PSAT Critical Reading : Sentence Completions
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Critical Reading
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Example Questions
Example Question #867 : Sentence Completion
The __________ soccer player returned to training after her third ACL surgery and difficult recovery.
restrained
wary
tenacious
opulent
impetuous
tenacious
Since this was her third surgery, the soccer player must be stubbornly persistent, or "tenacious" in returning to training once again after a difficult recovery.
Example Question #861 : One Blank Sentences
Many actors spend their entire lives chasing after the __________ high that is associated with being onstage in front of an audience.
jubilant
ephemeral
frugal
divergent
exemplary
ephemeral
"Ephemeral" works best here since a high is a temporary rush of euphoric emotions, which can only last so long before disappearing, making it temporary.
Example Question #862 : One Blank Sentences
The college freshman considered her dorm room very __________ after sharing a room with her three sisters all her life.
capacious
florid
frugal
enervating
arid
capacious
Because she had shared a room with her three sisters all her life, she was probably accustomed to a cramped and small living space. Thus, the dorm room must seem very large, or "capacious," to her.
Example Question #871 : One Blank Sentences
Once a boring part of town life, the town meeting was now __________ with tension after the high school controversy.
prosaic
fraught
reclusive
provacative
mundane
fraught
The best answer is "fraught," which means "filled with," and captures the transformation of the town meeting from boredom to tension.
Example Question #71 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
The seemingly __________ puppy never tired, even after several vigorous hours of play.
uninhibited
volatile
indefatigable
heretical
satirical
indefatigable
"Indefatigable" means incapable of being tired out, or never tired.
Example Question #671 : One Blank Sentences
Lewis and Clark are often regarded as the daring and __________ pair that explored the entire western United States.
rancorous
intrepid
inadvertent
benign
mercurial
intrepid
The fact that Lewis and Clark explored the entire western United States would make them “intrepid”—adventurous or fearless.
Example Question #71 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
The public was pleasantly surprised and relieved by their congresswoman’s speedy and __________ recovery from pneumonia.
resilient
inauspicious
exacerbated
superficial
incongruent
resilient
“Resilient” indicates a quick recovery from illness or adversity.
Example Question #701 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Most people were impressed with George’s grasp of __________ trivia, but Susan saw it as a mere parlor trick.
useful
arcane
common
significant
popular
arcane
George’s knowledge of trivia is not something that everyone knows, ruling out both "common" and "popular." Susan’s dismissal of George’s knowledge indicates that it is also not "significant" or "useful," so "arcane" is the correct answer.
Example Question #873 : One Blank Sentences
Becky's locker was __________—all of her papers were filed by date and class, all of her notes were color-coded, and there wasn't a speck of dust or piece of trash to be seen.
deprived
immaculate
humble
vulnerable
perfidious
immaculate
We're looking for an adjective that conveys how clean and organized Becky's locker is, so "immaculate," which means perfectly clean, neat, or tidy, is the best answer.
Example Question #871 : Sentence Completion
The story was published __________, so Wallace knew that contacting the author would be a challenging task, as no one knew who he or she was.
credulously
copiously
anonymously
evanescently
anomalously
anonymously
Since no one knows who wrote the story, we're looking for an adverb that describes something done in a way so as to have one's identity remain secret. While "anomalously" and "anonymously" sound extremely similar, they have very different meanings: "anomalously" means "done in a way that deviates from expectations or norms" and "anonymously" means "done in a way that does not identify someone by name." So, "anonymously" is the best answer choice.
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