All ISEE Lower Level Verbal Resources
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 __________.
convoluted
noteworthy
obliterated
intact
intact
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.
deceptive
innocuous
trite
sincere
deceptive
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.
simultaneous
practical
arid
immunized
simultaneous
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 __________.
organic
omnivorous
extant
extinct
archaic
extinct
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.
always
seldom
occasionally
sometimes
usually
seldom
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 __________.
charismatic
rank
fragrant
fetid
tasty
fragrant
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 __________.
careful
outgoing
hard-working
distracted
attentive
attentive
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.
intercept
plummet
campaign
abroad
perish
abroad
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.
ecstatic
annoyed
shocked
tired
shocked
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 __________.
exhausting
worrisome
amazing
wasteful
refined
exhausting
While all the answers fit in the sentence grammatically, "exhausting" most closely relates to the meaning and context of the sentence.