ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Sentence Completions

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #881 : Sentence Completions

Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence.

Carmella is very protective of her toys and __________, a selfish tendency that makes it hard for her to make friends.

Possible Answers:

fights with her classmates

impresses the other children 

scares the teachers

is not good at sharing them with other children

is always absent

Correct answer:

is not good at sharing them with other children

Explanation:

The sentence states that Carmella has a selfish tendency, which is supposed to fill the blank. The quality of not sharing her toys with other children is a selfish quality because it means that one does not consider the needs of others. Therefore, the best answer is "is not good at sharing them with other children."

Example Question #882 : Sentence Completions

Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence.

When the teacher was grading the essays, she gave her students feedback about __________.

Possible Answers:

how to behave for substitute teachers

the use of calculators in math class

how to improve their writing

the week's lunch menu

what day next week the homework was due

Correct answer:

how to improve their writing

Explanation:

It makes the most sense that a teacher who is grading essays would be providing feedback about the content of the essays, so the only answer choice that makes sense is "how to improve their writing." 

Example Question #883 : Sentence Completions

Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence.

Josh had never seen a giraffe before and was __________, mesmerized by its long neck and legs.

Possible Answers:

gazing at it in awe

afraid of its strangeness

bored at the zoo

unsure of how long it had to live

astounded by its ugliness

Correct answer:

gazing at it in awe

Explanation:

Given that Josh was mesmerized by the giraffe, this means that he would look at it in appraisal of its beauty. With this information, the best answer would be, "gazing at it in awe."

Example Question #884 : Sentence Completions

Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence.

Oxen are very strong animals, capable of ___________ without getting tired.

Possible Answers:

sprinting short distances

lying in the grass for long periods of time

pulling large wagons for long distances

sleeping for long periods of time

eating large amounts of food

Correct answer:

pulling large wagons for long distances

Explanation:

This sentence is trying to communicate that oxen are very strong, and so should draw on the fact that they are able to pull heavy wagons for long distances as supporting evidence. Therefore, the best answer is "capable of pulling large wagons for long distances."

Example Question #885 : Sentence Completions

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

Fred always regretted __________ because an education beyond high school would have helped him get a better job.

Possible Answers:

not checking out more books from the school library

not eating breakfast

not going to college

not studying for his major exams

hanging out with his friends

Correct answer:

not going to college

Explanation:

In this sentence, we know that Fred always regretted something connected to the fact that he did not have education beyond high school. Given that going to college would have helped him to get a better job, the correct answer is "not going to college."

Example Question #886 : Sentence Completions

Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence.

Despite being very thorough in his studies, Juan did not _________, and was very shocked to see his grade.

Possible Answers:

enjoy his relaxation period

feel very confident about his test

perform very well on his exam

felt very nervous

forget his bagged lunch

Correct answer:

perform very well on his exam

Explanation:

Given that Juan was very thorough studying for his exam and was shocked to see the results, the facts of the sentence suggest that the blanks should be filled by the fact that he did not do very well. The answer choice telling us that he did not "perform very well on his exam" satisfies this, and so should be used to complete the sentence.

Example Question #887 : Sentence Completions

Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence.

While the chef loves to cook with red pepper, he has to be mindful that not everyone enjoys the spiciness __________.

Possible Answers:

of the pepper, which he thinks is disgusting

more than him

unlike his family

to the same extent that he does

as little as he does

Correct answer:

to the same extent that he does

Explanation:

The sentence here makes clear that the chef loves to cook with red pepper. However, he has to be mindful to keep himself in control with the red pepper for a certain reason. That reason fills the blank. The only answer choice that makes sense is one that would explain that not everyone likes red pepper as much as the chef. Therefore, the best answer is "to the same extent that he does."

Example Question #888 : Sentence Completions

Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence.

Jenny’s term paper was _________; every other phrase had a grammatical problem.

Possible Answers:

overflowing with errors

above average

full of advanced vocabulary

well written

turned in early

Correct answer:

overflowing with errors

Explanation:

Given that every other phrase in the sentence had problems, the best answer would be "overflowing with errors." This is the only phrase that is negative in connotation, reflecting the problems that exist with the sentence.

Example Question #889 : Sentence Completions

Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence.

Jenna likes _________, enjoying everything from Japanese sushi to Indian curry and Mexican tacos.

Possible Answers:

trying new modern restaurants

few types of cuisine

a diversity of foods

traveling to a variety of countries 

different cultures

Correct answer:

a diversity of foods

Explanation:

The sentence explains all the different types of foods that Jenna likes to eat. Given that the focus is on the wide variety of food that Jenna likes to eat, the best answer choice is "a diversity of food."

Example Question #890 : Sentence Completions

Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence.

While most people like bananas when they are yellow, my father is different and __________.

Possible Answers:

is allergic to bananas 

is color blind 

likes apples

always slips on the peels

likes to eat them when they are green

Correct answer:

likes to eat them when they are green

Explanation:

The word "while" is used to indicate contrast, so the phrase that goes in the blank should be something different from the first part of the sentence, which is eating bananas when they are yellow. The best phrase that is in direct contrast to this is "likes to eat them when they are green."

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