PSAT Critical Reading : Parts of Speech in One-Blank Sentences
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Example Question #241 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The chef had an _________ to Asian cuisine, and refused to consider any jobs at Japanese restaurants.
auspiciousness
aversion
affinity
adaptibility
epiphany
aversion
The sentence makes it clear that the chef does not like Japanese restaurants, therefore he clearly has a problem with Asian cuisine. Of the available answer choices, only aversion gives the correct meaning.
Example Question #241 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The professor used a series of __________ in his education class in order to illustrate some difficulties young teachers face with students.
veneers
superlatives
vignettes
outputs
lexicons
vignettes
"Vignettes" (short sketeches) is the only answer that provides an illustration (either via words or otherwise) from which students can learn. "Veneers" is entirely unrelated, as "verneers" means a surface coating or surface appearance that doesn't accurately characterize the whole; "superlatives" may be used in speech, but they do not alone illustrate potential difficulties; and "lexicons" are also related to words, but again, they do not illustrate difficulties.
Example Question #242 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The cleric’s __________ was off-putting; everyone could see he was only pretending to believe.
scrupulousness
hypocrisy
genuineness
sincerity
naivete
hypocrisy
"Hypocrisy" means affectation or false pretense of behaving in a good way. Naturally, a religious man or woman's affected belief would be unsettling.
Example Question #243 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Punk music fans seem to enjoy it when their musicians scream __________ at them; they relish being cursed.
maledictions
dulcetly
sweetly
blessings
ingratiatingly
maledictions
"Maledictions" are curses. A punk musician who screams maledictions at his fans is cursing them.
Example Question #242 : Nouns In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The punk musician’s __________ ingratiated him to his fans; they loved his rudeness.
nonchalance
empathy
sincerity
consideration
insolence
insolence
"Insolence" means rudeness and arrogance, while "ingratiate" means make someone else see you positively. A performer whose fans love rudeness would bring himself into their good graces by being arrogant and rude.
Example Question #261 : Nouns In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The chess player found himself in a serious __________ when he lost his most powerful piece early in the game.
passivity
quandary
caprice
provocation
lexicon
quandary
"Quandary" means difficulty or problematic situation. A chess player would be in a difficult situation if he or she lost his or her most powerful piece early on in a game.
Example Question #262 : Nouns In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The aging professor believed his speeches on immigration laws gave his students a unique perspective, but they mostly viewed him as an out-of-touch __________.
testament
champion
bigot
hero
amusement
bigot
The students view their professor as out of touch, indicating that he is perceived in a negative light. Four of the possible answer choices are very positive. Only "bigot" is sufficiently negative.
Example Question #251 : Nouns In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The estate owner was well known for being stingy, and some of his contractors were still seeking __________ years after they had completed their work.
totality
comfort
access
solace
remuneration
remuneration
Upon looking at the answer choices, the word that should stick out in the sentence is "stingy," which means being tight with money; therefore, find the answer choice that is related to money or payment. "Remuneration," which specifically means payment for work, is the only choice with such a starkly financial meaning.
Example Question #251 : Nouns In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Even though he was the least talented member of the team, the coach always started the midfielder as a __________ to assist the team's fortunes.
poison
functionary
hindrance
burden
talisman
talisman
Remember that the correct answer choice is the best choice, not just an answer that can make sense in the sentence. Here, all the choices can make sense, but only "talisman," meaning a kind of lucky charm, fits best with the notion that the coach is assisting his team's fortunes.
Example Question #252 : Nouns In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
This year’s presidential address was criticized for its dry __________ since it iterated the same political notions over and over.
banter
reminiscence
paganism
monotonous
redundancy
redundancy
"Redundancy" means repetition or reiteration of the same ideas.
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