SAT: Sentence Completions: Easy #1

1) As a young physics instructor, Richard

Feynman discovered that he had the gift of
sharing his _____ his subject and making
that excitement _____.
a. passion forcontagious
b. knowledge ofinaudible
c. contempt forpraiseworthy
d. propensity forfutile
e. commitment toimpersonal

6) Finchs callous habit of _____ the

suggestions of his coworkers make him
seem _____ to them.
a. revilingamenable
b. solicitingaccessible
c. revisitingcantankerous
d. ignoringapproachable
e. deridingabhorrent

2) Some entertainers, their egos inflated by

celebrity, see themselves as _____ figures
to whom ordinary moral _____ do not
necessarily apply.
a. penitentrules
b. privilegedconstraints
c. pedagogicalenticements
d. redundantconventions
e. giftedbenefits

7) Officials charged that the bakery had

engaged in _____ practices by misleading
consumers about the nutritional value of
certain products.
a. legitimate
b. exacting
c. intelligible
d. inordinate
e. deceptive

3) A storys theme is sometimes _____, that

is, stated directly by the author, but more
often it is _____.
a. obviousindisputable
b. capriciousdramatic
c. convolutedsimple
d. enigmaticveiled
e. explicitimplied

8) The director cast James Earl Jones in the

part because of his _____ voice: its rich
quality was ideal.
a. blatant
b. spontaneous
c. grating
d. sonorous
e. muted

4) In this production, the king is portrayed as

an initially _____ leader utterly
transformed by his overwhelming thirst for
power into a _____ tyrant.
a. benevolentvicious
b. heartlessdevious
c. devotedreluctant
d. prominentsecluded
e. notoriousmasterful

9) Records documenting the presence of

Africans among the crews of explorers like
Christopher Columbus _____ the antiquity
of the African presence in the Americas.
a. create
b. illustrate
c. compromise
d. overlook
e. modify

5) Although Ms. Harveys disposition was

generally _____, she could become
enraged when sufficiently _____.
a. viciousignored
b. sereneprovoked
c. energeticdisappointed
d. meekcomplimented
e. perversebetrayed

10) The golden eagle is known for astonishing

visual _____; it can spot small prey on the
ground from more than one thousand feet
in the air.
a. repetition
b. magnetism
c. acuity
d. enticement
e. objectivity

11) Since the student was _____ in answering

the teachers questions about the accident,
the school had to find another means of
reconstructing the chain of events.
a. concise
b. evasive
c. lucid
d. alert
e. trite

14) Some of the regions ranches belong to

_____ Landowners; they live elsewhere
and visit their ranchers only rarely.
a. domestic
b. absentee
c. joint
d. bucolic
e. rural

12) The philosophers argument was

frustratingly _____: it simply went round
and round and came to no firm conclusion.
a. offensive
b. fanciful
c. technical
d. circuitous
e. belligerent

15) While the general publics response to

President Lincolns first inaugural address
was only _____, an enthusiastic reaction
came from abolitionist leader Frederick
Douglas, who pronounced it a sacred
effort.
a. unanimous
b. spontaneous
c. lukewarm
d. strenuous
e. animated

13) The rapid decomposition promoted by a

forest fire can be viewed as frantic release,
a period during which many minerals and
chemicals otherwise locked up in dead
organisms are _____.
a. tabulated
b. examined
c. forfeited
d. decimated
e. liberated

16) Information about the actual workings of

early printing houses in England is so
_____ as to be almost nonexistent.
a. contradictory
b. repetitive
c. humdrum
d. scarce
e. erroneous

SAT: Sentence Completions: Easy #2

1) Carson presents her case so strongly and
logically that only the prejudiced or the
_____ will attempt to _____ her.
a. impartialdefy
b. doubtfulchampion
c. gulliblebelieve
d. obstinatecontradict
e. irrationalsupport

6) The editors objected to the _____ tone of

the article, which _____ both the
politicians and the voters.
a. disparagingbelittled
b. laudatoryderided
c. censoriousextolled
d. obsequiousvilified
e. dismissivecommended

2) These studies will necessarily take several

years because the _____ of the new drug
involved in the project is not _____.
a. availabilitytested
b. virulencedoubted
c. effectimmediate
d. backgroundpractical
e. valueexpendable

7) Representing a round world on a flat

surface is impossible without some _____:
the Mercator projection map shows
Greenland as over ten times larger than
Mexico, a country in fact only slightly
smaller than Greenland.
a. superficiality
b. oversight
c. simplification
d. distortion
e. sophistication

