SAT Critical Reading : Sentence Completion Questions

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #311 : Sentence Completion Questions

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

Everyone knew Reginald to be a faithful __________ of the positions found in the writings Aristotle. No matter when he talked, he made it clear that he believed that the old Greek provided the only systematic approach to human life and thought.

Possible Answers:

pedagogue

defender

teacher

exponent

guardian

Correct answer:

exponent

Explanation:

Here, the best term is “exponent” because this term implies that one promotes a given idea—not necessarily defensively but with a certain devotion and zeal.  The word often is used in mathematics, but here, it shows its relationship to its Latin roots very clearly.  The composite ex+ponent literally means “to place out” (in the sense of expressing outwardly).  The “-ponent” portion is related to numerous words related to the Latin base “to place or put,” not only those like “postpone” and “component” but also words that have “-pos-” such as “propose,” “expose,” and “exposition” (among many others).

Example Question #366 : One Blank Sentences

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

William did not see his roommate’s request to be a significant __________.  As he had already planned to cook dinner that night, it was no additional burden for him to increase the quantity in order to feed his roommate as well.

Possible Answers:

alteration

thought

petition

imposition

inquiry

Correct answer:

imposition

Explanation:

The key term in the second sentence is “burden.” The roommate’s request is not burdensome, which means that it does not “impose” on William or, in our sentence, that it is not an “imposition.” The composite im + position literally means to place upon (the “im” being a form of “in”). The “-position” portion of the word is clearly related to a number of words like “propose,” “expose,” and “exposition” but is also related to certain “-pon-” words such as “postpone,” “component,” and “exponent.” All of these words (and many others) are derived from Latin roots that mean to place or put.

Example Question #312 : Sentence Completion Questions

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

The physics student thought about reality with a certain mathematical __________ to her concepts. Years of using equations to model reality had altered her manner of considering the world around her.

Possible Answers:

imperialism

aloofness

coolness

cast

detachment

Correct answer:

cast

Explanation:

Do not be fooled into thinking either that the student’s manner of thinking is overbearing (i.e. imperialist) or that it is detached because of certain stereotypes about mathematics. Instead, the sentence expresses that the student gives her thoughts of reality a certain “coloring” because of her mathematical work. Such a “coloring” could be called a “cast” in the sense of being the general character of something. Think of the word as a metaphorical usage of “cast” in the strong sense of “physical mold” but becoming somewhat loosened in meaning to mean much more generally the “character” (i.e. the physical, emotional, intellectual, etc. shape) of something.

Example Question #313 : Sentence Completion Questions

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

For quite some time, academic positions were the __________ of the clergy, while most members of the laity were often seen to be fit only for less educated tasks.

Possible Answers:

pride

distinction

preserve

profession

occupation

Correct answer:

preserve

Explanation:

The key point to note is that academic positions were seen to be limited to the members of the clergy, who were the specific group to whom this work fell. A “preserve” is used at times to describe a place set aside for private hunting. More generally, we can think of it as a given activity (or group of activities) that are reserved for a specific group. In our example, it is as though the academic world was a preserved location for the clergy to do their supposed jobs.

Example Question #314 : Sentence Completion Questions

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

Because of his logical cast of mind, Egbert had a natural __________ for learning algorithms in his computer programming class, allowing him to understand new concepts with great ease.

Possible Answers:

flair

sagacity

facility

talent

ability

Correct answer:

facility

Explanation:

The key phrase that helps to discern the closest term from the less proper ones is “with great east.” If someone can do something with facility, they are able to do so well and with ease. The word is related to others like “facile” and “facilitate” that are derived from the Latin for to do or make, but the sense of “facile” includes the notion of being easily accomplished.

Example Question #315 : Sentence Completion Questions

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

The graduating class gathered together for the annual __________ to present academic awards to the highest achieving students.

Possible Answers:

banquet

affair

scholium

event

convocation

Correct answer:

convocation

Explanation:

Based on the data provided in this sentence, the most that can be said about the annual event is indicated by the key expression “gathered together.”  A “convocation” is a “calling together” or a meeting of this sort where a group comes together, often as a formal ceremony.  The word comes from the prefix “con-,” meaning “with” or (by extension) “together” and “vocation,” meaning “to call.”  The former is found in words like “contiguous” and “congruent,” as well as “colloquy” and “cooperate.”  The later is related to words like “vocal,” “vocative,” and “advocate.”

Example Question #285 : One Blank Sentences

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

Admittedly, the book was relatively brief, but Catherine resented that the __________ was being called a “mere trifle of a tale.” 

Possible Answers:

publication

novella

text

tome

novella

publication

anecdote

anecdote

text

tome

Correct answer:

novella

Explanation:

The sentence wishes to indicate that Catherine thought that her story was short, but not so short as to merit such seeming scorn.  A “novella” is a short novel (or a long short story), the word being derived from the obvious base “novel” with an added diminutive ending.  Diminutive endings make the word to mean something “smaller” than the base word.  The forms of such endings often differ from language to language.  “Novella” comes from Italian roots, and such diminution can be found in a name like “Monticello,” Thomas Jefferson’s House, whose name literally means “little mountain” after the hill upon which it sits.

Example Question #285 : One Blank Sentences

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

Admittedly, the book was relatively brief, but Catherine resented that the __________ was being called a “mere trifle of a tale.” 

Possible Answers:

publication

novella

text

tome

novella

publication

anecdote

anecdote

text

tome

Correct answer:

novella

Explanation:

The sentence wishes to indicate that Catherine thought that her story was short, but not so short as to merit such seeming scorn.  A “novella” is a short novel (or a long short story), the word being derived from the obvious base “novel” with an added diminutive ending.  Diminutive endings make the word to mean something “smaller” than the base word.  The forms of such endings often differ from language to language.  “Novella” comes from Italian roots, and such diminution can be found in a name like “Monticello,” Thomas Jefferson’s House, whose name literally means “little mountain” after the hill upon which it sits.

Example Question #191 : Nouns In One Blank Sentences

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

After mowing the lawn in the summer heat, Mary found herself suffering from _________ and requiring a cold bath in order to regulate her body temperature.

Possible Answers:

hypertrophy

hyperthermia

exhaustion

tepidity

hyperactivity

Correct answer:

hyperthermia

Explanation:

The implication in this sentence is that the summer heat had modified Mary’s body temperature extremely (clearly by increasing it).  Since she needed to cool herself, it is arguable that her condition was one of “hyperthermia.”  The “hyper-” prefix means “beyond or above,” as when one is “hyperactive,” he or she is “beyond” being merely active.  The “-thermia” portion is related to other English “temperature” words like “thermal,” “geothermal,” and “hypothermia.”

Example Question #372 : One Blank Sentences

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

The wealthy man often surprised his wife by his __________, although he often was very generous with his money, at random times he was quite capable being of a miser.

Possible Answers:

capriciousness

detachment

rudeness

meanness

offensiveness

Correct answer:

meanness

Explanation:

The contrast and surprise found here is in the fact that the wealthy man so often could be a miser, that is, one who is very sparing in the outlaying of money.  Such a disposition can be called “meanness,” not in the sense of being nasty or rude but being sparing or ungenerous.

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