All ISEE Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #21 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FIDELITY
Valor
Demeanor
Loyalty
Sagacity
Luck
Loyalty
The word “fidelity” is derived from the Latin roots for “faith” and is found in other words like “confident” and “infidel.” When someone shows fidelity, that person is faithful to someone or something. For instance, to say, “Raul showed fidelity to his wife all throughout their marriage, never once breaking the trust of their marriage vows.”
Example Question #22 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
MARINER
Sergeant
Oceanic
Aquatic
Pirate
Sailor
Sailor
The word “marine” means “related to the sea.” It is derived from the Latin for “sea” and is found in words like “maritime” and “submarine.” A “mariner” is another word for a sailor—a person who does his work “on the sea.”
Example Question #23 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
EGOCENTRIC
Prodigal
Magnanimous
Lucid
Lucid
Revolting
Prodigal
Revolting
Narcissistic
Narcissistic
The root "ego" is derived from the Latin word for self and the suffix "-centric" means centered on or around, so it makes sense that “egocentric” means thinking most of oneself, or“narcissistic.”“Magnanimous” means generous, particularly with money; “prodigal” means wasteful with money; “revolting” means disgusting or rebelling, and "lucid" means clear or easy to understand.
Example Question #24 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
CONCURRENT
Simultaneous
Antipathy
Reverence
Esoteric
Antecedent
Simultaneous
The prefix "con-" means with, and "-curr-" derives from the Latin for run, so it makes sense that “concurrent” means running together, or in other words, happening at the same time, or “simultaneous.” “Esoteric” means likely to be understood by a small number of people, rarefied, or abstract; “antecedent” means forerunner or something that comes before another thing; “antipathy” is hostility or animosity; and “reverence” is deep respect or worship.
Example Question #25 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
REJUVENATE
Homogenize
Grovel
Truncate
Revitalize
Pardon
Revitalize
The prefix "re-" can mean do again, and the Latin root "juven" means youth, so it makes sense that "rejuvenate" means make someone or something look or feel young again. This is very close to the meaning of the word “revitalize,” which means give new life to. As for the other answer choices, “homogenize” means make uniform or standardize; “grovel” means beg while on one's knees on the ground; “truncate” means shorten; and “pardon” means officially forgive.
Example Question #26 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
LUSTER
Inferno
Glow
Ardor
Desire
Affection
Glow
Do not be tricked into thinking that the word “luster” is related to “lust.” The two words come from very different bases. “Luster” is related to the same Latin root from which we get the word “illustrate.” The root means to illuminate. (An illustration “illuminates” a topic by making it visible to the eye.) The best meaning for “luster” is therefore “glow.” Something with a luster has a sheen or brightness that glows.
Example Question #27 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
DELUGE
Infliction
Thrust
Spittle
Flood
Embarass
Flood
The word deluge comes from the Latin for “to wash away.” The “-luge” portion means “wash” and is found in words like “dilute” and “ablution” (the washing of oneself). Often, one finds the word used in literary sources referring to “the Deluge,” referring to the Biblical story of Noah’s ark and the flood. At times, the word “antediluvian” is used to insult something by implying that something is “older than Noah’s flood.” Note that the word “deluge” can be used to indicate not only a flood of water but also any great amount happening at one time.
Example Question #28 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
CURRENT
Electricity
Standardized
Unoriginal
Transmission
Flow
Flow
The word “current” comes from the Latin for “to run.” Although it can mean “concerning the present moment,” it can likewise mean “to flow,” as when someone talks about the flow of water or electrical current (the “flow of electrons”). This general meaning is the one that is most appropriate among the answer options.
Example Question #29 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
GENRE
Selection
Preference
Music
Symphony
Class
Class
The word “genre” is related to the Latin “genus,” a term that we still use in logic to mean “general kind.” For instance, when someone says “man is a rational animal,” the general class “animal” is the genus into which “man” is placed (so to speak). When we speak of “genres of music,” what we really mean are “classes” or “general types” of music. For instance, one might say, “The most popular genres of music are baroque organ and renaissance polyphony, not rock and ska.”
Example Question #30 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
GUSTO
Forcefulness
Devotion
Regularity
Noisy
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm
The word “gusto” is perhaps a bit informal; however, it is regularly used in speech and even somewhat formal writing. Often, you will see it expressed in some form similar to, “Since he greatly loved his work, John performed it with gusto, always ready to take on a new task.” In such contexts, the word means “enthusiasm,” “readiness,” or even “enjoyment.” It is related to the Latin for “taste,” which can be found in “gustatory” as well as “digest.” If someone “has a taste” for something, he or she likely has a great love for it and does it with much enthusiasm.
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