All ISEE Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #155 : Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
VERBOSE
Conjugated
Wordy
Soft-spoken
Literary
Literal
Wordy
The word “verbose” comes from the Latin for “word.” It is related to words like “verbal” and “verb.” It means using too many words to communicate something. Although the word “wordy” is a bit informal, it means just this—that someone uses too many words.
Example Question #156 : Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ONEROUS
Workable
Alone
Singular
Burdensome
Immobile
Burdensome
The word “onerous” comes from the Latin for burden, so something that is “onerous” is something that is burdensome. Often it means something requiring much effort. It would be used in a sentence like, “The sixteen-hour work days in the mines were so onerous for the poor miners that they were continuously exhausted from the difficult work.” The word is related to “exonerate,” meaning to set free from blame, or, more literally, to lift the burden of blame from someone.
Example Question #161 : Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
VACUITY
Open
Forgetfulness
Emptiness
Unstained
Spatial
Emptiness
The word “vacuity” is related to the words “vacuum,” meaning empty space, and “vacate,” meaning, “to empty out an area.” “Vacuity” can be used to describe a mere empty physical space, though it usually is used to indicate intellectual emptiness. For instance, one could say, “After years of listening to the vacuity of his classmates’ opinions, the student was glad to graduate and be freed from their unthinking opinions.”
Example Question #162 : Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
VIBRANT
Crinkling
Undulating
Lively
Plucked
Overweening
Lively
The word “vibrant” is related to words like “vibrate” and “vibrato.” In a sense, something that is “vibrant” is “shaking with energy.” Often, the word is used to describe something that is dynamic, lively, or energetic. It can mean more than physical energy, for one can speak of a “stimulating, vibrant work environment” or a “vibrant imagination.” The word can also mean “colorful.”
Example Question #163 : Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
SIMULTANEOUS
Equivalent
Alike
Mutual
Reflexive
Concurrent
Concurrent
The word “simultaneous” comes from the Latin root “simul,” meaning “together.” Though in some ways related to the word “similar,” it indicates this notion of two things being “together” or “at the same time.” The word “concurrent” literally means “current with” or “happening / existing at the same time as something else.” The “con-” prefix is the same as “cum” found in “cumulative” and “com-” as found in “community.” It means “with.”
Example Question #164 : Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
RESTRAINT
Acquisition
Pollution
Restriction
Decoration
Improvization
Restriction
When something is “restrained,” it is kept within limits or “held tight.” The word is taken from the Latin root meaning “to squeeze or hold.” It is related to English words such as “constrict” or “constrain.” A “restraint” is something that keeps things within boundaries; hence, it can be called a “restriction” (a word that is similarly derived from the same Latin roots).
Example Question #165 : Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
SAGACIOUS
Extended
Clever
Breathtaking
Mythological
Folklore
Clever
The “-ious” ending helps us to see that “sagacious” is likely an adjective. Here, this leaves us with “saga-”. Be careful, however! This is not about a “saga” in the literary sense. The question is trying to trick you into picking “folklore” or “mythological” (or even “breathtaking”). Instead, the “saga-” prefix is derived from the common base of “sage”, meaning a wise person. Someone who is “sagacious” is wise. “Clever” is the best option that we have for something close to “wise.” (They are not exactly the same, but it works given our options.)
Example Question #166 : Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
INDUCE
Establish
Contract
Enfold
Instigate
Inaugurate
Instigate
The word “induce” comes from two Latin components. The prefix “in-” is rather simple, meaning in or into. You likely know “-duce” as well, though not under this form. A “duke” is a kind noble in British society (a leader of sorts), and a “con-ductor” leads a band. Indeed, to “introduce” (intro-duce) is to bring someone “into the group," so to speak. The “-duce” comes from the Latin "dux," meaning leader or commander. To “induce” is to influence or arouse some action. You might say, “I induced him into running, contrary to his lazy temperament.” When you “instigate,” you initiate an action. This is an excellent synonym.
Example Question #1871 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
INTACT
Contained
Whole
Safe
Communicative
Sensitive
Whole
When something is “tactile,” it relates to touch. The “-tact” portion of “intact” is derived from a similar Latin root. Other related words are “tangible” and “tangent.” Something that is “in-tact” is together and not broken apart. An “intact” building has all of its major structural parts “touching.” Such a thing is still a “whole” (even if it is perhaps somewhat damaged).
Example Question #168 : Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
TRIVIAL
Banal
Consequential
Detailed
Elementary
Amazing
Banal
The word “trivial” has an interesting history. It comes from the Latin "trivium," which referred to part of the curriculum undertaken by young students. The “trivium” was comprised of three subjects—grammar, logic, and rhetoric. It was so called because it was made up of these three topics. (The prefix “tri-” means three, recall.) These were basic subjects, needed for the others. The word thus came to mean “unimportant” or “simple.” Something “banal” is unoriginal and, in a manner of speaking, simplistic to the point of being boring. This is the best option among those offered. “Elementary” would be the only other tempting option, but that word does not carry with it the negative connotations that come with “trivial” in today’s use of the word.
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All ISEE Upper Level Verbal Resources
