PSAT Critical Reading : Parts of Speech in One-Blank Sentences

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Critical Reading

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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.

Possible Answers:

collaborated

communed

competed

reflected

communicated

Correct answer:

collaborated

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

contemplate

evaluate

survey

observe

detect

Correct answer:

evaluate

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

review

procure

espy

process

reconnoiter

Correct answer:

procure

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

review

overlook

inquire

scan

scrutinize

Correct answer:

scrutinize

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

succumb

traverse

agree

accede

abdicate

Correct answer:

succumb

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

curry

rephrase

lose

dismiss

dissuade

Correct answer:

curry

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

rarefied

occluded

engendered

mitigated

venerated

Correct answer:

venerated

Explanation:

"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.

Possible Answers:

reeked

lingered

drifted

stank

wafted

Correct answer:

lingered

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

criticized

derided

berated

condemned

ostracized

Correct answer:

ostracized

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

manage

scrutinize

inquire

revoke

questioned

Correct answer:

revoke

Explanation:

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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