ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Adjectives and Adverbs

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Lower Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #131 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

Michael expected all of the eggs in the dropped carton to be broken, so he was pleasantly surprised when he saw that over half were still __________.

Possible Answers:

convoluted

noteworthy

obliterated

intact

Correct answer:

intact

Explanation:

Let's break this sentence down into two parts. In the beginning of the sentence, we see that 1) a carton of eggs has been dropped and 2) Michael expects all of them to be broken. The next part tells us that Michael is "pleasantly surprised" by the actual contents of the carton. What would pleasantly surprise someone who expects to see a dozen broken eggs? Only seeing that not all of them are broken after all. The only word that means "not broken" is "intact," which refers to an object that has retained its original form instead of being damaged. None of the other choices are both positive and related to an object's physical state.

Example Question #132 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

Above all, salesmen should try not to be __________; nothing is worse than intentionally misleading others to make a profit.

Possible Answers:

deceptive

innocuous

trite

sincere

Correct answer:

deceptive

Explanation:

This sentence names "intentionally misleading others" as the worst behavior possible for a salesman, while also saying that people in this profession should "try not to be __________." Obviously, the speaker thinks that salesmen should try not to mislead others on purpose. Which answer choice has this meaning? "Trite" means unoriginal or common, as in an overused phrase; this is not related to intentional stretches of the truth. Both "innocuous" (harmless) and "sincere" (genuine) are positive qualities, so a salesman wouldn't strive not to exhibit them. This leaves only "deceptive," which describes a person who tends to deceive or mislead other individuals.

Example Question #133 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

The two keys to the bank vault need to operate in a(n) __________ fashion; the vault only opens if they are turned at the exact same time.

Possible Answers:

simultaneous

practical

arid

immunized

Correct answer:

simultaneous

Explanation:

The part of this sentence following the semicolon tells us what is vital: the timing at which the vault's keys are turned. Since we are given no further information, we can assume that our answer will refer to multiple actions that happen at the same instant. "Simultaneous" is our answer, since it designates actions that occur concurrently (at the same time).

Example Question #134 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Scientists have yet to determine what killed off all the dinosaurs, but have come up with several theories to explain what drove them to suddenly become __________.

Possible Answers:

organic

omnivorous

extant

extinct

archaic

Correct answer:

extinct

Explanation:

We can infer from the sentence that we need to pick out an adjective that can describe organisms that have “all” been “killed off.” While both “extinct” and “extant” might look like potentially correct answers because they look and sound similar, “extant” is an adjective that is used especially to describe a document and means still in existence. This is clearly an antonym of the word we’re looking for, so “extant” cannot be the correct answer. “Extinct,” however, is an adjective that can mean no longer in existence; so, because “extinct” best describes the dinosaurs after they were all killed off by something, “extinct” is the correct answer.

Example Question #135 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Snowstorms __________ occur in the tropics because the weather down there is consistently warmer than it is in areas farther north, so they experience rainstorms and snowstorms are extremely rare.

Possible Answers:

always

seldom

occasionally

sometimes

usually

Correct answer:

seldom

Explanation:

We know from the sentence that "snowstorms are extremely rare" in the tropics, so we need to pick out an adverb that means something like "rarely" to describe the interval at which they occur in the tropics. So, neither "always" and "usually" can be the correct answer, because each of those words is an antonym of "rarely." "Seldom," however, is an adverb that means rarely, and because it best fits the context of the sentence, "seldom" is the correct answer.

Example Question #136 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Though all of the flowers smelled wonderful, Susanna thought that the hyacinths were the most __________.

Possible Answers:

charismatic

rank

fragrant

fetid

tasty

Correct answer:

fragrant

Explanation:

Because the sentence is comparative and begins, "Though all of the flowers smelled wonderful," we can infer that we need to pick out a word that means smelling good. While "fragrant," "rank," and "fetid" all describe smells, "rank" and "fetid" describe disgusting smells, so they wouldn't make sense in the sentence, comparing hyacinths to other "flowers [that] smelled wonderful." "Fragrant," however, is an adjective that means having a nice smell, and because "fragrant" best describes the smell of a flower, "fragrant" is the correct answer.

Example Question #137 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Fill in the blank with the word that best completes the sentence.

In order to absorb the information presented during class, it is important to be __________.

Possible Answers:

careful

outgoing

hard-working

distracted

attentive

Correct answer:

attentive

Explanation:

Students should be "attentive," or paying attention, if they want to absorb the material taught during class. "Careful" means cautious; "outgoing" means friendly and extroverted; and "distracted" means not fully paying attention to something.

Example Question #138 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

For summer vacation, my family chose to go __________ rather than to stay in the United States.

Possible Answers:

intercept

plummet

campaign

abroad

perish

Correct answer:

abroad

Explanation:

In this sentence, the blank should include a word that describes the opposite of staying in the United States. The word that would make the most sense in the blank is "abroad," which means in a foreign country. None of the other answer choices would make sense in the blank: "campaign" means run for a political position, like for president; "intercept" means interrupt; "perish" means die; and, "plummet" means sharply decrease.

Example Question #139 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.

The audience was __________ that Larry did not receive the Presidential Award because his victory was believed to be definite.

Possible Answers:

ecstatic

annoyed

shocked

tired

Correct answer:

shocked

Explanation:

We need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "surprised" or "confused" because the sentence tells us that the audience thought that Larry was sure to win the Presidential Award. So, "shocked," an adjective that means surprised, is the correct answer choice because it best fits the sentence's context. None of the other answer choices would make sense in the blank space: "annoyed" means irritated; "tired" means exhausted; and "ecstatic" means very excited or elated.

Example Question #140 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Which of the following words best completes the sentence below?

I helped a friend move today. I carried enormous boxes up and down six flights of stairs, and it was __________.

Possible Answers:

exhausting

worrisome

amazing

wasteful

refined

Correct answer:

exhausting

Explanation:

While all the answers fit in the sentence grammatically, "exhausting" most closely relates to the meaning and context of the sentence.

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