All ISEE Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1051 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The suspected criminal __________ his guilt to clear his conscience.
postponed
mutilated
ratified
solicited
avowed
avowed
In order for the incident to clear the criminal's conscience it makes sense that he would be declaring, confessing, asserting the truth. So, the correct answer is "avowed." To "avow" means to declare, to assert, to confess to having done something. Additionally, "ratified" means approved; "solicit" means seek money, work, or advice from; "mutilate" means ruin the appearance of; "postpone" means delay.
Example Question #1052 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
He was __________ by his inability to open the front door.
vexed
ordained
dwindled
jumbled
squandered
vexed
The inability to do something simple, like use your keys to open the door, might naturally be frustrating, annoying, irritating. So, the correct answer is "vexed." To be "vexed" is to be annoyed, angered, confused, or irritated by something superficial. Additionally, "squander" means waste; "ordain" means make holy, make official; "dwindle" means reduce in number, become smaller in amount; "jumble" means mix up.
Example Question #1053 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The young child forgot to __________ his food and almost choked on a vegetable.
admonish
masticate
hypothesize
defray
proliferate
masticate
Failing to chew one's food might result in choking, so the correct answer is "masticate" which means chew. Additionally, "admonish" means yell at, scold, punish; "proliferate" means spread wildly; "hypothesize" means speculate as possibly true, estimate, suggest as fact; "defray" means provide money for, pay for the cost of.
Example Question #1054 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The rule was unpopular so the government decided to __________ it.
aggrandize
abolish
transcend
pilfer
lure
abolish
If the rule was unpopular it might make logical sense for the government to get rid of it, or "abolish" it. Additionally, "aggrandize" means increase the power of, increase the reputation of; "transcend" means go beyond; "pilfer" means steal, plunder; "lure" means attract using trickery, tempt.
Example Question #1055 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
I love that man very much and will not stand here and listen to him be __________!
cloistered
maligned
commandeered
uttered
beguiled
maligned
Based on the intensity of the speaker's tone and her comments that she loves the man it makes sense that she is refusing to listen to him be severely criticized, or "maligned." To "malign" means to speak negatively of, to criticize. Additionally, "beguile" means charm; "commandeer" means take command of (especially a vehicle); "utter" means give voice to, speak; "cloister" means shut away, lock away, hide away.
Example Question #1056 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The mountain climbers have to __________ terrible conditions to reach the summit.
ensnare
align
alight
bluff
endure
endure
Based on the context of this sentence, which describes difficulties experienced by mountain climbers in order to reach the "summit" (top), you know that the correct answer must be a verb that means survive, put up with it, suffer through and overcome. The correct answer is therefore "endure." Additionally, "bluff" means trick through false confidence; "alight" means get down from, get off of, leave for; "align" means match up with, to line up with; "ensnare" means trap, catch.
Example Question #1057 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
She was __________ for failing to follow the rules.
surmounted
rectified
penalized
breached
obliterated
penalized
Which of these verbs means something like punished, subjected to some punishment for breaking the rules? The correct answer is "penalized." Additionally, "breach" means get past the defenses of, overcome; "surmount" means to overcome some difficulty, to get past something; "rectify" means fix; "obliterate" means completely destroy.
Example Question #1058 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The newspaper had to apologize for so intensely __________ the celebrity.
hurtling
acclaiming
relegating
slandering
germinating
slandering
To solve this problem you have to determine which of these is an action that some organization might have to apologize for. The correct answer is "slandering." To "slander" means to publicly share lies or possibly false stories about in order to ruin the reputation of. Additionally, "germinate" means plant and grow; "acclaim" means widely praise; "hurtle" means move quickly and without much control; "relegate" means reduce to a lower level, move down a level.
Example Question #1059 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
He tried to __________ his opponent into making a mistake, but his opponent was too sharp to fall for such trickery.
gape
goad
enroll
facilitate
perturb
goad
Based on the context of this sentence you know you are looking for a verb that means something like provoke, encourage to do something wrong, annoy with the intention of drawing a response. The correct answer is therefore "goad." Additionally, "enroll" means sign up for, become a part of; "facilitate" means help get accomplished; "gape" means stare widely; "perturb" means agitate, disturb.
Example Question #1060 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
As the passengers were __________ from the train an old lady tripped and was almost caught between the train and the tracks.
expediting
faltering
alighting
eluding
alluding
alighting
Based on the context of this sentence you know that the correct answer means something like getting down from, so the correct answer is "alighting." Additionally, "alluding" means hinting at, suggesting; "eluding" means hiding from, keeping away from; "faltering" means stumbling, running into some difficulty; "expediting" means making the progress of something quicker.
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