ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Word-Based Sentence Completions

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Lower Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #471 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

He tried to __________ the window ledge, but he could not reach.

Possible Answers:

plead

dispose

grasp

leap

address

Correct answer:

grasp

Explanation:

Based on the context of this sentence you know that the subject is trying to reach or hold onto the window. The correct answer is therefore to "grasp" which means hold firmly, grab onto. Additionally, "leap" means jump; "dispose" means get rid of; "plead" means beg, urge; "address" means speak to.

Example Question #472 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The immigrants arrived in the new country hoping to work hard and __________.

Possible Answers:

assuage

relent

coerce

prosper

convene

Correct answer:

prosper

Explanation:

It makes sense that people working hard, that had recently arrived in a new country, would want to achieve success, do well and be happy and wealthy. The correct answer is therefore to "prosper." "Prosperous" means wealthy, happy and successful. Additionally, "relent" means give up; "convene" means meet up, get together; "coerce" means force; "assuage" means calm, relieve, soothe.

Example Question #473 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

After the old member retired a new member had to be __________ to the committee.

Possible Answers:

resumed

prevented

motivated

merged

appointed

Correct answer:

appointed

Explanation:

Based on the context of this sentence you know that the correct answer must mean something like chosen, elected, nominated. The correct answer is therefore "appointed." To "appoint" someone means to choose or elect them, to nominate them for a position. Additionally, to "resume" means to continue; to "prevent" means to stop from happening; to "merge" means to blend, to combine, to come together; to "motivate" means to inspire, to cause someone to want to do something.

Example Question #474 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

She __________ her blanket and carries it everywhere.

Possible Answers:

deplores

despises

detest

cherishes

abhors

Correct answer:

cherishes

Explanation:

If the girl carries her blanket everywhere with her it makes sense that she loves it, values it highly, or "cherishes" it." To "cherish" means to love deeply. The other four answer choices are all loosely synonyms of one another, they mean hate. As in, "I detest being cold" or "I abhor the winter because it is so cold."

Example Question #475 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

He wanted to keep going, but seeing that everyone else was exhausted he __________.

Possible Answers:

eradicated

relented

lionized

executed

exaggerated

Correct answer:

relented

Explanation:

The subject of this sentence wants to keep working, but he notices that everyone else is tired and wants to stop, therefore he logically gives in, changes his mind and accepts the situation. The correct answer is therefore "relented." To "relent" means to give up, to give in, to accept a situation and stop trying to change it. Additionally, "exaggerate" means make more intense, make worse; "lionize" means praise heavily; "eradicate" means get rid of, destroy; "execute" means kill, kill with the backing of the law.

Example Question #476 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

No matter how many times he attempted to play the instrument, John could not __________ the sound he made on the tuba two nights earlier.

Possible Answers:

remember

resurrect

hear

recall

reproduce

Correct answer:

reproduce

Explanation:

The sense of the sentence is that John was unable to make the same sound again. That is, he couldn't "reproduce" or replicate it.  To "produce" something is to make it. The prefix "re-" means, "Again." Hence, "to reproduce" means "to make again."

Example Question #477 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Laura was very good at __________ the cost of groceries in her head, almost always coming up with a figure that was very close to the actual cost given to her when she finally took the items to the cashier.

Possible Answers:

reflecting

contemplating

calculating

producing

placing

Correct answer:

calculating

Explanation:

The general idea is that Laura is able to "add up" the cost of groceries. When we do this, we calculate of course! None of the other options are close to this meaning. The word "producing" is probably the only tempting wrong answer. "Calculating" is much closer to the idea of "adding up," so that is the best option.

Example Question #478 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Some people are able to come up with marvelous new ideas but are absolutely incapable of __________ them to others.

Possible Answers:

negotiating

delegating

understanding

investigating

communicating

Correct answer:

communicating

Explanation:

This sentence is contrasting two states of affairs. On the one hand, some people are able to think up things that are new and excellent, but these same people cannot express these ideas to others. That is, they cannot "communicate" the ideas.

Example Question #479 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Francine __________ fifteen people at her shop and paid them a fair wage for their work.

Possible Answers:

abused

regulated

ignored

elevated

employed

Correct answer:

employed

Explanation:

Do not assume anything more than the sentence justifies. Apparently these fifteen people work for Francine. While it does not seem that she pays them a lot, the sentence says that she pays them a fair wage. Therefore, the best option is the simplest one for this question.  She "employs" them.

Example Question #480 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The hungry young man __________ the entire meal in less than a minute, much to the surprise of the others who took over ten minutes to eat the food.

Possible Answers:

purchased

took

consumed

barfed

legalized

Correct answer:

consumed

Explanation:

Clearly, this sentence is talking about eating the food. Therefore, the word "consume" is by far the best option. Do not be tempted by the option "took." Yes, the young man did "take in" the food by eating it. The most proper way of speaking is "consumed," which describes the action of "taking in" food.

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