All PSAT Critical Reading Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #963 : Sentence Completion
Fred's family only realized how __________ he was about failing the math quiz he had studied for when he shouted at the first person to ask him about it.
prepared
nimble
charismatic
touchy
famous
touchy
We can infer that because Fred "shouted at the first person to ask him about [the math quiz he failed]," we need to pick out an adjective to describe Fred that means something like "irritable." "Charismatic" might look like a potentially correct answer, but "charismatic" is an adjective that means "exercising a compelling charm that inspires devotion in others," so it wouldn't make sense in the sentence's context. "Touchy," however, is an adjective that means "oversensitive and irritable" when being used to refer to a person, and because "touchy" best describes Fred's irritable mood, "touchy" is the correct answer.
Example Question #781 : One Blank Sentences
Unfortunately, the brief period of sunshine and blue sky was __________ that day, as the clouds turned grey after only ten minutes of sunshine and let loose a drizzle that lasted the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.
lasting
evanescent
demonstrable
pardonable
far-fetched
evanescent
We can infer that because the period of sunny weather lasted "only ten minutes," we need to pick out an adjective to describe the sunny weather that means something like "fleeting" or "temporary." "Lasting," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "lasting," when used as an adjective, means "enduring or able to endure over a long period of time," making it an antonym of the word for which we're looking. "Evanescent," however, is an adjective that means "soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing," and because "evanescent" best conveys the briefness of the sunny weather in the sentence, "evanescent" is the correct answer.
Example Question #133 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
Select the answer choice that best completes the blank.
Pam was so __________ from her fever that she was unable to go to work.
debauched
defamed
deliberated
defaced
debilitated
debilitated
The answer that makes the most sense is "debilitated," to weaken or enfeeble.
Example Question #133 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
Socrates was known as one of the most __________ orators of Ancient Greece.
mundane
taciturn
symbiotic
placid
eloquent
eloquent
"Eloquent" means having a skillful way with words or speech. "Mundane" means ordinary or day-to-day. "Placid" means calm or mild. "Symbiotic" means interdependent, coordianted, or unified. "Taciturn" means quiet, mild, or reserved.
Example Question #134 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
The __________ old man yelled at the children to get off his lawn and play ball elsewhere.
complacent
cantankerous
jocular
bucolic
avuncular
cantankerous
"Cantankerous" means crabby or irritable. "Avuncular" means consultive or helpful. "Bucolic" means rustic or rural in nature. "Complacent" means calm, confident, or pleased. "Jocular" means funny or cheerful.
Example Question #801 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
Maria occasionally experiences __________ dreaming, but usually her dreams are utterly incomprehensible.
peripheral
insolent
wary
lucid
nebulous
lucid
"Lucid" means comprehensible, clear, or understandable. "Wary" means careful or cautious. "Peripheral" means minor, outside, or incidental. "Nebulous" means murky, confused, or obscured. "Insolent" means bold or disrespectful.
Example Question #802 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Select the word or word pair that best completes the sentence.
Even in the dead of the jungle night, the adventurer could read his daily log by the moonlight shining through his __________ mosquito net.
diaphanous
acrid
elongated
impeccable
diaphanous
While the adventurer's mosquito net might very well be "impeccable" (flawless), "acrid" (smelly) or "elongated" (if he was perhaps a very tall adventurer), all that we know for sure is that light can shine through it—and that is the exact meaning of "diaphanous."
Example Question #803 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
The tantrum-throwing toddler remained __________ and refused to eat his vegetables.
palpable
antediluvian
didactic
obdurate
bucolic
obdurate
"Obdurate" means pigheaded or stubborn. "Antediluvian" means out-of-date or prehistoric (ante=before, diluvian=the flood). "Bucolic" means rural or rustic in nature. "Didactic" means educational or explanatory. "Palpable" means clear or obvious.
Example Question #804 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
My uncle is always complaining about something. He's the most __________ person I know.
nonchalant
querulous
venerable
recalcitrant
taciturn
querulous
"Querulous" means habitually complaining or whining. "Recalcitrant" means stubbornly defiant. "Taciturn" means reserved or uncommunicative. "Venerable" means revered or sacred. "Nonchalant" means casual or unconcerned.
Example Question #782 : One Blank Sentences
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
The __________ Buddhist monk sat in contemplative silence at the back of the temple.
gregarious
taciturn
imperial
lugubrious
myriad
taciturn
"Taciturn" means reserved or uncommunicative. "Gregarious" means outgoing or sociable. "Imperial" means majestic, noble, or proud. "Lugubrious" means depressing or somber. "Myriad" means multiple or various.
Certified Tutor