ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Parts of Speech in Two-Blank Sentences
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Example Question #382 : Two Blank Sentences
Choose the pair of words that best completes the following sentence.
The __________ man used his savings to start a charity that aimed to help __________ families that couldn't afford food or rent in the city.
philanthropic . . . distinguished
refined . . . amiable
altruistic . . . destitute
gaudy . . . inaugural
lax . . . impecunious
altruistic . . . destitute
Since we know that the man used his savings to start a charity, we know that we're looking for an adjective for the first blank that means something like "generous." Both "altruistic" ("showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others; unselfish") and "philanthropic" ("seeking to promote the welfare of others, especially by donating money to good causes; generous and benevolent") seem like good choices. For the second blank, we need an adjective that means something like "poor," since we know the families can't afford food or rent. Either "destitute" ("lacking resources or the means of subsistence; completely impoverished") or "impecunious"("having little or no money") could work. Of the potential answers we've identified, the only two to line up in a single answer choice are "altruistic" and "destitute," so that is the correct answer.
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