3) Although he was _____ by nature, he had

to be _____ at work because of the need to
slash costs.
a. prudentprofligate
b. ferociousindefensible
c. industriousproductive
d. extravagantparsimonious
e. pleasantamiable

8) The highly publicized redesign of the car is

essentially _____: the exterior has been
updated, but the engine remains
unchanged.
a. intuitive
b. cosmetic
c. incoherent
d. consequential
e. retroactive

4) Lupus experts are _____ about the new test

developed by Janoff and feel _____ that it
will enable physicians to diagnose the
disease with greater accuracy.
a. optimisticconfident
b. concernedequivocal
c. perplexedcomplacent
d. cautiouspositive
e. dogmaticdismayed

9) The landscape was truly _____, so arid that

even the hardiest of plants could not
survive.
a. lurid
b. parched
c. drubbed
d. verdant
e. variegated

5) Ayn Rand can be considered a _____

novelist; her _____ ideas have provoked
irate rebuttal from her philosophical
opponents.
a. polemicalcontroversial
b. charismaticfulsome
c. visionarytraditional
d. soporifichackneyed
e. savvyingenuous

10) The singer now performs a more _____

repertoire of songs than in the past, when
he sang only traditional ballads.
a. wary
b. sentimental
c. experimental
d. customary
e. mellow

11) The revolt of the Pueblo people in 1680,

which temporarily drove the Spanish
colonists from New Mexico, fostered the
_____ of the indigenous cultures by
discouraging Spanish attempts at total
domination.
a. precision
b. fragmentation
c. inversion
d. saturation
e. preservation

15) During the day, downpours were _____,

starting and stopping at nearly regular
intervals.
a. unmediated
b. spontaneous
c. incidental
d. endemic
e. periodic

12) As a physicist, Veronica is a gifted _____:

she loves to go beyond particular facts and
speculate about general principles.
a. dogmatist
b. consultant
c. prodigy
d. materialist
e. theorist

16) The editors comment was not intended as

a criticism but as a _____ by which she
sought further clarification.
a. query
b. confession
c. dismissal
d. condemnation
e. credo

13) Unable to decide between a career in

engineering and one in philosophy, Gwen
_____ her two interests and became a
medical student.
a. reclaimed
b. merged
c. defined
d. abandoned
e. conveyed

17) Tina was _____ by the speech, regarding

such criticisms of her company as
extremely annoying.
a. fascinated
b. galled
c. uplifted
d. soothed
e. disoriented

14) Steven tried hard to give up sweets, but he

found it particularly difficult to _____
chocolate.
a. digest
b. extol
c. impugn
d. forgo
e. relish

18) During the 1990s, Shanghai benefited from

an architectural _____, the result of a
dramatic increase in innovative and artistic
building.
a. intransigence
b. plentitude
c. stagnation
d. renaissance
e. desecration

SAT: Sentence Completions: Easy #3

1) Initially only the carpeting outside the
restroom was _____ by water from the
burst pipe; eventually, the entire hallway
flooded.
a. diverted
b. confined
c. scuttled
d. cleansed
e. drenched

6) When asked to explain their escapade, the

campers did not _____ but answered
forthrightly and honestly.
a. enunciate
b. articulate
c. cooperate
d. prevaricate
e. anticipate

2) As his suspicions of strangers increased,

Thomas adopted an increasingly _____
lifestyle, withdrawing almost totally from
society.
a. sequestered
b. urbane
c. intrusive
d. luxurious
e. frugal

7) Fearing excessive publicity, the patient

refused to discuss her situation without a
promise of _____ from the interviewer.
a. empathy
b. abstinence
c. attribution
d. confidentiality
e. candor

3) Interest in the origin of life is _____; all

cultures and societies have narratives about
creation.
a. distant
b. mythical
c. universal
d. debatable
e. superficial

8) Efforts are finally being made to _____ the

traffic congestion that plagues the
downtown area.
a. engage
b. alleviate
c. transport
d. regenerate
e. trivialize

4) The existence of environmental

contamination is no longer a point of
_____; government, industry, and the
public agree that it is a serious problem.
a. concern
b. cooperation
c. urgency
d. relevance
e. dispute

9) She displayed a nearly pathological _____,

insisting on knowing every detail of her
friends lives.
a. orderliness
b. credulity
c. curiosity
d. shyness
e. morbidity

