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 #681 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

Chelsea designed her website such that any text that she wrote would be __________ a subtle floral background.

Possible Answers:

discouraged by

superimposed on

portrayed by

hidden behind

illegible on

Correct answer:

superimposed on

Explanation:

We can infer from the sentence that the text described would be placed in front of the background, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "placed in front of." "Hidden behind," then, cannot be the correct answer because it means the opposite of the phrase we are looking for. "Superimpose," however, means "place or lay one thing over another, typically so that both are still evident," so "superimposed on" is the correct answer because it is the answer choice that best describes the relationship between the text and the background on Chelsea's website.

Example Question #682 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

I don't like to hang out with Mary because she never has anything nice to say to me. Instead of being pleasant, she always __________ me.

Possible Answers:

talks to

compliments

ignores

praises

belittles

Correct answer:

belittles

Explanation:

The key to completing this sentence is to find a word that describes Mary as doing something mean to the speaker. The only answer choice that describes a mean action is "belittles." The definition of "belittle" is put someone down and make them feel unimportant.

Example Question #683 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

Cindy promised herself that she would __________ and save as much money as she could in February to go on vacation in March.

Possible Answers:

be frugal

live lavishly

be limber

be futile

spend money

Correct answer:

be frugal

Explanation:

This sentence describes Mary needing to save money so she can afford to go on vacation. The words that best complete this sentence is "be frugal." "Frugal" means not spending money on unnecessary things and trying to get the best deal that you can on necessary things.

Example Question #684 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

Kelly had to __________ the urge to scream when she saw a rat in the cellar, because she knew that making any noise would startle it and cause it to dash off to a new location, making it more difficult to remove.

Possible Answers:

insist on

encourage

participate in

repress

malinger

Correct answer:

repress

Explanation:

We can infer that because Kelly "knew that making any noise would startle [the rat]" and scare it off, "making it more difficult to remove," she did not make any noise, and so had to stifle her urge to scream. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "stifle." "Repress," a verb that means "restrain, prevent, or inhibit the expression or development of something," is the best answer choice because it best fits the sentence's context.

Example Question #685 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

He __________ with the bouncers at the exclusive party, and after bribing them, he was allowed in even though he hadn't been invited.

Possible Answers:

belied

pickled

connived

creased

marketed

Correct answer:

connived

Explanation:

We know that the subject of the sentence bribed the bouncers to get into the party, so we can infer that we need to pick out a verb that means something like "conspired with." While "belied" might look like a potentially correct answer choice because it contains the word "lie," "belie" is a verb used to describe appearances that means "fail to give a true notion or impression of (something); disguise or contradict." So, because "belie" would not make sense grammatically or contextually in the blank, it cannot be the correct answer. "Connive," however, is a verb that means "conspire to do something considered immoral, illegal, or harmful," and because "connive" best fits the sentence's context, "connive" is the correct answer.

Example Question #686 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

Harry was __________ to discover that his car was not where he had left it.

Possible Answers:

perturbed

ecstatic

wanton

whimsical

overjoyed

Correct answer:

perturbed

Explanation:

Due to the fact that Harry’s car has gone missing, we can assume that the blank word must describe some negative feeling like “worried” or “angered.” This eliminates "ecstatic" and "overjoyed" as answer choices because both words mean very happy. Likewise, "wanton" can be eliminated because it means random, and "whimsical" can be eliminated because it means silly and quirky. The correct answer is “perturbed,” which means worried or disturbed

Example Question #687 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

The cunning chess player swiftly __________ her less capable opponent. 

Possible Answers:

circumscribed

outfoxed

harangued

wounded

deplored

Correct answer:

outfoxed

Explanation:

The context of the sentence suggests that the cunning chess player got the better of her less capable opponent. This means that the blank word must mean something like "outwitted." "Outfoxed" means outwitted, so "outfoxed" is the correct answer. To help you, "deplore" means hate, "harangue" means criticize verbally, "wounded" means injured, and "circumscribed" means limited or bordered.

Example Question #688 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

The postal service had to __________ a number of packages during the holiday season in order for them to be delivered on time.

Possible Answers:

stagnate

retain

catalyze

deposit

expedite

Correct answer:

expedite

Explanation:

Since the holiday season is busy and customers want packages to arrive on time, this means that the postal service likely had to "expedite" the packages, or hasten the speed at which they were sent, in order that the packages might arrive on time.

Example Question #689 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

Winston got reprimanded and nearly banned from the library when he forgot about its noise policy and __________ a greeting to a friend he spotted across the room.

Possible Answers:

peeped

whispered

danced

bellowed

lingered

Correct answer:

bellowed

Explanation:

Since the sentence tells us that Winston got in trouble for disobeying the library's noise policy, and can infer that libraries are typically quiet places, we know that we need to pick out an answer that has to do with noise, specifically loud noises and even more specifically loud speech. Only three answer choices have to do with noise: "bellowed," "whispered," and "peeped." Because "whispered" and "peeped" both refer to quiet noises or speech, neither can be the correct answer, but "bellowed," which means "shouted something with a deep loud roar" fits the context of the sentence. So, "bellowed" is the correct answer.

Example Question #690 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

The dog __________ at the squirrel, but was pulled back sharply by its owner, who held its leash and kept it on the sidewalk.

Possible Answers:

quieted

lunged

hopped

danced

avoided

Correct answer:

lunged

Explanation:

We can infer that the dog moved toward the squirrel in some way, and can narrow our answer choices down to "danced," "hopped," and "lunged." "Danced" does not make sense in the sentence's context, and in picking between "hopped" and "lunged," "lunged" is the better choice, as "lunged" means "made a sudden forward movement." So, "lunged" is the correct answer.

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