ISEE Middle Level Verbal : Sentence Completions

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #41 : Sentence Completions

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

Though some youths can be disconnected from political affairs, many become involved __________, often posting signs, debating in public, and attending protests.

Possible Answers:

protagonists

activists

democrats

republicans

annoyances

Correct answer:

activists

Explanation:

There are two clues to help you get this question correct. On the one hand, the "many" students are contrasted with "some" who are disconnected from political affairs. This implies that many must be involved in political affairs in some way or other. The second clue is the listing of activities in which they are involved, such as posting signs and protesting. Such people can be called "activists," meaning that they take not merely an active role but a very energetic one in promoting some cause in which they believe. This best describes such "involved" students.

Example Question #42 : Sentence Completions

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

The old man claimed to be a _________ of rare treasures, but Gareth thought that he was more aptly described as a seller of other people's old junk.

Possible Answers:

proponent

purveyor

enemy

discarder

labeler

Correct answer:

purveyor

Explanation:

We can infer from the structure of the sentence that we need to pick out a noun that means something like "seller," because "Gareth thought that he was more aptly described as a seller of other people's old junk." "Discarder," then, cannot be the correct answer, because a seller wouldn't discard his merchandise. "Purveyor," however, is a noun that means "a person who sells or deals in particular goods," and because "purveyor" best describes the seller in the sentence, "purveyor" is the correct answer.

Example Question #43 : Sentence Completions

When the detective caught the criminal, the criminal tried to pretend he knew nothing about the crime he'd committed, but the detective told him to __________ with the false story and confess.

Possible Answers:

avoid

believe

delete

ignore

dispense

Correct answer:

dispense

Explanation:

We can tell from the context of the sentence that the detective wants the criminal to stop trying to lie to him since he knows the truth, so we need to pick out a verb that conveys that. While "ignore," "avoid," or "delete" might each all seem like potentially correct answers because they all are words with negative connotations, only "dispense," which in this context means "manage without; get rid of," fits the context of the sentence. So, "dispense" is the correct answer.

Example Question #44 : Sentence Completions

Jenna does not like spicy foods, so she was __________ ordering the nachos because they came topped with hot salsa, hot sauce, and jalapeño peppers, and ordered a plain cheese quesadilla instead.

Possible Answers:

dreading

dissuaded from

encouraged by

anticipating

looking forward to

Correct answer:

dissuaded from

Explanation:

We know that "Jenna does not like spicy foods" and "ordered a plain cheese quesadilla instead" because the nachos were topped with so many spicy ingredients. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that is a verb that describes Jenna's action of ordering a different dish. "Dreading" might look like a potentially correct answer, but it doesn't quite make sense in the sentence's context; why would someone dread ordering one dish if they could just decide to order something else? Jenna clearly didn't have to order the nachos - no one made her. So, "dreading" can't be the correct answer. "Dissuade," however, is a verb that means "persuade someone not to take a particular course of action," and because "dissuaded from" best describes Jenna's actions of avoiding the spicy nachos in favor of a less-spicy quesadilla, "dissuaded from" is the correct answer.

Example Question #45 : Sentence Completions

Even though he had practiced his Spanish presentation for hours the night before, Jeffrey __________ when he got up in front of the class, saying nothing for almost a full minute before he calmed his fear of public speaking and began his presentation.

Possible Answers:

hoisted

answered

played

persevered

quailed

Correct answer:

quailed

Explanation:

We can infer that because the word in the blank occurred "even though" Jeffrey "had practiced his Spanish presentation for hours," we need to pick out a word that means something like "froze" or "was afraid." "Persevered," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "persevere" means "continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success," and wouldn't make sense as describing Jeffrey "saying nothing for almost a full minute." "Quail," however, is a word that when used as a verb, means "feel or show fear or apprehension," and because "quailed" best describes how Jeffrey froze with fear when he got up in front of the class, "quailed" is the correct answer.

Example Question #46 : Sentence Completions

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

Nothing was more important to Thomas than his position in the business world; therefore, he __________ all other pursuits in order to attain this one goal of becoming well known and successful.

Possible Answers:

undertook

sacrificed

despised

mocked

hated

Correct answer:

sacrificed

Explanation:

Do not assume anything about Thomas' attitude when you are looking for the correct word for this sentence. Perhaps he "mocked" or even disdained all other pursuits. However, that would be adding to what can be said for certain based on the sentence's content. The key expression is "in order to attain." He does not necessarily mock or hate other pursuits in order to attain the one goal of becoming well known and successful. He merely needs to overlook or not undertake anything else. That is, he merely needs to "sacrifice" (metaphorically speaking) his other pursuits to the one goal of success.

Example Question #47 : Sentence Completions

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

After spending fifteen hours refusing to ask for directions, Richard finally listened to his wife and stopped at a gas station to __________ about directions.

Possible Answers:

humiliate

concede

admit

inquire

acquiesce

Correct answer:

inquire

Explanation:

The sense of the sentence is that after the long period of refusing to ask about directions, Robert finally decided to stop and ask for the needed information. To "inquire" is to ask for information. The word is related to words like "question" and "inquiry." All of these English words are derived from the Latin for to seek.

Example Question #48 : Sentence Completions

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

Although Gerard enjoyed working in the chemical manufacturing department of the plant, he nevertheless felt the need to __________ to a safer department, for his new wife was concerned that he might be injured.

Possible Answers:

transfer

flee

militate

translate

advance

Correct answer:

transfer

Explanation:

As strange as it might seem, the best clue in this sentence is the preposition "to." The sense is that Gerard needs to go from his current department to a new one. This is not necessarily a matter of "fleeing" or "advancing." Instead, it is merely a matter of "transferring." To "transfer" something is literally to carry it "across" some space—from one place to another. The prefix "trans-" means across, as you might know from the word "translate."

Example Question #49 : Sentence Completions

Sentence completions: Fill in the blank(s) to complete the sentence. 

The doctors had to __________ labor in the pregnant woman so as to avoid any complications; they did not want to have to force anything, but the alternative was to let the mother suffer.

Possible Answers:

pacify

demean

induce

assuage

remedy

Correct answer:

induce

Explanation:

The context of this sentence suggests that the doctors had to force the pregnant woman into labor to avoid complications. This means the correct answer is “induce.” To provide further help, “remedy” means fix and “demean” means humiliate, put down. Additionally, “assuage” and “pacify” are synonyms of one another, both words mean to calm

Example Question #50 : Sentence Completions

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

Since the table was constructed incorrectly, it needed to be __________ and then reconstructed.

Possible Answers:

dismantled

corrugated

rethought

deteriorated

remodeled

Correct answer:

dismantled

Explanation:

Since the table was put together incorrectly, it needed to be taken apart, or "dismantled." To "rethink" is to ponder over something once more; to "remodel" is to make structural or decorative renovations to; to "corrugate" is to fold into tiny ridges or folds; and to "deteriorate" is to become steadily worse.

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