All ISEE Lower Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #101 : Synonyms: Adjectives
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
NOVEL
Puzzling
Innovative
Celebrated
Literary
Innovative
In this question, the word "novel" is being used as an adjective, meaning new or inventive. The only word with a similar meaning is "innovative," which means original or new. "Celebrated" means renowned, while "literary" means having to do with literature or reading, and was meant to throw you off if you had only seen the stem word as a noun (meaning a book-length work of fiction) rather than as an adjective. "Puzzling" means confusing or perplexing.
Example Question #102 : Synonyms: Adjectives
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
PRIMITIVE
Playful
Ancient
Intellectual
Man-made
Sophisticated
Ancient
Primitive means having to do with the early history of the world or of humanity, or simple and relatively undeveloped. "Ancient" means extremely old, so "ancient" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "primitive."
Example Question #103 : Synonyms: Adjectives
Each synonyms question is made up of a word in capital letters followed by five choices. Choose the one word that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
PRIMITIVE:
elaborate
ornate
youthful
original
modern
original
A good example using the word primitive is to describe cooking tools used by early man. These tools were primitive and were originally used by man to cook.
Example Question #104 : Synonyms: Adjectives
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
CONSECUTIVE
Consensus
Successive
Proclivity
Comparable
Incoherent
Successive
“Consecutive” means occurring in order, one after the other. This is closest in meaning to “successive.” To provide further help, “incoherent” means not able to be understood; “comparable” means able to be compared, similar; “consensus” means agreement; “proclivity” means tendency of doing something.
Example Question #105 : Synonyms: Adjectives
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ABRUPT
Circumstantial
Sudden
Miserable
Outlandish
Dogmatic
Sudden
“Abrupt” means sudden and unexpected. To provide further help, “outlandish” means bizarre, peculiar, or strange; “dogmatic” means bound by strict, inflexible rules; “miserable” means very sad; “circumstantial” means owed to circumstance, owed to chance.
Example Question #106 : Synonyms: Adjectives
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
WIZENED
Proportional
Gnarled
Smooth
Continuous
Wise
Gnarled
"Wizened" means dry, shrunken, and wrinkled due to being old, so "gnarled," an adjective that means twisted and rough due to age, is the correct answer.
Example Question #107 : Synonyms: Adjectives
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
PERMANENT
Partial
Occasional
Delayed
Long-lasting
Quick
Long-lasting
Something "permanent" will remain a certain way for a long time. The other answer choices have meanings as follows: "partial" means only a part of something; "delayed" means late; and "occasional" means occurring infrequently.
Example Question #108 : Synonyms: Adjectives
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
URGENT
Pressing
Unending
Steady
Meager
Repetitive
Pressing
"Urgent" means pressing or immediate, so "pressing" is the correct answer. "Urgent" has a meaning different from that of "repetitive," which means tedious due to repetition,"steady," which means unvarying or consistent; and "unending," which means not having an end or lasting for a very long time.
Example Question #109 : Synonyms: Adjectives
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FREQUENT
Often
Imaginary
Frantic
Pesky
Unintentional
Often
Something that happens “frequently” happens often, so "frequent" means "often." The word “pesky” means troublesome, like “a pesky wasp”; and “frantic” means hurried or rushed due to being very worried about something.
Example Question #110 : Synonyms: Adjectives
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ANNUAL
Weekly
Monthly
Biweekly
Timely
Yearly
Yearly
"Annual" comes from the Latin word for year, so it makes sense that "annual" means happening yearly. This means that "yearly" is the correct answer. Something that happens “biweekly” happens every two weeks, as the prefix "bi-" means two, and "timely" means well-timed and convenient.