Piper's Pit BBS/FTP: ibm 0040 - 0049/ibm0040-0049/ibm0040.tar/ibm0040/SAT3.ZIP/SENTCOMP.DAT

Text File | 1990-05-16 | 13.0 KB | 338 lines

Sentence Completion Data
~ Read the entire sentence to get the gist of what the
  author is saying.

~ Underline the clue words or phrases in the sentence.

~ Try filling in the blanks with your own words.

~ If a sentence has two words missing, consider one
  blank at a time.

~ Eliminate the answer choices that do not logically
  complete the sentence.

~ Select the best answer.
[1  Question 1
Medieval kingdoms did not become constitutional
republics !overnight; on the contrary!, the change
was _____.

&(A) unpopular&   &(B) unexpected&   &(C) advantageous&
&(D) sufficient&   &(E) gradual&
#0  Explanation for choice A
An !unpopular! change does not suggest sufficient contrast
to an overnight change.
#0  Explanation for choice B
An !unexpected! change does not suggest sufficient contrast
to an overnight change.
#0  Explanation for choice C
An !advantageous! change does not suggest sufficient
contrast to an overnight change.
#0  Explanation for choice D
A !sufficient! change does not suggest sufficient contrast
to an overnight change.
#1  Explanation for choice E
A !gradual! change is in direct contrast to an
overnight change. This word completes the sentence
in a reasonable way. !Overnight! suggests a rapid
change. The other choices do not relate to time at all.
` Hint for question 1
The phrase !on the contrary! suggests that the second
part of the sentence is in contrast to the first part.
[2 Question 2
Though her lecture contained ideas that were provocative
and !systematically presented!, her style of delivery was
so ______ that !I actually dozed off!.

&(A) galling&   &(B) pungent&   &(C) desultory&
&(D) soporific&   &(E) theatrical&
#0  Explanation for choice A
A speaking style which is !galling! is annoying or
irritating. This style would not cause the audience
to doze off.
#0  Explanation for choice B
A speaking style which is !pungent! is sharp and
stimulating. This style would not cause the audience
to doze off.
#0  Explanation for choice C
A speaking style which is !desultory! is aimless and
disconnected. This is in conflict with the fact that
the lecture was !systematically presented!.
#1  Explanation for choice D
!Soporific! means sleep-inducing, so a speaking style
which is soporific could cause the audience to doze off.
#0  Explanation for choice E
A speaking style which is !theatrical! is dramatic and
exciting. This style would not cause the audience to
doze off.
`  Hint for Question 2
What kind of speaking style might cause the audience
to doze off?
[3  Question 3
Ms. Wilson urged !patience! and _____ in dealing with
the protesters !rather than the unyielding attitude!
the administration had adopted.

&(A) obstinacy&   &(B) desperation&   &(C) arrogance&
&(D) compromise&   &(E) retaliation&
#0  Explanation for choice A
!Obstinacy! is a stubborn, !unyielding attitude! not
consistent with !patience!.
#0  Explanation for choice B
!Desperation! is a concept which does not fit the context
of the sentence. A word which offers a contrast to an
!unyielding attitude! is needed.
#0  Explanation for choice C
The sentence suggests that !arrogance! or a proud,
!unyielding attitude! will not be effective with the
protesters.
#1  Explanation for choice D
!Compromise! is exactly what is called for by the
sentence. It is consistent with !patience! and is
in contrast to an !unyielding attitude!.
#0  Explanation for choice E
!Retaliation! is a concept which does not fit the context
of the sentence. !Retaliation! means getting even and is
not consistent with !patience!.
`  Hint for Question 3
The answer needs to be consistent with !patience! and to
offer a different alternative to the previous !unyielding
attitude!. Contrast is suggested by the words !rather than!.
[4  Question 4
A _____ politician, Andrews worked hard and !made so few
mistakes! that her opponents seemed to be _____ !by contrast!.

