GRE Verbal : Parts of Speech in Three-Blank Texts

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 :Text Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Some people's views are quite__________; such individuals question the__________mores of their community and looking to__________them through revolution.

Possible Answers:

benevolent . . . dated . . . transform

iconoclastic . . . accepted . . . overthrow

progressive . . . pedantic . . . reform

malevolent . . . prescriptive . . . revise

libertarian . . . malignant . . . mar

Correct answer:

iconoclastic . . . accepted . . . overthrow

Explanation:

Several points help to make this sentence clear. The "mores" of a society are its general customs. This word is related to "morals," though "morals" has a greater ethical content in its notion than does "mores." Secondly, the fact that such people are looking to do something "through revolution" implies that they are not undertaking their actions through peaceful means. This helps us to eliminate the options for the third blank that are too "calm" and reform-minded (as opposed to openly revolutionary). Hence, "overthrow" is excellent. Such people are likely questioning the accepted mores of the community. In a way, "accepted mores" is a bit redundant, but the expression does help to stress the fact that these revolutionaries are acting against the established order of things. Such people who wish to "tear down" the accepted order are called "iconoclastic." An "icon" is a likeness or image. The word "icono-clast" literally meansthe breaker of an icon.(This comes, in part, from a position in the Christian community that wished to destroy all images.) In general, "iconoclastic" signifies the outlook that would destroy or uproot established institutions.

Example Question #12 :Text Completion

The ancient professor__________on and on during his lecture, only pausing__________for a__________gl一个ce at the class, silently discouraging class engagement.

Possible Answers:

Ensconced . . . Haughtily . . . Impolitic

Droned . . . Intermittently . . . Perfunctory

Lampooned . . . Restlessly . . . Amiable

Prattled . . . Consistently . . . Nervous

Rambled . . . Aggressively . . . Mournful

Correct answer:

Droned . . . Intermittently . . . Perfunctory

Explanation:

You are told that the professor is very old and that whatever action he is doing he goes "on and on." Because he is giving a lecture it makes sense that he is speaking, and from context you can infer it is a word that meansspeaking in a long-winded and boring fashion.The correct answer is therefore "droned," although "rambled" and "prattled" could also be acceptable answers as these words have similar meanings. Additionally, you are told that the professor "only paused" meaning the adjective used to describe his pauses is most likely something likeoccasionally.The correct answer is therefore "intermittently." Finally, the professor gives a glance to his students. The word "glance" suggests a quick look so the correct answer is "perfunctory" which meansquick, brief, and cursory.To provide additional help, "ensconced" meanshidden, settled; "haughtily" meansdone with arrogance; "impolitic" meansnot polite; "mournful" meansfull of sadness; "lampooned" meansmocked; "amiable" meansfriendly and sociable

Example Question #13 :Text Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The mischievous boy tried to__________his smug,__________grin, but seeing the hilarious results of his prank only served to__________his smile.

Possible Answers:

Amplify . . . Cantankerous . . . Diminish

Stifle . . . Complacent . . . Augment

Remedy . . . Contentious . . . Admonish

Enhance . . . Serene . . . Demonize

Antagonize . . . Whimsical . . . Harmonize

Correct answer:

Stifle . . . Complacent . . . Augment

Explanation:

You are told that the boy is "mischievous" and pulled a prank. The conjunction "but" is also a relevant clue to the context of the sentence. From this information you can infer that the boy would want tohideorconcealhis grin so as not to give away the prank. The correct answer is therefore "stifle." The word "but" suggests that the boy's attempts to "stifle" his grin were not successful, so the correct answer must be that his smile wasenhancedor "augmented" by seeing his prank unfold. To provide additional help, "complacent" meanslazy, careless; "amplify" meansenhance; "diminish" meanstake away from, reduce in importance; "cantankerous" meansgrumpy; "serene" meanspeaceful; "demonize" meansportray as evil; "remedy" meansfix; "harmonize" meanscoordinate, make something fit with something else; "whimsical" meanssilly or quirky; "antagonize" means一个noy, make angry; "contentious" meansdebatable; "admonish" meanschastise, tell off

Example Question #11 :Text Completion

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted into the sentence, best completes the sentence.

