Sentence Completion Practice Test 5Question 1Scientists have discovered that our sense of smell is surprisingly _______,capable of distinguishing thousands of chemical oder

1. rigid

2. inert

3. erratic

4. keen

5. innateCorrect Answer: DExplanation:Obviously, the missing word must mean 'capable of distinguishing thousands of chemical odors'. Among the given choices, it is the word 'keen' which has this meaning. So, (D) is the answer.

Question 2With these _______ sites as evidence, it would be _______ to draw definite conclusions as to the places typically selected as settlements by the people of the Neolithic age.

1. imperfect.. feasible

2. few.. unsound

3. complete.. ridiculous

4. abundant.. presumptuous

5. scatter.. prudentCorrect Answer: BExplanation:With imperfect sites as evidence, it would not be feasible to draw definite conclusions... With only a few sites as evidence, it would certainly be unsound to draw definite conclusions...So, (B) completes a logical sentence, and is the answer.

Question 3Alice Walker's prize winning novel exemplifies the strength of first person narratives; the protagonist tells her own story so effectively that any additional commentary would be _______.

1. subjective

2. eloquent

3. superfluous

4. incontrovertible

5. imperviousCorrect Answer: CExplanation:(Exemplifies means is an example of protagonist means chief character). If the protagonist tells her own story so effectively, any additional commentary would be unnecessary or superfluous. So, C is the answer.

Question 4The importance of science in the practical affairs of modern societies is recognized even by its detractors, but, surprisingly, its positive influence on culture is often _______, even by its _______.

1. despised.. adversaries

2. ascertained.. partisans

3. conceded.. beneficiaries

4. nullified.. assailants

5. questioned.. championsCorrect Answer: EExplanation:The use of the conjunction 'but surprisingly' implies that there is an implied contrast between the first and secolnd parts of the sentence. The first part says that the importance of science in practical affairs is recognized even by its critics. So, to bring out the contrast, the second part must say that the importance of science of culture is repudiated even by its supporters. Among the given choices, it is the pair of words in (E) which gives this meaning to the sentence, and is the answer.

Question 5True to her altruistic beliefs, Natalie _______ the _______ attitude of her colleague that a client represented nothing more than a source of income and an opportunity for advancing one's professional reputation.

1. applauded.. conscientious

2. condoned.. aggressive

3. lamented.. mercenary

4. adopted.. egotistical

5. belittled.. magnanimousCorrect Answer: CExplanation:If Natalie had altruistic (meaning charitable) beliefs, she would not have applauded or condoned or adopted the attitude of her colleague that a client is nothing more than a source of income. So, on a considertion of the choices for the first missing word, (A), (B) and (D) can be ruled out. Since the attitude that the client is nothing more than a source of income cannot be described as magnanimous, (E) can also be ruled out. With her altruistic beliefs, she would certainly have lamented (meaning regretted) the mercenary attitude of her colleague. So, (C) is the answer.

Question 6The athlete's insistence on self-discipline had become _______; rarely, it seemed, did he allow himself even a minor indulgence.

1. dilatory

2. obsessive

3. spontaneous

4. infectious

5. unemotionalCorrect Answer: BExplanation:If the athlete allowed himself even a minor indulgence (meaning a minor diversion, such as having a drink or seeing a movie etc.) only rarely, his insistence on self-discipline must have been very severe. Among the given choices, it is the word obsessive, meaning persistence with a single idea that will give this meaning. So, (B) is the answer.

Question 7All female red Colobus monkeys leave their natal troops, but because these females are _______ by young females from other troops, the practice has little effect on troops' size and composition.

1. joined

2. replaced

3. ignored

4. influenced

5. rejectedCorrect Answer: BExplanation:("Troop" is the collective name for a group of monkeys. Natal troop means the group in which a monkey is born). If all female red monkeys leave their native troops, but yet the size and composition of the troops do not get changed, it means that an equal number of female red monkeys from other troops replace them. So, (B) is the answer.

Question 8Some travelers from United States experience culture shock when they suddenly find themselves in a place where "yes" may mean "no" where a fixed price is _______, where laughter may signify _____.

1. alterable.. joy

2. unchangeable.. insult

3. sovereign.. merriment

4. incalculable.. harmony

5. negotiable.. angerCorrect Answer: DExplanation:One instance of culture shock for the US traveler is mentioned as "when yes may mean no". So, to be analogous with this instance, "a fixed price must be alterable or negotiable". So, among the choices for the first missing. If (A) is chosen, the second instance becomes "when laughter signifies joy". But laughter is a natural result of joy, and will not lead to a culture shock for the American tourist. So, (A) is wrong. If he finds that "laughter signifies anger" as in (E) the US traveler will certainly have a culture shock. So, (D) is the answer.

