GRE Verbal : Text Completion
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal
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Example Questions
Example Question #881 : Text Completion
Her __________ younger brother would follow behind her and do anything she asked.
maverick
petulant
zealous
transgressive
servile
servile
The brother would "do anything she asked." This means he was obedient to his sister, and the correct answer will reflect this. "Servile," meaning overly submissive or groveling, is the correct answer.
Example Question #882 : Text Completion
He was notably __________ about his job, and his boss thought he wanted to be fired.
rigorous
ebullient
apathetic
sagacious
enthusiastic
apathetic
The fact "his boss thought he wanted to be fired" means he is not doing his job well. The correct answer will show his poor performance and attitude. "Apathetic," meaning indifferent or uninterested, is the best choice.
Example Question #883 : Text Completion
His delay was __________, as it meant he missed seeing the accident firsthand.
immoderate
supercilious
inappropriate
felicitous
prolific
felicitous
Missing "seeing the accident firsthand" is a good thing. This means the subject's delay was a positive development. "Fortuitous," meaning lucky or fortunate, is the correct answer.
Example Question #884 : Text Completion
The poet considered true love __________, and pointedly refused to write about it.
ineffable
cogent
lucid
succinct
subtle
ineffable
If the poet "refused to write about it," then it can safely be assumed the poet finds it difficult to write about. The correct answer must explain why it is difficult to write about. "Ineffable," meaning hard to put into words, is the best choice.
Example Question #885 : Text Completion
The creature was baffling to zoologists, who did not know it was a __________, because they could not see its pouch.
invertebrate
relic
amphibian
marsupial
omnivore
marsupial
The sentence notes the "creature" had a "pouch," which makes finding the correct answer fairly straightforward. A "marsupial" is a mammal with a pouch to carry its young.
Example Question #886 : Text Completion
The congressman was accused of being __________ and never caring what happened in his colleagues' districts.
parochial
munificent
egalitarian
generous
altruistic
parochial
The congressman's lack of concern for "his colleagues' districts" indicates his interest only in matters that concern his district. "Parochial," meaning narrow minded or obsessed with local concerns, is the best fit.
Example Question #887 : Text Completion
She was highly __________ of her sister's boasts, and demanded proof of her achievements.
gullible
equivocal
nostalgic
dispassionate
skeptical
skeptical
Having "demanded proof" of the boasts, it is clear the subject does not believe her sister. The correct answer should mean doubting or disbelieving, the definition of skeptical.
Example Question #888 : Text Completion
The gangster took __________ routes to his destinations to make it harder on his enemies to track him.
expedient
infamous
circuitous
punctilious
inexorable
circuitous
The gangster is trying "to make it harder" to be tracked, which means his routes will be hard to follow. The correct answer must mean indirect or roundabout, the definition of "circuitous."
Example Question #889 : Text Completion
He was so __________ in the kitchen, he could hardly chop vegetables.
dextrous
adroit
inexorable
inept
exemplary
inept
As "he could hardly chop vegetables," his skill in the kitchen is obviously severely limited. The correct answer needs to mean unskilled or incompetent, the definition of "inept."
Example Question #890 : Text Completion
The politician played up a __________ image, but was actually born into considerable wealth.
lavish
proletarian
parochial
lofty
bourgeois
proletarian
The politician has "played up" an image at odds with being "born into considerable wealth." The correct answer needs to mean not wealthy, or even poor. "Proletarian," meaning of the working class, is the best choice.
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