ISEE Middle Level Verbal : ISEE Middle Level (grades 7-8) Verbal Reasoning

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #1581 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

Sentence completions: Fill in the blank(s) to complete the sentence.

She was neither a Democrat nor a Republican; in fact, she did not participte in politics at all and was pretty much __________.

Possible Answers:

patriotic 

seditious 

agnostic 

apolitical 

atheistic

Correct answer:

apolitical 

Explanation:

The prefix "a-" is often used to negate the meaning of a word, so someone who is “apolitical” is not political. As the subject of this sentence does not take part in politics, we can assume that she could best be described as “apolitical.” To provide further help, someone who is “atheistic” does not believe in any gods or goddesses; an “agnostic” does not believe or disbelieve in any gods or goddesses, but believes we cannot know if he, she, or they exist; someone who is “patriotic” is fiercely committed to his or her country; and “seditious” means treasonous or rebellious.

Example Question #1582 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

The __________ old barn made the perfect setting for the town's annual haunted house.

Possible Answers:

devisive

derived

deranged

derelict

derogatory

Correct answer:

derelict

Explanation:

The word "derelict," which means abandoned and in poor condition, is related to the word "relinquish" (to give something up). Both come from the Latin word "relinquere," which means to abandon. In a haunted house, you may encounter various spooks pretending to be "deranged" (insane), but we wouldn't use this word to describe the building itself.

Example Question #1583 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

The baseball team is much more aggressive towards its competitors than the basketball team, causing the baseball team to develop a reputation for being __________.

Possible Answers:

disliked

honest

combative

mean

Correct answer:

combative

Explanation:

Here, it is clear that the baseball team is aggressive. Therefore, it would make sense that the reputation the team has would be a synonym for "aggressive." The word "combative" means easily provoked to fight, which is similar in meaning to "aggressive." Therefore, "combative" is the correct answer choice. Although "disliked" might seem to make logical sense, "aggressive" is the better answer choice because "combative" is closer in meaning to "aggressive" than "disliked" is. As for the other answer choices, "honest" means truthful and "mean," in this context, means unkind.

Example Question #1584 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

Although everyone else in the class thought James stole the money from the fundraiser, Tiffany doubted that he was __________.

Possible Answers:

guilty

relentless

innocent

uninvolved

Correct answer:

guilty

Explanation:

The first part of this sentence informs us that most people in the class believe that James stole the money—in other words, that he is guilty. However, the key word "although" tells us that Tiffany disagrees. If she does not believe that he committed the crime, she must think that he is innocent, but we are looking for what she "doubts" about James' involvement. Thinking that he is innocent equates to doubting that he is guilty, so "guilty" properly completes the sentence here.

Example Question #1585 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

Sentence completions: Fill in the blank(s) to complete the sentence. 

The team's star player was allowed to rest during the __________ game of the season because he was needed for team's last game.

Possible Answers:

spurious

aggressive

perilous

passive

penultimate

Correct answer:

penultimate

Explanation:

The context of the sentence tells you that the player was rested for the second to last game of the season. We call the second to last of anything, the “penultimate” occasion. To provide further help, “perilous” means dangerous or ominous; “aggressive” means hostile and is an antonym of “passive;” “spurious” means false.

Example Question #1586 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

The librarian was __________ the students' claims that the roof was leaking and told them to just ignore it, until a leak began to drip onto her desk and computer; at that point she gave the complaint her utmost attention.

Possible Answers:

meandering around

dismissive of

understanding of

forgetful of

attentive to

Correct answer:

dismissive of

Explanation:

We can infer that because the librarian initially told the students "to just ignore [the leaking roof]," she wasn't initially very concerned with their complaints. So, we need to pick out an a phrase that means something like "not concerned with." "Attentive to" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "attentive" can mean either "paying close attention to something" or "assiduously attending to the comfort or wishes of others; very polite or courteous," neither of which describe the librarian's initial behavior in the sentence. "Dismissive," however, means "feeling or showing that something is unworthy of consideration," and because "dismissive of" best describe the librarian's initial response to the students' complaints, "dismissive of" is the correct answer.

Example Question #1587 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

Certain breeds of puppies look ridiculously cute because their ears and paws appear __________ their bodies; people often say they have to "grow into" their ears and paws which appear to be oversized and mismatched to their bodies.

Possible Answers:

disproportionate to

smaller than

suited to

matched to

commensurate with

Correct answer:

disproportionate to

Explanation:

We can infer that because the puppies' ears and paws "appear to be oversized and mismatched to their bodies," we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "larger than" or "not in the correct ratio with" to describe the relationship between the size of the puppies' paws and ears and the size of their bodies. Considering "commensurate with," "suited to," and "matched to," none of these answer choices can be the correct answer because all describe two things being "commensurate," or "corresponding in size or degree; in proportion" with each other, and this does not describe the puppies' ears and paws and the size of their bodies in the sentence. "Disproportionate," however, is an adjective that means "too large or too small in comparison with something else," and because "disproportionate to" is the answer choice that best describes how the puppies ears and paws look "oversized and mismatched to their bodies," "disproportionate to" is the correct answer.

Example Question #1588 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

__________ Mark's best efforts to finish the report on time, he handed it in one day late.

Possible Answers:

In addition to

Despite

As a result of

With

Because of

Correct answer:

Despite

Explanation:

This sentence needs to be completed with a prepositional phrase that shows that even though Mark really tried to hand in the report on time, he ended up handing it in late. The best word to complete this sentence is "despite." "Despite" means instead of or regardless of.

Example Question #1589 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

The __________ quality of the cell membrane allows water, ions, and small molecules to pass through it.

Possible Answers:

uniform

insubstantial

thin

stable

porous

Correct answer:

porous

Explanation:

Since the membrane allows liquids and molcules to pass through it, the membrane must have gaps and therefore be porous.

Example Question #1590 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

Health-conscious customers support the new ice cream shop because it uses only natural ingredients; their flavors have no __________ coloring or substances.

Possible Answers:

sugary

legitimate

consummate

artificial

expired

Correct answer:

artificial

Explanation:

If "health-conscious customers support the ice cream shop" for "using natural ingredients," this implies that the ice cream shop does not use fake or unnatural ingredients—in other words, "artificial" ones, as "artificial" means fakeunnatural, or man-made

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