All ISEE Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation
Each question below is made up of a sentence with one blank. Each blank indicates that a word is missing. The sentence is followed by five answer choices. Select the one word that will best complete the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
Wearing a feather boa with her neon colored outfits and dancing around the classroom while she taught every day, the English teacher could best be described as _____.
eccentric
spontaneous
agile
impractical
predictable
eccentric
Due to her quirky way of dressing and the fact that she dances around the classroom, the English teacher is best described as eccentric or unconventional.
Example Question #2 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation
Each question below is made up of a sentence with one blank. Each blank indicates that a word is missing. The sentence is followed by five answer choices. Select the one word that will best complete the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
For the Thanksgiving holiday, most American families have _____ dishes including turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and apple pie.
plain
extraordinary
unique
conventional
lavish
conventional
The best word to describe the dishes that are typically eaten at an American Thanksgiving dinner is conventional; certain dishes are conventionally or normally served.
Example Question #3 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation
The plot of the __________ horror movie involves zombies terrorizing a theatre and gradually eating all of the moviegoers and staff.
gruesome
meaningless
potential
inveterate
unlucky
gruesome
We can infer from the sentence's description of the movie's plot that it is probably gory, or "involves a lot of violence and bloodshed." While we can describe the moviegoers and theatre staff as "unlucky," "unlucky" does not describe the plot of the movie itself, so it cannot be the correct answer. The best answer is "gruesome," an adjective that means "causing repulsion or horror; grisly," or "extremely unpleasant."
Example Question #4 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation
The regular sandwich comes with lettuce and tomato on wheat bread, but the __________ sandwich includes caramelized onions, cheese, and spicy mayonnaise on a toasted bun.
portentous
miserable
difficult
deluxe
hungry
deluxe
We can infer that we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "special" because the sandwich our word will describe comes with extra toppings compared to the "regular sandwich." "Hungry" might look like a potentially correct answer because of the sentence's culinary context, but since it wouldn't make sense to describe a sandwich as being "hungry," "hungry" cannot be the correct answer. "Deluxe," however, is an adjective that means "luxurious or sumptuous; of a superior kind," and because "deluxe" best describes the sandwich that comes with extra toppings, "deluxe" is the correct answer.
Example Question #5 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation
Harry didn't want to go explore the spooky old mansion because it looked so __________—its windows were broken and dusty, its roof missing most of its tiles, and it looked as if the entire building might come crashing down around anyone who entered.
modern
well-maintained
worn
presumptuous
derelict
derelict
We can infer that whichever adjective goes in the blank, it needs to describe the mansion described when the sentence says, "its windows were broken and dusty, its roof missing most of its tiles, and it looked as if the entire building might come crashing down around anyone who entered." So, we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "run-down" to describe the building. "Well-maintained," then, cannot be the correct answer because the building is clearly not well-maintained if Harry is concerned about it "[coming] crashing down." "Derelict," however, is an adjective that can mean "in a very poor condition as a result of disuse and neglect," and because "derelict" best describes the building described in the sentence, "derelict" is the correct answer.
Example Question #6 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation
Sentence Completions: choose the word that best completes the sentence.
Karen's varied and extensive training in ballet, hip hop, and jazz made her a very ___________ dancer.
gifted
belligerent
pedestrian
versatile
ambivalent
versatile
In this case, "versatile" means multitalented or able to do many things. If Karen has extensive training in several different genres of dance, she is a versatile dancer. While she might be a gifted dancer, that answer choice implies innate talent rather than the versatility extensive training would provide.
Example Question #7 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation
lucrative
unfortunate
sufficient
presumptuous
meager
meager
Example Question #8 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation
Sentence Completions: Select the word that most best completes the sentence.
Miniscule
Gape
Blissful
Amble
Vast
Vast
Example Question #9 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation
Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.
Gregory had always been a strange man, somewhat __________ about even the smallest things, so it was quite surprising to see him calm in the midst of the many stresses he was currently facing.
raging
morose
unpleasant
agitated
horrendous
agitated
The sentence is expressing a contrast. It is surprising that Gregory is calm during a set of circumstances that apparently would be a cause for him not to be calm. This means that he was often—even in small things—agitated or nervous. It does not make sense to say that he was somewhat raging. A "raging" person is someone who is very angry; it is not a matter of many degrees. The other options do not provide an adequate contrast to the calmness. Therefore, the option "agitated" is the best.
Example Question #10 : Sentence Completions: Style, Intensity, And Connotation
Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.
William was a particularly __________ individual; he never apologized for always being late to meals, eating more than everyone else, rarely offering to pay for the food, and always talking over everyone else.
greedy
inconsiderate
generous
annoying
boisterous
inconsiderate
From the description of William, it is safe to say that he does not spend much time thinking about other people. In almost every aspect of social interactions, he is self-centered and causes inconvenience for others. Another way to describe this is to say that he does not even consider the other people at all. Therefore, we can fairly say that he is "inconsiderate." While he might be called "greedy" (for not paying) or "boisterous" (for talking over others), the description "inconsiderate" best describes the complete nexus of bad character traits that he shows.