All ISEE Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #831 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The mountain climbers have to __________ terrible conditions to reach the summit.
ensnare
alight
align
endure
bluff
endure
Based on the context of this sentence, which describes difficulties experienced by mountain climbers in order to reach the "summit" (top), you know that the correct answer must be a verb that means survive, put up with it, suffer through and overcome. The correct answer is therefore "endure." Additionally, "bluff" means trick through false confidence; "alight" means get down from, get off of, leave for; "align" means match up with, to line up with; "ensnare" means trap, catch.
Example Question #832 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
She was __________ for failing to follow the rules.
breached
obliterated
surmounted
rectified
penalized
penalized
Which of these verbs means something like punished, subjected to some punishment for breaking the rules? The correct answer is "penalized." Additionally, "breach" means get past the defenses of, overcome; "surmount" means to overcome some difficulty, to get past something; "rectify" means fix; "obliterate" means completely destroy.
Example Question #833 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The newspaper had to apologize for so intensely __________ the celebrity.
slandering
germinating
relegating
acclaiming
hurtling
slandering
To solve this problem you have to determine which of these is an action that some organization might have to apologize for. The correct answer is "slandering." To "slander" means to publicly share lies or possibly false stories about in order to ruin the reputation of. Additionally, "germinate" means plant and grow; "acclaim" means widely praise; "hurtle" means move quickly and without much control; "relegate" means reduce to a lower level, move down a level.
Example Question #834 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
He tried to __________ his opponent into making a mistake, but his opponent was too sharp to fall for such trickery.
facilitate
gape
perturb
goad
enroll
goad
Based on the context of this sentence you know you are looking for a verb that means something like provoke, encourage to do something wrong, annoy with the intention of drawing a response. The correct answer is therefore "goad." Additionally, "enroll" means sign up for, become a part of; "facilitate" means help get accomplished; "gape" means stare widely; "perturb" means agitate, disturb.
Example Question #835 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
As the passengers were __________ from the train an old lady tripped and was almost caught between the train and the tracks.
alluding
eluding
faltering
alighting
expediting
alighting
Based on the context of this sentence you know that the correct answer means something like getting down from, so the correct answer is "alighting." Additionally, "alluding" means hinting at, suggesting; "eluding" means hiding from, keeping away from; "faltering" means stumbling, running into some difficulty; "expediting" means making the progress of something quicker.
Example Question #836 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The boss sent her most discerning man to try and __________ truth from fiction.
quantify
appoint
terrify
prioritize
disentangle
disentangle
To begin with "discerning" means able of observing things, intelligent and able to pick up on small things. So, a "discerning" person would likely be sent to try and figure out the truth and separate truth from fiction. The correct answer then is "disentangle" because this means separate. Additionally, "prioritize" means declare as most important, make a priority; "appoint" means select for a position; "terrify" means frighten, scare; "quantify" means put data into numerical form.
Example Question #837 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The workers decided to __________ the meeting until the next day.
establish
aspire
adjourn
placate
originate
adjourn
Based on the context of this sentence you know you are looking for a verb that means something like suspend, delay until a later date. So, the correct answer is "adjourn." To "adjourn" can have many, related, meanings - it can mean to leave a place; to pause a meeting; to delay until later. Additionally, "originate" means come from; "aspire" means seek to achieve, aim for; "establish" means set up; "placate" means soothe, calm, relieve.
Example Question #838 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
He was worried that his muscles might __________ with age, so he resolved to work out more regularly.
portend
atrophy
respire
acknowledge
flourish
atrophy
Based on the context of this sentence you know that the correct answer is a verb that means to weaken, particularly with age or due to lack of use. The correct answer is therefore "atrophy." Additionally, "flourish" means either wave around, brandish or strive, achieve great things, do well; "acknowledge" means recognize, notice; "respire" means breathe; "portend" means foreshadow, provide a warning that something might happen a certain way in the future.
Example Question #839 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The critics expected him to fail so were __________ by his unprecedented success.
confined
amassed
confounded
anchored
ransacked
confounded
Based on the context of this sentence you are looking for a verb that means something like amazed, stunned, surprised. So, the correct answer is "confounded." Additionally, "ransack" means search through messily; "confine" means imprison; "anchor" means fix in place, root to a spot; "amass" means gather, collect.
Example Question #840 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Her literature is __________ with a rage that reflects the anger of her day-to-day life.
acquiesced
maimed
infused
embellished
enticed
infused
Based on the context of this sentence you know that the correct answer means filled with, so the correct answer is "infused." To "infuse" means to fill. Additionally, "entice" means tempt, lure, attract; "acquiesce" means give in to, accept the demands of; "maim" means injure, hurt; "embellish" means decorate, adorn, add detail to.
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