ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Sentence Completion

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #52 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

As he aged and became interested in his __________, Scott realized that he should have spent more time listening to the older family tales that his grandparents used to tell about relatives who were long dead.

Possible Answers:

scions

descendants

progeny

ancestry

breeding

Correct answer:

ancestry

Explanation:

Since Scott realizes that he should have listened to stories about previous generations, he is interested in those who preceded him, that is, his ancestors. Therefore, the best option is “ancestry” which applies to the generations that precede a person. The word literally means “those going before (someone).” The “cest-” portion is related to English words like “secede” (or “secession”) meaning “to go apart or away” (e.g. when the South seceded from the North during the Civil War). The “an-” prefix of “ancestry” comes from the Latin “ante-”, which means “before.” The word “antebellum” is often used to describe the southern states of the United States before the civil war. It literally means “before the war.”

Example Question #53 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

After the war, the country experienced years of ___________ during which many services had to be cut to pay for the debts incurred during the war.

Possible Answers:

depression

poverty

stagnation

recession

austerity

Correct answer:

austerity

Explanation:

The only thing implied by this sentence is that the country experienced a reduction in certain services. While this might mean poverty or a bad economy, the closest word is “austerity,” which generally means “plainness” or “sternness.” When applied to government actions, it can carry the additional meaning of “cutting services.” Think of it as “making the government services plain or simpler.”

Example Question #221 : One Blank Sentences

Although the __________ of the evidence centered on the events of the fateful night of the crime, there were several small but intriguing points gathered from preceding incidents.

Possible Answers:

presentation

bulk

remainder

explanation

legality

Correct answer:

bulk

Explanation:

The key word to the contrast is “several small” found in the main clause. This implies that most of the evidence was centered on the fateful night of the crime. The word “bulk” can mean “the majority” in addition to “a large mass.” It is therefore better than the other options, which do not reflect this contrast as well.

Example Question #222 : One Blank Sentences

The __________ of Diane’s temperament was evinced by her refusal to change her position on even the smallest matters.

Possible Answers:

rigidity

perturbation

insanity

irrationality

irritation

Correct answer:

rigidity

Explanation:

Although Diane might be said to be insane or perhaps even irrational because of her refusal to change, we cannot go beyond this stated fact. Therefore, he is best described as being “rigid,” meaning that she is “unbending” or “inflexible” in the sense of not deviating from her positions. The word is related to “rigorous” and “rigorist.”

Example Question #1541 : Sat Critical Reading

Reginald was so self-centered that his neighbors accused him of being a true ___________, for his actions indicated that he must believe that nobody else actually exists.

Possible Answers:

narcissist

sycophant

psychopath

solipsist

egoist

Correct answer:

solipsist

Explanation:

Here, the only way to choose the correct answer is to find the one that most directly matches the key expression “he must believe that nobody else actually exists.” While many of the options deal with “self-centeredness,” only “solipsist” means “someone who believes that only oneself can be known.” The word comes from the combination of the Latin “solus,” meaning “alone” and “ipse,” an intensifying pronoun meaning “him/her/itself.” The first can be found in words like “solitary” and “solitude.” The latter can be found in odd English words like “ipseity,” meaning “selfhood,” as well as the Latin expression used in legal parlance, “res ipsa loquitur,” meaning, “The thing (event, data) speaks for itself.”

Example Question #41 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Soon after the birth of children, mammalian mothers begin the process of __________, providing milk to feed their new babes.

Possible Answers:

succoring

ovulation

lactation

mollifying

parenting

Correct answer:

lactation

Explanation:

The explicit statement in the sentence refers to the production of milk. Therefore, the option “lactation” is the best answer, for this is the word for the secretion of milk from a mammalian mother to its child. The “lact-” prefix comes from the Latin for milk and is found in English words like “lactose,” a type of sugar found in milks and “lactic acid,” which is found in sour milk but also in the body after exercise, causing soreness.

Example Question #221 : Sentence Completion

Since Ken would eat nearly any type of food, his friends affectionately called him “the __________.”

Possible Answers:

gourmand

gourmet

obesity

omnivore

glutton

Correct answer:

omnivore

Explanation:

The key expression is “eat nearly any type of food.” Note that this does not say that Ken eats large quantities of food. Therefore, any of the options that imply gluttony (and so forth) are not acceptable. The sentence is a bit playful, using a word as an affectionate title. Based on the context, we can tell that the title must mean something like “eats everything.” To this end, “omnivore” fits well. The word literally means “eating all things.” The “omni-” prefix (meaning “all”) is found in many word like “omniscience” and “omnipotent.” The “-vore” comes from the Latin for “to swallow,” though it is used in words like “voracious” (desiring much food) and the other “-vore” words like “herbivore” and “carnivore.”

Example Question #222 : Sentence Completion

Vegetarians are really not properly called __________, for they do eat things other than plant products, such as eggs, milk, and so forth.

Possible Answers:

herbivores

hominids

ruminants

mammals

carnivores

Correct answer:

herbivores

Explanation:

The key thing to note in this sentence is that the vegetarians are described as eating more than plant products. The implication is that they cannot be called properly “animals eating only plant products.” Such animals are “herbivores,” a word constructed from the parts “herb-”, meaning “grass,” and “-vore,” literally meaning “to swallow.” The prefix is found in words like “herbicide” (something that kills grasses) and “herbal.” The latter is found in words like “voracious” (desiring much food) and the other “-vore” words like “omnivore” and “carnivore.”

Example Question #143 : One Blank Sentences

The crown matched the similarly spectacular __________ worn by the king.

Possible Answers:

vermillion

jewels

epaulets

raiment

mantle

Correct answer:

raiment

Explanation:

Since the sentence is very vague regarding exactly what the crown matched on the King, the word to be chosen must likewise be vague. Although it is a bit old-fashioned, the word “raiment” means “clothing.” It is often used literarily, so the application to a king is perhaps somewhat understandable.

Example Question #61 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Although the famous philosopher did not charge a fee for giving lectures, most schools paid him a small __________ for his efforts.

Possible Answers:

tariff

fortune

honorarium

amount

bursary

Correct answer:

honorarium

Explanation:

When someone does not charge an official fee, such a person might be given a small gift in return for his or her services. Such a gift is called an “honorarium”—an honorary payment that is not considered as an official reimbursement as much as a gift.

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