ISEE Middle Level Verbal : Sentence Completions

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #661 : Sentence Completions

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

Justin was a kind man, but kindness is not enough to make someone into an able administrator. His utter __________ to run the school frustrated all of us, even though we loved his general demeanor.

Possible Answers:

imbecility

inability

negligence

arrogance

incontinence

Correct answer:

inability

Explanation:

The key thing to note for this question is the implication that Justin is not an able administrator. This means that he lacks ability to run the school, which is best expressed by the word "inability." Here, the "in-" prefix means lack of. Often, "i-" or some form of it (like "in-") indicates the lack or opposite of something. For example, "illicit" and "illegal" both mean "not legal" or "lacking legality."

Example Question #662 : Sentence Completions

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

Napoleon’s troops invaded Russia in the middle of a brutal winter; they suffered terribly in the freezing conditions, and the majority of troops succumbed to __________.

Possible Answers:

hypothermia

denigration

accumulation

hyperactivity

acupuncture

Correct answer:

hypothermia

Explanation:

Because the troops invaded in winter and suffered in freezing conditions, we can assume they succumbed to a disease caused by being very cold, or “hypothermia.” The prefix hypo- means very, and the suffix -therm means related to temperature. To provide further help, “acupuncture” is a treatment of disease through sticking needles all over the skin; “hyperactive” means wired, restless, energetic; “accumulate” means collect; “denigration” means scorn.

Example Question #663 : Sentence Completions

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

His mother always seemed to know exactly what was going on in his life; at times he found this endearing, but at other times, her apparent __________ drove him crazy.

Possible Answers:

omnipotence

indoctrination

insinuation

omniscience

numeration

Correct answer:

omniscience

Explanation:

The information in this sentence tells us that we are looking for an answer choice that describes someone who knows everything. The prefix "omni-" means everything and "sci" refers to knowledge, so someone who is “omniscient” or has “omniscience” knows everything. To provide further help, “omnipotent” means all-powerful; “insinuation” is an accusation; “indoctrination” is the process of manipulating someone into agreeing with an ideology; “numeration” means listing or counting.

Example Question #664 : Sentence Completions

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

The world was impressed by the town's __________; they were able to recover after many hurricanes tore everything to pieces.

Possible Answers:

terror

industrialization

talisman

resilience

downfall

Correct answer:

resilience

Explanation:

The town was able to build itself back up after bad events, which shows its "resilience."

Example Question #665 : Sentence Completions

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

Linda was surprised at the electrician's __________ when he still demanded full payment for his services, even after learning his faulty work was found to have caused a small fire in his client's home.

Possible Answers:

honesty

garish

concession

gall

noisome

Correct answer:

gall

Explanation:

We know that the electrician was pretty impudent by demanding payment for services that caused a fire in his client's home, so we need to pick out an answer choice that is a noun and means something like "impudence." Only three of the possible answer choices are nouns—"gall," "honesty," and "concession." "Honesty" doesn't fit the context of the sentence, and neither does "concession," which means "a thing that is granted, especially in response to demands; a thing conceded." "Gall," however, means "bold, impudent behavior" when used as a noun, and fits the context of the sentence, so "gall" is the correct answer.

Example Question #666 : Sentence Completions

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

Shiela had trouble seeing the road because the sun striking her windshield created a __________, temporarily blinding her.

Possible Answers:

mirage

glare

warmth

rays

heat

Correct answer:

glare

Explanation:

Focus on the context of the sentence. To complete the sentence, we need to describe the effect of the events taking place. The effect of the sunlight striking the windshield is a "glare," or a temporary reflection of a bright light, so "glare" is the correct answer.

Example Question #667 : Sentence Completions

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

Some medieval historians believe that modernity is nothing but a __________ from the great accomplishments of the middle ages.

Possible Answers:

mistake

disparagement

regression

heresy

despair

Correct answer:

regression

Explanation:

For this question, you need to be very attentive to small details. The preposition "from" indicates a movement away from its object, namely the great accomplishments of the middle ages. To move away from greatness is to move into mediocrity or, at least, a less developed state of affairs. Therefore, the historians in question believe that modernity is a "regression." The word "progress" means the action of moving forward or toward a goal or destination. The "-gress" portion of the word means to move. A "regression" is a moving backward. The prefix "re-" means (among many other possible things) backward or away from.

Example Question #668 : Sentence Completions

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

Dragons are portrayed as the __________ of knights in many fantasy stories, many of which involve plots where the two fight each other.

Possible Answers:

bosses

mentors

proponents

allies

adversaries

Correct answer:

adversaries

Explanation:

The sentence tells us that many of the fantasy stories’ plots involve dragons and knights fighting, so we can infer that we need to pick out a noun that means something like “enemies” or “opponents.” While “proponents” might look like a potentially correct answer because it looks and sounds similar to “opponents,” “proponents” is a noun that means “people who advocate something,” so “proponents” would not make sense in the sentence and cannot be the correct answer. “Adversaries,” however, is a noun that means “opponents,” and because “adversaries” best fits the context of the sentence, “adversaries” is the correct answer.

Example Question #669 : Sentence Completions

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

That magazine recently published a shocking __________ that revealed the terrible working conditions workers at a local factory.

Possible Answers:

lie

operation

exposé

recipe

essay

Correct answer:

exposé

Explanation:

We can infer that we need to pick out a noun that means something like “story” or “article,” because it is something that the magazine the sentence describes “published.” While both “exposé” and “essay” might look like potentially correct answers, “essay” is a noun that means “a short piece of writing,” while “exposé” is a noun that means “a report of the facts about something.” Because the noun in question is described as “shocking” in the sentence, “exposé” is the better choice for the blank and the correct answer.

Example Question #670 : Sentence Completions

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

__________ is a serious breach of academic contact that can get you in a lot of trouble, so you should never claim someone else's words as being your own work.

Possible Answers:

Citation

Plagiarism

Desertion

Mimicking

Retrieval

Correct answer:

Plagiarism

Explanation:

We can tell from the context of the sentence that the word in the blank needs to mean "claiming someone else's words as being your own work." While "citation" has to do with academics and writing, "citation" means "a quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author, especially in a scholarly work," and cannot be the correct answer because citations don't get people in trouble - they are how writers are supposed to quote each other in formal academic papers without stealing each other's work. "Plagiarism," however, means "the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own," and because it best fits the context of the sentence, "plagiarism" is the correct answer.

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