PSAT Critical Reading : One-Blank Sentences

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #456 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

George’s goal was carefully to __________ any remaining vitality from Jordan so that he could convince the latter to follow his will without any energetic protestation.

Possible Answers:

damage

misconstrue

disrupt

convert

sap

Correct answer:

sap

Explanation:

George wished to reduce Jordan’s vitality, which means that he wanted to “sap” it from him. Although often thought to be derived from the notion of gathering a tree’s sap, it actually is derived from the idea of “sapping” as digging a canal to conceal oneself from an enemy, or even more remotely meaning to dig a ditch to undermine and destabilize the foundation of a building.

Example Question #457 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

With a cunning smile, Robert looked at the young man and said, “The statesman’s art is really a creative enterprise, an artisan’s affair, really. Taking the civic material given to us, we are charged with __________ a new political reality from existing social facts.”

Possible Answers:

fabricating

discerning

begetting

interpreting

recognizing

Correct answer:

fabricating

Explanation:

The key here is that the art is “creative,” meaning that we are looking for a word that indicates making—not merely discovering, discerning, or so forth. The word “fabricating” fits this usage. Although it has negative connotations often, it can also mean to construct from parts—here, the “existing social facts.”

Example Question #122 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

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

Although the family was relatively poor, Nathan’s parents wanted to do all that they could to __________ his latent musical talent by their positive reinforcement.

Possible Answers:

augment

rectify

increase

foster

multiply

Correct answer:

foster

Explanation:

To “foster” something is to encourage and nurture its development. Since Nathan’s talent is “latent,” it will need to be developed. The sense of the sentence focuses more upon the fostering than on the increase itself, as is indicated by the focus on “positive reinforcement.”

Example Question #458 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

In order to prevent the pending lawsuit against him, Lawrence decided to accept the numerous conditions __________ for him by the other party.

Possible Answers:

stipulated

delivered

announced

presented

withheld

Correct answer:

stipulated

Explanation:

If one "stipulates" something, they clearly demand a set of conditions for an agreement. Often in arguments, one will provide a “stipulative” definition, which is one that is set to have a specific meaning in order to make the argument clearer and more direct (without the nuances of potentially non-stipulated definitions). 

Example Question #451 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

After many days of clouds, the sunny weather immediately __________ the previously deadened spirits of the citizens of the small hamlet.

Possible Answers:

mollified

altered

brightened

vivified

recanted

Correct answer:

vivified

Explanation:

They key word to note is “deadened.” This helps us to avoid “brightened” (and even more so the much weaker “altered”). The weather brought the spirits of the citizens “back to life” from their deadened state; therefore, it “vivified” them.

This word comes from the Latin vivere, meaning “to live.” One can think of many related English words, for instance: survive, vivacious, revive.

Example Question #551 : Sentence Completions

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

The repetitive task required the workers to __________ over the same procedures all day, every day, without any alteration.

Possible Answers:

obsess

iterate

operate

struggle

labor

Correct answer:

iterate

Explanation:

The key here is the fact that the workers do the same procedures repetitively. Hence, the best choice is “iterate.”  This word is derived from Latin roots that mean again or to repeat

Example Question #681 : One Blank Sentences

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

The two connected, parallel processes needed to be strictly __________ so they would not deviate from their precisely related operations.

Possible Answers:

monitored

observed

modified

engineered

synchronized

Correct answer:

synchronized

Explanation:

Since the two processes are parallel and “precisely related,” they have to run with exactly the same timing; therefore, while many of the options are tempting, “synchronized” is the best.

This is derived from two familiar Greek words. “Syn” means together or with. It has many English derivatives like “synoptic”—seeing (=optic) together or in the same manner—and symphony. (The latter has also –phony, which comes from the Greek for “sound” and is found in words like “cacophony” and “telephone”). The “-chronized” portion of our word comes from the Greek for “time” and is reflected in words like “chronology” and “chronometer.”

Example Question #682 : One Blank Sentences

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

After expending fifteen cans of polish, the young man finally felt he had done what he could to __________ the dull old sousaphone.

Possible Answers:

repair

improve

ameliorate

burnish

rectify

Correct answer:

burnish

Explanation:

The key meaning for our term is that the young man had finished giving a shine to the instrument. Hence, he had burnished it by thus polishing it.

Example Question #683 : One Blank Sentences

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

The insurgents __________ all of the governmental power, replacing all the members of the legislature, judiciary, and executive branches with men of their own part.

Possible Answers:

conquered

destroyed

usurped

overthrew

decimated

Correct answer:

usurped

Explanation:

The key thing to note is that the insurgents not only overthrew the government but that they also replaced those in power. This means that they “usurped” it, a word that implies the taking over of a position or institution by force (not merely removing it from power, regardless of the new state after the overthrow). The word is distantly related to the base of many words regarding “use,” such as “utilize” and “peruse.”

Example Question #554 : Sentence Completions

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

Oswald’s future allegiance to the neighboring realm was __________ on the latter’s continued deliveries of spices to his trading ports. 

Possible Answers:

recalled

conditioned

decided

respected

considered

Correct answer:

conditioned

Explanation:

The implication of the sentence is that Oswald would retain the alliance so long as the neighboring realm continued its deliveries. Such an alliance has conditions set for its continuance. Hence, one can call it “conditional” or (here) “conditioned” (e.g. if they continue deliveries, then he will remain an ally).  

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