&(A) shrewd..sages&   &(B) slothful..drones&
&(C) canny..blunderers&   &(D) dynamic..firebrands&
&(E) conscientious..geniuses&
#0  Explanation of choice A
!Shrewd! is a reasonable answer in the context of the
sentence, but if she !made so few mistakes!, her opponents
would not seem like !sages! by contrast.
#0  Explanation for choice B
If Andrews !worked hard!, she could not logically be
described as a !slothful!, or lazy, politician. However,
!drones!, or idlers, is a reasonable answer in the
context of the sentence.
#1  Explanation for choice C
If Andrews were !canny! or smart and shrewd, and made
very few mistakes, she might make her opponents look
like !blunderers! by comparison.
#0  Explanation for choice D
!Dynamic! is a possible answer. A !firebrand! is one
who stirs up revolt. It is not logical that her
opponents would be considered firebrands just because
Andrews herself made very few mistakes.
#0  Explanation for choice E
!Conscientious! is a logical answer, consistent with the
idea that Andrews worked hard. However, if she made few
mistakes, her opponents would not seem to be !geniuses!
by contrast.
`  Hint for question 4
The word in the first blank needs to be consistent with
the description of Andrews in the sentence. The word in
the second blank needs to offer a contrast.
[5  Question 5
Meteors become _____ only after they enter the atmosphere,
for it is then that they !begin to burn and leave their
luminous trails!.

&(A) incandescent&   &(B) invisible&   &(C) illusionary&
&(D) reflective&   &(E) elemental&
#1  Explanation of choice A
To be !incandescent! is to shine brightly with intense heat.
This is consistent with the sense of the sentence.
#0  Explanation for choice B
If a meteor is leaving a !luminous trail!, it is not
!invisible!.
#0  Explanation for choice C
If the meteor were !illusionary!, it would have a false
or misleading appearance. There is nothing in the
sentence to suggest this.
#0  Explanation for choice D
The meteor is described as !luminous! or shining, but
there is nothing in the sentence to suggest that it is
!reflective! like a mirror.
#0  Explanation for choice E
To say that the meteors become !elemental! is a vague
statement which does not fit the context of the sentence.
`  Hint for question 5
Which word would best describe an object which is burning
and leaving a shining trail?
[6  Question 6
Those who want to _____ one-room schools contend
that !students at such small schools are at a disad-
vantage!, !but the success! in college of students from
these schools _____ that argument.

&(A) condemn..ratifies&   &(B) reopen..contradicts&
&(C) eliminate..undermines&   &(D) examine..supports&
&(E) endorse..affirms&
#0 Explanation for choice A
!Condemn! is a reasonable answer, and would fit well
into the first blank, but !ratifies! is wrong for
the sense of the sentence. The success in college
of students from one-room schools would not ratify
or support an argument for their condemnation.
#0  Explanation for choice B
Those who believe that students from one-room schools
are at a disadvantage would not want to !reopen! these
schools. !Contradicts! is a reasonable answer for the
second blank.
#1  Explanation for choice C
Those who believe that students from one-room schools
are at a disadvantage might very well want to
!eliminate! those schools. However, the success of
these students would effectively !undermine! that
argument.
#0  Explanation for choice D
!Examine! is too neutral a word for the first blank.
The sentence suggests that a strong opinion has
already been formed. The success in college of
students from one-room schools would not !support!
the argument that they are at a disadvantage.
#0  Explanation for choice E
Those who think that students from one-room schools
are at a disadvantage would not !endorse! these
schools. The success in college of students from
one-room schools would not !affirm! the argument
that they are at a disadvantage.
`  Hint for question 6
Does the first blank call for a negative or a positive
word?  The word !but! indicates that a new idea is
introduced in the second part of the sentence.
[7  Question 7
The Sybarites of ancient times were !not only!
physically _____ !but also! intellectually _____;
!they had others do everything for them!, even their
thinking.

