All SAT Critical Reading Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #51 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
In Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver comes upon a land where the people are __________; they are small in size compared to Gulliver, who has an average body size.
gargantuan
augmented
lilliputian
erroneous
prodigious
lilliputian
If something is "lilliputian" in size, it means that it is small. Since the people of the country are smaller than Gulliver, who is average size, this is the best answer.
Example Question #2072 : Sat Critical Reading
After staying up the entire night before the exam to study, Joe was __________ the next day.
lethargic
taciturn
emaciated
jocular
invigorated
lethargic
Since Joe pulled an all-nighter, he was presumably tired, or lethargic, the next day.
Example Question #651 : One Blank Sentences
The ice sculpture, floating island, and expensive party favors seemed __________ to the bride, who had wanted a small affair.
rancorous
ostentatious
perfidious
reverent
tactful
ostentatious
Since the bride had wanted a small wedding, the flaunting of wealth through the sculpture and party favors would have seemed "ostentatious."
Example Question #2071 : Sat Critical Reading
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The ancient king Asoka was famously __________, and for this reason he was often called upon to mediate in disputes between his subjects.
deplorable
condescending
impoverished
equitable
lackadaisical
equitable
From the context of the sentence, you know that King Asoka must have possessed some positive trait that caused people to come to him for help in settling disagreements. Of the five possible answer choices, only "equitable"(fair) describes a positive attribute when it comes to mediation. As for the other answer choices, "deplorable" means appalling or terrible; "condescending" means talking down to someone or being arrogant towards someone; "lackadaisical" means careless, apathetic, or lazy; and "impoverished" means very poor.
Example Question #652 : One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Marie Antoinette was __________ about her appearance; she once refused to meet the English Queen because she was worried that a single hair had gone grey.
fastidious
steadfast
cursory
vindictive
restrained
fastidious
From the context of this sentence, you know firstly that the blank word must describe some attitude taken by Marie Antoinette towards her appearance, and that it must relate to her worries about something small (the “single grey hair”). The word "fastidious" means concerned with making the smallest details perfect, and is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, "vindictive" means spiteful; "cursory" means done in a quick and superficial way; "restrained" means showing restraint; and "steadfast" means unwavering in resolve and firm of purpose.
Example Question #61 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The young prince was famously __________, often sulking and complaining for days at a time when he did not get his way.
vindictive
petulant
incessant
miserly
notorious
petulant
The way this sentence is constructed tells you that the missing word being used to describe the young Prince must relate to his frequent episodes of sulking and complaining. Of the five answer choices, "petulant," which means sulky or ill-tempered, most closely matches this description. As for the other answer choices, "miserly" means greedy or unwilling to share; "incessant" means constant; "notorious" refers to someone who is famous for the wrong reasons; and "vindictive" means looking for revenge or spiteful.
Example Question #2071 : Sat Critical Reading
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
John's teacher told him that he needed to cut down on the punctuation; there were __________ commas everywhere in his last essay.
superfluous
essential
exquisite
flatulent
dissonant
superfluous
"Superfluous" means excessive. We know from the first half of the sentence that John uses too much punctuation, so this is the correct choice. "Essential" and "exquisite" are both positive adjectives, so they don't work in this blank. "Flatulent" and "dissonant" simply don't make sense when describing commas.
Example Question #572 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
It is often difficult for historians to construct a(n) __________ narrative, as personal bias affects every individual.
rhetorical
whimsical
influential
verbose
dispassionate
dispassionate
The sentence reveals that it is difficult for a historian to construct a certain type of narrative because of the impact of bias; therefore, the word that goes in the blank must refer to the quality of being unbiased. "Dispassionate" means calmly objective or not influenced by personal feelings, so it is the best answer. As for the other answer choices, "whimsical" means quirky; "rhetorical" means relating to strategies of making language effective and persuasive; "verbose" means wordy; and "influential" means having influence or important.
Example Question #2076 : Sat Critical Reading
The unlabelled milk proved to be so __________ that I had a stomachache for the rest of the day after cleaning out the refrigerator.
monstrous
knotty
noxious
unsatisfactory
counterfeit
noxious
The answer is "noxious" since the subject of the sentence got a stomachache after coming in contact with the "harmful and toxic" milk.
Example Question #65 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
The colors were faded, the performers seemed tired, and the music played on a repetitive loop; on the whole, it was a rather __________ performance.
fastidious
pretentious
lucrative
feasible
lackluster
lackluster
Lackluster is correct because it means dull or lacking in brilliance. We know from the first part of the sentence that the blank should contain a negative adjective, so feasible and lucrative don't work. Pretentious describes something or someone who wants to be regarded as impressive, and fastidious describes a person who is careful and meticulous. Neither describe a falling-apart performance.