5) In rock climbing, survival depends as much

on _____, the ability to perceive without
conscious reasoning, as on physical
strength.
a. autonomy
b. incoherence
c. intuition
d. sophistry
e. receptivity

10) Commerce on the remote island was

conducted exclusively by _____,
exchanging goods for goods.
a. credit
b. loan
c. faith
d. patronage
e. barter

11) Although cats are as social as many other

animals, some people think of them as
_____ creatures.
a. sinister
b. companionable
c. solitary
d. nocturnal
e. mundane

16) Recent data recording a bottlenose whales

dive of over 4,700 feet _____ earlier _____
that such whales were among the seas
deepest divers.
a. refutedtheories
b. challengedpredictions
c. confirmedspeculations
d. validateddisclaimers
e. substantiateddoubts

12) Far from an amicable interaction, mating in

the insect world is more _____ than _____.
a. combativecooperative
b. controlledrandom
c. revolutionarygradual
d. plannedspontaneous
e. hiddencommon

17) Although visitors may find touring the city

by subway to be _____, they are pleased to
discover that subways are an inexpensive
and _____ way to get around.
a. wastefulgenerous
b. dauntingefficient
c. extravagantprohibitive
d. convenientsolitary
e. enjoyableeasy

13) Frequently, people are too ready to _____

rumors as truth without first trying to
_____ them.
a. acceptsubstantiate
b. acknowledgeperpetuate
c. dismisscorroborate
d. distortalter
e. ignoreenhance
14) Using computer labs to _____ classroom
instruction is most effective when the
curriculum _____ lab exercises and
classroom teaching in a coordinated
manner.
a. supplementintegrates
b. substantiateundermines
c. remedycompromises
d. disparagereinforces
e. fostercurtails
15) May Sarton had a _____ career: it _____
from 1929, when Poetry magazine
published her early sonnets, to 1994, when
her last collection of poems came out.
a. limiteddeveloped
b. diversefoundered
c. variabledeclined
d. lengthylasted
e. sedatesoared

SAT: Sentence Completions: Moderate #1

1) Although he usually proposes serious and
_____ ideas, in his more _____ moments
he can utter one of those dubious
suggestions that carry more wit than
substance.
a. constructivefacetious
b. flippantconvivial
c. insipidsophisticated
d. practicalponderous
e. insightfulperceptive

6) Although Caroline Gordon was rigorously

objective, her lively and _____ private
correspondence _____ a delightful capacity
for biting commentary on the social scene.
a. exuberantminimized
b. entertainingexhibited
c. incisivedisguised
d. eloquentderided
e. dispassionatedemonstrated

2) Although 106 million years ago the

Antarctic was not as frigid as it is today, its
climate was hardly _____.
a. stable
b. inclement
c. sultry
d. bleak
e. severe

7) An effective member of a debating team

must focus on the _____ issue and avoid
_____ arguments.
a. subtlesignificant
b. equivocalobstreperous
c. designatedpertinent
d. comprehensivegeneral
e. principalperipheral

3) Since the mayors attempts to eliminate

bureaucratic inefficiencies produced no
real improvements, the efforts were seen
by critics as _____.
a. dramatic
b. far-reaching
c. cosmetic
d. necessary
e. timely

8) Like a martinet, Charles deals with all

people in a(n) _____ manner that implies
that they must _____ him.
a. haughtythwart
b. imperiousobey
c. egalitariansalute
d. timorouscheat
e. cowardlyunderstand

4) Disappointingly, the researchers failure

was a direct result of their _____; we had
not expected their focus to be so indistinct.
a. egoism
b. irreverence
c. relevance
d. vagueness
e. sexism

9) New York is a cosmopolitan city; its

numerous newspapers in many languages
reflect its _____ population.
a. polyglot
b. vapid
c. homogeneous
d. insular
e. bemused

5) The child was given to emotional _____:

she can be profoundly miserable one
moment and utterly _____ the next.
a. excessesbuoyant
b. attachmentunfeeling
c. hostilitiescongenial
d. consensusjubilant
e. shiftsmirthless

10) The medical community seemed so

factional that medical progress was often
accompanied by _____, with each step
forward creating new enmities
a. sacrifice
b. astonishment
c. coordination
d. conflict
e. error

11) The organism Pfiesteria piscicida is _____

in size: thousands can fit on the period at
the end of a sentence.
a. comprehensive
b. fallacious
c. insuperable
d. parochial
e. infinitesimal

16) Mavis described the recently published

treatise as inane, insipid, and _____, just
another affirmation of the obvious.
a. banal
b. baleful
c. successful
d. profound
e. inspired