The young man was very insecure and therefore accomplished all of his tasks with great__________.He did not want to seem__________to any of the managers, for he feared losing his job because of an apparent__________of spirit.

Possible Answers:

demeanor . . . recalcitrant . . . rancid

alacrity . . . immature . . . lucidity

profundity . . . shallow . . . notoriety

sagacity . . . uninformed . . . dullness

celerity . . . languid . . . deficit

Correct answer:

celerity . . . languid . . . deficit

Explanation:

The most tempting wrong answer is the one that has "alacrity" as its first element. The second sentence, upon filling in the blanks without looking at the answers, clearly indicates that the young man did not wish to seem to have a lack of energy; however, the remaining content for "alacrity . . ." doesn't make sense in this context.

The key word that might cause problems in the correct answer set is "celerity." The word comes from the Latin base "celeriter," meaningquickly, rapidly,等等。相关词汇在英语中是“加速rate" and "decelerate." The second and third words in this set match the sense of opposition evoked between the sentences, even if "deficit" does not seems like a word that would normally be chosen.

Example Question #1 :Nouns And Adjectives Or Adverbs In Three Blank Texts

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted into the sentence, best completes the sentence.

The presidential candidate slammed his hand on the lectern many times during the course of his speech. Between his wild一个dstyle, it would have been better to call this event athan a political address.

Possible Answers:

mannerisms . . . limpid . . . discourse

demeanor . . . addled . . . rant

gesticulations . . . bombastic . . . tirade

gl一个ces . . . desultory . . . confusion

heckling . . . overwrought . . . comedy

Correct answer:

gesticulations . . . bombastic . . . tirade

Explanation:

The two most tempting answers are "gesticulations . . . bombastic . . . tirade" and "demeanor . . . addled . . . rant." Two points help to make the final determination. First, the sentence clearly notes the candidate's hand motions. This at least works in favor of the set containing "gesticulations" (hand movements). Furthermore, "addled" meansconfused, but "rant" indicates an一个gry speech; therefore, the match between the second and third term is tenuous at best. "Bombastic" and "tirade" particularly work well, giving us the correct answer.

Example Question #16 :Text Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Everyone was surprised when the corporal, normally a__________woman, not only spoke up in the meeting, but had the__________to tell the five-star general to his face that his last order had been__________, issued in the heat of the moment without first considering later repercussions.

Possible Answers:

garrulous . . . sagacity . . . meticulous

obsequious . . . volatility . . . banal

taciturn . . . audacity . . . impetuous

laconic . . . presumption . . . pragmatic

reticent . . . dogmatism . . . sanctioned

Correct answer:

taciturn . . . audacity . . . impetuous

Explanation:

We know that "everyone was surprised" that the corporal "spoke up in the meeting," so for the first blank, we need an adjective that describes her normally quiet personality. Possible options include "taciturn," "laconic," and "reticent." For the second blank, we need a noun that describes the corporal critiquing the general. Of our remaining choices—"audacity," "presumption," and "dogmatism"—the first two choices fit the bill. For the last blank, we know that the general's order was given without much forethought, and need an adjective that describes this. Between "impetuous" (acting or done thoughtlessly or carelessly) and "pragmatic," (dealing with things practically and seriously) "impetuous" is the clear choice, making the answer to the question "taciturn . . . audacious . . . impetuous."

Example Question #17 :Text Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Frances believed that the meeting was__________; a__________of factors enabled her and her new partner to finish the project with great__________, unexpectedly finishing three weeks ahead of schedule.

