PSAT Critical Reading : Two Adjectives or Adverbs in Two-Blank Sentences

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #31 :Two Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

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

Standing__________in the spotlight, the actress seemed__________to her audience; many thought she resembled an angel.

Possible Answers:

shrouded . . . heavenly

inspiringly . . . smug

brightly . . . demonic

luminously . . . ethereal

confidently . . . self-indulgent

Correct answer:

luminously . . . ethereal

Explanation:

"Luminous" meansbrightly shining, while "ethereal" meansotherworldlyorangelic.An actress standing in a spotlight would be extremely well-lit and would appear to be like an angel.

Example Question #2616 :Sat Critical Reading

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

Watching a film about a__________love affair between two people__________a romantic spark between Mary and Mark.

Possible Answers:

tragic . . . diverted

ardent . . . squelched

perverse . . . quashed

dull . . . bolstered

torrid . . . kindled

Correct answer:

torrid . . . kindled

Explanation:

“Torrid” meanspassionatewhen describing relationships andexcessively hotwhen describing climates or temperatures, and “kindle” meansstart a fireorstir up.A movie about a passionate love affair caused a romantic spark to stir between Mary and Mark. Although “ardent” meanspassionate, “squelched” meansextinguished, which doesn't make sense in the context of the sentence.

Example Question #2617 :Sat Critical Reading

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

The__________university had very __________ requirements for admission in order to maintain its prestige.

Possible Answers:

illustrious . . . stringent

eminent . . . malleable

empirical . . . rigorous

preeminent . . . insidious

abysmal . . . exacting

Correct answer:

illustrious . . . stringent

Explanation:

A prestigious school is well thought of and thus has difficult admissions barriers. Thus, both answers must reflect positively on the school; therefore "eminent . . . malleable" and "preeminent . . . insidious" can be removed on the basis of their negative and unstable admissions requirements. Assuming that admission is difficult because the prestigious school is of high caliber, the school could not be "abysmal." The last incorrect choice does not relate to positive or negative qualities of a university at all, in that "empirical" relates to data.

Example Question #2618 :Sat Critical Reading

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

The virus was so__________and deadly that it quickly spread throughout the entire country; in a matter of months, most of the major cities were__________

Possible Answers:

noxious . . . growing

caustic . . . expanding

benign . . . emptied

salutary . . . quarantined

virulent . . . depopulated

Correct answer:

virulent . . . depopulated

Explanation:

正确答案是指危险的性质of the virus ("virulent") as well as how the cities were adversely affected by it as a result ("depopulated"). The wrong answers only address one of these two; they either claim that the virus is helpful ("salutary") or not overly harmful ("benign") or that the cities were aided ("expanding" and "growing") by the virus.

Example Question #2619 :Sat Critical Reading

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

Because Frank wrote the book in the__________style he uses in his academic writing, the casual audience it was aimed at believed that it was unnecessarily__________

Possible Answers:

aureate . . . unembellished

unadorned . . . recondite

prosaic . . . complicated

highfalutin . . . arcane

grandiloquent . . . facile

Correct answer:

highfalutin . . . arcane

Explanation:

The correct answer points to the complex nature of the writing that the author usually uses in his academic writing ("highfalutin") and how it made it overly difficult for an average person to understand ("arcane"). The incorrect answers fail to work in both categories; either they assert that the writing is not highbrow ("prosaic" and "unadorned") or that the audience believes that the book is too simple ("unembellished" and "facile").

Example Question #238 :Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

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

The famous supermodel was considered stunningly__________, but Dave was more interested in the cute and_________girl next door.

Possible Answers:

inscrutable . . . awakened

redoubled . . . solicitous

corpulent . . . prompt

nefarious . . . lavish

pulchritudinous . . . comely

Correct answer:

pulchritudinous . . . comely

Explanation:

The use of the word “but” indicates that the meaning of the second word must be opposite, or at least different, to the meaning of the first word. You also know that the first blank must be a description of a stunning quality attributed to the famous supermodel, and that the second blank must be similar in meaning to cute. The word "pulchritudinous" refers togreat beauty, and "comely" is a synonym forcute."Corpulent" meansfat, and "prompt" meanson time; "inscrutable" meansmysterious; "nefarious" refers todoing evil, and "lavish" meansfancy or expensive; "redoubled" meansto increase, and "solicitous" meansto be concerned

Example Question #2301 :Psat Critical Reading

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

The__________investor had an__________record of success; his portfolio always made money.

Possible Answers:

meticulous . . . impecunious

shrewd . . . imperfect

canny . . . impeccable

dim-witted . . . irate

incompetent . . . exacerbating

Correct answer:

canny . . . impeccable

Explanation:

"Canny" meansshrewd and careful, while "impeccable" meansflawlessandexemplary.An investor with an always profitable portfolio would certainly be very shrewd.

Example Question #2621 :Sat Critical Reading

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

Although the army only recently had suffered its only defeat, the damage they suffered was so__________that they no longer had any delusions that they were__________

Possible Answers:

noteworthy . . . exceptional

forthright . . . supernal

devastating . . . marital

gory . . . pristine

extensive . . . invincible

Correct answer:

extensive . . . invincible

Explanation:

这句话最好的方法是考虑到der the options for the second word. The option “devastating, marital” might seem acceptable if you happen to let your eyes glide over the second word too quickly. The word “marital” is not “martial,” which would seem to be acceptable (meaning “pertaining to war”). Even if it were that word, it would still be unacceptable, but “devastating” does match well for the first blank, thus making it a tempting option. Do not be deceived! The best option is “extensive, invincible,” particularly given that the army apparently can no longer think that they cannot be defeated. Therefore, they cannot think themselves to be “invincible.”

Example Question #1701 :Sentence Completion

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

The__________terrorist refused to compromise on his demands; the__________stand-off left the authorities with few options.

Possible Answers:

ameliorated . . . tolerable

intransigent . . . intractable

amenable . . . unmanageable

satisfied . . . relieved

responsive . . . impossible

Correct answer:

intransigent . . . intractable

Explanation:

"Intransigent" meansrefusing to compromise,while "intractable" meansdifficult to manageorunmanageable.在他的deman拒绝妥协ds, the terrorist made the stand-off unmanageable for the authorities, taking away their options.

Example Question #382 :Two Blank Sentences

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

在the waning years of his life King Henry VIII, once a healthy and__________leader, became slovenly and__________

Possible Answers:

boorish . . . tempered

regal . . . corpulent

disdainful . . . wasteful

erratic . . . regressive

neglectful . . . meticulous

Correct answer:

regal . . . corpulent

Explanation:

This sentence provides several clues to help you identify the correct answer. Firstly, you know that the first blank must match the attitude of the word healthy and the second black must match the attitude of the word slovenly. Secondly, the second blank must be different (most likely opposite) in meaning to either healthy or the first blank. Erratic meansinconsistentand regressive meansreverting to a less developed condition.第二个空白可以适应,但冷杉t blank does not match with what we know about the sentence. Likewise, for boorish, which meansill-mannered, and tempered, which meansa measured response.If those two blanks were the other way around the sentence might work. Neglectful (failing to care for something) and meticulous (showing extreme care and precision) could also work if the blanks were the other way around. Disdainful (disrespectful) and wasteful are not opposites. That leaves regal and corpulent as the only possible answer. Regal refers to the condition ofroyaltyand fits comfortable with a description of a healthy King Henry VIII; corpulent describes someone who isfatand works well with the changing nature of King Henry’s health.

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