ISEE Middle Level Verbal : Sentence Completions

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

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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.

Possible Answers:

postponed

mutilated

ratified

solicited

avowed

Correct answer:

avowed

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

vexed

ordained

dwindled

jumbled

squandered

Correct answer:

vexed

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

admonish

masticate

hypothesize

defray

proliferate

Correct answer:

masticate

Explanation:

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. 

Possible Answers:

aggrandize

abolish

transcend

pilfer

lure

Correct answer:

abolish

Explanation:

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 __________!

Possible Answers:

cloistered

maligned

commandeered

uttered

beguiled

Correct answer:

maligned

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

ensnare

align

alight

bluff

endure

Correct answer:

endure

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

surmounted

rectified

penalized

breached

obliterated

Correct answer:

penalized

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

hurtling

acclaiming

relegating

slandering

germinating

Correct answer:

slandering

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

gape

goad

enroll

facilitate

perturb

Correct answer:

goad

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

expediting

faltering

alighting

eluding

alluding

Correct answer:

alighting

Explanation:

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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