All ISEE Lower Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #503 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ILLUSTRIOUS
Abnormal
Playful
Arid
Respected
Sincere
Respected
When a person is "illustrious," he or she is widely admired or respected, usually for his or her accomplishments. This word could describe a professor who published many groundbreaking papers, or a well-liked athlete with a long and successful career. "Respected" is the correct synonym here. "Arid" refers to climate conditions that are unusually dry, while neither "playful," "sincere," or "abnormal" properly captures the admiration implied by this term.
Example Question #504 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
UNDERSTATED
Free
Frequent
Whispered
Subtle
Judgmental
Subtle
"Understated" means modest and not drawing much attention. To be "subtle" means to be subdued and not obvious. Thus, given how similar in meaning that these words are to one another, they are synonyms.
Example Question #505 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
VITAL
Superfluous
Necessary
Honest
Powerless
Agreeable
Necessary
Anything that is "vital" is absolutely required for a certain process or goal. For example, food and water are vital ingredients for human survival. "Necessary," or needed, is a strong synonym of "vital," while both "powerless" and "agreeable" are unrelated. Finally, perhaps you are unfamiliar with the final choice, "superfluous." This word simply means extra or unnecessary, which is the exact opposite of the choice we want to pick.
Example Question #506 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
INTENSE
Effortless
Extreme
Mild
Moderate
Mediocre
Extreme
“Intense” means to a great degree or "extreme." The word “moderate” means in the middle of two sides or poles, whereas “mediocre” means of average quality when higher quality was expected. Something that is “effortless” does not require effort or work or is extremely easy to do, and something that is "mild" is not very strong or serious.
Example Question #507 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
VITAL
Needed
Extraneous
Fatal
Aggressive
Passive
Needed
"Vital" derives from the Latin "vita," life, so it makes sense that something that is “vital” is very important to keeping life going, or more generally, necessary and very important. "Necessary" is thus the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, “extraneous” means not needed or part of an amount that is more than what is needed; “aggressive” means angry and violent or intense; “passive” means not doing anything in response to something; and “fatal” means deadly.
Example Question #331 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
TRIFLING
Petty
Difficult
Detailed
Important
Extended
Petty
"Trifling," when used as an adjective, means "unimportant or trivial." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "unimportant." "Important" is the opposite of "unimportant," so it can't be the correct answer, but "petty" means "of little importance; trivial," "characterized by an undue concern for trivial matters, esp. in a small-minded or spiteful way" when used to describe behavior, or "of secondary or lesser importance, rank, or scale; minor." Because "petty" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "trifling," "petty" is the correct answer.
Example Question #509 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
HEARTY
Benevolent
Visible
Wise
Strong
Malevolent
Strong
Hearty means strong and healthy. To further help you, wise means very smart, able to make good decisions; benevolent means good-natured; malevolent means wicked-natured; benevolent and malevolent are antonyms of one another; visible means able to be seen.
Example Question #510 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
EXTREME
Excited
Enormous
Distant
Passionate
Insane
Enormous
Something "extreme" is something that exists to a high degree. For example, extreme heat is very hot—at a high degree of heat. Extreme anger is a large amount of anger. The general idea of being extreme is this kind of largeness or greatness of amount. Thus, the best option is "enormous." None of the other options are synonymous with the idea of being of a large size or to a great degree.
Example Question #511 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
VIRULENT
Loose
Obsolete
Uncaring
Beneficial
Toxic
Toxic
"Virulent" means strong, extremely lethal and poisonous. The closest answer then is "toxic" which means poisonous. To provide further help, "beneficial" means helpful; "obsolete" means no longer used, no longer needed.
Example Question #512 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning
Synonyms: Select the word that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
IMPROVED
Better
Calmer
Friendlier
Looser
Worse
Better
When you "improve" something you make that thing "better." So these two words are clearly synonyms. "Worse" is an antonym to improved. "Friendlier" and "calmer are both statements of improvement but apply only to a person's (or animal's) disposition.
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