All SAT Critical Reading Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1131 : Sentence Completion Questions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The young boy’s __________ complexion alarmed his teacher, and she sent him to the school nurse to make sure he wasn’t coming down with the flu.
pallid
terse
tenuous
torrid
glowing
pallid
A white or light color in one’s cheeks is a symptom of sickness or ill-health, and “pallid” most closely means a paleness, typically attributed to poor health or sickness. The correct answer choice is "pallid."
Example Question #1154 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The author’s __________ output tended to overshadow the poor quality of the majority of his work.
limited
infinitesimal
unimpressive
meager
prodigious
prodigious
Here the word “poor” indicates that the author is not very good; therefore, he must have written a good amount of material if it overshadows the quality of the material. Only "prodigious" means in a great amount.
Example Question #451 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Allison’s speech was extremely __________; her friends often remarked that she loved showing off.
reserved
lethargic
energetic
detrimental
bombastic
bombastic
The second clause in the sentence describes how Allison’s speech caused others to believe she was trying to show off. The correct answer is therefore “bombastic” which means to use language in a pompous manner to try and impress others. Lethargic means the opposite of energetic; reserved means aloof; detrimental means harmful or damaging.
Example Question #452 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
That novel is filled with __________ language that reflects the contemporary speech of African Americans at the time the book was written.
colloquial
mundane
gregarious
rudimentary
evolved
colloquial
The sentence describes how the novel being described is filled with a type of language that reflects the speaking patterns of a certain group of people. This means that the answer must be “colloquial.” Colloquial is an adjective that describes conversational or everyday speech in a defined (usually geographically distinct) group. Mundane means boring; rudimentary is opposite in meaning to evolved; gregarious means outgoing.