ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Adjectives and Adverbs in One-Blank Sentences

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #122 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Unfortunately, the brief period of sunshine and blue sky was __________ that day, as the clouds turned grey after only ten minutes of sunshine and let loose a drizzle that lasted the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.

Possible Answers:

pardonable

far-fetched

lasting

evanescent

demonstrable

Correct answer:

evanescent

Explanation:

We can infer that because the period of sunny weather lasted "only ten minutes," we need to pick out an adjective to describe the sunny weather that means something like "fleeting" or "temporary." "Lasting," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "lasting," when used as an adjective, means "enduring or able to endure over a long period of time," making it an antonym of the word for which we're looking. "Evanescent," however, is an adjective that means "soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing," and because "evanescent" best conveys the briefness of the sunny weather in the sentence, "evanescent" is the correct answer.

Example Question #123 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Select the answer choice that best completes the blank.

Pam was so __________ from her fever that she was unable to go to work.

Possible Answers:

deliberated

debilitated

defaced

debauched

defamed

Correct answer:

debilitated

Explanation:

The answer that makes the most sense is "debilitated," to weaken or enfeeble.

Example Question #689 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

 

Socrates was known as one of the most __________ orators of Ancient Greece.

 

Possible Answers:

eloquent

placid

taciturn

symbiotic

mundane

Correct answer:

eloquent

Explanation:

"Eloquent" means having a skillful way with words or speech. "Mundane" means ordinary or day-to-day. "Placid" means calm or mild. "Symbiotic" means interdependent, coordianted, or unified. "Taciturn" means quiet, mild, or reserved.

Example Question #690 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

The __________ old man yelled at the children to get off his lawn and play ball elsewhere.

 

Possible Answers:

bucolic

complacent

avuncular

jocular

cantankerous

Correct answer:

cantankerous

Explanation:

"Cantankerous" means crabby or irritable. "Avuncular" means consultive or helpful. "Bucolic" means rustic or rural in nature. "Complacent" means calm, confident, or pleased. "Jocular" means funny or cheerful.

Example Question #171 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

 

Maria occasionally experiences __________ dreaming, but usually her dreams are utterly incomprehensible.

 

Possible Answers:

peripheral

wary

lucid

insolent

nebulous

Correct answer:

lucid

Explanation:

"Lucid" means comprehensible, clear, or understandable. "Wary" means careful or cautious. "Peripheral" means minor, outside, or incidental. "Nebulous" means murky, confused, or obscured. "Insolent" means bold or disrespectful

Example Question #172 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Select the word or word pair that best completes the sentence.

Even in the dead of the jungle night, the adventurer could read his daily log by the moonlight shining through his __________ mosquito net.

Possible Answers:

diaphanous

impeccable

elongated

acrid

Correct answer:

diaphanous

Explanation:

While the adventurer's mosquito net might very well be "impeccable" (flawless), "acrid" (smelly) or "elongated" (if he was perhaps a very tall adventurer), all that we know for sure is that light can shine through it—and that is the exact meaning of "diaphanous."

Example Question #173 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

The tantrum-throwing toddler remained __________ and refused to eat his vegetables.

Possible Answers:

antediluvian

bucolic

obdurate

palpable

didactic

Correct answer:

obdurate

Explanation:

"Obdurate" means pigheaded or stubborn. "Antediluvian" means out-of-date or prehistoric (ante=before, diluvian=the flood). "Bucolic" means rural or rustic in nature. "Didactic" means educational or explanatory. "Palpable" means clear or obvious

Example Question #174 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

My uncle is always complaining about something. He's the most __________ person I know.

Possible Answers:

querulous

taciturn

venerable

recalcitrant

nonchalant

Correct answer:

querulous

Explanation:

"Querulous" means habitually complaining or whining. "Recalcitrant" means stubbornly defiant. "Taciturn" means reserved or uncommunicative. "Venerable" means revered or sacred. "Nonchalant" means casual or unconcerned.

Example Question #175 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

The __________ Buddhist monk sat in contemplative silence at the back of the temple.

Possible Answers:

taciturn

imperial

lugubrious

myriad

gregarious

Correct answer:

taciturn

Explanation:

"Taciturn" means reserved or uncommunicative. "Gregarious" means outgoing or sociable. "Imperial" means majestic, noble, or proud. "Lugubrious" means depressing or somber. "Myriad" means multiple or various

Example Question #976 : One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

Shortly after the Big Bang, the __________ universe was just a swirling mass of gas and dust.

Possible Answers:

inchoate

fetid

myopic

hackneyed

lackadaisical

Correct answer:

inchoate

Explanation:

"Inchoate" means undeveloped or beginning. "Myopic" means nearsighted or biased. "Lackadaisical" means careless or indifferent. "Hackneyed" means cliched or corny. "Fetid" means foul or rancid.

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