All ISEE Lower Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #35 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Emotional States
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
AFFECTIONATE
Bubbly
Joyful
Helpful
Caring
Moody
Caring
When someone is "affectionate," he or she is very caring and loving toward other people. Now, while such a person might also tend to be helpful, joyful, or even bubbly, these meanings are not strict synonyms for "affectionate." Affection is, above all else, about love. Thus, the best synonym among those provided for "affectionate" is "caring." (The word "caring" means more than "helpful"—it indicates an emotional attachment. This makes it a better option.)
Example Question #36 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Emotional States
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
GLEEFUL
Willing
Joyful
Friendly
Energetic
Amazing
Joyful
The word "glee" means a great amount of happiness. Thus, a gleeful person is very happy. We could say, "The baby was utterly gleeful while playing with the small dog, giggling and slapping playfully at the ground." The main thing that you want to express with the word "gleeful" is happiness. (Often, this happiness comes with great energy too; however, gleefulness is about happiness.) Thus, the best option is "joyful."
Example Question #37 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Emotional States
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
DEPRESSED
Angry
Miserable
Concerned
Fussy
Worried
Miserable
The word "depressed" is used to describe someone who is very unhappy. When a person is "miserable," he or she is not happy or is very negative about life. Among the options given, this is the only one that closely matches "depressed".
Example Question #38 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Emotional States
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
FURIOUS
Superb
Gruff
Enraged
Annoyed
Enraged
"Furious" is an adjective meaning extremely angry. The only answer choice with a similar meaning is "enraged," which means very angry. The other words do not have similar meanings: "gruff" can mean no-nonsense or abrupt; "superb" means excellent; and "annoyed" means only slightly angry.
Example Question #39 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Emotional States
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ERRATIC
Predictable
Organized
Lucky
Unpredictable
Lazy
Unpredictable
When someone behaves "erratically" they are acting in a way that is not expected, usual, nor even predictable. Therefore, "unpredictable" would be the word closest to this meaning and is a synonym for erratic.
Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Materiality
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FRAGILE
Firm
Breakable
Robust
Stern
Logical
Breakable
“Fragile” means easy to break or "breakable." As for the other answer choices, “robust” means sturdy and strong; “stern” means enforcing the rules or strict; “firm” means strong or hard and not easily forced into a different shape; “logical” means rational or not breaking any of the rules of formal logic.
Example Question #2 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Materiality
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FIRM
Angry
Joyful
Solid
Ignorant
Lively
Solid
The word "firm" is an adjective used to describe something that is physically solid. For example, a firm pillow is one that is somewhat hard—as opposed to a very soft pillow. Sometimes, too, this word is used to describe someone's actions. For example, to say, "He was firm about his wish to have at least eight hours of sleep," means that the person did not give up his desire for the sleep (even if others protested).
Example Question #3 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Materiality
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
COMPACT
Regular
Dense
Organized
Slippery
Pushy
Dense
The word "compact" comes from root words meaning joined together. When we compact our garbage, we compress it into a small space. When we describe the garbage as being "compact," we are indicating that it is very densely packed together. "Dense" things do not have much air space. The same is true for compact materials.
Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size
Each synonyms question is made up of a word in capital letters followed by five choices. Choose the one word that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
COLOSSAL:
perilous
immense
diminutive
magnificent
beneficial
immense
If something is colossal, it means that it is massive or immense. For example, a mistake can be colossal if it is large.
Example Question #2 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size
A synonym of "immense" is __________.
meddlesome
gargantuan
quiet
excited
puny
gargantuan
"Immense" is an adjective that means "extremely large or great, especially in scale or degree." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "very big." That means that "puny" can't be the correct answer, because "puny" means "small and weak" or "poor in quality, amount, or size," so "puny" is an antonym of "immense." "Gargantuan," however, is an adjective that means "enormous," so "gargantuan" is the correct answer because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "immense."
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