12) Geraldine was famous for her _____

explanations which summarized complex
procedures in remarkably few, yet precise
words.
a. rhetorical
b. perpetual
c. brash
d. succinct
e. verbose

17) The reviewer characterized Madonna

Swan-Abdallas autobiography as a
portrait of an _____ person, one who
prevailed against great odds.
a. empathetic
b. indomitable
c. expeditious
d. idiosyncratic
e. astute

13) Lena Hornes singing style is such that she

can invest even the most _____ lyrics with
dramatic meaning.
a. harmonious
b. sensational
c. impeccable
d. vapid
e. esteemed

18) Reformers often appear oppressively

_____ in describing their own good deeds,
but Dr. Alice Hamilton avoided such selfrighteousness in her accounts of her
investigations of industrial safety
conditions.
a. moralistic
b. practical
c. whimsical
d. impartial
e. scathing

14) The meal had a(n) _____ effect on the

travelers: their energy was restored almost
instantly.
a. tonic
b. cloying
c. indefinite
d. debilitating
e. intemperate

19) Anna Wickmans marriage seemingly

_____ her art because, a few years after
her wedding, she began to write poetry
prolifically.
a. quelled
b. construed
c. consumed
d. invigorated
e. sated

15) It is the relative _____ of the owls ear

cavities, the sheer size of those spaces, that
accounts for the owls acute sense of
hearing.
a. symmetry
b. cumbersomeness
c. uniformity
d. intricacy
e. vastness

20) A scientific theory is _____ and hence

amenable to revision or abandonment in
light of observations that are _____ its
predictions.
a. tentativeinconsistent with
b. creativeanticipated by
c. tenuousderived from
d. doctrinalcontrary to
e. testablesupportive of

Sentence Completions Moderate #2

1) The legislation facing Congress was so
____ that it threatened to shatter the
governing bodys fragile bipartisanship.
a. divisive
b. transparent
c. concordant
d. repetitive
e. rhetorical

6) Although based on autobiography

and specific incidents, Brian Friels
plays ultimately ____ their local
setting and achieve ____ appeal.
a. expandprovincial
b. transcenduniversal
c. deridepersonal
d. attain worldwide
e. describeintuitive

2) In All Gods Children Need Traveling

Shoes, author Maya Angelou uses ____,
brief descriptive sketches, to provide ____
picture of Ghana that clearly details the
land and its people.
a. missivesan illusory
b. themesa thorough
c. vignettesa vivid
d. treatisesan authentic
e. abstractsan ambiguous

7) The frequent name changes that the

country has undergone ____ the
political turbulence that has attended
its recent history.
a. argue against
b. contrast with
c. testify to
d. jeopardize
e. sustain

3) The new policy has been called a quiet

revolution because, though introduced
without ____, it is already producing ____
changes.
a. warningspecious
b. fanfaremomentous
c. concealmenttransient
d. hesitationostensible
e. debatenegligible

8) Braciopods, clamlike bivalves of

prehistoric times, were one of the
most ____ forms of life on earth:
more than 300,000 species have been
____ from fossil records.
a. plentifulsubtracted
b. ornateretrieved
c. multifariouscatalogued
d. scarceextracted
e. anachronisticextrapolated

4) Artists who are described as ____ are the

first to experiment with new forms or
concepts.
a. aesthetic
b. partisan
c. decorous
d. cerebral
e. avant-garde

9) In the tropics, nests of termites and

ants are ____ features, towering
above the ground.
a. unsanitary
b. inconsequential
c. variegated
d. crumbly
e. conspicuous

5) At first merely ____, his actions grew

so bewildering and bizarre as to appear
entirely ____ to us.
a. dignifiedmystifying
b. perplexinginexplicable
c. eccentricstolid
d. intriguingreasonable
e. logicalquestionable

10) Colonial American playwright

Mercy Otis Warren was know for
her political ____: her keen
judgment and insight were widely
acknowledged.
a. partisanship
b. intemperance
c. acumen
d. irreverence
e. interest

11) In 1991, salsa ____ ketchup as the bestselling condiment in the United States,
outselling ketchup by $40 million in
retail stores.
a. supplanted
b. augmented
c. brandished
d. evaded
e. redoubled

14) The crafty child tricked his innocent

brother, a particularly ____ and trusting
boy, into committing a mischievous
prank.
a. guileless
b. intrusive
c. astute
d. opportunistic
e. circumspect

