for a synonym for "weighty." The word "substantial" is a fine synonym in this way. Think of it as just meaning "it has a lot of substance." This is really all that we can say: the text was no small affair!
Example Question #462 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The old monk loved to tell visitors the _____________ story about he building. They ________________ believed that it had received its name because of its use in storing sauerkraut when, in fact, this was far from the truth regarding the edifice’s use. Even the monk did not know that his story was not true!
amusing . . . wholly
apocryphal . . . gullibly
enthralling . . . invariably
captivating . . . uniformly
intriguing . . . solely
apocryphal . . . gullibly
The first blank is actually quite easy, so long as you pick up on the correct clues. The story about the tower is not really true. It is a kind of "tall tale." While it does seem that this was an interesting story for the visitors, it is better to express the idea of the tale being based on doubtful information. This is what it means for something to be apocryphal. Since even the monk did not know that his story was false, we can guess that it had arisen from some apocryphal sources. At least among the options provided, this is the best word.
The people were apparently naive in believing the tale. Hence, the word "gullibly" expresses the fact that they so willingly believed the story about the so-called "sauerkraut tower."