GRE Verbal : One-Blank Texts
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal
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Example Questions
Example Question #161 : One Blank Texts
The law's __________ began an intense lobbying campaign to get the bill passed.
eulogies
adversaries
proponents
skeptics
ascetics
proponents
The missing word describes people who are attempting "to get the bill passed." The correct answer will indicate people arguing for the law. "Proponents," meaning supporters or advocates, is the best choice.
Example Question #162 : One Blank Texts
The __________ of screaming children makes teaching preschoolers difficult for most people.
elucidation
triviality
notoriety
euphony
discordancy
discordancy
"Screaming children" create a great deal of noise which makes them difficult to deal with. The correct answer will indicate both the noise and harshness of the screaming. "Discordancy," meaning cacophony or harsh noise, is the best choice.
Example Question #163 : One Blank Texts
The teenager liked being seen as a __________, often doing unusual things because they were unpopular.
paragon
maverick
portent
sycophant
zealot
maverick
If the teenager is doing things "because they were unpopular," then he is trying to be different. The correct answer will indicate a person who tries to stand out. "Maverick," meaning a loner or rebel, is the best choice.
Example Question #164 : One Blank Texts
The office's __________ was best exemplified by its refusal to replace the most weathered chairs.
disparity
parsimony
benevolence
munificence
parity
parsimony
The office will not replace even "the most weathered chairs." This means they are refusing to buy new ones, and this will be reflected in the correct answer. "Parsimony," meaning frugality and stinginess, is the best fit.
Example Question #165 : One Blank Texts
The police department's confiscated weapons were a __________ of firearms, featuring every kind imaginable.
decoy
smorgasbord
menagerie
barren
delineation
smorgasbord
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 #166 : 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.
somnambulist
pyromaniac
vagrant
polemicist
zealot
vagrant
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 #167 : One Blank Texts
The __________ in the two forms was chalked up to a clerical error, but people saw something sinister in the difference.
approbation
omniscience
discrepancy
prostration
condemnation
discrepancy
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 #168 : One Blank Texts
The show's main attempt to be balanced was to present __________ from each side.
negotiators
suffragists
arbitrators
edifices
partisans
partisans
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 #169 : One Blank Texts
Grieving people often find __________ in knowing their departed loved ones are no longer in pain.
approbation
depravity
condemnation
solace
subterfuge
solace
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 #170 : One Blank Texts
Opera aficionados argue the best composers have __________ and drama lesser writers cannot produce the same way.
disdain
decoy
tome
vagrance
pathos
pathos
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.
All GRE Verbal Resources
