GRE Verbal : One-Blank Texts
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal
All GRE Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1121 : One Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Since the senator had been willing to win at any cost, his victory was a __________ one; he won the election, but lost his reputation as a man of high integrity.
laudable
winsome
prophetic
pyrrhic
prolific
pyrrhic
"Pyrrhic" means a victory achieved at too great a cost (named for a general Pyrrus who won a battle but sustained heavy losses). The clue here is the phrase, "willing to win at any cost," as well as the second clause, which signifies a victory but also a more significant loss.
Example Question #1122 : One Blank Texts
Fill in the blanks with the best answer.
The politician continued to be _________ during the court hearings; the judge was unable to extract a clear answer from him.
austere
evasive
unequivocal
despondent
cursory
evasive
"Evasive" is the state of evading, to escape, or, in this context, to avoid questioning. The second part of the sentence gives a clear hint that the politician refraining from giving clear and candid answers to the judge's questions. As "equivocal" is a synonym of "evasive," "unequivocal" is the opposite of the correct word.
Example Question #1123 : One Blank Texts
Fill in the blank with the best answer.
The cellist delivered a(n) _________ performance which demonstrated none of the passion and improvisation she was once known for.
vogue
ephemeral
exhaustive
meticulous
perfunctory
perfunctory
"Perfunctory" describes something superficially or hastily performed. In this context, the cellist, normally a passionate and improvising player, has a performance which is the opposite—either it's bad, boring, or rushed. No words adequately match with bad or boring, so rushed works.
Example Question #1124 : One Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
George’s __________ nature became obvious when Martha’s small flub made him fly off the handle.
saturnine
bucolic
quiescent
irascible
equivocal
irascible
“Irascible” means quick to anger. This is the only choice that describes a person who reacts violently to a small “flub” or mistake.
Example Question #1125 : One Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Harris’s friends were worried by the ___________ poems he often wrote.
sardonic
transcendent
lugubrious
witty
ethereal
lugubrious
“Lugubrious” means overly gloomy or sad. It is the only choice that would make friends worry.
Example Question #1126 : One Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Critics dismissed the new TV show as “unoriginal” and “a __________ re-tread of every show of its kind we've seen in the last few years.”
cogent
spurious
laconic
banal
dogmatic
banal
The TV show is described as "unoriginal," and "banal" is the only synonym for that here. It means unoriginal and uninspiring.
Example Question #1127 : One Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Always needing a spotlessly clean working space, the man was __________ in dusting and organizing his office.
carefree
feeble
impartial
apprehensive
fastidious
fastidious
The man is obviously not "carefree," and there's nothing to show he is "apprehensive," "impartial," or "feeble." "Fastidious" makes the most sense.
Example Question #1128 : One Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The __________ piece of jewelry shone brighter than any other in the store, but was fake and actually close to worthless.
spurious
ostentatious
genuine
economical
controversial
ostentatious
The answer needs to mean “showy, but not actually as good as it appears on the surface." "Ostentatious" means this.
Example Question #1129 : One Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The __________ girl sat in the back and rarely spoke up in class, afraid to draw attention to herself.
enigmatic
intransigent
effusive
intrepid
diffident
diffident
The girl is obviously shy and afraid, which means she is "diffident."
Example Question #1130 : One Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
As a newcomer to the subject, the student had to persevere and make sense of the __________ writings he found in his research.
loquacious
irksome
cogent
cognizant
erudite
erudite
The writings seem to be complicated and obscure, and thus hard to get through for a newcomer. This is the meaning of "erudite."
All GRE Verbal Resources
