SAT Critical Reading : One-Blank Sentences

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #791 : One Blank Sentences

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

Although the two men were not particularly close, one could at least say that they had an __________ relationship and were on the whole on friendly terms.

Possible Answers:

uplifting

average

acceptable

amiable

exquisite

Correct answer:

amiable

Explanation:

The key expression in the main clause is the indication that the two people are on “friendly” terms. While one could say that this is an "average" or "acceptable" situation, it is even better described as being “amiable,” which means friendly. The word comes from the Latin for "friend," which is often found in the form “amicable” or even “amity,” the latter meaning a state of friendship.

Example Question #792 : One Blank Sentences

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

The young man would __________ call his elders by nicknames, not showing them the respect that they deserved.

Possible Answers:

occasionally

variably

regularly

sporadically

flippantly

Correct answer:

flippantly

Explanation:

The sentence does not indicate anything regarding the frequency or regularity of the young man’s use of nicknames for his elders; however, it is clear from the relative clause that his action is being described as not showing adequate respect to these parties; therefore, it is fair to say that he acted in a “flippant” manner. This does not merely mean that he acted lightheartedly, but also that he did so without showing the respect due in the given situation.

Example Question #711 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

While the forest fires might at first have appeared to be __________ to the onlooker, they were in fact carefully planned blazes being set by the rangers in order to control the amount of dry underbrush.

Possible Answers:

pyromaniacal

natural

sporadic

routine

nefarious

Correct answer:

sporadic

Explanation:

The key phrase in this sentence is “they were in fact carefully planned . . .” The contrast implied here is that the forest fires were not random blazes but instead were being carefully devised by the rangers. The introductory clause implies that they may have appeared to be unplanned. To this end, the word “sporadic” is the best option. While it might not be the best option in the abstract (meaning that we could likely find a better word if we had more than five to choose from), among our proposed answers, it alone signifies the sense of irregularity.

Example Question #994 : Sentence Completion

The farmers chose not to plant any crops on the land last year, and by letting it lie __________ they were able to grow three times as much wheat this year due to the nutrients that were restored when the field wasn't in use.

Possible Answers:

coherent

futile

fallow

abstemious

hideous

Correct answer:

fallow

Explanation:

Since we know that the farmers did not plant anything on the land last year, we know that we're looking for an adjective that can refer to land and means something like "unused" or "unplanted." While "abstemious" sounds like a potential answer because it has to do with restraint, it refers to people and means "marked by restraint, especially in the consumption of food and alcohol," and is not an applicable word given the sentence's context - we need a word that refers to land. Alternatively, "fallow" specifically refers to land and means "plowed and left unseeded for a season or more; uncultivated," so it is the best answer choice.

Example Question #802 : One Blank Sentences

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

When her job became so __________ that Carol began working ten hour days and losing sleep over it at night, her boss suggested that she hire an assistant.

Possible Answers:

penurious

exigent

grandiloquent

extant

insensible

Correct answer:

exigent

Explanation:

Since we know that Carol began working extremely long days and losing sleep over her job, we can infer that one might describe her job as growing more "demanding," so we should pick out a word that means something like "demanding." While "grandiloquent" might sound like a potentially right answer because "grand" means "large or ambitious in scope or scale," "grandiloquent" actually means "pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, esp. in a way that is intended to impress," so it can't be the correct answer because it doesn't mean "demanding." "Exigent," however, means "pressing; demanding," so it is the correct answer.

Example Question #712 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

Chelsea's __________ sister almost never stops talking and interrupts every conversation she overhears.

Possible Answers:

prosperous

complicit

apprehensive

garbled

garrulous

Correct answer:

garrulous

Explanation:

Since we know from the sentence's context that Chelsea's sister talks a lot, we're looking for an adjective that has to do with speech, and specifically means "talkative." While "garbled" has to do with speech and messages, it means distorted and refers to speech itself, not the people who speak. Since "garrulous" means talkative, it is the correct answer.

Example Question #713 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

Because the detective only made a __________ sweep of the rooms surrounding the one where the crime had taken place, he nearly missed several pieces of important evidence that his assistant pointed out.

Possible Answers:

morbid

cursory

kinetic

cryptic

expeditious

Correct answer:

cursory

Explanation:

Since we know that the detective missed several pieces of evidence during his examination, we can infer that we're looking for an adjective that means quick and careless. While "expeditious" does mean quick, it also means efficient. Since we can tell the detective wasn't efficient (he missed evidence!) we know that this word isn't the correct answer. "Cursory," on the other hand, means "quick" as well, and more specifically means hasty and not doing a thorough job. Because "cursory" means both quick and careless, it is the correct answer.

Example Question #711 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

Her father was __________ and restrictive in terms of his diet since he wanted to lose weight.

Possible Answers:

immoderate

inclusive

determined

abstemious

intemperate

Correct answer:

abstemious

Explanation:

The best answer choice is "abstemious," which means restrained, since it indicates that the subject's father is refraining from certain dietary choices that may be negative.

Example Question #811 : One Blank Sentences

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

Looking up at the stars with John was like the joy of a dream come true for Sara, leaving her in a smiling, __________ state.

Possible Answers:

dazed

hazy

nebulous

blissful

fantastic

Correct answer:

blissful

Explanation:

Although we might wish to mock the star-crossed lover by claiming that she was in a dreamy, half-conscious state, the sentence only can imply that she was in a state of joy; therefore, her smiling face matches her “blissful” state, a word meaning extremely happy or also blessed in a more religious or spiritual sense.

Example Question #812 : One Blank Sentences

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

Mark had to admit under oath that he had been __________ in the robbery, since he purposely turned off the alarm system in order to enable the thieves.

Possible Answers:

aware

threatened

informed

subjugated

complicit

Correct answer:

complicit

Explanation:

The sentence implies that Mark intended to assist the thieves with his action of turning off the alarm system. When a person is thus implicated in a crime, he or she is said to be “complicit.” The word is derived from Latin roots meaning to be folded into (or with) one another, a meaning reflected in the related English word “complicate,” which can be understood as meaning to be made more complex in the sense of such folding.

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