Possible Answers:

tedious . . . predestination . . . concomitance

providential . . . constellation . . . celerity

planned . . . dissipation . . . sagacity

florid . . . vector . . . turgidity

fawning . . . congeries . . . amazement

Correct answer:

providential . . . constellation . . . celerity

Explanation:

The easiest blank for this question is the final one. Since Frances finished ahead of schedule, she was able to work with speed. "Celerity" means米的速度oving一个d functions well in this sentence as well. It is related to "accelerate," which meansto increase speed.This seems to have been an unexpected meeting with positive outcomes. Such fortuitous events are often called "providential" from the older theological notion of divine foreknowledge and ordering of the world. This meeting led to a gathering of helpful factors. Such a gathering is called a "constellation"—just like the stars that are gathered together. (Indeed, "constellation" leterally meansstars that are together.看到根“斯特拉——”中找到“恒星”。)

Example Question #18 :Text Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Harvey believed that it was a__________maxim that one should listen to one’s__________, for all such people were not merely geriatric products of a former age but were indeed the__________heirs of much experience.

Possible Answers:

pedantic . . . subordinates . . . forgers

universal . . . elders . . . sagacious

dubious . . . seniors . . . belligerent

proverbial . . . superiors . . . famous

placating . . . agents . . . appreciable

Correct answer:

universal . . . elders . . . sagacious

Explanation:

The best two clues in this sentence are "all" and "geriatric." The latter adjective describes people who are elderly. (Think of a "geriatric nurse" who cares for the elderly.) Thus, the people in question are "elders." This is slightly better than "seniors." Also, "seniors" is paired with words that do not work for this sentence. Since "all" such people are experienced, it is understandable that Harvey believed that they were universally (or everywhere and by everyone) believed to be worthy of being heard. Finally, be the recipients of experience would make one wise. To be "sagacious" is to have such wisdom. (Think of the related word "sage," meaninga wise person.)

Example Question #19 :Text Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The new scientific__________presented a complete__________, accounting even for the most__________details in addition to many macroscopic phenomena, though the final certainty of the system remained to be determined.

Possible Answers:

invention . . . solution . . . intricate

inquest . . . schematization . . . staggering

undertaking . . . outline . . . jejune

theory . . . ontology . . . minute

discovery . . . scope . . . distant

Correct answer:

theory . . . ontology . . . minute

Explanation:

The easiest blank in this question is the final one. There is a contrast between "macroscopic" and the third blank. Phenomena that are "macroscopic" are large enough to be seen with the unaided eye—with no instruments. In contrast to this, something "minute" is small—like miniature or the prefix "mini-." (Note, the word is pronounced "my-noot." This might help you to memorize it and not confuse it with the measurement of time, "minute.")

The first blank is relatively easy to fill in as well. Since the "final certainty of the system remained to be determined," this meant that the scientific discovery was not complete. A "theory" is a conjectural explanation, not necessarily complete. This is the best first choice. Finally, since this theory attempts to provide all of the details of the world—from top to bottom (or, better, from little to big)—it provides a complete "ontology"—that is, a complete theory of "being."

Example Question #20 :Text Completion

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Even though many small towns are at most fifty miles from__________centers of city life, they can be quite__________, often lacking even general__________for the cultural offerings found in such lively cities.

Possible Answers:

redundant . . . fatuous . . . awareness

vibrant . . . insular . . . appreciation

redoubtable . . . remarkable . . . mediation

heinous . . . hackneyed . . . regard

aesthetic . . . acculturated . . . plasticity

Correct answer:

vibrant . . . insular . . . appreciation

Explanation:

The first blank is perhaps the most easily completed. It uses the adjective "lively" as its main clue. The only really tempting wrong answer would be "aesthetic," meaningdealing with or pertaining to the arts; however, that is a bit too specific for the general remark about "cultural offerings." Therefore, since we know that the cities are "lively," we can also say that they are "vibrant." The small towns seem to lack appreciation for these sorts of matters—hence, the third blank's answer. To have such a lack of appreciation implies a lack of culture. For this, the word "insular" works well, for it meansisolated and disinterested in new cultural knowledge.It comes from the Latin for "island." Insular people are like people on an island away from the rest of the world.

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