&(A) active..independent&   &(B) slothful..energetic&
&(C) spent..brilliant&   &(D) aggressive..aloof&
&(E) indolent..lazy&
#0  Explanation of choice A
If the Sybarites !had others do everything for them!,
they could not be described as !active! and !independent!.
#0  Explanation of choice B
The words in the two blanks must be consistent with each
other. !Slothful! and !energetic! are opposites.
#0  Explanation of choice C
According to the sentence, the Sybarites might have been
physically !spent! or tired, but they probably were not
intellectually !brilliant! if they had others do their
thinking for them.
#0  Explanation of choice D
If the Sybarites had been physically !aggressive!
and intellectually !aloof!, they would not have
allowed others to do everything for them.
#1  Explanation of choice E
If the Sybarites had others do everything for them,
this would indicate that they were indeed
physically !indolent! and intellectually !lazy!.
`  Hint for Question 7
Consider the clue words !not only! and !but also!.
They indicate that the words in the two blanks should
be similar. The last part of the sentence restates
the first part of the sentence.
[8  Question 8
By recounting the events of the conference in a !day-
by-day! format, the author of the article forsakes
what might have been a logical _____ of the issues in
favor of a simplistic _____.

&(A) corroboration..impression&
&(B) exposition..chronology&
&(C) repudiation..contradiction&
&(D) synthesis..intonation&
&(E) explanation..intuition&
#0  Explanation of choice A
!Corroboration! is a possible answer, although there
is no real suggestion that the issues need to be
corroborated or supported. The second blank needs to
be filled with a word that describes a !day-by-day
format!. !Impression! is too neutral and non-specific.
#1  Explanation of choice B
An !exposition! is a logical description of something,
so this is a good choice for the first blank. Telling
the events in a !day-by-day format! would be using a
!simplistic chronology!.
#0  Explanation of choice C
There is no suggestion that the issues needed a !logical
repudiation!. Recounting the events in a !day-by-day
format! would not amount to a !simplistic contradiction!.
#0  Explanation of choice D
There is no suggestion that the issues needed to be
combined into a !logical synthesis!. !Intonation! is
wrong for the sense of the sentence, as it suggests
chanting or speaking instead of writing.
#0  Explanation of choice E
!Explanation! is an appropriate word for the first
blank, but !intuition! does not fit in the second
blank. It suggests thinking rather than writing.
`  Hint for question 8
The phrase !day-by-day format! is very important in
determining the best choice for the second blank.
[9  Question 9
The phenomenon is called viral _____ because the presence
of one kind of virus !seems to inhibit infection by any
other!.

&(A) proliferation&   &(B) mutation&   &(C) interference&
&(D) epidemic&   &(E) cooperation&
#0  Explanation of choice A
According to the sentence, one virus would !inhibit!
another, not encourage !proliferation! or growth.
#0  Explanation of choice B
According to the sentence, one virus would !inhibit!
another, not encourage !mutation! or change.
#1  Explanation of choice C
According to the sentence, one virus would !inhibit!
another, or !interfere! with further infection. This
is the most reasonable choice.
#0  Explanation for choice D
According to the sentence, one virus would !inhibit!
another, not encourage an !epidemic! or rapid growth.
#0  Explanation for choice E
According to the sentence, one virus would !inhibit!
another, not encourage !cooperation!.
`  Hint for question 9
Look for an answer choice which is consistent with the
idea of one virus inhibiting, or stopping, another.
[10  Question 10
The !validity! of her experimental findings was so _____
that even the most _____investigators !could not refrain
from extolling her!.

&(A) enigmatic..officious&
&(B) fallacious..credulous&
&(C) unassailable..disputatious&
&(D) inevitable..convivial&
&(E) dubious..skeptical&
#0  Explanation of choice A
If the findings were !enigmatic! or puzzling, the
investigators, whether or not they were !officious!,
would not !extol! or praise her.
#0  Explanation of choice B
If the findings were !fallacious! or false, the
investigators, whether or not they were !credulous!,
would not !extol! or praise her.
#1  Explanation of choice C
If the findings were !unassailable!, the investigators
could probably not refrain from praising her, even if
they were !disputatious!, or inclined to find fault
easily.
#0  Explanation of choice D
If the findings were !inevitable!, it is likely that the
investigators would praise her, so !inevitable! is a
possible answer. However, !convivial!, meaning sociable
or festive, is not appropriate for the sense of the
sentence in the second blank.
#0  Explanation of choice E
If the findings were !dubious! or doubtful, the
investigators, especially if they were !skeptical!,
would not !extol! or praise her.
`  Hint for Question 10
The sentence suggests that the word in the first blank
should be strongly positive.