All PSAT Critical Reading Resources
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.
shrouded . . . heavenly
inspiringly . . . smug
brightly . . . demonic
luminously . . . ethereal
confidently . . . self-indulgent
luminously . . . ethereal
"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.
tragic . . . diverted
ardent . . . squelched
perverse . . . quashed
dull . . . bolstered
torrid . . . kindled
torrid . . . kindled
“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.
illustrious . . . stringent
eminent . . . malleable
empirical . . . rigorous
preeminent . . . insidious
abysmal . . . exacting
illustrious . . . stringent
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__________.
noxious . . . growing
caustic . . . expanding
benign . . . emptied
salutary . . . quarantined
virulent . . . depopulated
virulent . . . depopulated
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__________.
aureate . . . unembellished
unadorned . . . recondite
prosaic . . . complicated
highfalutin . . . arcane
grandiloquent . . . facile
highfalutin . . . arcane
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.
inscrutable . . . awakened
redoubled . . . solicitous
corpulent . . . prompt
nefarious . . . lavish
pulchritudinous . . . comely
pulchritudinous . . . comely
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.
meticulous . . . impecunious
shrewd . . . imperfect
canny . . . impeccable
dim-witted . . . irate
incompetent . . . exacerbating
canny . . . impeccable
"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__________.
noteworthy . . . exceptional
forthright . . . supernal
devastating . . . marital
gory . . . pristine
extensive . . . invincible
extensive . . . invincible
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.
ameliorated . . . tolerable
intransigent . . . intractable
amenable . . . unmanageable
satisfied . . . relieved
responsive . . . impossible
intransigent . . . intractable
"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__________.
boorish . . . tempered
regal . . . corpulent
disdainful . . . wasteful
erratic . . . regressive
neglectful . . . meticulous
regal . . . corpulent
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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