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 #2051 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

LUCRE

Possible Answers:

Finances

Lunar

Money

Celestial

Effulgent

Correct answer:

Money

Explanation:

The word “lucre” is often used in an expression taken from the King James Bible, which greatly influenced expressions used in spoken English. That expression is “filthy lucre,” meaning “ill-gotten money.” The word “lucre” originally came from the Latin for “gain” or “profit.” It often takes on the sense of greed, but among the options given in this question, the best answer is the simple word “money.” The word is related to “lucrative,” which means “producing much profit.”

Example Question #2052 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

LORE

Possible Answers:

Falsification

Erroneous

Forgery

Lie

Legend

Correct answer:

Legend

Explanation:

Often, we speak of the “lore” of this or that group. For instance, “A normal part of the middle school’s lore were the tales of the students who had been trapped in the supposed dungeons under the English teacher’s classroom.” This example is meant to show also how the word often is associated with “tall tales” and (perhaps more negatively) outright lies; however, this is not necessarily the case, for the word “lore” merely means “a tale that is passed down, often orally.” Among the options provided “legend” best provides this neutral meaning.

Example Question #2053 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

CHAFF

Possible Answers:

Dross

Equine

Gentleman

Eroded

Irritated

Correct answer:

Dross

Explanation:

Strictly speaking, the “chaff” is outer husk of wheat that is separated from the actual grain during process. An image in the Bible concerning God’s judgment is the image of “separating the chaff and the wheat”—implying a less than joyous end for the chaff. The image is cited merely as an example here. When the term is given a more general sense, it means “worthless portion of something.” This notion of worthlessness is expressed by the word “dross.”

Example Question #2054 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

PARODY

Possible Answers:

Matching

Prank

Satire

Harmony

Wisecrack

Correct answer:

Satire

Explanation:

When someone parodies the work of another person, he or she makes a mock imitation, exaggerating various aspects for the sake of amusement. For instance, an author might write a book that retells a story very similar to that of another while deliberately attempting to show how ridiculous the original was in a given aspect. Satire often uses such exaggeration, though it is often aimed at criticizing the vices of others.

Example Question #2055 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

DUEL

Possible Answers:

Music

Contest

Binary

Trio

Triad

Correct answer:

Contest

Explanation:

Do not confuse “duel” with “dual.” They are both related to the word “two” but in different ways. The word “dual” means “having two aspects,” as in “dual personalities.” The word “duel” means “a fight or contest between two people or parties.” Often, such a contest is one of life and death, but it can also be something as simple as a duel being conducted by playing a board game.

Example Question #2056 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

PLIGHT

Possible Answers:

Difficulty

Disowned

Destitution

Forsakenness

Poverty

Correct answer:

Difficulty

Explanation:
When someone is “in a plight,” that person is in a difficult situation. Often, this situation is unfortunate and pitiful. In such usage, one will often speak of “the plight” of some person or group. For instance, consider the sentence, “The plight of the poor is something that we all should wish to eliminate.” Note, however, that it does not necessarily pertain to poverty, though poeverty generally does cause difficulties. Likewise, “plight” can imply that a situation is dangerous. Often, these various meaning are mixed together, for an unfortunate situation can be one that places one in danger.

Example Question #2057 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

SHAMBLES

Possible Answers:

Wastelands

Ripped

Torn

Disorder

Depressing

Correct answer:

Disorder

Explanation:

When the word “shambles” is plural, it means “state of chaos” in conversational usage. The strict meaning implies that the state of chaos is one of death and destruction. Here, the former is implied, as none of the other words express the sense of massacre corresponding to the strict sense of the word. When used as a verb, “to shamble” merely means “to walk around awkwardly.”

Example Question #2058 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

FINALITY

Possible Answers:

Decisiveness

Small

Limited

Closing

Bounded

Correct answer:

Decisiveness

Explanation:

The word “finality” clearly is related to “final,” meaning end or goal. It means “something conveying the sense of representing the end of a set of options or actions.” For example, one could say, “The teacher’s words had an aura of finality about them; thus, the students presumed that there would be no debating the topic any longer.”

Example Question #2059 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

ANNUNCIATION

Possible Answers:

Transport

Send

Announcement

Conception

Birth

Correct answer:

Announcement

Explanation:

Although the word “annunciation” is often used for a specific Catholic holiday, it has an root meaning that should be obvious from the form of the word. It is related to the word “announce,” and basically means “announcement.” The word now is most often used to describe the story of the angel Gabriel announcing the birth of Jesus to his mother Mary. It is called “the Annunciation” precisely because it is about this “announcement.”

Example Question #2060 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

REPROACH

Possible Answers:

Chastisement

Report

Approximate

Insecticide

Arrive

Correct answer:

Chastisement

Explanation:

The word “reproach,” when used as a noun, most properly means “an act of reprimanding” or “chastisement.” These are actions that communicate disapproval. Thus, when someone is said to be “beyond reproach,” that person acts in such a way that he or she does not merit disapproval. The word can be used as a verb to describe the act of expressing such disapproval, as in, “The professor reproached the students for their clear lack of dedication in preparing for class.”

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