All PSAT Critical Reading Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #772 : Sentence Completion
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt gave many explanatory speeches to the American public, hoping to __________ fears over the lengthening economic crisis.
allay
exacerbate
propagate
undulate
harmonize
allay
This question requires a small amount of critical thinking on your part. You likely will conclude that the President would be seeking to remove or help ameliorate the fears of the American people during a depression. This would lead you to the correct answer “allay,” which means to calm or relieve. "Exacerbate" is opposite in meaning and means make something greater or worse; "harmonize" means complement; "propagate" means to spread; and "undulate" means to roll and ripple.
Example Question #261 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences
Throughout his school career, Joseph __________ all the traits of a good pupil: punctuality, tact, and work ethic.
epitomized
discussed
relayed
displayed
illustrated
epitomized
The implication of these two sentences is that Joseph “gathers together” all the appropriate states of a good student. Something is called “the epitome” when it is the perfect example of a given class of things. When someone or something “shows forth” the perfect example, it is said to “epitomize” such perfection.
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