ISEE Middle Level Verbal : Sentence Completions: Context Clues

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #22 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation

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

On the whale watching tour, the __________ waves caused the boat to rock back and forth; this left several people feeling ill.

Possible Answers:

benign

rugged

turbulent

steady

sporadic

Correct answer:

turbulent

Explanation:

Since the boat rocked back and forth, it indicates that the waves were violent or turbulent.  The key to this question is noting that the waves must have been violent for the passengers to feel ill.

Example Question #23 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation

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

After years of serving in the military, it was difficult for Ronald to return to __________ life, taking up the normal daily tasks of working and living in the general population.

Possible Answers:

responsible

civilian

tedious

regular

secure

Correct answer:

civilian

Explanation:

The sentence implies that Ronald is returning to life "among the people," that is, no longer doing military work as he had been doing. In contrast to "military" life, "civilian" life literally means "life in the city" or "life as experienced by those living in the city." Civilians are all the members of the population that are not in the military or police. This is the best option to choose as a contrast to Ronald's former military life.

Example Question #26 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation

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

The queen's hairstyle was so __________ that she could barely fit through the doorway without bumping the top of her hair against the doorframe.

Possible Answers:

largesse

metallic

voluminous

egregious

obscure

Correct answer:

voluminous

Explanation:

Because she could barely fit through the door because of her hairstyle, we know that the queen's hairstyle was very large. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that is an adjective and a synonym of "large." While "largesse" may look like an obvious answer, "largesse" is not an adjective meaning "large" but a noun meaning "generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others." So, "largesse" cannot be the correct answer. "Egregious" may also sound like a potentially correct answer, but egregious is an adjective meaning "outstandingly bad" or "shocking." Neither of these meanings are similar to "large," so "egregious" cannot be the correct answer either. "Voluminous," an adjective meaning "occupying or containing much space; large in volume," is the correct answer because it is the only answer choice that means "large in volume."

Example Question #27 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation

The actor missed his __________ and entered the scene a bit later than planned, but luckily it didn't affect the plot of the play.

Possible Answers:

summons

project

cue

jump

tardiness

Correct answer:

cue

Explanation:

We know that the actor missed some direction telling him to enter the scene, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "signal." While "summons" might seem like the correct answer, "cue" fits the context of the sentence better; while "summons" means "an authoritative or urgent call to someone to be present or to do something" or "an order to appear before a judge or magistrate, or the writ containing it," "cue" means "a thing said or done that serves as a signal to an actor or other performer to enter or to begin their speech or performance." Because "cue" best fits the theatrical context of the sentence, "cue" is the correct answer.

Example Question #152 : Sentence Completions

The biology class took a(n) ___________ to the local zoo, but were back in time for lunch.

Possible Answers:

itinerary

excursion

vacation

odyssey

errand

Correct answer:

excursion

Explanation:

We can infer from the sentence's context that we need to pick out a word that means something like "a short trip," because the biology class went to the local zoo but was back in time for lunch. All of the answer choices refer to different kinds of trips except for "itinerary," which means "a planned route or journey" or "a travel document recording these," so it is not the correct answer. "Odyssey" refers to a very long journey, so it cannot be the correct answer either, and neither can "vacation," because we can infer that the trip took place as a field trip during school hours. While "errand" refers to a short trip, it specifically means "a short journey undertaken in order to deliver or collect something, often on someone else's behalf"; that wouldn't fit the sentence's meaning, so "errand" cannot be the correct answer. "Excursion," a noun that means "a short journey or trip, especially one engaged in as a leisure activity," is the best answer choice for the sentence's context, so it is the correct answer.

Example Question #153 : Sentence Completions

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

The original __________ of the mountain caves were driven out when the bands of mauraders invaded, driving them out of the caverns in which they had lived for centuries.

Possible Answers:

savages

barbarians

inhabitants

perpetrators

excavators

Correct answer:

inhabitants

Explanation:

The barbarians clearly are being said to have driven out the people who originally dwelled in the caves. We do not know anything about the identity of these people. All that can be said is that they lived in the caves. While this is very limited, it is expressed by the word "inhabitant," meaning one who lives in a given area. The word is related to "habitat," which means living space, and a number of other related words.

Example Question #154 : Sentence Completions

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

If you want to be a senator, more is needed than mere political __________. In addition to such shrewdness, you need to have a likeable personality that appeals to the voting population.

Possible Answers:

savvy

interest

joy

ambition

enthusiasm

Correct answer:

savvy

Explanation:

The key word is "shrewdness," which means the quality of having very good judgment. When someone has "savvy," he or she is very shrewd, particularly in business or politics. For instance, we often speak of a "savvy businessman" who knows just how to maneuver his company to make a great deal of profit at just the right times. The idea of this sentence is that, in order to become a senator, someone needs to have an a likeable personality in addition to political shrewdness—that is, political "savvy."

Example Question #141 : Sentence Completions: Context Clues

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

Many believe Galileo is a kind of __________ for the new world of scientific exploration because of the persecutions he faced for his investigations.

Possible Answers:

martyr

professor

supporter

zealot

exponent

Correct answer:

martyr

Explanation:

The key phrase in this sentence is "because of the persecutions he faced." Many people judge Galileo in light of this. When someone is persecuted and killed because of his or her beliefs, that person is called a "martyr." The word comes from the Greek for "witness." A martyr "witnesses" (bears testimony to) a truth that he or she believes. The sentence does not state that Galileo was killed for his investigations. However, it does qualify the blank by stating that many believe him to be "a kind of"—that is "sort of" a martyr.

Example Question #142 : Sentence Completions: Context Clues

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

After Bryan lost all his money in the recession, he had to move from a mansion in the city to a mere __________ in the country.

Possible Answers:

palace

hovel

adage

incentive 

maxim 

Correct answer:

hovel

Explanation:

The context of the sentence suggests that Bryan moved from his mansion to a much smaller house because he lost all of his money. So, to solve this sentence completion problem, you have to figure out which of these answer choices means a small house. The correct answer is "hovel," as a hovel is the name we give to a small, run-down house or shack. To further help you, "maxim" and "adage" are synonyms of one another and both words mean a common saying, and "incentive" means motivation or reason for doing something.

Example Question #143 : Sentence Completions: Context Clues

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

Although we have much data about American reading habits, it is still difficult to judge the overall __________ of the nation, for few studies detail the difficulty and length of the texts read by citizens.

Possible Answers:

reflection

philosophy

literacy

scholarship

activism

Correct answer:

literacy

Explanation:

The best clues for the sentence are "reading habits" and the fact that the sentence is speaking about the general difficulty and length of the texts read by the citizens. The sense is that we are considering the overall reading habits of the citizens, trying to find out their general reading abilities. In its stricter sense, "literacy" is the ability to read (as well as to write). It comes from the Latin for "letter" (as in alphabetic letters), the same root that is found in words like "literal" and "literate." In less formal English, it used to be said that someone "had his letters," meaning that the person was able to read and write. Often, we use the word "literacy" to indicate general reading competence. Note, also, that the word can be used in a broader sense to indicate abilities in any topic—for instance, "computer literacy."

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