ISEE Upper Level Verbal: Sentence Completion Practice Test 15

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1. When Elise learned of the tragedy that had befallen her oldest and most beloved brother, she felt utter sorrow, even ------.

  • A. anguish
  • B. envy
  • C. fear
  • D. relief

2. Troy is ------ as a pianist thanks to years of lessons and practice, but he lacks the tremendous talent needed to join a major symphony orchestra.

  • A. adept
  • B. musical
  • C. joyous
  • D. openhanded

3. When I ------ that Carmen had left the fruit basket out on purpose, she did not realize that I was making an accusation.

  • A. complained
  • B. fabricated
  • C. insinuated
  • D. verified

4. Always ------, Barclay showered his friends with gifts and gave his time to mentoring children in need.

  • A. active
  • B. generous
  • C. lenient
  • D. suspicious

5. Roxie's enthusiasm for the project seemed unending, as no matter how many obstacles the team encountered, her positive attitude never ------.

  • A. argued
  • B. diminished
  • C. fathomed
  • D. lasted

6. In the ------ decision Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court established the false doctrine of "separate but equal," which legalized racial segregation for many decades until the Court finally corrected this grave injustice.

  • A. complicated
  • B. ignoble
  • C. isolated
  • D. opaque

7. If it is true that some people can be fooled all of the time, then Matthew must be one such person, as he is so naive that no matter how unlikely the ------, he will believe it is true.

  • A. bargain
  • B. enigma
  • C. quality
  • D. ruse

8. The two sides were optimistic that they would reach agreement, but their final issue could not be resolved, leaving the talks at an ------.

  • A. ambivalence
  • B. emergency
  • C. impasse
  • D. opinion

9. While Jennifer was moody nearly to the point of seeming perpetually miserable, Hamilton was always in high spirits, sometimes merely happy while other times outright ------.

  • A. elegant
  • B. jubilant
  • C. opulent
  • D. systemic

10. Different art forms appeal to different senses: while the auditory tones of an orchestra appeal to our ears, the ------ activities of dancers appeal to our eyes.

  • A. difficult
  • B. frugal
  • C. kinetic
  • D. soulful

11. Howard had none of his sister's ------: while she could speak powerfully and expressively in front of strangers, Howard was barely able to ------ even to friends.

  • A. charm … administer
  • B. curiosity … preach
  • C. eloquence … verbalize
  • D. practicality … pass

12. The best way to train a dog is not, as many people ------, to criticize unwanted behavior; rather, the owner who ------ welcome behavior will see faster results.

  • A. believe … separates
  • B. demand … punishes
  • C. manage … questions
  • D. suppose … extols

13. Esther's ------ effort to put the cabinet together only ------ her friends' belief that she was unable to do anything involving hand-eye coordination.

  • A. awkward … changed
  • B. hurried … continued
  • C. lengthy … factored
  • D. maladroit … perpetuated

14. Because Kurt's ------ interaction with animals was quite different from the nasty way he treated people, his parents reacted with ------ when he quit his job as a veterinarian in order to work in the customer service industry.

  • A. benign … chagrin
  • B. entertaining … apathy
  • C. kind … excitement
  • D. ingenuous … alarm

15. A person should write not only clearly but also ------, because a lack of brevity often has the effect of ------ the author's hope that people will read what the author has written.

  • A. basically … encouraging
  • B. concisely … undermining
  • C. obviously … depressing
  • D. succinctly … elevating

16. Patrick insisted that his hurtful statement was unintended rather than ------, but his effort to ------ the situation ended in failure when he repeated his offensive statement.

  • A. considerate … mitigate
  • B. involuntary … assess
  • C. malicious … ameliorate
  • D. spiteful … aggravate

17. Because Rodrigo was a loyal friend, he worked ------ to ------ any belief that the rumors about Erica were true, ending these efforts only after he was sure he had accomplished his goal.

  • A. amiably … terminate
  • B. fleetingly … question
  • C. persistently … dispel
  • D. tirelessly … construct

18. Christopher was ------ to have Consuela as a ------, because it is rare for an artist to find someone who is willing and able to provide financial support.

  • A. amused … teacher
  • B. fortunate … benefactor
  • C. lucky … surrogate
  • D. required … patron

19. Steadman's ------ comments during class impressed his teacher, as few students can express the type of clever ------ that came so naturally to Steadman.

  • A. astute … insights
  • B. contrite … questions
  • C. laudatory … perceptions
  • D. shrewd … obstructions

20. As the ocean ------ between low and high tides, David contemplated the vast ----- that separates humans and the creatures that live on the coral reefs beneath the water's surface.

  • A. endures … gap
  • B. fluctuates … chasm
  • C. rests … concern
  • D. swings … peculiarity