12) The Earths oceans sustain a ____ of

marine creatures, an abundance that
makes the seas teem with life and
activity.
a. melee
b. profusion
c. configuration
d. symmetry
e. dimension

15) Luisa worked with extreme precision,

____ that served her well in her law
career.
a. a meticulousness
b. an effrontery
c. an inhibition
d. a litigiousness
e. an impetuousness

Sentence Completions Difficult #1

1) Portraits of the charismatic leader have
become ____; so prevalent are they in public
areas throughout the country.
a. omnipresent
b. panoramic
c. ubiquitous
d. prohibitive
e. pernicious

6) Though her lecture contained ideas that

were provocative and systematically
presented, her style of delivery was so
____ that I actually dozed off.
f. galling
g. pungent
h. soporific
i. desultory
j. theatrical

2) Although aware of the hazards of

extrapolating a lifestyle from a bone
fragment or the reconstruction of a skull,
most anthropologists by the nature of their
work are inclined to indulge in ____.
f. indecision
g. pessimism
h. reticence
i. skepticism
j. speculation

7) Like most ____ literature, this moving

remembrance of the poets parents
primarily expresses lamentation for
their deaths.
a. dogmatic
b. elegiac
c. abstract
d. dramatic
e. striking

5) Such a solemn, almost ____ tone is not really

appropriate for this biography because
although its subject experienced many
misfortunes, she strongly believed in the
value of ____.
a. reverentaccuracy
b. pompouscatharsis
c. lugubriouslevity
d. superciliousnessfatalism
e. incongruouscandor

8) The validity of her experimental

findings was so ____ that even the
most ____ investigators could not
refrain from extolling her.
f. enigmaticofficious
g. fallaciouscredulous
h. unassailabledisputatious
i. inevitableconvivial
j. dubiousskeptical

6) The fact that poverty often ____ in highly

industrialized areas may indicate that the
condition is ____ by industrial progress
itself.
a. thrivesthwarted
b. occursengendered
c. arrivesthreatened
d. recursalleviated
e. languishesencouraged

9) Humor springs from an unexpected and,

more specifically, ____ juxtaposition of ideas
so that the audience is surprised into laughter.
f. unnecessary
g. common
h. slapstick
i. incongruous
j. deliberate

7) He has several talents that ____ the

possibility of genius; however, no one of
them is quite transcendent enough to ____
the possibility.
a. precludesurpass
b. intimaterealize
c. proclaimcondone
d. vindicatechallenge
e. verifydisprove

10) Much in keeping with its ____ start,

the cooperative is doing a thriving
business and is making plans to expand
in the near future.
f. problematic
g. premature
h. blemished
i. auspicious
j. erratic

11) The gaily lit garlands strung across Oxford

Street, the enticing shop windows, the
crowded theatersall of these things ____
the ____ of the economic crisis that has
come to haunt the country.
f. bespeakseverity
g. underlineexistence
h. beliegravity
i. protestsuperficiality
j. malignenormity

17) The review was ____ in recounting the plays

felicities and its flaws without unduly
emphasizing one or the other.
f. equitable
g. immoderate
h. cumulative
i. unproductive
j. adulatory

12) The union leader made the ____ statement

that no union member, not even the
maintenance crew, would be allowed to
cross the picket line.
f. discreet
g. ambiguous
h. fallacious
i. obsequious
j. categorical

18) Rosita Peru, who rose to become the highestranking female in the television industry, was
____ recruited: Spanish language programproducers courted her persistently.
a. indiscriminately
b. enigmatically
c. vicariously
d. rancorously
e. assiduously

13) The researchers were ____ in recording

stories of the towns African American
community during the Depression,
preserving even the smallest details.
a. obstreperous
b. apprehensive
c. compensatory
d. radicalized
e. painstaking

19) Even in her most casual conversation, one

detects the impulse to ____, to impart
knowledge systematically to her listener.
a. mystify
b. instruct
c. insinuate
d. embellish
e. meditate

14) Unlike sedentary people, ____ often feel a

sense of rootlessness instigated by the very
traveling that defines them.
a. athletes
b. lobbyists
c. itinerants
d. dilettantes
e. idealists

20) Ms. Turner was an ____ opponent, one who

never swerved from her purpose and would
never compromise or yield.
a. inexorable
b. ambivalent
c. eloquent
d. impassive
e. obstreperous

15) Through a series of ____, Professor Juarez

presented a dramatic narrative that
portrayed life in the Mayan city.
a. conundrums
b. vignettes
c. dynamics
d. factors
e. tangents