Question 9According to Burgess, a novelist should not _______,for sermonizing has no place in good fiction.

1. invent

2. offend

3. inform

4. preach

5. distortCorrect Answer: DExplanation:From the construction of the sentence, it is obvious that the missing word must be a synonym of sermonizing. Among choices, it is 'preach' which has his meaning. So, (D) is the answer.

Question 10The archaeologist enjoyed the _______ life she led while gathering artifacts; she never stayed at any one site long enough to get bored.

1. stealthy

2. nomadic

3. clamorous

4. indiscreet

5. rusticCorrect Answer: BExplanation:The use of semi-colon in the sentence implies that the latter part of the sentence is an amplification of the type of life that the archaeologist enjoyed. The latter part says, "she never stayed at any one site long enough to get bored", meaning that she was often changing her place of stay. Among the choices, the most appropriate adjective for such a life is 'nomadic', meaning 'having no fixed place of abode'. So, (B) is the answer.

Question 11Medieval illuminated manuscripts art too _______ for exhibition except under rigorously controlled conditions of light, temperature, and humidity, and thus are _______ the majority of art lovers.

1. intricate.. imperceptible to

2. immaculate.. idolized by

3. fragile.. available to

4. valuable.. scorned by

5. vulnerable.. inaccessible toCorrect Answer: EExplanation:If the manuscripts require rigorously controlled conditions of light, temperature and humidity for being exhibited, it means that they are either too fragile or too vulnerable. So, (C) and (E) are the only possible choices for the first missing word. Their exhibition must consequently be very rare, in which case it is not logical to say that they are available to the majority of art lovers. So, (C) is wrong. (E) completes a logical sentence because, if they are rarely exhibited, they will be inaccessible to the majority of art lovers. So, (E) is the answer.

Question 12The artistry of cellist Yo Yo Ma is essentially _______; the melodic line rises _______, imbued with feeling and totally lacking in apparent calculation.

1. carefree.. stiffly

2. reserved.. involuntarily

3. lyrical.. passionately

4. detached.. carefully

5. deliberate.. methodicallyCorrect Answer: CExplanation:The phrase 'imbued with feeling' immediately following the second blank indicates that the second missing word must be a synonym of this phrase. Among the choices, it is only the word 'passionately' that has this meaning. Its pair word, 'lyrical' completes a logical sentence. So, (C) is the answer.

Question 13The supreme Court's reversal of its previous ruling on the issue of State's right _______ its reputation for _______.

1. sustained.. infallibility

2. compromised.. consistency

3. bolstered.. doggedness

4. exacerbated.. inflexibility

5. dispelled.. vacillation

Correct Answer: BExplanation:The reversal of its earlier ruling, and the implied admission that it had been wrong earlier, cannot be said to sustin the Supreme Court's infallibility, mening incapacity to commit an error. So, (A) is wrong. If the Supreme Court had a reputation for consistency (meaning permanence in its opinion), the fact that it reversed its previous ruling on an important issue would certainly compromise (meaning injure) this reputation. So, (B) completes a logical sentence, and is the answer.

Question 14Denise was astounded to hear that her brother, whom she knew to be quite _______, was described as taciturn and aloof by his colleagues at the university.

1. insular

2. placid

3. anguished

4. vacuous

5. garrulousCorrect Answer: EExplanation:If Denise was astounded (meaning surprised) to hear that her brother was considered to be taciturn (meaning speaking very little) and aloof (meaning unsociable) by his colleagues, he must have been known to her as a very talkative and sociable person. Among the given choices, garrulous means talkative, and is the answer.

Question 15Because they are _______ to take financial loss that results from providing drugs for _______ markets, pharmaceutical manufacturers often do not produce needed drugs for rare diseases.

1. proud.. small

2. eager.. known

3. prone.. nebulous

4. loath.. limited

5. reluctant.. expandingCorrect Answer: DExplanation:The market for drugs needed for rare diseases can best be described as small or limited. So, (A) and (D) are the only possible choices for the second missing word. If pharmaceutical manufacturers are proud to take the financial loss incurred in catering to this market, they would not stop producing these drugs. So, (A) is not correct. If they are loath (meaning unwilling) to take such losses, they would obviously stop producing these drugs. Thus (D) completes a logical sentence, and is the answer.