ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Sentence Completion

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #133 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

 

Socrates was known as one of the most __________ orators of Ancient Greece.

 

Possible Answers:

mundane

taciturn

symbiotic

placid

eloquent

Correct answer:

eloquent

Explanation:

"Eloquent" means having a skillful way with words or speech. "Mundane" means ordinary or day-to-day. "Placid" means calm or mild. "Symbiotic" means interdependent, coordianted, or unified. "Taciturn" means quiet, mild, or reserved.

Example Question #134 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

The __________ old man yelled at the children to get off his lawn and play ball elsewhere.

 

Possible Answers:

complacent

cantankerous

jocular

bucolic

avuncular

Correct answer:

cantankerous

Explanation:

"Cantankerous" means crabby or irritable. "Avuncular" means consultive or helpful. "Bucolic" means rustic or rural in nature. "Complacent" means calm, confident, or pleased. "Jocular" means funny or cheerful.

Example Question #801 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

 

Maria occasionally experiences __________ dreaming, but usually her dreams are utterly incomprehensible.

 

Possible Answers:

peripheral

insolent

wary

lucid

nebulous

Correct answer:

lucid

Explanation:

"Lucid" means comprehensible, clear, or understandable. "Wary" means careful or cautious. "Peripheral" means minor, outside, or incidental. "Nebulous" means murky, confused, or obscured. "Insolent" means bold or disrespectful

Example Question #802 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Select the word or word pair that best completes the sentence.

Even in the dead of the jungle night, the adventurer could read his daily log by the moonlight shining through his __________ mosquito net.

Possible Answers:

diaphanous

acrid

elongated

impeccable

Correct answer:

diaphanous

Explanation:

While the adventurer's mosquito net might very well be "impeccable" (flawless), "acrid" (smelly) or "elongated" (if he was perhaps a very tall adventurer), all that we know for sure is that light can shine through it—and that is the exact meaning of "diaphanous."

Example Question #803 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

The tantrum-throwing toddler remained __________ and refused to eat his vegetables.

Possible Answers:

palpable

antediluvian

didactic

obdurate

bucolic

Correct answer:

obdurate

Explanation:

"Obdurate" means pigheaded or stubborn. "Antediluvian" means out-of-date or prehistoric (ante=before, diluvian=the flood). "Bucolic" means rural or rustic in nature. "Didactic" means educational or explanatory. "Palpable" means clear or obvious

Example Question #804 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

My uncle is always complaining about something. He's the most __________ person I know.

Possible Answers:

nonchalant

querulous

venerable

recalcitrant

taciturn

Correct answer:

querulous

Explanation:

"Querulous" means habitually complaining or whining. "Recalcitrant" means stubbornly defiant. "Taciturn" means reserved or uncommunicative. "Venerable" means revered or sacred. "Nonchalant" means casual or unconcerned.

Example Question #805 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

The __________ Buddhist monk sat in contemplative silence at the back of the temple.

Possible Answers:

lugubrious

gregarious

myriad

imperial

taciturn

Correct answer:

taciturn

Explanation:

"Taciturn" means reserved or uncommunicative. "Gregarious" means outgoing or sociable. "Imperial" means majestic, noble, or proud. "Lugubrious" means depressing or somber. "Myriad" means multiple or various

Example Question #806 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

Shortly after the Big Bang, the __________ universe was just a swirling mass of gas and dust.

Possible Answers:

inchoate

lackadaisical

fetid

hackneyed

myopic

Correct answer:

inchoate

Explanation:

"Inchoate" means undeveloped or beginning. "Myopic" means nearsighted or biased. "Lackadaisical" means careless or indifferent. "Hackneyed" means cliched or corny. "Fetid" means foul or rancid.

Example Question #807 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

It's impossible to argue with someone who has only a __________ understanding of the facts.

Possible Answers:

pragmatic

culpable

intractable

indelible

tenuous

Correct answer:

tenuous

Explanation:

"Tenuous" means delicate or flimsy. "Indelible" means indestructible or enduring. "Pragmatic" means sensible or practical. "Intractable" means difficult or incurable. "Culpable" means responsible, liable, or guilty.

Example Question #811 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

The Donner Party's dream of reaching California was rendered __________ by a devastating blizzard in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Possible Answers:

futile

tranquil

sodden

nafarious

venturesome

Correct answer:

futile

Explanation:

"Futile" means hopeless or pointless. "Venturesome" means courageous or adventurous. "Tranquil" means calm and peaceful. "Sodden" means saturated or drenched. "Nefarious" means horrible or sinful

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