21) The one-celled organism that was killing fish

populations was described as ____ because of
its ability to transform itself rapidly.
a. imaginary
b. corrupt
c. protean
d. extraneous
e. plundering

16) Not in the least profound, the film ____ a

need that most of us occasionally have for ____.
a. caters toescapism
b. panders toinsight
c. satisfiesenlightenment
d. forgessentimentality
e. ignoresliberation

Sentence Completions Difficult #2

1) When proposing long-range goals for
science, Symes becomes uncharacteristically
_____, a failure he shares with many who are
more _____ as critics of existing
undertakings than as visionaries of the future.
a. subtledevious
b. abstractappreciative
c. astuteperceptive
d. explicitarticulate
e. ambiguouslucid

6) Curiously enough, the _____ of the

outcome of the struggle in no way _____
its intensity.
k. predictabilitycondones
l. uncertaintyinvalidates
m. ambiguityconfuses
n. unimportanceincreases
o. inevitabilitymitigates

2) The very _____ of sand in the area made it so

_____ that even geologists did not stop to ask
how it came to occupy its place in the
landscape.
k. abundancefamiliar
l. appearanceunusual
m. structurecomplex
n. compositionunnatural
o. abrasivenessminute

7) The _____ of governmental power makes

it impossible for a potential _____ to
know whom to flatter.
f. benignitystatesman
g. ambiguitysycophant
h. changeabilityrebel
i. rigiditymember
j. moralitybeliever

8) American courts have changed little in form

over the years, but the role they perform has
been far from _____.
a. simple
b. static
c. radical
d. dynamic
e. unimportant

8) Unless the special interests of a biological

species demand _____ of its members, it
is obviously _____ to spread the
individuals as evenly as possible over the
available habitat.
k. colonizationdemonstrative
l. decentralizationconvenient
m. minimizationinefficient
n. aggregationexpedient
o. concentrationineffective

9) For all his familiarity with the peoples of

every continent, Landers was the most _____
of historians; he looked out upon the whole
world, but he looked through British
spectacles.
a. shortsighted
b. broad-minded
c. conservative
d. parochial
e. introspective

9) The _____ he exhibits in financial

dealings is mirrored in his personal
relationships; never have I seen a man so
_____ kind words and considerate deeds.
k. extravaganceoblivious
l. haughtinessgrateful for
m. parsimonychary of
n. rancorgenerous with
o. benevolencecovetous of

10) Although Ms. Martins appraisal of the city

councils work is the most perceptive I have
seen, it nonetheless contains some _____
features.
a. candid
b. absorbing
c. dubious
d. discerning
e. tangible

10) Sheila Rowbotham sees her book not as

an _____ work, but as the initial
exploration of an unmapped field.
k. introductory
l. investigative
m. innovative
n. exhaustive
o. enlightening

11) It would seem that the _____ of science, the

building and making of things, have stirred
the American imagination, but that the ____
roots of such activities have not.
k. applicationtheoretical
l. hypothesespractical
m. formulasactual
n. offshootsextrinsic
o. productsfuture

16) After the initial shock of its _____, the

counterculture movement had, in the end, a
rejuvenating influence on American culture in
general.
f. authoritarianism
g. iconoclasm
h. diversion
i. speculation
j. inspiration

12) There has been little _____ criticism of de la

Mare; indeed, that which has been written is
at two extremes, either appallingly _____ or
bitterly antagonistic.
k. hostileambiguous
l. recentillogical
m. ferventcomplimentary
n. objectivesycophantic
o. temperatecensorious

17) An illusion is highly _____; like a richly

connotative word or symbol, it suggests far
more than it says.
k. simplistic
l. evocative
m. descriptive
n. imaginary
o. persuasive

13) Professor Greenes _____, detailed, and lucid

lectures match the gravity of her subject.
f. blithe
g. studious
h. jaundiced
i. obscure
j. uproarious

18) To refer to the ability to wreak catastrophic

destruction and kill hundreds of thousands of
people as nuclear capability is to indulge in
_____.
a. invective
b. didacticism
c. hyperbole
d. euphemism
e. pessimism

14) A stroke of humor at the end is not sufficient

to balance the _____ of the piece.
f. harmony
g. irony
h. subtlety
i. gravity
j. flippancy

19) He claims that life on this planet was the

result of a combination of circumstances so
_____ that they could never occur again.
a. intense
b. impressive
c. confined
d. improbable
e. unimaginable

