GRE Verbal : Nouns in One-Blank Texts

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #141 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Texts

The police department's confiscated weapons were a __________ of firearms, featuring every kind imaginable.

Possible Answers:

delineation

barren

smorgasbord

menagerie

decoy

Correct answer:

smorgasbord

Explanation:

The "confiscated weapons" represented "every kind imaginable." This means the correct answer will reflect a wide variety of firearms. "Smorgasbord," a Swedish buffet of cold dishes, often used to mean a wide choice of options, is the best fit.

Example Question #142 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Texts

The police department's theory that a __________ committed the crimes was due to the evidence that the perpetrator slept in multiple places.

Possible Answers:

zealot

polemicist

pyromaniac

vagrant

somnambulist

Correct answer:

vagrant

Explanation:

If "the perpetrator slept in multiple places," then the police must believe he is moving around from place to place. The correct answer will reflect this movement between locations. "Vagrant," meaning a person without a home and committing petty crimes, is the best choice.

Example Question #143 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Texts

The __________ in the two forms was chalked up to a clerical error, but people saw something sinister in the difference.

Possible Answers:

approbation

condemnation

prostration

omniscience

discrepancy

Correct answer:

discrepancy

Explanation:

The sentence gives a key clue by commenting there was a "difference" in the final phrase. The correct answer must indicate this "difference." "Discrepancy," meaning an inconsistency or a mismatch, is the best choice.

Example Question #453 : Gre Verbal Reasoning

The show's main attempt to be balanced was to present __________ from each side.

Possible Answers:

edifices

suffragists

negotiators

arbitrators

partisans

Correct answer:

partisans

Explanation:

Although the show has an "attempt to be balanced," it still presents "each side." The missing word describes what comes from a non-balanced perspective. "Partisans," meaning people committed to a particular side, is the correct answer.

Example Question #141 : Nouns In One Blank Texts

Grieving people often find __________ in knowing their departed loved ones are no longer in pain.

Possible Answers:

solace

approbation

subterfuge

depravity

condemnation

Correct answer:

solace

Explanation:

The sentence dicusses the reaction of "grieving people" to the death of "loved ones." Additionally, the knowledge the dead are "no longer in pain" means they are trying to make it better. "Solace," meaning comfort for grief, is the correct answer.

Example Question #142 : Nouns In One Blank Texts

Opera aficionados argue the best composers have __________ and drama lesser writers cannot produce the same way.

Possible Answers:

pathos

disdain

tome

vagrance

decoy

Correct answer:

pathos

Explanation:

The missing word is directly paired with "drama," and is a quality possessed only by "the best composers." The correct answer needs to indicate a positive quality for an opera. "Pathos," meaning able to provoke sadness and pity, is the correct answer.

Example Question #146 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Texts

In an effort to write better lyrics, the songwriter began looking at the __________ of his favorite writers.

Possible Answers:

prosody

histrionics

vehemence

bulwark

bane

Correct answer:

prosody

Explanation:

While many words could fit this fairly wide ranging sentence, some clues help find the best choice. "The songwriter" is analyzing "his favorite writers" to "write better lyrics." "Prosody," meaning the study and analysis of poetry, is the correct answer.

Example Question #147 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Texts

The book was marked by a __________ that saw the author cover literature, history, and politics—as well as science.

Possible Answers:

brevity

rancorousness

salaciousness

jollity

discursiveness

Correct answer:

discursiveness

Explanation:

The book covers a wide range of topics because it possesses the missing word. The correct answer must reflect the many topics the book covers. "Discursiveness," meaning an unordered procession among topics, is the best fit.

Example Question #148 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Texts

With his newfound wealth, he decided to become a __________ of various artistic endeavors.

Possible Answers:

heretic

patron

cynic

sycophant

critic

Correct answer:

patron

Explanation:

Two things are known about the subject from the sentence: he has "newfound wealth" and he is working with "various artistic endeavors." "Patron," meaning a generous financial supporter, is the correct answer.

Example Question #149 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Texts

Many television executives believe the most important part of a show is a strong __________.

Possible Answers:

hypochondriac

zealot

recluse

protagonist

paragon

Correct answer:

protagonist

Explanation:

The sentence explicitly deals with television shows. Of all the answer choices, only "protagonist," meaning the main character in a work of fiction, relates in any way to the making or analysis of a television show.

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