GRE Verbal : Nouns in One-Blank Texts

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #111 : Nouns In One Blank Texts

Instead of having a master narrative, the book contained many __________ around the same theme.

Possible Answers:

euphemisms

vignettes

verifications

eulogies

metaphors

Correct answer:

vignettes

Explanation:

The book has no "master narrative," but instead many of the missing word. This means the correct answer will be the opposite of "master narrative." "Vignettes," meaning small sketches or stories, is the best choice.

Example Question #112 : Nouns In One Blank Texts

The __________ of his lectures often confused his students with smaller vocabularies.

Possible Answers:

misanthropy

levity

brevity

philanthropy

verbosity

Correct answer:

verbosity

Explanation:

The students being confused have "smaller vocabularies," and therefore are turned off by the professor's use of words. The correct answer needs to indicate the professor is using too many words, or words that are too difficult. "Verbosity," meaning using an excessive amount of words, is the best choice.

Example Question #113 : Nouns In One Blank Texts

Many art critics believe a painter cannot be separated from the __________ in which she worked.

Possible Answers:

etymology

milieu

byline

subterfuge

euphony

Correct answer:

milieu

Explanation:

The sentence notes the difficulty in pulling a painter away from the missing word. The correct answer needs to indicate that which can influence a painter. "Milieu," meaning environment or surroundings, is the best choice.

Example Question #114 : Nouns In One Blank Texts

The woman's __________ prevented her from climbing stairs or even walking steadily.

Possible Answers:

hypochondria

nonchalance

vertigo

schizophrenia

gullibility

Correct answer:

vertigo

Explanation:

Being unable to climb stairs or walk steadily indicates the subject of the sentence has trouble with her balance. "Vertigo," a condition that makes a person prone to dizziness, is the correct answer.

Example Question #115 : Nouns In One Blank Texts

The artist's best known pieces were __________ of images from many classic works of art.

Possible Answers:

euphemisms

collages

stanzas

edifices

vignettes

Correct answer:

collages

Explanation:

The artist's "best known pieces" contain "images from many" other works of art. The correct answer must therefore mean artistic pieces made from many other images, the definition of "collages."

Example Question #116 : Nouns In One Blank Texts

Politicians often find themselves trapped in the __________ of constituent services, when they would rather deal with the clear focus of policy details.

Possible Answers:

luminosity

exuberance

mire

succinctness

gratis

Correct answer:

mire

Explanation:

The sentence contrasts the "clear focus of policy details" with the missing word as it describes "constituent services." The correct answer will need to mean hard to deal with or confusing. "Mire," meaning a swamp or bog, here used metaphorically, is the best choice.

Example Question #181 : Text Completion

The Stock Market Crash took many people from the heights of the good life to living in __________.

Possible Answers:

penury

frugality

luxury

munificence

philanthropy

Correct answer:

penury

Explanation:

The sentence compares "the heights of the good life" to "living in" the missing word. Therefore, the correct answer needs to mean the opposite of "the good life." "Penury," meaning poverty and neediness, is the best choice.

Example Question #182 : Text Completion

The students massed in protest presented a __________ of the police force's trouble.

Possible Answers:

portent

diorama

utopia

legion

genre

Correct answer:

diorama

Explanation:

The missing word describes how the students appeared in light of "the police force's troubles." The correct answer must indicate a reflection or observation of the issues. "Diorama," meaning a model or representation, is the correct answer.

Example Question #183 : Text Completion

Although the teens claimed they had nothing to drink, their __________ was obvious.

Possible Answers:

sobriety

poise

inebriation

disdain

fraud

Correct answer:

inebriation

Explanation:

The teens are the missing word, which goes against the claim "they had nothing to drink." The correct answer must indicate they were actually drinking. "Inebriation," meaning intoxication and drunkenness, is the best fit.

Example Question #184 : Text Completion

The teaching method was criticized for wanting __________ among students, not allowing the most talented to shine.

Possible Answers:

obsequiousness

whimsy

disinterest

tractability

parity

Correct answer:

parity

Explanation:

"Not allowing the most talented to shine" is the key phrase in the sentence. The phrase indicates that the "teaching method" is trying to keep students even. "Parity," meaning equality or balance, is the best fit.

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