All GRE Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 :Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
The priest's__________was widely condemned by the more traditional__________.
orthodoxy . . . paragons
laxity . . . archetypes
heresy . . . prelates
debility . . . braggarts
brevity . . . sluggards
heresy . . . prelates
The fact the subject is a "priest" is a good clue that the correct answers will relate in some way to religious offices and structures. "Heresy,"an opinion against orthodoxy,and "prelates,"religious authorities,fit the sentence best.
Example Question #2 :Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Although a dictator, many people saw his rule as a welcome__________from the__________of the country's civil wars.
alibi . . . harmony
egress . . . euphony
restorative . . . lucidity
respite . . . anarchy
discordance . . . chaos
respite . . . anarchy
The country has been suffering form civil wars that the "dictator" ended. This means "his rule" wasa break,or "respite," fromthe lack of government authority, or "anarchy," of "the country's civil wars."
Example Question #3 :Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Not at all a(an)__________, the prolific cockroach is a(an)__________to bug phobics worldwide.
anomaly . . . infatuation
anomaly . . . anathema
normality . . . anathema
normality . . . infatuation
standard . . . yearning
anomaly . . . anathema
Anomaly—something that is abnormal or incongruous
Anathema—a loathed or detested thing
Cockroaches are prolific around the world and a person who is afraid of bugs would not want them around.
Example Question #4 :Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Becoming a professional classical pianist requires not only superior manual__________但也是一个交货treme level of musical__________in interpreting the note phrases in each piece.
probity . . . churlishness
dispatch . . . epistemology
dexterity . . . virtuosity
vigor . . . hardiness
fluidity . . . effrontery
dexterity . . . virtuosity
This sentence describes the prerequisites of being a classical pianist, making reference to something having to do with the musician's hands, and something to do with his or her approach to music. Of the five options, "probity" meanshonesty or fairnessand is not used to describe hands. "Dispatch" meansspeed, but in the sense of traveling speed ("moving with great dispatch"), not in the sense of playing quickly.
"Vigor" meansenergy or livelinessand might work, but it is not used in conjunction with the word "manual," as it usually refers to the whole of the body and not a part.
That leaves "dexterity" and "fluidity" as the two possible traits of a pianist's hands, both of which are possible. But "effrontery" isimpudence, impertinence, or rudeness, none of which seem likely to describe how a musician interprets music, while "virtuosity" means have a高水平的艺术或成事实hment; therefore "dexterity . . . virtuosity" is the correct answer.
Example Question #5 :Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The manager's__________the waitresses in his restaurant was so pronounced that one customer accused him of being a(n)__________.
antipathy toward . . . misogynist
castigation of . . . iconoclast
deference to . . . philanthropist
support of . . . suffragist
aggrandizement of . . . tyro
antipathy toward . . . misogynist
We know that the words we're after will have negative connotations, since the customer "accuses" the manager of being something. Knowing this, we can eliminate the answer choices that include "support of," aggrandizement of," and "defference to."
We're then left with "castigation of" and "antipathy toward" as options for the first blank, and "iconoclast" and "misogynist" for the second. "Iconoclast" meansa person who criticizestraditions and/or traditional beliefs, so it doesn't fit in the sentence, while "misogynist" (hater of women) works perfectly, since the manager specifically does not like the female waitstaff in his restaurant. The correct answer is thus "antipathy toward . . . misogynist."
Example Question #6 :Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Antoine's gradual decision to embrace__________seemed natural and inoffensive to him, but he became a__________in his devoutly religious family.
philosophy . . . intellectual
quiescence . . . devotee
fundamentalism . . . star
monogamy . . . oddity
atheism . . . pariah
atheism . . . pariah
Antoine "embraced" something that he thought was harmless and inoffensive. The word "but" implies that the other people in the sentence, his family, did not agree. The description of the family as devoutly religious implies that this characteristic was central to their reason for not agreeing with Antoine and they regarded him negatively for doing this; therefore, the first word must be something that a devoutly religious family would be bothered by, and the second word must be a noun with a negative connotation.
Looking at the first word possibilities, the only ones that might fit are "atheism" and "philosophy," both pursuits that might cause issues with a devoutly religious family. Fundamentalism and monogamy are traits that would likely be regarded positively, and quiescence just means to be quiet or still—something very neutral that would be unlikely to cause much of a reaction from a religious family one way or another. Looking at the second word, we have the choice of "pariah," or outcast, and "intellectual," or thinker. Embracing philosophy might cause one to become a thinker, and a devoutly religious family might be suspicious of that, but there isn't really a strong enough connotation of negativity with "intellectual." "Pariah," on the other hand, indicates that Antoine's family essentially rejected him, and since atheism is a lack of belief in God, it fits that a devout family would reject a member who "embraced" this.
Example Question #7 :Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted into the sentence, best completes the sentence.
Little did the populace know, when they overthrew the brutal dictator and ushered in the__________, that their eventual new leader would be little more than a charismatic__________who ultimately proved a small improvement over the old regime.
ellipsis . . . haberdasher
libertine . . . raconteur
encomium . . . augur
intermission . . . statesman
interregnum . . . demagogue
interregnum . . . demagogue
An "interregnum" isa period between reigns or governments, while a "demogogue" isa person who achieves power through appeals to the mob. Most of the other choices are nonsensical in this sentence. "Intermission . . . statesman" might vaguely fit, but a statesman is generally regarded asa good leader, or at worst a neutral one, and an intermission isa break in time between performances or games, not governments.
Example Question #8 :Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
After many years of living as a __________, Henry decided to find a fixed _________ and cease his years of wandering.
carnie . . . location
tourist . . . apartment
vagabond . . . habitation
raconteur . . . citizenship
contractor . . . gradation
vagabond . . . habitation
From the context of the sentence, we can tell that Harry was living as a wandering person. While tourisimcould(广义)被认为是“徘徊”to see things, this is really a far stretch. The word "vagabond," however, literally does mean "a person who wanders around," often having no means of employment. This would well describe Harry's state. After these years of wandering, he wants to find somewhere to "settle down." That is, he wants to find a "homeplace" (of sorts, at least). The word "habitation" meansa living place, often implying fixity or stability.
Example Question #1 :Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Whether alone in their houses or gathered in a great__________, the citizens of the state had very little knowledge about the details pertaining to the overwhelming__________of global politics, with its many actors and numerous concerns.
multitude . . . complexity
quorum . . . dealings
polity . . . discussions
vanguard . . . meetings
legislature . . . corruption
multitude . . . complexity
The first blank is best known by the implied contrast with "alone." In contrast to being alone, one can be gathered in a group. A "multitude" isa large number of people or things together. It is clearly related to "multiply" and "multiple." All of these words come from the Latin meaning "many." The answer for the second blank is best figured out by looking to the subordinate clause beginning "with its many." This clause describes global politics as having many actors (that is, people doing things) and numerous concerns. The implication is that it is "complex."
Example Question #10 :Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Unfortunately, most people judge others based on__________; few look beyond external__________when choosing friends.
opinions . . . facts
feelings . . . emotions
integrity . . . character
qualities . . . abilities
appearances . . . features
appearances . . . features
Your clue words here are "unfortunately" and "external." "External" meanslocated or seen on the outside or surface of something. You are looking for two synonyms which primarily have to do with externality. So, the answer choice that makes the most sense in the sentence's context is "appearances . . . features." The other words all deal with more internal traits.