ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Style, Intensity, and Connotation in Word-Based Sentence Completions

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #61 : Style, Intensity, And Connotation In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

The refugees felt __________ because they could not find a home.

Possible Answers:

despair

brash

joyful

liberated

obsolete

Correct answer:

despair

Explanation:

It makes sense that the refugees would feel hopeless if they could not find a home. The correct answer then is "despair" which means the complete lack of hope. Additionally, "liberated" means set free; "obsolete" means out-of-date, no longer useful; "joyful" means full of joy, very happy; "brash" means cocky, arrogant and bold.

Example Question #61 : Style, Intensity, And Connotation In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

The very small boy could not __________.

Possible Answers:

crawl on the ground

stand up straight in the basement

be carried by his father

see the movie

eat any food

Correct answer:

see the movie

Explanation:

You are told that the boy is small and that he cannot do something. Which of these answer choices is most likely to be difficult for a very small boy? The correct answer is " . . . see[ing] the movie."

Example Question #62 : Style, Intensity, And Connotation In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

__________ and was never in debt.

Possible Answers:

He borrowed from the bank

He wasted all his money

He offered his assistance

He lost his credit card

He spent his money wisely

Correct answer:

He spent his money wisely

Explanation:

To solve this problem you simply need to figure out which one of these answer choices matches with someone who was never in debt. "Debt" is money or favor owed to another person. So, if the subject was never in debt it makes sense that "He spent his money wisely . . . "

Example Question #64 : Style, Intensity, And Connotation In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

The bread was not merely firm. It was utterly ___________ and could not be punctured at all.

Possible Answers:

flimsy

impenetrable

resistant

different

strange

Correct answer:

impenetrable

Explanation:

This pair of sentences use an intensification to make the point from the first to the second sentence. The bread in question is not merely firm, it is so solid that something cannot even be "poked" through it. This means that it cannot be penetrated. The adjective "impenetrable" means just this. An impenetrable barrier cannot be passed through at all.

Example Question #65 : Style, Intensity, And Connotation In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

The already dim fire finally became totally ___________, producing no more light and heat for the room.

Possible Answers:

Pale

Glowing

Blazing

Distinct

Extinguished

Correct answer:

Extinguished

Explanation:

This sentence indicates that the fire was decreasing in strength. It was becoming progressively less powerful and finally "went out" entirely. This means that it was totally extinguished. A fire extinguisher is a device that is used for completely putting out a fire. These words are related to the word "extinct". We most often use this word to describe species of animals that have totally died out. You can see how a fire that has "gone out" is "extinct" in its own way.

Example Question #66 : Style, Intensity, And Connotation In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

Brian really wanted to get the job, so he __________ the interviewer by telling her how beautiful she looked and how smart she was.

Possible Answers:

enlightened

confounded

flattered

answered

rejoiced

Correct answer:

flattered

Explanation:

It seems that Brian is trying to manipulate the woman who is interviewing him by telling her these nice things. The sentence implies that he is doing it because he wants the job. When we tell someone kind and nice things so that we can get our way, we are said to "flatter" that person. (This option is better than "answered", which is really just a general word that would work for this sentence without being as good as "flatter.")

Example Question #67 : Style, Intensity, And Connotation In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

Sarah liked to buy things from ___________ businesses instead of going out of town to the stores that could be found throughout the entire country.

Possible Answers:

negligent

impoverished

insignificant

local

tiny

Correct answer:

local

Explanation:

Pay close attention to the contrast being expressed in this sentence. Sarah didn't like going to stores that were found "throughout the entire country." Therefore, she wanted to go to stores that were much closer to home, so to speak. This describes something that is local. We do not know if she wanted to go so tiny or small businesses—even though many local stores may be smaller than national ones. All that we know is that she wanted to shop locally, not at national stores.

Example Question #68 : Style, Intensity, And Connotation In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

While he didn't exactly __________ that he stole the cookies, the small child also didn't admit his guilt.

Possible Answers:

explain

deny

decide

express

accept

Correct answer:

deny

Explanation:

A sentence like this needs to be read carefully. The small child did not admit his guilt about the cookies. The first part of the sentence seems to indicate that he didn't lie and cover it up either. This is hinted at by the way the sentence starts ("While . . ."). Thus, the best option is "deny", which expresses this idea of trying to cover up the small crime that he committed.

Example Question #69 : Style, Intensity, And Connotation In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

To their surprise, the prisoners were __________ after being held captive by the army for many months, thinking that they would never be freed.

Possible Answers:

forgiven

exalted

killed

promoted

liberated

Correct answer:

liberated

Explanation:

The sentence states that the prisoners were surprised. In order to understand their surprise, you need to consider what they were thinking before this. According to the sentence, they thought that they would not be freed by the army. Therefore, the surprise that they experienced was that they actually were freed. The word "liberate" is a verb meaning to free. The word "liberty" means freedom and is clearly related to the verb "liberate."

Example Question #70 : Style, Intensity, And Connotation In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

The army completely __________ its foes, killing each and every last one of them.

Possible Answers:

hated

despised

destroyed

battled

slaughtered

Correct answer:

slaughtered

Explanation:

Notice that the sentence states that the army killed every single one of its foes. This means that nobody was "left standing." The best answer is the word that describes an act of very thorough killing. The word "slaughter" means just this. The word "destroyed" does not express this complete killing as well as "slaughter." The other options are even more distant from this meaning.

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