All PSAT Critical Reading Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #431 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The six people __________ on the project, for all of their talents were necessary to complete all of its aspects.
collaborated
communed
competed
reflected
communicated
collaborated
The sense of this sentence is that it was necessary for all six people to work together on this project (in order to bring all of their talents to bear on its various aspects). When people work together on something, they are said to “collaborate,” which literally means “to work together.” The “col-” prefix is really the “cum-” or “con-” prefix meaning “together” or “with,” as is found in “cumulative” and “congregation;” however, here, it alters to fit with the “l” of “-laborated.” In this regard, think or “collect.” The second part of the word is derived from the Latin for “to work” and is found in English words like “labor” and “laborious.”
Example Question #432 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
John was often called on to __________ the academics of the state high schools in order to judge their compliance with the approved standards.
contemplate
evaluate
survey
observe
detect
evaluate
Since John is considering the academics of the school not merely as an observer but as one judging their compliance with standards, it is best to say that he is evaluating the school. The word is derived from the familiar prefix “e-”, meaning “out of,” and the base that is related to the word “value.” An “evaluation,” is a drawing out (in the sense of making explicit and noted) the value of some thing, often against some standard of comparison.
Example Question #1464 : Psat Critical Reading
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
In preparation for the camping trip, Lucille was given funds to go to the store to __________ the food for the outing.
review
procure
espy
process
reconnoiter
procure
The only hint that we have in this sentence is that Lucille was given funds to go to the store. The best option will be one that at least implies that she is going to the store to buy the food. The word “procure” fits this need, meaning to get something with discernment or care. This at least implies the purchase of the goods, though you should note that it has the added notion of care. The word comes from the Latin “curare,” meaning “to see to” or “to attend to.” It is thus related to words like “curator.” A “pro-curer” attends to matters on behalf of someone else.
Example Question #1465 : Psat Critical Reading
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
After realizing that she had made an error in balancing her checkbook, Ethel decided to __________ the details of every line of every receipt in her purse to see if she had overlooked some detail.
review
overlook
inquire
scan
scrutinize
scrutinize
Since Ethel planned to look at “every line” of “every receipt,” one could fairly say that she planned a thorough investigation of the matter. Although one could somewhat weakly say that she decided to review these details, the best option is “scrutinize,” which indicates that she will look carefully and deeply at each and every detail in question. When something is subjected to scrutiny, it is given very careful review.
Example Question #433 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
John’s will was not at all as adamantine as he believed it to be, for he would __________ to temptation on numerous occasions.
succumb
traverse
agree
accede
abdicate
succumb
The word “adamantine” means “unbreakable.” It is related to the word “adamant,” which is derived from the name of a type of hard stone in legendary tales, and means “not changing one’s mind.” Since John’s will was not as unbreakable as he claimed it to be, it could be said that it was overcome by temptation on numerous occasions. To “succumb to” something is to fail to withstand it. In this sentence, the implication is that John failed to withstand temptation when it arose.
Example Question #562 : Sentence Completion Questions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The mayor attempted to __________ favor with the senator by paying for his expensive meal.
curry
rephrase
lose
dismiss
dissuade
curry
We can infer that because the mayor "[paid] for [the senator's] expensive meal," he was attempting to gain favor with the senator. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "gain" and can refer to favor. "Lose," then, cannot be the correct answer because "lose" means the opposite of the word we're looking for, and the mayor clearly wasn't trying to lose the senator's favor by paying for his meal. "Curry," however, when used as a verb in the phrase "curry favor," means "ingratiate oneself with someone through obsequious behavior," and because it best describes the mayor's behavior, "curry" is the correct answer.
Example Question #434 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Many ancient civilizations __________ a diverse array of gods and goddesses.
rarefied
occluded
engendered
mitigated
venerated
venerated
"Venerate" means to revere, respect, or give praise to. "Engender" means to cause something to happen. "Mitigate" means to lessen or diminish. "Rarefy" means to thin or make weaker. "Occlude" means to block or prevent.
Example Question #564 : Sentence Completion Questions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The scent of the old books __________ in the room even though they had been relocated some years earlier.
reeked
lingered
drifted
stank
wafted
lingered
The implication in this sentence is that the scent of the books remained for many years after their removal. There is nothing mentioned concerning the quality of the smell or about it being transported into the room. The word “linger” in general means “to remain for a long time.” It is related to the family of words connected to “long,” here in the sense of “staying for a long time.”
Example Question #565 : Sentence Completion Questions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Gina’s friends __________ her from the group, for they did not wish to be associated with someone of her crass manners.
criticized
derided
berated
condemned
ostracized
ostracized
The trap answers to this question are “condemned” and “criticized,” for the reader might think that Gina’s friends made some official judgment on her crass manners. Instead, the key phrase is “they did not wish to be associated.” Therefore, they must have acted so as to exclude Gina from their group. When someone is “ostracized,” he or she is excluded from society. The word comes from the name of the hard material on which Greeks would write their decisions to banish someone from society (thus ostracizing them).
Example Question #435 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
For years, the students at the local high school were permitted to chew gum in class, but recently the principal decided to __________ this permission in order to prevent damages that were being done to school property.
manage
scrutinize
inquire
revoke
questioned
revoke
Since the sentence states that the principle did his action “in order to prevent” the damages from gum, it is safe to say that he did not merely consider the permission or even “scrutinize” (look carefully at) it. The sense conveyed is that he no longer allowed this permitted act. When someone “revokes” something, he or she literally “calls it back.” The word comes from the prefix “re-”, here used in the sense of “back,” and the “-voke” portion, which means “to call or name.” The latter is found in words like “invoke,” “invocation,” and “provoke.”
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