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.
disinterest
fortitude
ordination
nostalgia
levity
fortitude
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.
coercion
deliberation
negotiation
innovation
veneration
coercion
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.
rebuttals
vignettes
placebos
portents
pejoratives
pejoratives
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.
gratuity
pusillanimity
notoriety
ambivalence
mettle
mettle
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.
euphemisms
eulogies
vignettes
verifications
metaphors
vignettes
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.
verbosity
levity
philanthropy
misanthropy
brevity
verbosity
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.
etymology
milieu
byline
subterfuge
euphony
milieu
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.
gullibility
nonchalance
hypochondria
vertigo
schizophrenia
vertigo
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.
stanzas
vignettes
collages
edifices
euphemisms
collages
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.
succinctness
luminosity
exuberance
mire
gratis
mire
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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