GRE Verbal : Nouns in One-Blank Texts
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Example Questions
Example Question #91 : Nouns In One Blank Texts
She often played the _________________ socially, but she was actually quite smart and well traveled.
protagonist
phenom
ingenue
archetype
poseur
ingenue
The missing word is contrasted with the subject being "actually quite smart and well traveled." The correct answer needs to mean someone who is not "smart and well-traveled." "Ingenue," meaning a naïve and unsophisticated young person, is the best answer.
Example Question #116 : One Blank Texts
The _______________ of available jobs made him broaden his employment criteria.
paucity
levity
abundance
philanthropy
ebullience
paucity
If the subject is having to "broaden his employment criteria," that means the "available jobs" are not very common. The correct answer must mean a lack or shortage, the definition of "paucity."
Example Question #92 : Nouns In One Blank Texts
His noted ________________ caused the city fire department numerous headaches.
embezzlement
pyromania
subterfuge
kleptomania
schizophrenia
pyromania
The missing word is stated to have caused "headaches" for the fire department. The act described by the correct answer must deal with fires. "Pyromania," a compulsion to start fires, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #93 : Nouns In One Blank Texts
He knew so much about art history, his mind was its own __________________ of important facts about twentieth-century art.
effigy
archives
receptacle
artifice
veneer
archives
While some of the answer choices could fit, the best choice needs to be found. The subject knows a great deal, and his mind is holding onto a great amount of facts. "Archives," meaning a collection of records or a place to store documents, is the best choice.
Example Question #94 : Nouns In One Blank Texts
He was a horrible little ______________ that never appreciated anything his parents did for him.
hypochondriac
ingrate
introvert
protégé
ascetic
ingrate
The subject is said to have "never appreciated" his parents' actions, so the correct answer must show this lack of gratitude. "Ingrate,"meaning an ungrateful person, is the best choice.
Example Question #95 : Nouns In One Blank Texts
After chasing the biggest payday, athletes are often seen as _____________ with no sense of loyalty.
paragons
philistines
vignettes
mercenaries
sycophants
mercenaries
The key phrase in the sentence is "chasing the biggest payday." The athletes are being portrayed as only chasing money. "Mercenaries," meaning a hired person whose only concern is getting paid, is the correct answer.
Example Question #96 : Nouns In One Blank Texts
Although he never suffered a major scandal, a series of _______________ wrecked his political career.
rebuttal
peccadilloes
iconoclasms
precincts
penances
peccadilloes
The sentence contrasts a hypothetical "major scandal" with the missing word. The correct answer will mean small problems or minor offenses, the definition of "peccadilloes."
Example Question #97 : Nouns In One Blank Texts
As the elder statesman's ___________________, her approach naturally mirrored his.
talisman
sycophant
protégé
pedant
sybarite
protégé
The subject's approach "naturally mirrored" the "elder statesman's." The correct answer will reflect the degree of closeness indicated by the use of "naturally." "Protégé," meaning a person taught or mentored by another, is the best choice.
Example Question #98 : Nouns In One Blank Texts
He thought his business cards would give his start up company a ______________ of legitimacy.
flouting
paucity
veneer
redaction
genre
veneer
"Business cards" for a "start up company" are a minimal level of business ephemera. The correct answer will appropriately reflect this small token of legitimacy. "Veneer," meaning a thin sheet of material, but used here metaphorically, is the best fit.
Example Question #99 : Nouns In One Blank Texts
Fearful of being long lost in the waters, the ship’s navigator rushed to find his __________, as the ship continued to drift into unknown seas.
sextant
assistant
cartographer
adjutant
mast
sextant
Here one must have the vocabulary to choose correctly. "Sextant" is correct because the navigator would use this instrument to navigate in uncharted seas, using the stars as a reference point. Do not be tempted by "assistant," which would only be a distant second-best. Likewise, "cartographer" doubly does not fit, for the cartographer makes maps, which would not really be needed if one is fearful of being lost. One wishes here to be lost no longer—hence, the usefulness of a "sextant."
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