Text Completion - GRE Verbal

The key word is in the second sentence is "err." It might be tempting for that reason to consider "error" or "mistake," but we are provided a specific type of error, namely a grammatical one: "solecism" matches the intended meaning most closely.

The first sentence leaves our meaning so general that any of the terms might fit (though the case for "gusto" is particularly weak). The second sentence gives us a much better limiting factor, namely, the beauty of his form as a swordsman. In this case, we are more concerned with form than brute strength or anything similar; therefore, while perhaps "celerity" or "ability" might distantly apply, "finesse" captures the ballet-like beauty most directly.

The man's paranoia about fires means he would find a way to deal with a fire everywhere. The correct answer will describe a method to handle a fire. "Egress," meaning an exit, is the correct answer choice.

The phrase "in a righteous cause" is the best key to finding the correct answer. The missing word needs to reflect the "righteous cause" appropriately. "Hallowed," meaning consecrated or made holy, is the best fit.

The plaintiffs have just heard they were victorious in court. Such news inspires a good deal of happiness. "Jubilant," meaning ecstatic and delighted, is the correct answer.

The sentence outright states the media outlets were "reporting the same story." The correct answer will indicate the media was telling the same story. "Consensus," meaning a general or widespread agreement, is the best fit.

The professor is keeping his grading process a mystery. "Alchemy," a form of medievel chemistry that is often used metaphorically to mean mystery or magic, is the correct answer.

The missing word is elaborated on by the phrase "visited holy shrines regularly." The correct answer needs to indicate the woman was extremely religious, the definition of "pious."

The phrase "leaving the window open" does not indicate an active deed or intentional action. The correct answer will indicate the roomate's inaction. "Negligence," meaning carelessness or inattention, is the best choice among the answers.

The trash had essentially found a permanent home in the man's backseat, and the correct answer will indicate that. "Receptacle," meaning container or vessel, is the best answer choice.

The key phrase in the sentence is "human contact." The correct answer needs to relate to "human contact" in some way. "Tactile," meaning related to the sense of touch, is the best fit.

Through the context, you can tell that the blank will need to be filled with a negative word, as the pairing of "end of racism" and "however," as well as the mention of the "rise of xenophobia" leading to the blank implies that the word in the blank must mean some sort of hatred. This means that "altruism" (concern for the condition of other people above one's own) is out, as is "chicanery" (trickery), as both have nothing to do with phobias, racism, or the like.

That leaves "anathema," "dislike," and "enmity." While "anathema" is associated with strong hatred, it actually describes the object, and not the attitudes of the people towards that object directly, so that can be thrown out through context. And while "dislike" works in the sentence, it doesn't have a very strong negative connotation, so pairing it with racism doesn't seem quite right. That leaves the correct answer, "enmity," as the only answer with the correct meaning AND connotation.

From the sentence, you can deduce that Laura's ultimate goal with her retorts is to get rid of the strange man talking to her, but she doesn't succeed until she changes tactics. Therefore, "amend" (improve) does not fit the context. And while the other for words are meant to lessen and/or stop the advances to various extents—"attenuate" (diminish), "palliate" (soothe), "discourage" (persuade not to do something), and "halt" (stop)—it is only the word with the strongest connotation, "halt," that matches the notion of "getting rid of for good." Thus, "halt" is the correct answer.

The superstar's actions when questioned made the media believe that she lied. Therefore, "duplicities" (lies) doesn't fit, as it's too strong for what amounts to suspicion. "Imitations" (copies) also doesn't work on a definition basis. We're left with "canards" (rumors with no basis), "articulations" (things that are said), and "prevarications" (indirect answers to a question allowing one to avoid telling the truth).

While "articulations" could work, as her words could be leading the media to believe she is lying, it is not nearly as specific as the other two words. And while "canards" could also work, as her spoken rumors could lead them to believe she's lying, it's not as specific as "prevarications," which is directly related to lines of questioning. Thus, "prevarications" is the correct answer.

A tried-and-true approach to text completion questions is the process of elimination approach: get rid of answer choices first due to their definitions, then due to their connotations and intensities. On many questions, just the first part of the process will suffice, though on some, like this one, you will have to consider connotations as well.

First, we can get rid of "wandering" (traveling aimlessly) because the word doesn't make much sense in context. Then, we're left with "flabbergasted," "bewildered," "bemused," and "disbelieving," which all express some level of shock and/or confusion, an emotion that makes sense if a book's sequel is announced fifty years after it was published.

However, it is here that you must pay special attention to context clues. The sentence explicitly states that "no one expected" the sequel, but says nothing about anyone being confused, caught off guard, or the like. There is simply surprise. Thus, the words that imply confusion—"bewildered" and "bemused"—can be thrown out. The sentence also doesn't explicitly state anything about skepticism, which "disbelieving" implies, at the very least. Thus, we are left with "flabbergasted," which is the correct answer.

You are looking for an adjective that would describe how a pillow might irritate someone’s face and make their flight "vexatious," or unpleasant. "Abrasive" means rough, coarse, or harsh, so is the only answer choice that fits the context of the sentence.

The sentence conveys the idea is that LaRhette does not have too big of a problem with long commutes, but it also suggests that she is happy that she does not have to undertake long commutes anymore. Thus "averse," meaning opposed, and "indisposed," meaning unwilling, do not work at all in the sentence's context. "Agreeable," meaning willing, or "inclined," meaning leaning towards, could each work; however, since it seems that she prefers her now-shorter commute, even though she was used to longer commutes, "inured," meaning accustomed to, makes the most sense, because it doesn't convey as much of a positive view of LaRhette's previous, longer commute.

The sentence indicates the quality of the performance was such that people wondered "if he was even trying." This means the correct answer will show his performance was not good. "Abysmal," meaning extremely bad, is the best fit among the answers.

The band's music is "highly inappropriate for mainstream radio." The correct answer must reflect a sense of horribleness or offensiveness. "Noisome," meaning disgusting or repugnant, is the best answer choice.

"Voluble" and "loquacious" both mean talkative, which is probably not the case with this child. The child might be "irritable," meaning easily angered, or "desolate," meaning depressed. But "reticent," meaning silent makes more sense because the child is shy but has no reason to be angered or saddened.