Sentence Completions: Nouns - ISEE Middle Level: Verbal Reasoning

Since we know that the neighbors had to go to court to settle their differences, we can infer that we're looking for a noun that means something like disagreement. Of the listed answer choices, only three are nouns—"adage," "mettle," and "dispute." Since "adage" means proverb or saying, it does not mean disagreement and is not the correct answer. Similarly, "mettle" means courage or fortitude and does not mean disagreement either. "Dispute," however, means a disagreement, so it is the correct answer.

We know from the context of the sentence that Emily was socially sensitive—while she could have pointed out the toilet paper in a more overt way, she did it in a way that did not embarrass her friend. We have no reason to suspect that Emily was absentminded, and "comfort" and "hurry" have nothing to do with the situation either. "Jubilance" is a noun meaning triumph, so "jubilance" does not fit the context of the sentence either. "Tact," however, is a noun meaning sensitivity in dealing with potentially embarassing or awkward issues, so "tact" is the answer choice that best fits the sentence and the correct answer.

We know that the electrician was pretty impudent by demanding payment for services that caused a fire in his client's home, so we need to pick out an answer choice that is a noun and means something like "impudence." Only three of the possible answer choices are nouns—"gall," "honesty," and "concession." "Honesty" doesn't fit the context of the sentence, and neither does "concession," which means "a thing that is granted, especially in response to demands; a thing conceded." "Gall," however, means "bold, impudent behavior" when used as a noun, and fits the context of the sentence, so "gall" is the correct answer.

We know that the gorge was created from the forces of water and rain, so we need to pick out a noun that refers to these forces. "Precipitation" and "condensation" may each look like a potentially correct answer, as "precipitation" means "rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground," and "condensation" means "water that collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it." However, "erosion" is the best possible answer choice because erosion specifically means "the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents," where "erode" refers to the process by which wind, water, or other natural agents "gradually wear away soil, rock, or land." Because "erosion" is best suited to the specific context of the sentence, "erosion" is the correct answer.

We know that our subject plays chess and draws in his free time, so we should pick out an answer choice that describes the nature of these activities. Since "recreation" means "activity done for enjoyment when one is not working," "recreation" best fits the context of the sentence and is the correct answer.

We know that Fred felt as if he were going to be ill after he rode the roller coaster, so we should pick out an answer choice that has something to do with illness, specifically feeling like you're about to vomit. Of the possible answer choices, "pallor," "nausea" and "fever" could be used to describe someone who is sick, but "pallor" means "an unhealthy pale appearance" and one would not expect riding on a roller coaster to cause a fever immediately after. "Nausea" is the best answer because it means "a feeling of sickness with an inclination to vomit" or "loathing; revulsion," and so best fits the context of the sentence.

We can tell from the context of the sentence that the word in the blank needs to mean "claiming someone else's words as being your own work." While "citation" has to do with academics and writing, "citation" means "a quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author, especially in a scholarly work," and cannot be the correct answer because citations don't get people in trouble - they are how writers are supposed to quote each other in formal academic papers without stealing each other's work. "Plagiarism," however, means "the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own," and because it best fits the context of the sentence, "plagiarism" is the correct answer.

We know that Katie's coat can be worn in a variety of different ways, so we should pick out a noun that reflects its range of uses. "Honesty" has nothing to do with the sentence, and neither does "geniality" ("friendliness") or "cooperation." We can tell from the sentence's context that the coat is not simple because it can be worn in so many different ways, so that leaves us with "versatility." Since "versatility" means "the ability to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities," it fits the sentence's context perfectly and is the correct answer.

Based on the opening phrase, Dennis does not enjoy or partake in holiday cheer. So to call him an angel does not make sense, as he sounds unpleasant to be around. Aficionado and generalist both have to do with how much knowledge someone has of a specific or broad amount of information, and this sentence is not concerned with how much Dennis knows about the holidays, so those are not correct. Finally, pushover does not make sense, since nobody is asking him to do anything in the sentence, so he can't give in. That leaves the answer as scrooge, which describes someone who gets grouchy and closed off around happy festivities.