15) Bees and other social insects have extremely

precise mechanisms of communication, but
this precision probably _____ their ability to
change their behavior in order to meet new
situations.
f. enhances
g. increases
h. explains
i. limits
j. interrupts

20) After carefully observing the remarkable

responsiveness of newborn infants to their
environment, scientists are revising a longheld belief that infants are primarily _____
creatures.
a. innocent
b. passive
c. inquisitive
d. timid
e. sensitive

Sentence Completions Difficult #3

1) The Supreme Courts reversal of its previous
ruling on the issue of States rights ____ its
reputation for ____.
a. sustainedinfallibility
b. compromisedconsistency
c. bolstereddoggedness
d. exacerbatedinflexibility
e. dispelledvacillation

6) Over the years his opinions had ____: he

refused to tolerate new ideas and nothing
could change his mind.
p. digressed
q. proliferated
r. ossified
s. germinated
t. incubated

2) Because it has always ____ many of lifes

pleasures, this sect finds it difficult to ____
its membership in todays hedonistic
atmosphere.
p. endorsedplacate
q. forbiddendeplete
r. proscribed toaugment
s. denouncedalienate
t. condonedsupplement

7) As the first ____ in her political

campaign, the senator unleashed a
spirited verbal attack on her leading
opponent.
k. salvo
l. palliative
m. concession
n. demurral
o. inaugural

11) Because he felt intimidated in his new

position, he was ____ divulging his frank
opinions of company proposals.
a. scurrilous about
b. candid in
c. chary of
d. fervid about
e. precipitate in

8) A long-standing theory about the

migration of green turtles was ____ by
an innovative marine biologist who
graciously defused potential ____ by
dedicating her work to the original
researcher.
p. instigatedrancor
q. renouncedapproval
r. displacedattribution
s. enhancedalteration
t. repudiatedacrimony

12) Most people will struggle mightily to stop

change, or at least to ____ its effects on
them.
a. enhance
b. initiate
c. distort
d. defend
e. mitigate

9) Mavis described the recently published

treatise as inane, insipid, and ____; just
another affirmation of the obvious.
p. banal
q. baleful
r. inspired
s. successful
t. profound

13) A lifelong foe of deceit, he has spent nearly

four decades ____ the claims of spurious
psychics and alerting parapsychological
researchers to the dangers of ____.
a. construingintolerance
b. distortingspirituality
c. inflatingmethodology
d. debunkingcredulity
e. reprovingrationalism

10) The sound advice given by the eleventhcentury medical scholar Trotula in her
writings on womens health ____ some of
our assumptions about the inadequacy of
medieval medicine.
p. belies
q. bypasses
r. elucidates
s. compounds
t. camouflages

a.

The mans colleagues characterized him as

____ because he had an irritable,
quarrelsome disposition.
a. tyrannical
b. disingenuous
c. sanctimonious
d. cantankerous
e. morose

16) The actor was noted for his ____ behavior: he

quickly became irritated if his every whim
was not immediately satisfied.
k. fastidious
l. petulant
m. vindictive
n. sedulous
o. mercenary

12) Horror movies have ____ effect, purging our

fears of the unknown by giving them artistic
expression.
p. an indiscernible
q. an analogous
r. a malleable
s. a transient
t. a cathartic

17) A judicious biography must be a(n) ____

representation that depicts both the strengths
and weaknesses of the subject, avoiding the
two extremes of ____ and indictment.
p. polarizedvindication
q. imaginativediscernment
r. holisticcensure
s. complimentaryanimosity
t. equitableeulogy

13) Inbreeding can promote the expression of

____ genes, those that make an animal subject
to disease or impair reproductive efficiency.
k. ineffable
l. articulated
m. consummate
n. presumptive
o. deleterious

18) Hayley Millss films have been called ____

although most of them are not so sentimental
as to deserve that description.
a. treacly
b. cursory
c. prosaic
d. meticulous
e. consecrated

14) A scientist should not automatically reject

folkways that might at first seem silly or
superstitious; scientific qualifications are not
a license for ____, nor do they ____ prejudice
or bias.
k. experimentationeliminate
l. arrogancepursue
m. smugnesslegitimate
n. rigidityconsole
o. humilityadvocate
15) The journalists polished, direct and concise
testimony for the defendant had the same
characteristics as her ____ writing.
k. elegant
l. extravagant
m. rambling
n. enthusiastic
o. casual

