Sentence Completions: Adjectives and Adverbs - ISEE Middle Level Verbal Reasoning

Because the professor was old and his wording (his “terminology”) confused his students, you may infer that the correct answer is “antiquated,” which means old-fashioned, out-of-date, or ancient. “Eloquent” means well-spoken; “futile” means pointless; “minuscule” means very small; and “paltry” means insufficient in amount.

"Indolent" means lazy; “transitory” means fleeting and temporary; “rustic” means old-fashioned and quaint; and "offensive" means causing others to feel slighted and angry. It seems unlikely that an indolent or offensive speech would be fire people up and be well received by critics, and "rustic" and "transitory" don't really relate to speeches. The correct answer must therefore be “eloquent,” which means well-spoken.

Because the disapproval is described as "universal," the correct answer must be “unanimous”; this means agreed upon by everyone. “Wavering” and “oscillating” both mean moving from one side to the other, or inconsistent; “enamored” means in love with; and “hypnotizing” means inducing a trance or mesmerizing.

The sentence tells you that the boy did not have enough calcium; this suggests that his diet was “deficient” in calcium. “Deficient” means lacking in some way. “Defiant” means resolute and not giving in to obstacles; “aghast” means shocked; “ruthless” means not showing mercy, not stopping an attack, or very aggressive; and “restless” means full of energy and unable to rest.

Of these five answer choices, only “devout” makes sense to describe a man about whom we are only told "pray\[s\] several times a day to his gods." “Devout” means fully committed, or more specifically, pious and having deep religious commitment. “Unorthodox” means unconventional or going against established religious doctrine; “heretical” means holding prohibited religious beliefs; and “blasphemous” and “sacrilegious” both mean profane and impious.

The fact that the army killed without discrimination and looted randomly suggests that their acts of destruction were “wanton.” The key word in the sentence in picking out the answer is "random," because this is essentially what “wanton” means. “Benevolent” means good-natured and kind; “pompous” means full of self-importance; “sage” means wise; and “defensible” means able to be defended.

The love of English culture makes someone “Anglophile.” "Anglo_-" means English, and "-_phile" means lover of. “Philosophical” means lover of wisdom and deep thinking or having to do with figuring out large truths about the world, often by deduction; “whimsical” means quirky, silly, and unusual; “irrational” means not rational, or in other words, based on illogical beliefs; and “jovial” means cheerful and merry.

Someone who is inconsistent and always changing his or her mind is called “fickle.” “Reckless” means behaving and acting without caution or dangerous; “constant” means not changing; “persistent” means dedicated or willing to keep trying to make something work; and “sustained” means long-lasting.

Someone who is motionless could be described as “inert.” Because the old woman has not moved for several days, she could be called “inert.” “Dynamic” means the opposite of “inert”; it means full of energy and active; “literate” means able to read; “rakish” means charming, dashing, and handsome; “presumptuous” means overconfident and making arrogant assumptions.

“Sagacious” is another word for wise, and someone who is full of wisdom is called “sage.” As for the other answer choices, “hostile” means aggressive; “bellicose” means aggressive and warlike; “abrasive” means rude and aggressive; and “rancorous” means bitter and hateful. These words are all loose synonyms.

Because the subject ended up without friends, but was trying to be cool, we might infer he was acting distant, detached, and disinterested in others. This is the meaning of the word “aloof.” “Gregarious,” “outgoing,” “convivial,” and “genial” all means sociable and friendly. They are antonyms of “aloof."

It makes sense that you would feel safe if your house was next to a police station and a hospital, so the correct answer is “adjacent.” “Detached” means not connected to or not attached to; “incongruous” means inappropriate or out of place; “lenient” means tolerant or not strict; and “opulent” means luxurious or rich and showy.

Since Jennifer reads frequently and with enthusiasm, she is best described as an avid or devoted reader.

When two things are matching or in agreement, we say that they are "congruent." The opposite of this is "incongruent." The context of the sentence tells us that the politicians never agree with one another, so their ideals must be "incongruent."

In this statement, the best answer choice is that the lake water is opaque. The key to this question is that she cannot see the bottom of the lake.

The key to this question is noting that Joe ran in high heat and was out of shape before undertaking a lengthy run of five miles. Thus, the run was presumably excruciating or painful.

Since he got a rejection letter from his first-choice college, Tom was presumably miserable and sad. Thus, another way to express his gloom is to say he was melancholy after receiving the news.

Since the membrane allows liquids and molcules to pass through it, the membrane must have gaps and therefore be porous.

The sentence demonstrates how Rebecca is so gullible, or easily fooled, to the point that she believes even radically incorrect statements.