All ISEE Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #2045 : Sat Critical Reading
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
After he broke the fence post, Quinn’s mother sent him to __________ his action by repairing the fence for the neighbor.
confess
declaim
lament
rectify
begrudge
rectify
Since Quinn’s mother wants him to repair the neighbor’s fence, she wants him to set right the state of affairs that he had disrupted. To “rectify” means to correct or make right. The word is derived from the Latin root “rectus”, meaning “right or straight” (found in English words like “correct”, “rectitude”) and is also related to “reg-” words like “regulate” and “regular.” The “-fy” at the end of the word means to make and has many uses in English, being derived from the Latin for “to do or make” (a root that has many derivatives, from “factor” and “factory” to “perfect” and “affair”).
Example Question #2041 : Sat Critical Reading
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
Because she kept three German Shepherds as pets, Velma could not judge the dog show because the breeders all assumed she would be ____________ and give the German Shepherd an unfair advantage in the competition.
biased
likely
contrite
insulting
acute
biased
We can infer that because Velma "kept three German Shepherds as pets" and the breeders assumed that she would "give the German Shepherd an unfair advantage in the competition," we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "give an unfair advantage to." "Biased," an adjective that means "unfairly prejudiced for or against someone or something," is the best answer choice and the correct answer because it best fits the context of the sentence.
Example Question #2047 : Sat Critical Reading
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
The __________ of the sea waves quietly lulled the man to sleep. His wife, on the other hand, had significant gastric problems from the same repeated movement.
passage
undulation
mimesis
lapping
progression
undulation
Although waves do regularly “lap” against the shore, the repetition here is more of “movement” that traverses the waves as a whole. Such a movement is more appropriately called an “undulating” (or wave-like) motion.
Example Question #533 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
Known for his eloquence, the professor __________ the topic so clearly that everyone understood him.
gestured
articulated
published
refuted
shouted
articulated
Since the professor is "known for his eloquence," which means his skillful way with words, we should expect that he explained or revealed the topic clearly to everyone. The best answer choice is "articulated," which means stated or explained something clearly. "Refuted" indicates that the professor rejected or opposed the topic, which doesn't fit the sentence. "Shouted" indicates volume, not clarity, so that isn't the best fit. While "published," which means put in print, might work, it doesn't really fit the idea that the professor made the topic clear—many published books don't explain things well! "Gestured" means to communicate with bodily motion—close, since it refers to communication, but doesn't fit the idea that communication was clear.
Example Question #534 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
Since the council could not arrive at a decision on the matter, they decided to __________ it until the next meeting.
disregard
defer
ignore
relieve
schedule
defer
Here, it is necessary to choose the best word, not merely one that “seems to fit.” The implication is that the council “put off” the decision until the next meeting. We cannot say that they “scheduled it,” for that implies slightly more than what our blank seems to require. Instead, the word “defer” would be best fit the usage, for it means “to put off.” It is literally derived from Latin roots meaning “to carry away,” roots that can be found likewise in a word like “aquifer,” which is a construction that carries (-fer) water (aqui-).
Example Question #535 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
The mill makes flour by __________ wheat between two large, heavy stones which are turned as horses pull them.
flattening
dealing
climbing
whetting
pulverizing
pulverizing
We know that the mill makes flour by crushing wheat between two large stones, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "crushing." While "flattening" might seem like a potentially correct answer, "pulverizing" is the better choice, as "pulverizing" means "reducing to fine particles" or, more informally, "defeat utterly." Because "pulverizing" best fits the context of the sentence, it is the correct answer.
Example Question #761 : One Blank Sentences
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
As the waters slowly __________, exposing the surface recently flooded boardwalk, the community began to assess the overall damage of the storm as the ground finally began to dry.
cleared
receded
sloshed
brightened
undulated
receded
Two things must be noticed in this sentence: the expression “exposing the surface . . .” and “as the ground finally began to dry.” Since the sentence refers to the second point (the drying ground), we can eliminate the options “cleared” and “brightened.” The exposure of the boardwalk was more than mere visual exposure from clearing of water. The word “receded” works best, as it means “to draw back.” The prefix “re-” here means “backward” as in words like “recall” and “rebuild.” The “-cede” means “to go” and is found in words like “precede” and “proceed.”
Example Question #2053 : Sat Critical Reading
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
By adding the strawberries to the liquid gelatin just as it was beginning to __________, Vicky was able to suspend the berries in the resulting solid gelatin.
coagulate
liquify
revert
mutate
melt
coagulate
We can infer that because Vicky adds the strawberries to the liquid gelatin and by doing so is able to suspend them in "the resulting solid gelatin," that we need to pick out a verb that means something like "change from liquid to solid." Neither "melt" nor "liquify" can be the correct answer, then, because each of those terms describes a transition from solid to liquid, and we're looking for a word to describe a transition from liquid to solid. "Coagulate," however, is a verb that is used of a fluid, especially blood, and means "change to a solid or semisolid state," and because "coagulate" best describes the gelatin's transition from liquid to solid, "coagulate" is the correct answer.
Example Question #2051 : Sat Critical Reading
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
Although pro bono work is not ___________ monetarily, it is rewarding insofar as the one rendering the services enjoys the benefit of knowing that he or she has helped a poor client.
spurned
relished
abhorred
compensated
enjoyed
compensated
In this sentence, you are well served by knowing the meaning of “pro bono,” namely for the public good, often implying free as well. Indeed, the term is most often used more loosely in the sense of for free, as when a lawyer takes a case for free on behalf of a poor person who has been grievously wronged. If you did not know this, you could infer that one doing pro bono work was rewarded in some non-monetary manner (as is implied by the main clause of the sentence). Since the sentence is ultimately about “reward” (and hence, to some degree about “repayment”), the best option is “compensated,” which means broadly paid for something, though you should know that it more specifically means paid for some loss or difficulty. Though it has this more limited sense, it is often used in the looser manner noted.
Example Question #2052 : Sat Critical Reading
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
After deciding that the flock of sparrows did not __________ a threat, the squirrel climbed onto the bird feeder and began to eat the birdseed.
constitute
mimic
hinder
diminish
pledge
constitute
Because the squirrel decided that the sparrows were not a threat, we're looking for a verb that means something like represent. Because "constitute" means amount to, make up, form, or compose it is the best answer.
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