ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Adjectives and Adverbs in One-Blank Sentences
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Upper Level Verbal
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Example Questions
Example Question #171 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
Unfortunately, the brief period of sunshine and blue sky was __________ that day, as the clouds turned grey after only ten minutes of sunshine and let loose a drizzle that lasted the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.
demonstrable
far-fetched
evanescent
pardonable
lasting
evanescent
We can infer that because the period of sunny weather lasted "only ten minutes," we need to pick out an adjective to describe the sunny weather that means something like "fleeting" or "temporary." "Lasting," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "lasting," when used as an adjective, means "enduring or able to endure over a long period of time," making it an antonym of the word for which we're looking. "Evanescent," however, is an adjective that means "soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing," and because "evanescent" best conveys the briefness of the sunny weather in the sentence, "evanescent" is the correct answer.
Example Question #2182 : Sat Critical Reading
Select the answer choice that best completes the blank.
Pam was so __________ from her fever that she was unable to go to work.
deliberated
defaced
debauched
debilitated
defamed
debilitated
The answer that makes the most sense is "debilitated," to weaken or enfeeble.
Example Question #2183 : Sat Critical Reading
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
Socrates was known as one of the most __________ orators of Ancient Greece.
mundane
taciturn
placid
eloquent
symbiotic
eloquent
"Eloquent" means having a skillful way with words or speech. "Mundane" means ordinary or day-to-day. "Placid" means calm or mild. "Symbiotic" means interdependent, coordianted, or unified. "Taciturn" means quiet, mild, or reserved.
Example Question #2184 : Sat Critical Reading
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
The __________ old man yelled at the children to get off his lawn and play ball elsewhere.
complacent
avuncular
bucolic
cantankerous
jocular
cantankerous
"Cantankerous" means crabby or irritable. "Avuncular" means consultive or helpful. "Bucolic" means rustic or rural in nature. "Complacent" means calm, confident, or pleased. "Jocular" means funny or cheerful.
Example Question #2185 : Sat Critical Reading
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
Maria occasionally experiences __________ dreaming, but usually her dreams are utterly incomprehensible.
nebulous
wary
insolent
peripheral
lucid
lucid
"Lucid" means comprehensible, clear, or understandable. "Wary" means careful or cautious. "Peripheral" means minor, outside, or incidental. "Nebulous" means murky, confused, or obscured. "Insolent" means bold or disrespectful.
Example Question #2186 : Sat Critical Reading
Select the word or word pair that best completes the sentence.
Even in the dead of the jungle night, the adventurer could read his daily log by the moonlight shining through his __________ mosquito net.
diaphanous
elongated
impeccable
acrid
diaphanous
While the adventurer's mosquito net might very well be "impeccable" (flawless), "acrid" (smelly) or "elongated" (if he was perhaps a very tall adventurer), all that we know for sure is that light can shine through it—and that is the exact meaning of "diaphanous."
Example Question #2191 : Sat Critical Reading
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
The tantrum-throwing toddler remained __________ and refused to eat his vegetables.
antediluvian
palpable
bucolic
obdurate
didactic
obdurate
"Obdurate" means pigheaded or stubborn. "Antediluvian" means out-of-date or prehistoric (ante=before, diluvian=the flood). "Bucolic" means rural or rustic in nature. "Didactic" means educational or explanatory. "Palpable" means clear or obvious.
Example Question #2192 : Sat Critical Reading
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
My uncle is always complaining about something. He's the most __________ person I know.
venerable
taciturn
recalcitrant
querulous
nonchalant
querulous
"Querulous" means habitually complaining or whining. "Recalcitrant" means stubbornly defiant. "Taciturn" means reserved or uncommunicative. "Venerable" means revered or sacred. "Nonchalant" means casual or unconcerned.
Example Question #2193 : Sat Critical Reading
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
The __________ Buddhist monk sat in contemplative silence at the back of the temple.
lugubrious
myriad
gregarious
taciturn
imperial
taciturn
"Taciturn" means reserved or uncommunicative. "Gregarious" means outgoing or sociable. "Imperial" means majestic, noble, or proud. "Lugubrious" means depressing or somber. "Myriad" means multiple or various.
Example Question #2194 : Sat Critical Reading
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
Shortly after the Big Bang, the __________ universe was just a swirling mass of gas and dust.
inchoate
myopic
hackneyed
fetid
lackadaisical
inchoate
"Inchoate" means undeveloped or beginning. "Myopic" means nearsighted or biased. "Lackadaisical" means careless or indifferent. "Hackneyed" means cliched or corny. "Fetid" means foul or rancid.
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