ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Two Verbs in Two-Blank Sentences
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Example Questions
Example Question #51 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences
Choose the set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Hoping to __________ the disputing parties, the arbitrator tried to discover and __________ the root of the conflict.
ameliorate . . . enhance
castigate . . . exterminate
reconcile . . . eliminate
solve . . . incite
extol . . . uncover
reconcile . . . eliminate
The word “arbitrator” means a person who mediates between two parties to settle a dispute. So, the arbitrator would hope to reconcile the disputing parties. We can eliminate "castigate . . . exterminate" because "castigate" means criticize or reprimand severely. The second blank requires a word that means take away; therefore, "reconcile . . . eliminate" is the right answer.
Example Question #52 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences
Choose the set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The judge always disliked __________ out sentences for high crimes, for exact equity and justice are quite difficult to __________ in the midst of life’s general ambiguity.
pronouncing . . . explain
blurting . . . announce
meting . . . ascertain
forcing . . . justify
announcing . . . contain
meting . . . ascertain
In an old usage, “meet” meant “to be proper or just.” When one “metes” a sentence, he or she issues a judgment. The sentence implies that the judge does not like giving (meting) out such sentences because it is difficult see and interpret all of the details in the midst of life’s ambiguities. To attempt to see and discern such details in an exact manner would be to “ascertain” them. The word is derived from the Latin word for “sure or settled” and is related to English words for “surety” such as “certificate” and “certitude.”
Example Question #53 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences
Choose the set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Due to a confusion about the budget, the board game club could only __________ two board games; since the two they picked would have to _________ for the entire semester, they picked them out with extreme care.
obtain . . . suffice
lose . . . serve
afford . . . include
relocate . . . optimize
consider . . . crease
obtain . . . suffice
For the first blank, we need to pick out a word that means something like get or buy. Either "obtain" (acquire) or "afford" (have enough money to be able to buy) could be correct. For the second blank, we need to pick out a verb that means something like last or be used. Either "serve" (be adequate) or "suffice" (be enough) could be potentially correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "obtain" and "suffice" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "obtain . . . suffice."
Example Question #1461 : Sentence Completion
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
During the years leading up to the Second World War, Hitler and the German army __________ foreign territory to __________ the German nation.
bowdlerized . . . glean
incorporated . . . demoralize
annexed . . . aggrandize
obfuscated . . . enervate
assimilated . . . incarcerate
annexed . . . aggrandize
Logically it makes sense that the Nazi government would want to increase the power of the German nation. To this end they captured or "annexed" foreign territory. To "annex" means to take territory for yourself. The second answer choice should reflect the reasons why the Germans wanted to "annex" foreign territory - to improve the German nation. The correct answer is therefore "aggrandize" which means to increase the power or status of something. To provide further help, "incorporate" means add on to, make a part of; "assimilate" means become a part of, settle in to a new social group; "incarcerate" means imprison; "demoralize" means weaken the morale of; "glean" means gather details; "obfuscated" means confused; "enervate" means weaken; bowdlerized" means censored.
All ISEE Upper Level Verbal Resources
