GRE Verbal : One-Blank Texts
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal
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Example Questions
Example Question #161 : One Blank Texts
The law's __________ began an intense lobbying campaign to get the bill passed.
eulogies
ascetics
adversaries
proponents
skeptics
proponents
The missing word describes people who are attempting "to get the bill passed." The correct answer will indicate people arguing for the law. "Proponents," meaning supporters or advocates, is the best choice.
Example Question #162 : One Blank Texts
The __________ of screaming children makes teaching preschoolers difficult for most people.
euphony
triviality
notoriety
discordancy
elucidation
discordancy
"Screaming children" create a great deal of noise which makes them difficult to deal with. The correct answer will indicate both the noise and harshness of the screaming. "Discordancy," meaning cacophony or harsh noise, is the best choice.
Example Question #163 : One Blank Texts
The teenager liked being seen as a __________, often doing unusual things because they were unpopular.
zealot
portent
paragon
sycophant
maverick
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 #164 : One Blank Texts
The office's __________ was best exemplified by its refusal to replace the most weathered chairs.
parity
benevolence
disparity
munificence
parsimony
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.
menagerie
barren
smorgasbord
decoy
delineation
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 #454 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
The police department's theory that a __________ committed the crimes was due to the evidence that the perpetrator slept in multiple places.
zealot
vagrant
polemicist
somnambulist
pyromaniac
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 #455 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
The __________ in the two forms was chalked up to a clerical error, but people saw something sinister in the difference.
approbation
prostration
condemnation
omniscience
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 #456 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
The show's main attempt to be balanced was to present __________ from each side.
arbitrators
negotiators
suffragists
partisans
edifices
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 #457 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
Grieving people often find __________ in knowing their departed loved ones are no longer in pain.
depravity
condemnation
solace
approbation
subterfuge
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 #458 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
Opera aficionados argue the best composers have __________ and drama lesser writers cannot produce the same way.
pathos
vagrance
decoy
disdain
tome
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.
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