GRE Verbal : Text Completion
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal
All GRE Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #951 : Text Completion
Although a doctoral student would typically be distraught if his or her doctoral thesis was not approved after years of research, this particular doctoral candidate simply gave a shrug and said a few __________ remarks to the panel before exiting the conference room.
cavalier
incredulous
histrionic
derisive
incoherent
cavalier
Since the doctoral student seemed unconcerned after his or her thesis was rejected by the panel, the student most likely made "cavalier" remarks or offhand statements.
Example Question #952 : Text Completion
Rather than using verbose descriptions in the pamphlet about local environmental concerns, the technical writer instead gave __________ descriptions of the key conservation issues, much to the appreciation of those reading the pamphlet.
laconic
florid
pedantic
colloquial
esoteric
laconic
The author of the pamphlet uses a writing style that is the opposite of verbose writing; this indicates that he has an economical style of writing with "laconic" descriptions.
Example Question #953 : Text Completion
William Wordsworth describes __________ days spent amidst nature and nature's tranquility in his literary works, particularly in the well-known poem entitled Daffodils.
lugubrious
ephemeral
halcyon
enervating
wanton
halcyon
In his poems, Wordsworth writes about halcyon days spent in the serenity and calm of nature. Thus, the best fit in describing his naturalistic poetry is to describe the days he portrays as halcyon.
Example Question #954 : Text Completion
The __________ boxer often took his fighting outside the ring, getting into minor scuffles everywhere he went.
torpid
noisome
bellicose
insular
phlegmatic
bellicose
We're looking for a word that describes the boxer as being very war-like and eager to fight, so the answer is "bellicose," which means exactly that—aggressive and willing to fight.
Example Question #955 : Text Completion
The speaker's __________ lecture caused a large amount of controversy among the students.
extemporized
incomprehensible
tortuous
tendentious
irreproachable
tendentious
The sentence notes that the speaker's lecture "caused a large amount of controversy." The correct answer will reflect this ability to cause a strong reaction. "Tendentious," meaning biased or dogmatic, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #956 : Text Completion
The __________ reading assigment was difficult for many students to even finish, let alone comprehend.
heralded
tortuous
complacent
affable
deferential
tortuous
The book is mentioned to be "difficult" to "comprehend" by most students. This means the correct answer will reflect this difficulty. "Tortuous," meaning indirect and painfully long-winded, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #957 : Text Completion
The __________ movement was finding difficulty gaining traction and growing.
fortified
luminous
nascent
populist
heralded
nascent
The movement had "difficulty gaining traction and growing." This indicates the correct answer will show the movement was not very strong. "Nascent," meaning new or emerging, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #958 : Text Completion
The __________ illness showed itself as the patient lost fifty pounds in just a few months.
tendentious
debilitating
contentious
immoderate
uplifting
debilitating
The illness has caused the patient to lose "fifty pounds in a few months." This means the illness is severely harming the patient. "Debilitating," meaning weakening or draining, is the best answer choice.
Example Question #959 : Text Completion
Angry villagers swung torches and pitchforks, and the __________ mob that they constituted threatened looked like it might become violent at any moment.
volatile
ostensible
onerous
contrite
aberrant
volatile
We're looking for an adjective that means something like unstable and conveys how a situation might grow worse. Since "volatile" means liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse, "volatile" is the correct answer.
Example Question #960 : Text Completion
Many players viewed the old coach's speeches as being __________, and impossible to challenge in any way.
inchoate
incoherent
inexplicable
inerrant
incognito
inerrant
The players are "unable to challenge" the coach's speeches. This means the correct answer will indicate this inability to question the coach's words. "Inerrant," meaning completely correct and without errors, is the best choice among the answers.
All GRE Verbal Resources
