Word-Based Sentence Completions - ISEE Lower Level: Verbal Reasoning

You are told that the boy is small and that he cannot do something. Which of these answer choices is most likely to be difficult for a very small boy? The correct answer is " . . . see\[ing\] the movie."

When a change is "palpable," it is obvious or plainly seen. Painting the walls of a house bright pink would cause a noticeable change, so "palpable" is an adequate word to describe the change.

In this sentence, it is made clear that the student has an excess of energy and as a result is pacing about his room. This indicates that he is "restless," meaning that he is n_ot able to relax himself_. "Restless" is therefore the best way to complete this sentence.

Non-fiction stories are true stories that have happened, so you can describe them as being "realistic," which means accurately describing or portraying things as they actually are.

Reclusive means characterized by seclusion. Someone who rarely leaves his or her house would be very secluded. While someone who is introverted might also prefer to stay home, reclusive is the better answer choice here.

Animals that are amphibious can inhabit land and water. Therefore the best answer choice here is amphibious.

The only other answer choice that might work is versatile, yet that is not specific enough here, and therefore not the best answer choice.

Even though she appears to be asleep, her subtle or slight movements show that she is awake.

Melissa second-guessed herself specifically because she thought the answer was too obvious or readily apparent.

The fact that the student's spelling test was placed on the fridge indicates her parents were proud of her and wanted to place it prominently on display.

The sentence tells us that the company hosts an event on the same date every year. Things that occur once a year are described as annual. To further help you, fortnightly means occurring every two weeks; perennial means frequently reoccurring or constant.

The context of the sentence tells us that the water in the pool is not deep enough for diving. Shallow water is water that is not deep. To further help you, nimble, agile and flexible are all synonyms and mean having good balance.

If one is "thrifty," one uses money carefully and not wastefully. In the context of this sentence, a person who could buy many outfits but spend only ten dollars would be considered "thrifty."

"Hazardous" means dangerous or potentially causing harm. Battling thieves and riding through a dark woods could both be considered dangerous activities; therefore, the context clues in the sentence point to "hazardous" as the best word choice.

The sentence contrasts the word describing the colors used in the painting's foreground with the "dull, muted" colors used in its background. This means that we need to pick out a word that means the opposite of "dull" and "muted." "Opaque" and "transparent" each refer to how much light can pass through something—light can't pass through "opaque" objects at all, but lots of light can pass through "transparent" objects, like window panes; neither of these answers can be correct because they are not opposites of "dull" and "muted." Similarly, "speckled" refers to something spotted in appearance and so describes an arrangement of colors, not if they are the opposite of "dull." "Dark" colors can be "dull" and "muted" or rich and vibrant, so "dark" cannot be the correct answer either. This leaves us with the correct answer, "vivid," a word that means bright and lively in appearance. Colors that are "vivid" can be contrasted with colors that are "dull" and "muted."

In this sentence, the words, "by contrast" indicate that there will be a difference between the phrase preceding those words and the adjective that comes afterwards. The opposite of the phrase "good at sports" would be "bad at sports." Someone who is "unathletic," or not athletic, is most likely bad at sports. Therefore, "unathletic" is the correct answer.

Given that Andrea cannot make up her mind, the best word to fill this blank is "indecisive_."_ A tempting wrong choice is "hungry_."_ However, this is not correct, because the sentence doesn't indicate that Andrea has an appetite, only that she is unsure of what she wants to eat. "Mundane" means plain, and is not the correct answer either.

Here, Ariel is being authentic by deciding not to cheat. To be authentic means to be true and honest to oneself. Cheating is the opposite of this. Therefore, authentic is the best answer choice.

We know that Joey lies to others, which is called being “dishonest.” “Dishonest” means not honest, lying often. To provide further help, “ambivalent” means unsure and “languid” means relaxed or lazy.

Let's divide this sentence into two parts. First, we're told that the teacher usually wanted her days to be "unique and exciting." However, the conjunction "but" lets us know that we're looking for the opposite. In other words, sometimes the teacher looks forward to days that are not unique or exciting. Of the answer choices, a little bit of "variety" is similar to uniqueness; "distinctiveness" can be eliminated for the same reason. Even "amusement" is too close in meaning to "excitement," so we are left with "monotony," a word that refers to repetition of tedious or boring tasks. So, the teacher generally wished for excitement, but occasionally looked forward to a dull or "monotonous" day.