Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, and Connotation - ISEE Middle Level Verbal Reasoning

Due to her quirky way of dressing and the fact that she dances around the classroom, the English teacher is best described as eccentric or unconventional.

The best word to describe the dishes that are typically eaten at an American Thanksgiving dinner is conventional; certain dishes are conventionally or normally served.

We can tell by the sentence's context that we're looking for an adjective that means something like old. While both "elderly" and "obsolete" mean old, "elderly" refers to people, while "obsolete" specifically means out of date. Because "obsolete" fits the context of the sentence best in referring to technologies that are no longer used, it is the best answer.

Because she could barely fit through the door because of her hairstyle, we know that the queen's hairstyle was very large. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that is an adjective and a synonym of "large." While "largesse" may look like an obvious answer, "largesse" is not an adjective meaning "large" but a noun meaning "generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others." So, "largesse" cannot be the correct answer. "Egregious" may also sound like a potentially correct answer, but egregious is an adjective meaning "outstandingly bad" or "shocking." Neither of these meanings are similar to "large," so "egregious" cannot be the correct answer either. "Voluminous," an adjective meaning "occupying or containing much space; large in volume," is the correct answer because it is the only answer choice that means "large in volume."

Since we know that the snow leopard is rarely seen, we should pick out an answer choice that means something like rarely seen. While "sneaky" may look like the best answer choice, "elusive" is actually the better answer because while "sneaky" means sly, "elusive" means difficult to find. "Elusive" fits the context of the sentence better than "sneaky" does because the meaning of "elusive" involves being hard to find, so "elusive" is the correct answer.

We know that the actor missed some direction telling him to enter the scene, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "signal." While "summons" might seem like the correct answer, "cue" fits the context of the sentence better; while "summons" means "an authoritative or urgent call to someone to be present or to do something" or "an order to appear before a judge or magistrate, or the writ containing it," "cue" means "a thing said or done that serves as a signal to an actor or other performer to enter or to begin their speech or performance." Because "cue" best fits the theatrical context of the sentence, "cue" is the correct answer.

In this context, we are looking for a verb that would describe a miserable person's cry for help as it is cut off, which we notice by the dash at the end of the first quotation. Ran does not make sense, and laughed and exhalted are both the wrong tone. While stated is a perfectly reasonable answer grammatically speaking, it does not capture the moment as well as faltered, so that is the proper answer.

We can infer from the sentence's description of the movie's plot that it is probably gory, or "involves a lot of violence and bloodshed." While we can describe the moviegoers and theatre staff as "unlucky," "unlucky" does not describe the plot of the movie itself, so it cannot be the correct answer. The best answer is "gruesome," an adjective that means "causing repulsion or horror; grisly," or "extremely unpleasant."

We can infer from the sentence's context that we need to pick out a word that means something like "a short trip," because the biology class went to the local zoo but was back in time for lunch. All of the answer choices refer to different kinds of trips except for "itinerary," which means "a planned route or journey" or "a travel document recording these," so it is not the correct answer. "Odyssey" refers to a very long journey, so it cannot be the correct answer either, and neither can "vacation," because we can infer that the trip took place as a field trip during school hours. While "errand" refers to a short trip, it specifically means "a short journey undertaken in order to deliver or collect something, often on someone else's behalf"; that wouldn't fit the sentence's meaning, so "errand" cannot be the correct answer. "Excursion," a noun that means "a short journey or trip, especially one engaged in as a leisure activity," is the best answer choice for the sentence's context, so it is the correct answer.

We can infer from the sentence's context that we need to pick out a word that means something like "a crowd of people," specifically one that might follow a movie star around. While "crowded" might look like an obvious answer, "crowded" is an adjective, not a noun, so it can't be the correct answer. "Pack" refers to a group, but specifically "a group of wild animals, especially wolves, living and hunting together," so "pack" can't be the correct answer either. "Line" refers to a group of people, but doesn't make much sense in the sentence's context (following a movie star around), so "line" isn't the correct answer either. The best answer choice is "entourage," a noun that means "a group of people attending or surrounding an important person."

We can infer that we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "special" because the sandwich our word will describe comes with extra toppings compared to the "regular sandwich." "Hungry" might look like a potentially correct answer because of the sentence's culinary context, but since it wouldn't make sense to describe a sandwich as being "hungry," "hungry" cannot be the correct answer. "Deluxe," however, is an adjective that means "luxurious or sumptuous; of a superior kind," and because "deluxe" best describes the sandwich that comes with extra toppings, "deluxe" is the correct answer.

We can infer that because the shoppers were "running between stores in a frenzy to find good deals," they must have been hurrying around the mall. So, we need to pick out a verb to describe the shoppers' movements that means something like "hurried." "Strolled" cannot be the correct answer, then, because while strolled describes a kind of movement, "strolled" means "walked in a leisurely way," and the shoppers are not "walking in a leisurely way" because they are "running between stores in a frenzy to find good deals." "Bustled," however, means "moved or went in a busy or hurried way," and because it is the answer choice that best conveys the shoppers' hurry, "bustled" is the correct answer.

We can infer that whichever adjective goes in the blank, it needs to describe the mansion described when the sentence says, "its windows were broken and dusty, its roof missing most of its tiles, and it looked as if the entire building might come crashing down around anyone who entered." So, we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "run-down" to describe the building. "Well-maintained," then, cannot be the correct answer because the building is clearly not well-maintained if Harry is concerned about it "\[coming\] crashing down." "Derelict," however, is an adjective that can mean "in a very poor condition as a result of disuse and neglect," and because "derelict" best describes the building described in the sentence, "derelict" is the correct answer.

We can infer that because Jim is "always tripping over uneven portions of the sidewalk," he probably drags his feet. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "walk while dragging one's feet." "Marching" may seem like a potentially correct answer, but "marching" means "walk in a military manner with a regular measured tread," and doesn't make sense in the blank as explaining why Jim trips over uneven portions of the sidewalk. "Shuffling," however, is a verb that can mean "slide one's feet along the ground or back and forth without lifting them completely," and because "shuffling" best fits the context of the sentence, "shuffling" is the correct answer.

In this case, "versatile" means multitalented or able to do many things. If Karen has extensive training in several different genres of dance, she is a versatile dancer. While she might be a gifted dancer, that answer choice implies innate talent rather than the versatility extensive training would provide.

This sentence starts with the word "though," and since the blank comes after the comma, we know the answer will contradict the first part of the sentence. "Meager" means small, and because "meager" is the word that most correctly completes the sentence, "meager" is the correct answer.

"Seeming to go on forever" is the clue in this sentence. The word that most closely means "seeming to go on forever" is "vast," which means immense, so "vast" is the correct answer.

One might be tempted to pick "limber," which means flexible. But nothing in this sentence indicates the athlete is flexible. The sentence does tell us that the athlete "completed the obstacle course more quickly than anyone at his school had done so before," however, so we know that the athlete is fast. "Nimble," which means quick, best describes the athlete, so "nimble" is the correct answer.

From the context of the sentence, you can infer that Steve would be likely to travel slowly to his friend's house; the sentence tells you he "was in no hurry." The answer choice that best captures this slow movement is “amble,” which means walk slowly. To help you, "sprint" means run quickly, and "allay" means calm or diminish and is usually used in the sense of allaying someone's fears or concerns.