ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Parts of Speech in One-Blank Sentences

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #381 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

When he started college, he had very little money, so he had to __________ on the meager income he earned as a busboy.

Possible Answers:

denigrate

subsist

recede 

implore

protrude

Correct answer:

subsist

Explanation:

The context of the sentence tells you that the subject had little money and had to survive on his meager income. This should lead you to the answer “subsist,” which means survive on the bare minimum needed. As for the other answer choices, “denigrate” means belittle, criticize unfairly, or make seem less important; “implore” means beg, urge, or encourage; “protrude” means stick out or extend out; and “recede” means retreat or dwindle.

Example Question #382 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

The church was the oldest building in town; it had apparently been __________ over two hundred years earlier.

Possible Answers:

crucified

detached

consecrated

complicit

absolved

Correct answer:

consecrated

Explanation:

Because this sentence is talking about the history of a church, the best possible answer choice is “consecrated.” “Consecrated” means hallowed and made holy and typically refers to churches. As for the other answer choices, “detached” means disconnected from something; “crucified” means executed by nailing to a cross or criticize severely; “complicit” means involved with other people in wrongdoing; and “absolved” means forgiven and had blame taken away.

Example Question #383 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

He is __________ to have broken into a house and stolen several thousand dollars worth of electronics; he denies the charges.

Possible Answers:

pledged

alleged

entrusted

assumed

mocked

Correct answer:

alleged

Explanation:

When you are accused or charged with having done something, it is “alleged” that you have done these things. As for the other answer choices, “assumed” means supposed, presumed, or inferred; “entrusted” means given or trusted with; “mocked” means made fun of; and “pledged” means promised or committed.

Example Question #384 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

After several months of fighting he finally seems about to __________ to his illness.

Possible Answers:

succumb

mar

allude

gratify

venerate

Correct answer:

succumb

Explanation:

The subject of this sentence has an illness that he has been fighting, but seems finally about to do something in relation to it. The structure of the sentence suggests that what he is “finally” about to do is lose his fight against the illness. The underlined word must therefore be “succumb,” which means give in, surrender, or fail to defeat. “Mar” means spoil or ruin the appearance of; “gratify” means please or give satisfaction to; “venerate” means worship, deeply respect, or revere; and “allude” means imply or hint at.

Example Question #461 : Sentence Completion Questions

During World War One, a doctor had to be removed from the frontline because the sight of so much blood made him __________.

Possible Answers:

enigmatic

cantankerous

swoon

jubilant

altruistic

Correct answer:

swoon

Explanation:

From the context of the question you know that the sight of blood caused a certain reaction in the Doctor, you also know that this reaction caused him to be removed from somewhere (the frontline) where he was likely to see a lot of blood; therefore it must have been something that hindered his abilities. Altruistic means generous or charitable, and does not fit. Enigmatic means mysterious, and jubilant means happy. You can rule out those two words. Cantankerous means easily angered and could possibly fit in this sentence, but swoon is the best answer as it means to faint. Fainting is a more plausible reaction to the sight of so much blood.

Example Question #3 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

The effect of the Great Depression was __________ by the policies of President Roosevelt; many millions of Americans rose out of poverty during his presidency.

Possible Answers:

dramatized

received

conceived

tempered

conveyed

Correct answer:

tempered

Explanation:

From the context of the sentence you know that many millions of Americans had their situations improved by the policies of President Roosevelt. You can therefore infer that the effect of the Great Depression must have been lessened or made more manageable by the policies of Roosevelt. Of the five correct answers tempered is the most correct. Tempered, in this usage, means made more moderate and measured. Conceived means imagined; dramatized means exaggerated; received means generally accepted; conveyed refers to the act of getting a point across.

Example Question #3 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

Sir Edmund Hillary was __________ throughout the world after he became the first white man to successfully climb Mount Everest.

Possible Answers:

castigated 

lauded

berated 

despised

condemned 

Correct answer:

lauded

Explanation:

The context of the sentence, as well as a very small amount of critical thinking, suggests that Sir Edmund Hillary would be praised for his accomplishment. The correct answer is therefore “lauded” which means praised or celebrated. Despised, condemned, castigated and berated are all very close in meaning and opposite in meaning to praised.

Example Question #421 : One Blank Sentences

The Era of Good Feelings was __________ in the United States after the Presidency of James Monroe; ten years of political calm came to an end.

Possible Answers:

exacerbated

futile 

histrionic

inculcated

terminated

Correct answer:

terminated

Explanation:

From the context of the second clause you know that the blank in the first clause must describe how the Era of Good Feelings had come to an end. Exacerbated means exaggerated; histrionic means overdramatic in reaction or behavior; futile means pointless; inculcated means to impress something on somebody. The only answer choice that describes something coming to an end is terminated.

Example Question #331 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

After years of letting himself be overpowered by his raging emotions, Oswald at long last learned the means by which he was able to __________ these unsettling aspects of his personality.

Possible Answers:

acclaim

subdue

mask

appreciate

display

Correct answer:

subdue

Explanation:

The opposition implied in our sentence is that of passing from being overpowered to overpowering or controlling. While perhaps “mask” would seem to fit this usage, it implies that one has not conquered these aspects fully; however, if one “subdues” something, he or she overcomes it. The word comes from the prefix “sub-” being added to the base that is derived from the Latin for to lead (“ducere”). If one subdues something, he or she draws it down or carries something off from one place to another. This is related to many other words such as “conduct,” “educe,” and “produce.”

Example Question #332 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

The dense print and the impenetrable legal jargon __________ the document's message; Suzy didn't immediately understand that the family would have to move once again.

Possible Answers:

maintained

bolstered

contradicted

obfuscated

objectified

Correct answer:

obfuscated

Explanation:

"Obfuscated" is correct because "obfuscate" means confuse or deliberately make something difficult to understand. It is related to "obscure," a word you may have come across more often. Suzy doesn't immediately understand what the document is saying because the dense print and legal jargon is confusing, and therefore "obscuring," the message.

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