All ISEE Middle Level Verbal Resources
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.
discouraged by
superimposed on
portrayed by
hidden behind
illegible on
superimposed on
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.
talks to
compliments
ignores
praises
belittles
belittles
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.
be frugal
live lavishly
be limber
be futile
spend money
be frugal
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.
insist on
encourage
participate in
repress
malinger
repress
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.
belied
pickled
connived
creased
marketed
connived
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.
perturbed
ecstatic
wanton
whimsical
overjoyed
perturbed
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.
circumscribed
outfoxed
harangued
wounded
deplored
outfoxed
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.
stagnate
retain
catalyze
deposit
expedite
expedite
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.
peeped
whispered
danced
bellowed
lingered
bellowed
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.
quieted
lunged
hopped
danced
avoided
lunged
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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