GRE Verbal : GRE Verbal Reasoning
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal
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Example Questions
Example Question #451 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
The teenager liked being seen as a __________, often doing unusual things because they were unpopular.
portent
maverick
zealot
paragon
sycophant
maverick
If the teenager is doing things "because they were unpopular," then he is trying to be different. The correct answer will indicate a person who tries to stand out. "Maverick," meaning a loner or rebel, is the best choice.
Example Question #452 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
The office's __________ was best exemplified by its refusal to replace the most weathered chairs.
disparity
parsimony
munificence
parity
benevolence
parsimony
The office will not replace even "the most weathered chairs." This means they are refusing to buy new ones, and this will be reflected in the correct answer. "Parsimony," meaning frugality and stinginess, is the best fit.
Example Question #165 : One Blank Texts
The police department's confiscated weapons were a __________ of firearms, featuring every kind imaginable.
decoy
smorgasbord
delineation
menagerie
barren
smorgasbord
The "confiscated weapons" represented "every kind imaginable." This means the correct answer will reflect a wide variety of firearms. "Smorgasbord," a Swedish buffet of cold dishes, often used to mean a wide choice of options, is the best fit.
Example Question #166 : One Blank Texts
The police department's theory that a __________ committed the crimes was due to the evidence that the perpetrator slept in multiple places.
polemicist
somnambulist
zealot
pyromaniac
vagrant
vagrant
If "the perpetrator slept in multiple places," then the police must believe he is moving around from place to place. The correct answer will reflect this movement between locations. "Vagrant," meaning a person without a home and committing petty crimes, is the best choice.
Example Question #167 : One Blank Texts
The __________ in the two forms was chalked up to a clerical error, but people saw something sinister in the difference.
approbation
omniscience
prostration
condemnation
discrepancy
discrepancy
The sentence gives a key clue by commenting there was a "difference" in the final phrase. The correct answer must indicate this "difference." "Discrepancy," meaning an inconsistency or a mismatch, is the best choice.
Example Question #168 : One Blank Texts
The show's main attempt to be balanced was to present __________ from each side.
partisans
arbitrators
suffragists
edifices
negotiators
partisans
Although the show has an "attempt to be balanced," it still presents "each side." The missing word describes what comes from a non-balanced perspective. "Partisans," meaning people committed to a particular side, is the correct answer.
Example Question #453 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
Grieving people often find __________ in knowing their departed loved ones are no longer in pain.
depravity
subterfuge
approbation
solace
condemnation
solace
The sentence dicusses the reaction of "grieving people" to the death of "loved ones." Additionally, the knowledge the dead are "no longer in pain" means they are trying to make it better. "Solace," meaning comfort for grief, is the correct answer.
Example Question #454 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
Opera aficionados argue the best composers have __________ and drama lesser writers cannot produce the same way.
tome
vagrance
pathos
disdain
decoy
pathos
The missing word is directly paired with "drama," and is a quality possessed only by "the best composers." The correct answer needs to indicate a positive quality for an opera. "Pathos," meaning able to provoke sadness and pity, is the correct answer.
Example Question #171 : One Blank Texts
In an effort to write better lyrics, the songwriter began looking at the __________ of his favorite writers.
bulwark
prosody
histrionics
vehemence
bane
prosody
While many words could fit this fairly wide ranging sentence, some clues help find the best choice. "The songwriter" is analyzing "his favorite writers" to "write better lyrics." "Prosody," meaning the study and analysis of poetry, is the correct answer.
Example Question #172 : One Blank Texts
The book was marked by a __________ that saw the author cover literature, history, and politics—as well as science.
salaciousness
jollity
discursiveness
rancorousness
brevity
discursiveness
The book covers a wide range of topics because it possesses the missing word. The correct answer must reflect the many topics the book covers. "Discursiveness," meaning an unordered procession among topics, is the best fit.
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