PSAT Critical Reading : PSAT Critical Reading

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #1059 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The clinic kept an __________ environment, even though maintaining the cleanliness was actually rather expensive.

Possible Answers:

derivative

obscene

inhospitable

antiseptic

filthy

Correct answer:

antiseptic

Explanation:

"Antiseptic" means clean and sterile. The clinic maintained cleanliness even though it cost more.

Example Question #1060 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The new policeman became ill at the sight of the __________ blood; the victim’s thickened blood put him off pudding for a very long time.

Possible Answers:

streaming

coagulated

mendacious

prevaricating

flowing

Correct answer:

coagulated

Explanation:

"Coagulated" means thickened or clotted. The victim's thickened blood, resembling pudding, was very off-putting for the new policeman.

Example Question #1061 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

I adore humid climates, but I abhor __________ ones.

Possible Answers:

arid

tenuous

enhanced

discredited

mendacious

Correct answer:

arid

Explanation:

"Arid" means very dry.

Example Question #1062 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Before you drink the water from that dirty river, you need to filter it and treat it with certain chemicals; only then will it be __________.

Possible Answers:

chary

enervated

potable

unaccustomed

jaded

Correct answer:

potable

Explanation:

"Potable" means suitable for drinking.

Example Question #1063 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

“Don’t you think that assigning five hours of homework a night is a bit too __________?” the concerned parent asked the teacher.

Possible Answers:

somatic

explicit

onerous

surreptitious

gregarious

Correct answer:

onerous

Explanation:

"Onerous" means burdensome.

Example Question #1064 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

“It wasn’t very nice or __________ to tell that other little girl that you thought she was boring,” Ann said to her daughter.

Possible Answers:

derisive

jejune

ubiquitious

resilient 

tactful

Correct answer:

tactful

Explanation:

"Tactful" means skillful at not offending others.

Example Question #1065 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Ever since Jean Paul and I broke up, everyone tells me the same __________ phrase: there are always more fish in the sea.

Possible Answers:

scrutinizing

hackneyed

opulent

aesthetic

abbreviated

Correct answer:

hackneyed

Explanation:

"Hackneyed" means clichéd, or worn out by overuse.

Example Question #1066 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Marisol had only a(n) __________ understanding of how to fix and maintain her car, and so she took an automobile repair class.

Possible Answers:

superficial

mundane

amicable

prosaic

intrepid

Correct answer:

superficial

Explanation:

"Superficial" means shallow, or lacking depth.

Example Question #1067 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Because Louisa had just jogged three miles in the sun, her face looked __________.

Possible Answers:

ornate

sanctimonious

restive

implacable

florid

Correct answer:

florid

Explanation:

"Florid" means having a red or flushed complexion. It also can mean flowery or ornate.

Example Question #401 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

I don’t know what to do with a very __________ student whom I have. My usual responses to bad behavior, such as sending him to the principal’s office and having conferences with the parents, are not changing his actions.

Possible Answers:

laconic

ingenuous

diaphanous

impractical

recalcitrant

Correct answer:

recalcitrant

Explanation:

"Recalcitrant" means defiant or unapologetic.

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