GRE Verbal : One-Blank Texts

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #131 : One Blank Texts

The Lieutenant was considered a strange choice to lead, as most officers thought he lacked the __________ to see out the mission.

Possible Answers:

nostalgia

fortitude

disinterest

levity

ordination

Correct answer:

fortitude

Explanation:

The Lieutenant must "see out the mission," and the missing word indicates the ability to do that. "Fortitude," meaning strength and bravery, is the correct answer.

Example Question #132 : One Blank Texts

The investigation revealed the group's chief method of __________ was to threaten violence against family members.

Possible Answers:

innovation

veneration

negotiation

coercion

deliberation

Correct answer:

coercion

Explanation:

The threat of violence indicates the group was using force as their chief tool. The correct answer needs to mean persuade through violence or force, the definition of "coercion."

Example Question #133 : One Blank Texts

There is a long history of __________ being appropriated by those whom they were once used against.

Possible Answers:

placebos

rebuttals

portents

pejoratives

vignettes

Correct answer:

pejoratives

Explanation:

The phrase "once used againt" indicates the missing word is hurtful. The correct answer needs to mean essentially insults. "Pejoratives," meaning derogatory or negative statements, is the best choice.

Example Question #134 : One Blank Texts

The training exercise was specifically designed to judge the __________ of the new soldiers in dangerous conditions.

Possible Answers:

pusillanimity

ambivalence

notoriety

mettle

gratuity

Correct answer:

mettle

Explanation:

The exercise judges soldiers "in dangerous conditions."  The correct answer will therefore indicate the soldiers' bravery or courage, which is the definition of "mettle."

Example Question #135 : One Blank Texts

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

Possible Answers:

eulogies

metaphors

verifications

euphemisms

vignettes

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 #136 : One Blank Texts

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

Possible Answers:

philanthropy

levity

verbosity

misanthropy

brevity

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 #137 : One Blank Texts

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

Possible Answers:

subterfuge

euphony

byline

milieu

etymology

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 #138 : One Blank Texts

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

Possible Answers:

gullibility

vertigo

nonchalance

schizophrenia

hypochondria

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 #139 : One Blank Texts

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

Possible Answers:

collages

vignettes

stanzas

euphemisms

edifices

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 #140 : 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:

exuberance

mire

luminosity

gratis

succinctness

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.

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