ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Sentence Completion

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #181 : Sentence Completion

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

Students at the university decided to protest what they saw as an institutional __________ against women and minorities.

Possible Answers:

marvel

solace

bias

eulogy

acclaim

Correct answer:

bias

Explanation:

From context, you can determine that the students probably would protest institutional prejudice against women and minorities, and a synonym of "prejudice" is “bias.” As for the other answer choices, “acclaim” means praise; a “marvel” is a wonder or something amazing; “solace” is comfort; and a “eulogy” is a speech given that praises or favors someone after that person's death.

Example Question #182 : Sentence Completion

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

After accidentally oversleeping, the __________ reported for his nightly shift on guard duty more than two hours late and was promptly disciplined for indolence.

Possible Answers:

malcontent

jury

sentry

proverb

administrator

Correct answer:

sentry

Explanation:

The context of the sentence tells you that the word that goes in the blank must mean something like "guard" or "watchman." This can lead you to the correct answer, which is “sentry.” A “sentry” is someone posted to keep watch, or in other words, a guard. An “administrator” is someone responsible for running something like a business or a school; the “jury” are the people who determine the guilt of an accused criminal in a trial; a “proverb” is an old saying meant to impart some wisdom; and a “malcontent” is a troublemaker or someone who is rebellious.

Example Question #183 : Sentence Completion

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

Her __________ came to an end when she was voted out of office.

Possible Answers:

surplus

vignette

inspiration

refugee

term

Correct answer:

term

Explanation:

The answer here must mean something like time in office, incumbency, or period in charge, so the correct answer is “term,” which can mean the period of time for which someone holds a specific office. A “refugee” is a person forced to flee their country; “subtle” means understated and easy to overlook; “inspiration” is something that encourages you to create works of art or pursue some goal; and a “vignette” is a brief account or description of something.

Example Question #184 : Sentence Completion

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

The invention of the car has not yet lead to the __________ of the bicycle; perhaps this is because people enjoy cycling for the health benefits it provides.

Possible Answers:

ascension

fortitude

redundancy

patronizing

elevation

Correct answer:

redundancy

Explanation:

In theory, one might suspect that the invention of the car would cause the bicycle to become old-fashioned or not be used anymore; however, the author is remarking that this has not been the case. The answer must mean something like the state of being no longer needed or useful, so the correct answer is “redundancy.” “Elevation” means height; “ascension” means rising up; “patronizing” means condescending or act of talking down to someone; and “fortitude” means strength or ability to resist something.

Example Question #185 : Sentence Completion

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

The children had to be accompanied by a __________ when they went to the haunted house for halloween.

Possible Answers:

sentry

chaperone

slight

eon

dilemma

Correct answer:

chaperone

Explanation:

A person who accompanies or looks after children or a group of people when they visit somewhere is called a “chaperone.” A “sentry” is a guard or someone who stands watch over a fortress; “eon” means a billion consecutive years or a very long time; a “slight” is an offense or insult; a “dilemma” is a problem.

Example Question #186 : Sentence Completion

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

The candidate was not afraid to employ __________ to ensure his election, regardless of the subsequent effect on his reputation.

Possible Answers:

chicanery

tact

brevity

parody

epitome

Correct answer:

chicanery

Explanation:

The second part of the sentence tells you that whatever that candidate was not afraid to employ was likely to have a negative effect on his reputation. The first part of this sentence tells you that the context of the use of this word is a political election. The combination of these two bits of information should suggest to you that the correct answer is “chicanery,” which means the use of tricks or deception to achieve a political or legal victory. “Parody” means something that mocks by copying something else or that type of mocking taken broadly; “brevity” means conciseness or shortness; “epitome” means embodiment or a person or thing that represents something perfectly; and "tact" is politeness or prudence in social situations that could go badly if mishandled.

Example Question #187 : Sentence Completion

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

He had a(n) __________ of food after the holiday party, so he gave away several dishes to his neighbors.

Possible Answers:

blight

climax

fare

lack

excess

Correct answer:

excess

Explanation:

Because the subject of this sentence gave away a lot of his food, you can infer that he must have had too much, or an abundance of food. This leads to the correct answer, which is “excess.” “Excess” means surplus or a quantity of something more than is needed. As for the other answer choices, “lack” is the opposite of “excess,” meaning the state of not having enough to meet a certain need; “fare,” when used as a noun, means the cost of traveling on some form of transportation; “climax” means culmination or peak; and “blight” means disease or infection of plants or crops.

Example Question #19 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Plato authored The Republic and changed the direction of Western thought with the __________ of his message.

Possible Answers:

perdition

debacle 

maliciousness 

virulence

profundity 

Correct answer:

profundity 

Explanation:

From the context of the sentence it is apparent that Plato’s work changed the direction of Western thought; therefore the answer we select must reinforce this meaning. Virulence and maliciousness both relate to the bitterness or immorality of an action, as the sentence makes no mention of these concepts we can eliminate these answer choices. Debacle means disaster, which neither fits grammatically nor matches the meaning of the sentence. Perdition means everlasting punishment or hell, which likewise fails in both respects. Only profundity which means intellectual complexity or insight supports the framework of the sentence.

Example Question #2 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

It is important for any budding orators to study __________ in order that they can make themselves best understood.

Possible Answers:

advancements

implementation

experiments

articulation

overabundance

Correct answer:

articulation

Explanation:

An orator is someone who is talented at speaking to audiences. It stands to reason that the ability to make oneself best understood would be of critical importance to an orator. Articulation, which refers to the coherent expression of thoughts, ideas and narrative, is the best fit for this sentence. Overabundance means to have too much of something. Experiments would be of more useful study to a scientist than an orator. Advancements likewise might be useful for an orator, but far less important than speaking ability. Implementation means to carry out an idea.

Example Question #1 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

The _________ of Henry Clay was legendary in nineteenth-century America; he was a fine orator who could argue his position with great clarity.

Possible Answers:

generosity 

animosity

boorishness

rhetoric 

smugness

Correct answer:

rhetoric 

Explanation:

From the language of the second clause you know that the blank in the first clause must relate to the oratorical skills of Henry Clay and his ability to argue with great clarity. Orator, if you do not know what it means, is someone who is good at public speaking. Of the five answer choices only rhetoric could be correct. Rhetoric means persuasive speech that communicates a point. Boorishness refers to someone who is ill-mannered; smugness means cockiness; animosity refers to hostility between two or more parties; generosity refers to kindness and selflessness.

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