All ISEE Lower Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning
Jennifer realized that she was __________ when of the five cats she was supposed to be looking after, she could only find four; luckily the fifth turned out to be hiding under the comforter.
in the clear
reflective
wary
in a pickle
swerving
in a pickle
We can infer that if Jennifer could only find four of the five cats she was supposed to be looking after, she must have been in trouble. So, we need to pick out a word or phrase that means something like "trouble." "In the clear" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "in the clear" means "no longer in danger or suspected of something," making it the opposite of the word or phrase that we're looking for. "In a pickle," however, is a phrase that means "in a difficult or messy situation," and because this best describes Jennifer's situation when she could only find four of the five cats she was supposed to be looking after, "in a pickle" is the correct answer.
Example Question #1 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning
Which pair of words best completes the sentence?
I love to read, to sing, to jump rope __________
, and to dance.
and dancing.
but to be dancing.
and I dance.
or to have danced.
, and to dance.
In this question, the trick is to find the most appropriate grammatical structure that will keep the sentence consistent. Since the sentence is phrased as a list of verbs in their present infinitive tense, "and to dance" makes the most sense and keeps the phrasing consistent.
Example Question #1 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
Even though she originally wanted to run for the office of class president, Jessica decided to __________ from the election due to her doubts about whether she could handle the position if elected to it.
resume
emerge
withdraw
continue
shift
withdraw
Her doubts presumably made Jessica "withdraw," or take herself out of the race and not run for office anymore. "Shift" means change; "emerge" means appear; and "resume" means start up again or continue after a break.
Example Question #1 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
The students didn't have __________ to the teachers' room in the school building.
approval
tolerance
agreement
refusal
access
access
It would be reasonable for students to not be allowed in the teachers' room; therefore, they would not have "access" to it, or the ability to enter it. This is different than an "agreement" or accord; "tolerance" or the ability to deal with something; "approval" or support of something; and "refusal" or the act of denying or saying no to something.
Example Question #1 : Word Based Sentence Completions
Choose the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
The teacher generally wished for each day to be unique and exciting, but sometimes she welcomed a little bit of __________.
variety
amusement
anticipation
distinctiveness
monotony
monotony
Let's divide this sentence into two parts. First, we're told that the teacher usually wanted her days to be "unique and exciting." However, the conjunction "but" lets us know that we're looking for the opposite. In other words, sometimes the teacher looks forward to days that are not unique or exciting. Of the answer choices, a little bit of "variety" is similar to uniqueness; "distinctiveness" can be eliminated for the same reason. Even "amusement" is too close in meaning to "excitement," so we are left with "monotony," a word that refers to repetition of tedious or boring tasks. So, the teacher generally wished for excitement, but occasionally looked forward to a dull or "monotonous" day.
Example Question #1 : Conjunctions And Sentence Logic In Word Based Sentence Completions
Ariel refused to cheat on the test, as she believes that it is important to be ______ and honest.
straight
obvious
polite
unusual
authentic
authentic
Here, Ariel is being authentic by deciding not to cheat. To be authentic means to be true and honest to oneself. Cheating is the opposite of this. Therefore, authentic is the best answer choice.
Example Question #1 : Context Clues In Word Based Sentence Completions
Choose the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
While Andrew is very good at sports, Mary is by contrast rather __________.
unathletic
talented
bookish
kind
interesting
unathletic
In this sentence, the words, "by contrast" indicate that there will be a difference between the phrase preceding those words and the adjective that comes afterwards. The opposite of the phrase "good at sports" would be "bad at sports." Someone who is "unathletic," or not athletic, is most likely bad at sports. Therefore, "unathletic" is the correct answer.
Example Question #1 : Context Clues In Word Based Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
I have a very strong __________ of spiders, so whenever one crawls into my room I have to go get my dad.
attraction
demand
adoration
phobia
sorrow
phobia
From the context, it sounds like the person speaking is afraid of spiders. The word “phobia” means fear, so this is the correct answer. The word “adoration” means love; the word “sorrow” means great sadness; an “attraction” is something you want to go see, like the zoo; and a “demand” is a rude or forceful request for something.
Example Question #9 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
The __________ colors in the painting's foreground contrasted with the dull, muted colors used in its background.
opaque
dark
transparent
vivid
speckled
vivid
The sentence contrasts the word describing the colors used in the painting's foreground with the "dull, muted" colors used in its background. This means that we need to pick out a word that means the opposite of "dull" and "muted." "Opaque" and "transparent" each refer to how much light can pass through something—light can't pass through "opaque" objects at all, but lots of light can pass through "transparent" objects, like window panes; neither of these answers can be correct because they are not opposites of "dull" and "muted." Similarly, "speckled" refers to something spotted in appearance and so describes an arrangement of colors, not if they are the opposite of "dull." "Dark" colors can be "dull" and "muted" or rich and vibrant, so "dark" cannot be the correct answer either. This leaves us with the correct answer, "vivid," a word that means bright and lively in appearance. Colors that are "vivid" can be contrasted with colors that are "dull" and "muted."
Example Question #1 : Context Clues In Word Based Sentence Completions
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
Andrew was __________ when he heard that his brother had gotten in a fight at school; his brother was the most peaceful and nonviolent person he knew.
outraged
afraid
anxious
speechless
grumpy
speechless
Given that Andrew's brother was "the most peaceful and nonviolent person he knew" and his brother got into a fight at school, it's most reasonable to infer that Andrew would be shocked by this news. "Speechless" means extremely shocked to the point where you can't say anything, so it is the best answer choice.
All ISEE Lower Level Verbal Resources
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