SAT Critical Reading : Nouns in One-Blank Sentences

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #221 : Nouns In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The two opposing __________ of troops collided with each other in the field of battle.

Possible Answers:

gangs

cavalries

clusters

hosts

phalanxes

Correct answer:

hosts

Explanation:

For this sentence, we are looking for the most general term that can apply to the troops, since we are told nothing about their composition (e.g. cavalries) or their formation (e.g. phalanxes). While “clusters” or “gangs” might seem best, these options really do not apply well to troops. They would be acceptable only if no other options remained; however, the word “hosts” can mean “armies,” as the word is derived from the Latin for “enemy.” This meaning definitely could be applied to two opposing armies. Note that this is very different from the sense of “host” as in one who would “host a party.” The two usages have different derivations from Latin, the former being related to "hostile."

Example Question #222 : Nouns In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

After weeks of working in the sun, Rachel’s normally pale __________ had greatly darkened, emphasizing the radiant color of her irises.

Possible Answers:

melatonin

brow

mien

appearance

complexion

Correct answer:

complexion

Explanation:

Here, the best option is “complexion” because this captures both the facts hinted in the question. “Complexion” means one’s normal skin color, particularly as this applies to his or her face. This is the best option not only because it best pairs with “pale” but also because the sentence hints that it is the face that is drawing this attention—as indicated by “emphasizing the radiant color of her irises.”

Example Question #223 : Nouns In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The prime minister held an ___________ with the press corps, in order to explain the recent secret operations of the military.

Possible Answers:

inquest

exposition

analysis

audience

inquisition

Correct answer:

audience

Explanation:

The general sense of the sentence is that the prime minister held a meeting with the press corps. When a public official holds a meeting in order to be interviewed, it is called an “audience.” While we generally apply the term to the group of persons listening to or watching an event, it more generally can mean “a hearing.” The word itself is related to other “listening” and “hearing” words such as “audio,” “audible,” and “audition.”

Example Question #221 : Nouns In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The twine functioned as an adequate __________ to hold up Aaron’s significantly oversized slacks.

Possible Answers:

buttress

circlet

rope

brace

cincture

Correct answer:

cincture

Explanation:

“Cincture” is a somewhat archaic term for belt, still used in describing the belt worn by Catholic monks. Although its usage is generally literary, it is not completely impossible to ascertain its meaning. The word “succinct” has similar roots, coming from the Latin for “encircled.” When someone is “succinct,” they are brief in describing something. In a sense, such a person quickly “encircles” a topic.

Example Question #222 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

After a long period of __________, Robert roused himself from his slumber.

Possible Answers:

insensitivity

unconsciousness

dormition

indifference

immobility

Correct answer:

dormition

Explanation:

Since Robert was only said to be asleep, the best term to use would be one that is directly related to sleep. The term “dormition” is very rare in standard English usage. It is generally used only by Orthodox churches to describe the death of Mary, Jesus’ mother; however, the term does have its own intrinsic meaning in English, for it is derived from the Latin “dormire” (=to sleep), roots shared with words like “dormitory” and “dormant.” In this sense, “dormition” means more generally “the act of sleeping.”

Example Question #411 : Sentence Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The scholar, angered by the internal conflict of the thinkers of his age, wrote a long book lamenting the __________ of these supposed “philosophers.”

Possible Answers:

inanity

foolishness

tedium

incoherence

farcicalness

Correct answer:

incoherence

Explanation:

If the doctrines of a thinker or group of thinkers have internal conflict, they do not “hang together” well in a single cohesive manner. The term “coherence” comes from Latin roots meaning “to stick together.” The “co-” portion gives us the “together (or with)” in this meaning, while “-herence” is related to words like “adhere,” “adhesive,” and “cohesion.” If something is “incoherent,” it does not make sense as a whole—the pieces do not “stick together” well.

Example Question #412 : Sentence Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Benjamin was often surprised at his mother’s apparent __________, for she always seemed to know all the details of his actions even before he returned home from school.

Possible Answers:

visualization

predictability

omnicompetence

omnipotence

omniscience

Correct answer:

omniscience

Explanation:

Since Benjamin’s mother seems “to know all,” it would be best to say that she appeared to be “omniscient.” This word literally means “all-knowing.” The prefix “omni-,” meaning “all,” is found in English words like “omnivorous” and “omnipotent.” The “-science” portion of the word means not merely “science” but instead more broadly means “knowledge.”

Example Question #413 : Sentence Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Although many states have laws against having many wives, can a woman with many husbands be charged with __________?

Possible Answers:

incest

adultery

polyandry

infidelity

polygyny

Correct answer:

polyandry

Explanation:

Most properly speaking, a woman with many husbands is practicing “polyandry.” This word literally means “many husbands” or “many men.” The “poly-” portion means “many,” as can be seen in other English words like “polymath” or “polyglot.” The “-andry” portion is derived from the Greek for “man” and is found in words like “androgen” (male hormones) and “androgynous” (a person looking neither wholly male nor female). This latter term also shows why you should not confuse “polygyny” with “polygamy.” The latter means “having more than one husband or wife,” while the latter means strictly “having more than one wife.” The “-gyny” portion of that word is related to the same base found in “gynecologist,” a doctor specializing in female diseases and reproductive issues.

Example Question #414 : Sentence Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The release of the manuscripts led to a true __________ in classical music, as many artists began to play a number of heretofore overlooked pieces of music.

Possible Answers:

investigation

research

exuberance

renaissance

recognition

Correct answer:

renaissance

Explanation:

The sentence implies that the manuscripts led to a revival of classical music in the culture. Literally, a “re-vival” is a “re-living” or a “re-enlivening.” The term “renaissance” is closely related to these expressions, literally meaning a “rebirth.” The “-naissance” comes from Latin roots for “to be born” found in words like “natal,” “nativity,” and “nascent.”

Example Question #415 : Sentence Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Throughout his life, Lawrence had always felt __________ with oppressed groups, for he knew well their plight and was quite able to empathize with them.

Possible Answers:

depression

persecution

oppression

pained

solidarity

Correct answer:

solidarity

Explanation:

Since Lawrence could empathize with oppressed groups, he could be said to feel united with them. Such connection is known as “solidarity,” a word distantly related to the roots for “solid.” In its original Latin, this was used particularly in the sense of having the same material throughout a given solid mass. Thus, “solidarity” has the sense of unity across multiple people or groups of people.

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