In this sentence, the word we're looking for is going to be a noun that has to do with the embarassment one feels when tripping in public. Reputable is not a noun, so we can discount it. Although the boy's heart or beliefs could be damaged, they would not be in this context. Ignominy means the shame of public disgrace, but in the sentence we are looking for something that is wounded and therefore causes embarassment, so ignominy does not work, and dignity is the best answer.

We know that the dogs were trained to work with each other, and while "together" might seem like the obvious answer, it doesn't fit in the blank because of the sentence's grammar; the sled dogs don't "work in together" with each other. However, "tandem" is a word that when used as an adverb, means "alongside each other; together"; because "in tandem" is a phrase that also means "alongside each other; together" and is grammatically correct, "tandem" is the correct answer.

We can infer that because Carol "excel\[ed\] in the advanced \[math\] classes" and "plac\[ed\] in the top five in the school district's math competition" that she had a talent for math. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "talent for." "Ignorance of" means the opposite of the answer choice we are looking for, and "distaste for," "annoyance with," and "fear of" all involve negative connotations that don't fit the sentence's context. "Aptitude for" is the best answer choice because "aptitude" is a noun that means "a natural ability to do something" or "a natural tendency." Because "aptitude for" best fits the sentence's context, it is the correct answer.

We can infer from the sentence that we need to pick out a noun that means something like "food," because the sentence tells us that many Americans shop for the missing word "in grocery stores, local markets, or specialty food stores." While many Americans might shop for tools, one doesn't usually buy tools at "grocery stores, local markets, or specialty food stores," so "tools" cannot be the correct answer. "Perishables," however, is an noun that means "things, especially foodstuffs, likely to decay or go bad quickly," and because "perishables" is the answer choice that best fits the sentence's context, it is the correct answer.

Because the juggler was able to "\[keep\] six sharp knives twirling in the air without injuring himself," we can infer that he was very nimble. So, we need to pick out a noun that means something like "nimbleness." "Strength" and "speed" might each look like a potentially correct answer, but the best answer choice is "dexterity," a noun which means "skill in performing tasks, especially with the hands," or in other words, "readiness and grace in physical activity; especially : skill and ease in using the hands." So, because "dexterity" best describes the juggler's skill, "dexterity" is the correct answer.

"Candor" means frankness, or the quality of being honest in expression. After the disappointment of dishonest candidates, someone with "candor," or honesty, would be refreshing.

The sentence tells us that many of the fantasy stories’ plots involve dragons and knights fighting, so we can infer that we need to pick out a noun that means something like “enemies” or “opponents.” While “proponents” might look like a potentially correct answer because it looks and sounds similar to “opponents,” “proponents” is a noun that means “people who advocate something,” so “proponents” would not make sense in the sentence and cannot be the correct answer. “Adversaries,” however, is a noun that means “opponents,” and because “adversaries” best fits the context of the sentence, “adversaries” is the correct answer.

We can infer that we need to pick out a noun that means something like “story” or “article,” because it is something that the magazine the sentence describes “published.” While both “exposé” and “essay” might look like potentially correct answers, “essay” is a noun that means “a short piece of writing,” while “exposé” is a noun that means “a report of the facts about something.” Because the noun in question is described as “shocking” in the sentence, “exposé” is the better choice for the blank and the correct answer.

We know that the team is "dismayed" by the prototype, and "years of work had to be redone." So, we need to pick out a noun that conveys that the prototype did not work as planned. The word that best fits the blank is "malfunction," a noun that means failure to work as intended. None of the other answer choices have meanings that would work in the blank: "cohesion" means unity or coherence; "security" means defense or protection; "purpose" means motivation, basis, or reason, and "paradox" means a statement that seems logical but is actually self-contradictory.

Here, the idea is that Harold claims something, while the opposite is true. Therefore, we would say that his claim has no merit, truth, or basis, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like merit. "Acclaim" might initially appear to be the correct answer because "acclaim" means praise or acclamation and we can infer from the sentence tells us that Harold's novel had no acclaim, the sentence's main concern is Harold's claims about his novel, not the novel itself. The best answer choice for the blank is "foundation," which means the basis or groundwork of something. As for the other answer choices, "publicity" means exposure in the media, "argument" means a dispute, and "novelty" means newness or originality.