Sentence Completions Difficult #4

1) More ____ than her predecessor,
Superintendent Reynolds would, many
predicted, have a far less ____ term of office.
a. phlegmaticapathetic
b. conciliatoryconfrontational
c. emphaticcompassionate
d. vigilantreputable
e. penuriousfrugal

7) According to the ancient Greek

philosopher, Plato, only philosophy can
provide ____ understanding because it
____ assumptions that other areas of
study merely take for granted.
u. faultyprobes
v. reliableconcedes
w. genuinescrutinizes
x. abstractlauds
y. veileddivulges

2) Rodolfo Gonzales was once described as

____ in body and mind because of the
flexibility and grace apparent in both his
boxing and his writing of poetry and plays.
u. unyielding
v. tremulous
w. emphatic
x. lithe
y. fickle

11) Sixteenth-century Spanish rulers saw

themselves as champions of ____:
trifling with tradition was not permitted
in matters of faith or politics.
p. refinement
q. philanthropy
r. orthodoxy
s. licentiousness
t. versatility

14) Galloping technological progress has made

consumers ____: advances undreamed of a
generation ago are so common that they seem
humdrum.
a. flabbergasted
b. miffed
c. jaded
d. wary
e. embittered

12) So felicitous was Gregory Rabassas

translation of Gabriel Marquezs book
that Marquez, who greatly valued ____
expression, is said to have ____ it to his
original.
u. aptpreferred
v. exoticshifted
w. inelegantcompared
x. exactrelegated
y. impreciseadded

15) The collection of animals in the laboratory

was a virtual ____ that included sea urchins,
mice, dogs, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
a. milieu
b. sanctuary
c. arboretum
d. cavalcade
e. menagerie

13) The debate over adopting the

constitution was by no means a ____
discourse; tempers flared and ____
resounded throughout the meeting hall.
u. peacefulaccommodations
v. contentiousinsults
w. tenseopinions
x. decorousinvectives
y. genteelanecdotes

16) Geraldine was famous for her ____

explanations, which summarized complex
procedures in remarkably few, yet precise
words.
a. rhetorical
b. brash
c. perpetual
d. verbose
e. succinct

14) The psychiatrist was helpful to her

patient; her ____ served as ____ to his
anxiety and alleviated his depression.
u. tranquilitya catalyst
v. irascibilitya remedy
w. serenitya spur
x. equanimityan antidote
y. excitabilityan accompaniment

a.

By selling information to a rival company,

Thompson was unquestionably guilty of
____ behavior.
a. venal
b. extemporaneous
c. futile
d. prodigious
e. oppressive

16) Generally ____ the opportunity to join the

gentry and live the aristocratic life, the British
scientists of this period brought to their
laboratories a devotion to their calling akin in
its intensity to ____ asceticism.
p. pursuingmedieval
q. exploitingorthodox
r. eschewingmonastic
s. covetingintellectual
t. flauntinghypocritical

12) The sociologist charged that United States

citizens, ____ to acknowledge the limitations
inherent in the human condition, see absolute
happiness and self-fulfillment not as
unattainable ideals, but as ____.
u. aviddelusions
v. condemnedinevitabilities
w. compelledperquisites
x. loathentitlements
y. clamoringretributions

17) Modern writers, ____ to drape reality with

pretty phrases, show us everything, putrid and
pure, with a grim ____.
u. aspiringausterity
v. hesitatingdiscretion
w. disdainingobjectivity
x. purportingomniscience
y. endeavoringnaturalism

13) It was difficult to understand the scandal: the

show was extremely ____ and not in the least
suggestive.
p. immoral
q. flagrant
r. inadvertent
s. decorous
t. rebellious

18) Only when one approaches ____ of

availability of personnel, funds, or facilities
does one have to consider seriously ____
among research programs.
a. an understandingdisharmony
b. an overabundanceinadequacies
c. a discoverydevelopments
d. a disparityrivalries
e. a ceilingpriorities

14) Strangers often mistook his ____ for a lack of

____; his friends however, understood that he
was simply not interested in justifying his
convictions to people ignorant of his
particular circumstances.
p. diffidenceself-confidence
q. tolerancepatience
r. aggressivenessideas
s. compassionfeeling
t. belligerenceself-assertion
15) The speaker, praised for her style, yet
ridiculed for her vacuity, often moved nave
listeners with ____ alone and led them to
believe that her speech had ____.
p. reasondalliance
q. infelicityconviction
r. rhetoricsubstance
s. pragmatismfutility
t. boorishnessintegrity