Context Clues in One-Blank Sentences - ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning

Based on the context of this sentence you are looking for a word that means something like intervene on behalf of, get involved to protect someone. The correct answer is therefore "intercede." To provide further help, "fetter" means to shackle, to tie-up; "prattle" means to talk foolishly at length; "adulterate" means to edit and make impure; "contaminate" means pollute.

The fact that the people who did not support the subject were impatient suggests that the subject was acting in a sluggish, unhurried, or slow fashion. The correct answer is therefore "dilatory" which means acting slowly, sluggish. To provide further help, "disconsolate" means dejected, feeling hopeless; "prodigious" means large, immense; "debonair" means suave and sophisticated; "unrepentant" means not apologetic.

You are told in this sentence that the author is describing an injustice in which an innocent man was convicted whilst another man walked free. Based on this context the other man was the guilty party, or the "culprit." To provide further help, a "pugilist" is a boxer, a fighter; a "devotee" is a committed fan; "guerilla" means rebel; "fallow" means left inactive, inactive soil.

You are told that there is a problem for which a solution has not yet been found. The use of the conjunction "but" provides a big clue as to the nature of the answer choice you are looking for. The word "irreparable" means unfixable, not able to be repaired. So, the problem is not yet "unfixable," but might become that way if progress is not made soon. To provide further help, "equivocal" means unclear, ambiguous; "supercilious" means arrogant and disdainful; "pejorative" means having a derogatory impact; "quiescent" means inactive, at rest.

Based on the context of this sentence it is clear that the underlined word must be a synonym of "wages" or "payment." So, the correct answer is "renumeration" which means money paid to someone for work. To provide further help, "chivalry" was a medieval code of conduct for knights emphasizing honor; a "buttress" is something that offers support; "dogma" is a set of principles or beliefs; "contrition" is the feeling of remorse or wanting to make amends.

In order for the woman to be change her mind and agree to help the man the argument he made must have been convincing, well-reasoned. The correct answer is therefore "cogent" which means (of an argument) reasonable and convincing. Additionally, "venal" means corrupt; "nominal" means insignificant, unimportant; "maudlin" means overly sentimental; "enigmatic" means mysterious, cryptic.

An “ignominy” is shame, disgrace, or humiliation, so because he suffered one final “ignominy” after death, we can infer that his tomb must have been “desecrated,” which means defiled, disrespected, or dishonored. “Absolved” means forgiven or removed blame from; “vitalized” means gave strength and energy to; and “secured” means fixed so something can’t be moved or assured the protection of.

The seriousness of the violations (multiple elements), and the sense of the violation, lead to a need for a word indicating seriousness and even extremity. "Just," "evenhanded," and "fair" are too positive, while "minor" does not convey the seriousness meant by the sentence.

The key word in this sentence is "plane." That simple context should lead you instantly to "hangar," which has the specific meaning of a building that houses planes.

The most important part of the sentence for finding the correct answer is the fact that the missing word bears little relation to the plot. The correct answer should indicate some kind of diversion from the main thrust of the novel. Of the answer choices, only "tangents," meaning unrelated diversions from the subject, has the appropriate sense.

An “arabesque” style painting is one with flowing lines. The word does indeed mean Arab-like (-esque), for it was believed to be derived in the West from Arab styles of art (which under Islamic influence would have lacked pictorial representation). The actual sources for such art are more complex, related to earlier Greek and Roman forms of ornamentation.

The people were brought into an entry room, which could be considered as the “fore-room” to the main meeting area. Such an area is called an “antechamber” because it comes before (=ante) the main chamber or room. The prefix “ante-” can be found in words like “anterior,” “antecedent,” and “antebellum;” (the last meaning _before a / the war—_often the American Civil War in our usage in the United States).

If two living things live together and (at least in a sense or to a degree) require each other for life, they have a “symbiotic” relationship. (It is possible to use the word merely to mean that they live in close proximity, though general usage often implies the advantageous nature of the relationship). The word comes from Greek roots. “Sym” (or “syn”) means together or “same” and is found in English words like “synonym,” “sympathy,” and “synagogue.” The “-biotic” portion comes from a root word meaning life, found in words like “biology,” “biopsy,” and “biography.”

If something is “anachronistic,” it does not really belong in its given time period. Sometimes, the adjective can merely mean that something is old-fashioned, but it often is used to indicate the situation when someone describes something in one time period according to the customs or historical contingencies of another period. The prefix “ana-” comes from the Greek preposition meaning “backward” (among other things). The familiar “-chronistic” comes from the Greek word for time and has familiar English derivatives (such as “chronological”).

The word “opus” is directly derived from the Latin word for work, and while its English usage often implies a musical work, it can more broadly indicate any artistic work, particularly one that is very large and involved. The word “opus” in Latin has a forms containing the base “oper-”, found in English words like “opera” and “operate.”

The key expression here is “focusing on every word . . .” This gives the sense of paying close attention to each word in the articles. The word “scrutinize” means to examine or inspect thoroughly, which captures this sense.

In contrast to the other words given as possible answers, being “despondent” implies lack of hope—not merely disappointment or emotional detachment. This is called for by the key phrase, “to the point of no longer hoping for . . .”

The key word to note is “holiness;” therefore, while all of the other options are potentially applicable, only “sanctification” fits most closely. It means the process of being made holy. The “-fication” is a standard ending, meaning to do or to make and is likewise found in forms like “-fact-” (factor), “-fic-” (artificer), “-fect” (perfect), or even “-fy” (sanctify). The root “sanct-” comes from the Latin sanctus meaning “holy.”

Beyond noting the resounding of the bells, the word “plangently” likewise carries with it the sense of sadness. If someone is “plaintive,” he or she sounds as though mourning.