PSAT Critical Reading : Sentence Completions

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #1082 : One Blank Sentences

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

The __________ behavior of Mother Theresa is legendary; over the course of her lifetime she gained a reputation for extreme kindness, self-sacrifice, and generosity.

Possible Answers:

polarizing 

arrogant 

inaudible

holistic

magnanimous

Correct answer:

magnanimous

Explanation:

The second clause reveals that the first blank must describe how Mother Theresa’s behavior was kind and generous. The best answer choice is therefore magnanimous which means generous, high-minded, selfless and noble. Holistic refers to the consideration of all factors; inaudible describes something that cannot be heard; arrogant means cocky; polarizing means causes extreme division.

Example Question #442 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

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

The French Revolution was a(n) __________ occasion where the whole future of European society changed.

Possible Answers:

momentous

introspective

irrelevant

polarizing

dismissive

Correct answer:

momentous

Explanation:

The sentence suggests that the French Revolution changed the whole future changed the whole future of European society. It must have therefore been an important occasion. Of the answer choices momentous best captures the implied importance. Momentous means highly significant. Irrelevant means not important; polarizing means extremely divisive; dismissive means to not consider something; introspective means reflective.

Example Question #1101 : One Blank Sentences

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

The doctor was quite __________ in his praise of the patient for quitting smoking and losing weight; he spent five whole minutes congratulating him for his efforts to live a healthier lifestyle.

Possible Answers:

disparaging

verbose

esoteric

ambivalent

superficial

Correct answer:

verbose

Explanation:

"Verbose" means wordy or long-winded. We know that the doctor "spent five whole minutes congratulating [the patient]" on his lifestyle changes, so "verbose" best fits the context of the sentence and is the correct answer.

Example Question #1291 : Sentence Completion

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

Without the support of the congregation, the minister had to raise funds __________ for the new church building.

Possible Answers:

covertly

openly

holistically

ambivalently

bombastically

Correct answer:

covertly

Explanation:

Without the support of the congregation, the minister had to find new methods of fundraising. "Openly" and "bombastically" both make little sense with the sentence considering the congregation's lack of support. "Holistically" and "ambivalently" both communicate an inappropriate lack of resolve by the minister to be correct. "Covertly," meaning secretly, is the correct answer.

Example Question #992 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

In contrast to his mother’s grating and unmeasured voice, David’s grandmother’s voice had a markedly __________ character.

Possible Answers:

muted

euphonious

soft

elderly

faint

Correct answer:

euphonious

Explanation:

The opposition to note is that between the word to be chosen and the “grating and unmeasured voice” of David’s mother. In opposition to such an annoying voice, the best description of his grandmother’s voice would be “euphonious.” The word comes from Greek roots literally meaning “good sounding.” The prefix “eu-” can be found in “eulogy,” meaning “a good word (often spoken at a funeral) and “euphemism,” a type of word or expression that makes a more coarse expression seem less uncultured, for instance, the use of “to pass gas” for the crass word “to fart.” The “-phonious” portion means “sound.” It is found in words like “symphony,” meaning “sounding (often in the sense of ‘playing’) together” and “telephone.”

Example Question #995 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

The young boy’s __________ complexion alarmed his teacher, and she sent him to the school nurse to make sure he wasn’t coming down with the flu.

Possible Answers:

pallid

tenuous

terse

torrid

glowing

Correct answer:

pallid

Explanation:

A white or light color in one’s cheeks is a symptom of sickness or ill-health, and “pallid” most closely means a paleness, typically attributed to poor health or sickness. The correct answer choice is "pallid."

Example Question #1154 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

The author’s __________ output tended to overshadow the poor quality of the majority of his work.

Possible Answers:

infinitesimal

prodigious

meager

unimpressive

limited

Correct answer:

prodigious

Explanation:

Here the word “poor” indicates that the author is not very good; therefore, he must have written a good amount of material if it overshadows the quality of the material. Only "prodigious" means in a great amount.

Example Question #1 : Two Blank Sentences

At the end of the long line, the last two men spoke with irritation.  The __________ man was particularly __________, and continually voiced his annoyance to the man at the very end of the line.

Possible Answers:

agitated . . . annoying

malicious . . . retiring

penultimate . . . vexed

burly . . . bombastic

secondary . . . exasperated

Correct answer:

penultimate . . . vexed

Explanation:

The “penultimate” position is the second from last. If the two men talking are the last and the second from last, our speaking man is the “penultimate” man.  To be “annoyed” is to be vexed, a word derived from related Latin roots meaning to annoy and reflected in the related word “vexation.”

Example Question #1 : Two Blank Sentences

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

Desperate to __________ the results of the survey, which indicated that he was strongly disliked by the general public, the congressman attempted to __________ the company not to publish it.

Possible Answers:

galvanize . . . malign

mollify . . . disregard

suppress . . . induce

sustain . . . conceal

distract . . . suspend

Correct answer:

suppress . . . induce

Explanation:

That the survey on the congressman's popularity was negative provides a strong clue that his reaction would be negative. This matches his desire to suppress it, and "induce" is the only word that makes contextual sense for the latter portion of the sentence. So, the correct answer is "suppress . . . induce."

Example Question #2 : Context Clues In Two Blank Sentences

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

The __________ information he provided about his childhood wasn't necessary; he needed to be more __________ and spend less time talking about his past and more time talking about the deficiencies of the public school system.

Possible Answers:

extraneous . . . concise

articulate . . . dogmatic

obscure . . . erudite

cryptic . . . succinct

arbitrary . . . verbose

Correct answer:

extraneous . . . concise

Explanation:

The key to this question is the phrase "wasn't necessary," which indicates that he spoke about nonessential ("extraneous") information. Thus he needed to shorten his speech, or make it more "concise."

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