ISEE Middle Level Verbal : Sentence Completions: Parts of Speech

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #441 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

Shiela had trouble seeing the road because the sun striking her windshield created a __________, temporarily blinding her.

Possible Answers:

glare

warmth

rays

mirage

heat

Correct answer:

glare

Explanation:

Focus on the context of the sentence. To complete the sentence, we need to describe the effect of the events taking place. The effect of the sunlight striking the windshield is a "glare," or a temporary reflection of a bright light, so "glare" is the correct answer.

Example Question #442 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

Some medieval historians believe that modernity is nothing but a __________ from the great accomplishments of the middle ages.

Possible Answers:

disparagement

despair

regression

mistake

heresy

Correct answer:

regression

Explanation:

For this question, you need to be very attentive to small details. The preposition "from" indicates a movement away from its object, namely the great accomplishments of the middle ages. To move away from greatness is to move into mediocrity or, at least, a less developed state of affairs. Therefore, the historians in question believe that modernity is a "regression." The word "progress" means the action of moving forward or toward a goal or destination. The "-gress" portion of the word means to move. A "regression" is a moving backward. The prefix "re-" means (among many other possible things) backward or away from.

Example Question #443 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

Dragons are portrayed as the __________ of knights in many fantasy stories, many of which involve plots where the two fight each other.

Possible Answers:

mentors

adversaries

allies

bosses

proponents

Correct answer:

adversaries

Explanation:

The sentence tells us that many of the fantasy stories’ plots involve dragons and knights fighting, so we can infer that we need to pick out a noun that means something like “enemies” or “opponents.” While “proponents” might look like a potentially correct answer because it looks and sounds similar to “opponents,” “proponents” is a noun that means “people who advocate something,” so “proponents” would not make sense in the sentence and cannot be the correct answer. “Adversaries,” however, is a noun that means “opponents,” and because “adversaries” best fits the context of the sentence, “adversaries” is the correct answer.

Example Question #444 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

That magazine recently published a shocking __________ that revealed the terrible working conditions workers at a local factory.

Possible Answers:

recipe

essay

operation

exposé

lie

Correct answer:

exposé

Explanation:

We can infer that we need to pick out a noun that means something like “story” or “article,” because it is something that the magazine the sentence describes “published.” While both “exposé” and “essay” might look like potentially correct answers, “essay” is a noun that means “a short piece of writing,” while “exposé” is a noun that means “a report of the facts about something.” Because the noun in question is described as “shocking” in the sentence, “exposé” is the better choice for the blank and the correct answer.

Example Question #445 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

__________ is a serious breach of academic contact that can get you in a lot of trouble, so you should never claim someone else's words as being your own work.

Possible Answers:

Plagiarism

Desertion

Citation

Mimicking

Retrieval

Correct answer:

Plagiarism

Explanation:

We can tell from the context of the sentence that the word in the blank needs to mean "claiming someone else's words as being your own work." While "citation" has to do with academics and writing, "citation" means "a quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author, especially in a scholarly work," and cannot be the correct answer because citations don't get people in trouble - they are how writers are supposed to quote each other in formal academic papers without stealing each other's work. "Plagiarism," however, means "the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own," and because it best fits the context of the sentence, "plagiarism" is the correct answer.

Example Question #446 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

A self-important elitist, he treated most of his coworkers and even his so-called friends with __________.

Possible Answers:

contempt

insouciance

frustration

benevolence

vitriol

Correct answer:

contempt

Explanation:

Given that this man held a high opinion of himself and thought less of those around him, it makes most sense to select "contempt" as the correct answer, as "contempt" means disdain or disregard. "Benevolence," which means kindness or generosity, makes little sense in this context, along with "insouciance," which means unconcern. "Frustration" and "vitriol," which means harsh commentary, are only indirectly related.

Example Question #447 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

Harold's claim that his novel was the year's best seller had no __________ because everyone knew that it sold poorly.

Possible Answers:

publicity

foundation

argument

acclaim

novelty

Correct answer:

foundation

Explanation:

Here, the idea is that Harold claims something, while the opposite is true. Therefore, we would say that his claim has no merit, truth, or basis, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like merit. "Acclaim" might initially appear to be the correct answer because "acclaim" means praise or acclamation and we can infer from the sentence tells us that Harold's novel had no acclaim, the sentence's main concern is Harold's claims about his novel, not the novel itself. The best answer choice for the blank is "foundation," which means the basis or groundwork of something. As for the other answer choices, "publicity" means exposure in the media, "argument" means a dispute, and "novelty" means newness or originality.

Example Question #448 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

The gorge was originally created from the forces of __________ , though it took a very long time for water and rain to sculpt the canyon's steep slopes.

Possible Answers:

meditation

condensation

precipitation

erosion

mediation

Correct answer:

erosion

Explanation:

We know that the gorge was created from the forces of water and rain, so we need to pick out a noun that refers to these forces. "Precipitation" and "condensation" may each look like a potentially correct answer, as "precipitation" means "rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground," and "condensation" means "water that collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it." However, "erosion" is the best possible answer choice because erosion specifically means "the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents," where "erode" refers to the process by which wind, water, or other natural agents "gradually wear away soil, rock, or land." Because "erosion" is best suited to the specific context of the sentence, "erosion" is the correct answer.

Example Question #449 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

The small lamp offered a surprising amount of __________ for the room, making every portion of it visible.

Possible Answers:

artistry

feng shui

illustration

illumination

beauty

Correct answer:

illumination

Explanation:

Most of the incorrect options for this question go far beyond what can be inferred from the context of the sentence. We are only told that the lamp makes the room "visible." Indeed, its small size is contrasted to the amount of visibility it makes possible. Lamps provide visibility by providing light—that is, by providing "illumination." The other options all imply something else that might or might not be the case.

Example Question #450 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

The scientists set up fifteen __________ to send signals to the new space station on Mars.

Possible Answers:

commuters

translators

transmitters

substations

electronics

Correct answer:

transmitters

Explanation:

The only thing implied by this sentence is that the scientists want to set up some means of sending messages or signals to the Mars station. The only really tempting wrong answer should be "substations," but this word really applies to electrical grids, not communications. The word "transmit" means send across—as in to "send across the airwaves" or, in our case, the "space." The prefix "trans-" means across, as is seen in words like "translate" and "transfer." The "-mit" portion is related to the "miss-" found in "mission."  A mission is a "sending" of someone for a purpose.

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