ISEE Middle Level Verbal : Sentence Completions

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #911 : Sentence Completions

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.

Possible Answers:

ecstatic

perturbed

wanton

overjoyed

whimsical

Correct answer:

perturbed

Explanation:

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 #912 : Sentence Completions

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

The cunning chess player swiftly __________ her less capable opponent. 

Possible Answers:

wounded

harangued

deplored

circumscribed

outfoxed

Correct answer:

outfoxed

Explanation:

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 #913 : Sentence Completions

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.

Possible Answers:

catalyze

expedite

retain

deposit

stagnate

Correct answer:

expedite

Explanation:

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 #914 : Sentence Completions

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.

Possible Answers:

whispered

danced

bellowed

peeped

lingered

Correct answer:

bellowed

Explanation:

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 #915 : Sentence Completions

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.

Possible Answers:

danced

quieted

avoided

lunged

hopped

Correct answer:

lunged

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #916 : Sentence Completions

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

The space ship is designed to __________ its empty fuel tanks, releasing them into space when they are no longer needed.

Possible Answers:

jettison

avoid

prepare

contract

cling to

Correct answer:

jettison

Explanation:

Since we know that the empty fuel tanks are "releas[ed]...into space when no longer needed," we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "release." Since "jettison" is a verb meaning "throw or drop something from an aircraft or ship" or "abandon or discard someone or something that is no longer wanted," "jettison" best fits the context of the sentence and is the correct answer.

Example Question #917 : Sentence Completions

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

After a foot of snow had fallen and school had been canceled, many kids spent the day building snow forts and __________ each other with snowballs.

Possible Answers:

authorizing

swerving

pelting

deciding

assuaging

Correct answer:

pelting

Explanation:

We can infer that because the kids are likely to have thrown snowballs at each other, we need to pick out a verb that means something like "throw (something) at." "Pelting" is a verb which means either "attacking (someone) by repeatedly hurling things at them" or "repeatedly hurling (something) at someone or something," and because "pelting" best describes how the kids threw snowballs at each other, "pelting" is the correct answer.

Example Question #918 : Sentence Completions

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

A neutral third party was asked to __________ between the two warring countries, with the hopes that by acting as an intermediary, the third party could help the warring countries reach a peace treaty and stop the fighting.

Possible Answers:

wreck

mediate

enervate

underestimate

compel

Correct answer:

mediate

Explanation:

We can infer that we need to pick out a verb for the blank that means something like "act as an intermediary in," because the sentence declares that the third party was involved "with the hopes that by acting as an intermediary, the third party could help the warring countries reach a peace treaty and stop the fighting." "Mediate" is a verb that means "intervene between people in a dispute in order to bring about an agreement or reconciliation," and because "mediate" best describes the action of the third party in the sentence, "mediate" is the correct answer.

Example Question #912 : Sentence Completions

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

The students weren't in a hurry to get to class and simply __________ through the hallways of the high school.

Possible Answers:

ambled

strutted

waddled

swaggered

pranced

Correct answer:

ambled

Explanation:

The students weren't in a hurry, therefore they probably walked slowly to class. So, we need to pick out an answer choice for the blank that means something like "walked slowly." "Ambled" means walked at a leisurely pace, so "ambled" is the best answer choice.

Example Question #91 : Sentence Completions: Verbs

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

Sarah uses painting and the written art of poetry to express her feelings and to __________ her emotions.

Possible Answers:

fortify

gratify

predict

convey

guide

Correct answer:

convey

Explanation:

Sarah uses visual art and poetry as a way of expressing her feelings or conveying her feelings.  Thus, convey is the best word to get across the idea of revealing her feelings through her art.

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