ISEE Upper Level Verbal : ISEE Upper Level (grades 9-12) Verbal Reasoning

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #169 : Synonyms

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

INDOLENT

Possible Answers:

Slothful

Obliged

Gregarious

Depressed

Exclusive

Correct answer:

Slothful

Explanation:

The word “dolor” means sad, coming from Latin roots regarding sadness and pain. The “in-” prefix sometimes means in or into but can also mean not. Someone who is indolent wishes to avoid sadness and pain—by doing nothing. The word thus comes to mean something like “lazy.” While “depressed” might seem correct, that has more to do with being “dolorous” than being “indolent.” An indolent person is much more like a sloth—slow-moving. Thus, “slothful” (meaning lazy) is an excellent synonym.

Example Question #170 : Synonyms

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

FIDELITY

Possible Answers:

Sagacity

Demeanor

Luck

Loyalty

Valor

Correct answer:

Loyalty

Explanation:

The word “fidelity” is derived from the Latin roots for “faith” and is found in other words like “confident” and “infidel.” When someone shows fidelity, that person is faithful to someone or something. For instance, to say, “Raul showed fidelity to his wife all throughout their marriage, never once breaking the trust of their marriage vows.”

Example Question #1881 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

MARINER

Possible Answers:

Pirate

Aquatic

Oceanic

Sergeant

Sailor

Correct answer:

Sailor

Explanation:

The word “marine” means “related to the sea.” It is derived from the Latin for “sea” and is found in words like “maritime” and “submarine.” A “mariner” is another word for a sailor—a person who does his work “on the sea.”

Example Question #1882 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

EGOCENTRIC

Possible Answers:

Revolting

Magnanimous

Revolting

Narcissistic

Prodigal

Lucid

Lucid

Prodigal

Correct answer:

Narcissistic

Explanation:

The root "ego" is derived from the Latin word for self and the suffix "-centric" means centered on or around, so it makes sense that “egocentric” means thinking most of oneself, or“narcissistic.”“Magnanimous” means generous, particularly with money; “prodigal” means wasteful with money; “revolting” means disgusting or rebelling, and "lucid" means clear or easy to understand.

Example Question #1883 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

CONCURRENT

Possible Answers:

Esoteric

Simultaneous

Antecedent

Reverence

Antipathy

Correct answer:

Simultaneous

Explanation:

The prefix "con-" means with, and "-curr-" derives from the Latin for run, so it makes sense that “concurrent” means running together, or in other words, happening at the same time, or “simultaneous.” “Esoteric” means likely to be understood by a small number of people, rarefied, or abstract; “antecedent” means forerunner or something that comes before another thing; “antipathy” is hostility or animosity; and “reverence” is deep respect or worship.

Example Question #1884 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

REJUVENATE

Possible Answers:

Truncate

Homogenize

Grovel

Pardon

Revitalize

Correct answer:

Revitalize

Explanation:

The prefix "re-" can mean do again, and the Latin root "juven" means youth, so it makes sense that "rejuvenate" means make someone or something look or feel young again. This is very close to the meaning of the word “revitalize,” which means give new life to. As for the other answer choices, “homogenize” means make uniform or standardize; “grovel” means beg while on one's knees on the ground; “truncate” means shorten; and “pardon” means officially forgive.

Example Question #1885 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

LUSTER

Possible Answers:

Affection

Glow

Desire

Ardor

Inferno

Correct answer:

Glow

Explanation:

Do not be tricked into thinking that the word “luster” is related to “lust.” The two words come from very different bases. “Luster” is related to the same Latin root from which we get the word “illustrate.” The root means to illuminate. (An illustration “illuminates” a topic by making it visible to the eye.) The best meaning for “luster” is therefore “glow.” Something with a luster has a sheen or brightness that glows.

Example Question #1886 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

DELUGE

Possible Answers:

Infliction

Embarass

Spittle

Thrust

Flood

Correct answer:

Flood

Explanation:

The word deluge comes from the Latin for “to wash away.” The “-luge” portion means “wash” and is found in words like “dilute” and “ablution” (the washing of oneself). Often, one finds the word used in literary sources referring to “the Deluge,” referring to the Biblical story of Noah’s ark and the flood. At times, the word “antediluvian” is used to insult something by implying that something is “older than Noah’s flood.” Note that the word “deluge” can be used to indicate not only a flood of water but also any great amount happening at one time.

Example Question #1887 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

CURRENT

Possible Answers:

Standardized

Electricity

Unoriginal

Flow 

Transmission

Correct answer:

Flow 

Explanation:

The word “current” comes from the Latin for “to run.” Although it can mean “concerning the present moment,” it can likewise mean “to flow,” as when someone talks about the flow of water or electrical current (the “flow of electrons”). This general meaning is the one that is most appropriate among the answer options.

Example Question #1888 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

GENRE

Possible Answers:

Selection

Symphony

Music

Preference

Class

Correct answer:

Class

Explanation:

The word “genre” is related to the Latin “genus,” a term that we still use in logic to mean “general kind.” For instance, when someone says “man is a rational animal,” the general class “animal” is the genus into which “man” is placed (so to speak). When we speak of “genres of music,” what we really mean are “classes” or “general types” of music. For instance, one might say, “The most popular genres of music are baroque organ and renaissance polyphony, not rock and ska.”

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