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 #1951 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

The young boy has a __________ for violence and his parents are very worried about him.

Possible Answers:

propensity

facade

defense

distaste

estimation

Correct answer:

propensity

Explanation:

The boy's parents are worried about him, and violence is not a good thing, so this suggests that he must have an inclination towards violence. The correct answer is therefore “propensity,” which means natural inclination towards or tendency to do something. “Distaste” is an antonym of "propensity"; it means dislike or aversion; "facade" means the front part of a building that faces the street or a false pretense or appearance; "defense" means way of protecting oneself against a threat; and “estimation” is an approximation or a guess.

Example Question #1952 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

A fight broke out at the football game, and as the __________ spread out into the streets, the police had to be called.

Possible Answers:

daze

argument

fleet

brawl

organization

Correct answer:

brawl

Explanation:

From the context of the sentence, you can reasonably determine that the answer choice must be another word for “fight.” This should lead you “brawl,” which is a chaotic and disorderly fight, usually involving more than two people. As for the other answer choices, “daze” means a state of being stunned or confused and momentarily not reacting to one's surroundings; “fleet” means a group of ships; “argument" means dispute involving spoken statements; and "organization" means orderliness or official group.

Example Question #1953 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

It is quite a __________ to get from one side of this country to the other. 

Possible Answers:

runt 

trek 

divide

gift

tirade 

Correct answer:

trek 

Explanation:

You are looking for an answer choice that describes a long journey, so the correct answer is “trek.” To provide further help, a “runt” is the smallest of a group; “tirade” means an angry speech; and “divide” means separate into two or a specified number of parts or groups

Example Question #1954 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

In the eighteenth century, biologists across the world struggled to combine their research, mostly due to the lack of a uniform naming system; this major problem was solved when Carl Linnaeus introduced a logical __________ that biologists agreed should be the basis for identifying species.

Possible Answers:

nomenclature 

idea

group

neurologist 

item

Correct answer:

nomenclature 

Explanation:

We are told that biologists struggled to do something due to a lack of a uniform naming system. Here the word “uniform” means standardized or accepted by everyone. So, it makes sense that Carl Linnaeus would change the world of biology by introducing a logical naming system, or “nomenclature.”

Example Question #1955 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

The play was almost four hours long! I could scarcely believe it when a couple of hours had passed and it was only the __________

Possible Answers:

summary

intermission

introduction

epilogue

prologue

Correct answer:

intermission

Explanation:

As the play is four hours long, we can infer that after a couple of hours, the play would be half over. At the halfway point of most long plays there is a break where the audience can get up and walk around, also known as an “intermission.” 

Example Question #1956 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

The students knew Mr. Applebaum was easy to distract and therefore were constantly asking questions that would make him go off on a __________ to the actual lesson.

Possible Answers:

maze

tangent

labyrinth

resolution

story

Correct answer:

tangent

Explanation:

Based on the sentence, the students are trying to get Mr. Applebaum to talk about something other than the lesson. When a person does this, it is called "going off on a tangent," meaning straying from the original line of thought.

Example Question #1957 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

The pilot drove the plane to the __________ as soon as he landed.

Possible Answers:

apartment

garage

hangar

station

dock

Correct answer:

hangar

Explanation:

A "hangar" is like a garage for planes. Since the pilot drove immediately to the location, "hangar" is the only answer that makes sense. A "garage" performs a similar function as does a "hangar," but it does so exclusively for cars, buses, and trucks. A "dock" performs this function for boats, not planes.

Example Question #1958 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

The golfer's posture was affecting her performance so her trainer advised altering her __________.

Possible Answers:

prophecy 

stance

feat

trajectory 

accolade 

Correct answer:

stance

Explanation:

In this problem you need to determine which of these answer choices is a synonym for "posture." The correct answer is "stance," which means position, posture, or attitude. To provide further help, a "prophecy" is a prediction; a "feat" is an accomplishment; an "accolade" is a certificate or trophy given in praise; the "trajectory" of something is the expected path it will take.

Example Question #1959 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

After winning the lottery, he deposited the majority of his __________ in the bank so that it would accumulate interest. 

Possible Answers:

donation

windfall

grievances

hazards

downtime

Correct answer:

windfall

Explanation:

Based on the context of this sentence it is clear that the answer you are looking for should reflect the definition winnings, money earned through a game or luck. The correct answer is therefore "windfall." To provide further help, "grievances" are complaints; "hazards" are dangers; "downtime" is time for relaxing, time away from work; a "donation" is something given freely to someone else

Example Question #1960 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Verbal Reasoning

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

In order to go on the fieldtrip the student had to get the __________ of her parents. 

Possible Answers:

adhesive 

vocation 

idiosyncrasy 

feat

consent 

Correct answer:

consent 

Explanation:

As a student you probably are aware that in order to go on a field trip you need to have the "permission" of your parents. So, the correct answer must mean something like permission, agreement, approval. The correct answer is therefore "consent." "Consent" can be used as a noun or a verb, but either way refers to the permission. To provide further help, a "vocation" is a job; a "feat" is an accomplishment; "adhesive" is glue, something that sticks; an "idiosyncrasy" is a personality quirk, an unusual trait in a person

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