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

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

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #1101 : One Blank Sentences

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

The French Revolution was a(n) __________ occasion where the whole future of European society changed.

Possible Answers:

irrelevant

momentous

polarizing

dismissive

introspective

Correct answer:

momentous

Explanation:

The sentence suggests that the French Revolution changed the whole future changed the whole future of European society. It must have therefore been an important occasion. Of the answer choices momentous best captures the implied importance. Momentous means highly significant. Irrelevant means not important; polarizing means extremely divisive; dismissive means to not consider something; introspective means reflective.

Example Question #1283 : One Blank Sentences

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

The doctor was quite __________ in his praise of the patient for quitting smoking and losing weight; he spent five whole minutes congratulating him for his efforts to live a healthier lifestyle.

Possible Answers:

superficial

verbose

ambivalent

disparaging

esoteric

Correct answer:

verbose

Explanation:

"Verbose" means wordy or long-winded. We know that the doctor "spent five whole minutes congratulating [the patient]" on his lifestyle changes, so "verbose" best fits the context of the sentence and is the correct answer.

Example Question #491 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

Without the support of the congregation, the minister had to raise funds __________ for the new church building.

Possible Answers:

covertly

openly

bombastically

holistically

ambivalently

Correct answer:

covertly

Explanation:

Without the support of the congregation, the minister had to find new methods of fundraising. "Openly" and "bombastically" both make little sense with the sentence considering the congregation's lack of support. "Holistically" and "ambivalently" both communicate an inappropriate lack of resolve by the minister to be correct. "Covertly," meaning secretly, is the correct answer.

Example Question #1123 : Sentence Completion Questions

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

In contrast to his mother’s grating and unmeasured voice, David’s grandmother’s voice had a markedly __________ character.

Possible Answers:

elderly

euphonious

muted

faint

soft

Correct answer:

euphonious

Explanation:

The opposition to note is that between the word to be chosen and the “grating and unmeasured voice” of David’s mother. In opposition to such an annoying voice, the best description of his grandmother’s voice would be “euphonious.” The word comes from Greek roots literally meaning “good sounding.” The prefix “eu-” can be found in “eulogy,” meaning “a good word (often spoken at a funeral) and “euphemism,” a type of word or expression that makes a more coarse expression seem less uncultured, for instance, the use of “to pass gas” for the crass word “to fart.” The “-phonious” portion means “sound.” It is found in words like “symphony,” meaning “sounding (often in the sense of ‘playing’) together” and “telephone.”

Example Question #1131 : Sentence Completion Questions

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

The young boy’s __________ complexion alarmed his teacher, and she sent him to the school nurse to make sure he wasn’t coming down with the flu.

Possible Answers:

pallid

terse

tenuous

torrid

glowing

Correct answer:

pallid

Explanation:

A white or light color in one’s cheeks is a symptom of sickness or ill-health, and “pallid” most closely means a paleness, typically attributed to poor health or sickness. The correct answer choice is "pallid."

Example Question #492 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

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

After working all day, Edward stared ___________ at the ceiling, with not a thought crossing his mind.

Possible Answers:

vacuously

delightedly

openly

moronically

viciously

Correct answer:

vacuously

Explanation:

When something is "vacuous", it is without thought. It is like a "vacuum" of thought—an empty space without anything in it, metaphorically speaking. When a person's appearance is vacuous, it generally indicates that he or she is not thinking. "Vacuous remarks" are really empty words with no meaning or thought behind them.  Thus, given the clause "with not a thought crossing his mind," the best option here is "vacuously."

Example Question #493 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

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

The politician's reasoning was full of __________; not a single one of his conclusions had any connection to the other statements in his speech.

Possible Answers:

fallacies

deceptions

treachery

duplicities

rhetoric

Correct answer:

fallacies

Explanation:

We really cannot say too much about the politician or his speech. We do not know if he was intentionally lying, and it is also not obvious what was his rhetorical style; however, we can say that his conclusions did not "follow" from the content of the speech. This implies that his reasoning was quite bad. Thus, it was fallacious or full of fallacies. This describes reasoning that is bad and in which the conclusions do not follow from the premises. Sometimes, in solving questions of this kind, it is just as important to realize how little information a sentence has given you.

Example Question #494 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

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

The Summa totius logicae Aristotelis was long believed to have been written by Thomas Aquinas. Modern scholars know, however, that it is actually a(n) __________ work that was falsely attributed to him.

Possible Answers:

spurious

illogical

vexing 

intriguing

trivial

Correct answer:

spurious

Explanation:

While the Summa totius logicae Aristotelis might be an interesting work in its own right, all that we know about it is that it was wrongly attributed to Thomas Aquinas. Something that is "spurious" is false. Now, this can at times mean falsely attributed. A "spurious" work is one that is said to have been created by a person when it, in fact, was not.  

Even if you do not know this word, you can find the correct option by elimination. The word "illogical" is merely trying to trick you because of the "logicae" in the title. There is nothing that indicates that it is intriguing, either. The word "trivial" (meaning unimportant) might be tempting, but, really, the sentence says nothing about the importance of the text. "Vexing" means annoying, which really is not appropriate either.

Example Question #495 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

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

After two months of almost constant rain, it was a great relief to have rain showers that were only __________, allowing some time for sunshine during the day.

Possible Answers:

sustained

consistent

torrential

light

intermittent

Correct answer:

intermittent

Explanation:

The idea of this sentence is that finally there were periods when it was not raining. It is not a matter of having only a certain kind of rain (whether it be light or torrential). It is about having only periodic rain. The word "intermittent" describes something that is not steady but instead has breaks in between its actions. It comes from Latin roots meaning sending (-mittent) between (inter-). Intermittent activities allow for spaces between the happening of that activity. Thus, the sun could shine during the period of intermittent showers.

Example Question #496 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

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

The old woman lived in a very __________ manner, rarely leaving her house and never welcoming visitors into it.

Possible Answers:

cranky

insular

senile

spiteful

cantankerous

Correct answer:

insular

Explanation:

With a sentence like this, do not misread the clues. Yes, the woman is old, and you may even think that she is nasty; however the real point is that she lives a very lonely life without much contact. The word "insular" comes from the Latin "insula," meaning island. When we "insulate" something, we try to protect it from outside influences. Thus, an insular person is someone who has very little outside contact. This is really what the sentence is indicating about the old woman discussed therein.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors