Answers and Explanations

Verbal Reasoning 1

1. C
   This particular sentence has no detour road signs. Here the key phrase is “known for their devotion to their masters,” so you might predict that the missing word means something like “loyalty” or “devotedness.” The correct answer, (C) fidelity, is a close match for this prediction.
2. B
   This sentence contains a detour road sign, “nonetheless,” so you can expect the first part of the sentence to contrast with the fact that Larkin “maintained a spirited correspondence with a wide circle of friends.” So you might predict that the missing word means something like “withdrawn” or “shy.” Choice (B) matches this prediction: “By nature reclusive, Philip Larkin nonetheless maintained a spirited correspondence with a wide circle of friends.” That makes perfect sense.
3. A, D
   The road sign “because” in the first half of this sentence tells you that the second half will continue the thought of the first. The second half indicates that there was “no way to predict” the decision-making process’s outcome, so a description of the process as “random” makes sense. The prediction matches (A) arbitrary, meaning “determined by chance, whim, or impulse.” Choice (B) regimented,  meaning “rigidly organized,” means the opposite of what the sentence requires. Choice (C) unilateral, meaning “relating to only one side,” is also incorrect—the fact that the decision-making process may have been entirely in the hands of one person does not logically lead to there being “no way to predict its outcome.” The sentence compares the decision-making process to throwing dice, so a good prediction would be, “making decisions was similar to throwing dice.” The best match is (D) likened to. Choice (E) belittled by doesn’t make sense in context, and (F) dissimilar to means the opposite of what the sentence requires.
4. B, D
   Look at blank (ii) first. The tax burden of most of the citizens comes from an “unvarying” tax, so the legislation mentioned earlier in the sentence must have had a minor effect on the middle class. (D) negligible matches perfectly. The road sign “although” indicates contrast, so the bill that produced “negligible” results must have been expected not only to have a significant effect, but a positive one. A prediction is “optimism” or “praise.” (B) acclaim works best. (C) hullabaloo and (A) commotion are tempting choices, but they do not have sufficiently strong positive connotations, particularly as the bill is described as having been “heralded.”
5. A, E, H
   The three blanks are related in this sentence: blank (i) causes blank (ii) and prevents blank (iii). In the first blank, only an (A) established viewpoint could potentially (E) skew the reader’s opinion, and an (A) established viewpoint would logically exclude an (H) impartial viewing. With the information given, only established, skew, and impartial logically follow each other.
6. A, E
   This is a high-difficulty sentence, but elimination and prediction will help you out a great deal. The first clause and then the road sign “therefore” suggest that the clause with the blanks will provide an alternative to the fact that moving away from fossil fuels is insufficient to stabilize carbon emissions. Blank (ii) has a meaning similar to “store,” so eliminate (F) liberate. (D) incarcerate means to put in prison and refers to people, not substances, so it cannot be correct. (E) capture matches. For blank (i), notice that the technologies must also be for “storing” carbon waste. Choices (B) reduction and (C) diminution can be eliminated. Choice (A) sequestration matches the prediction of “storing” and is correct.
7. C, E
   To figure out what fits in the blank, note the detour road sign “although” between the first and second halves of the sentence. This tells you that what came before will be contradicted by what comes after. The first clause tells you that Handy’s nickname is “self-conferred,” so you can speculate that not everyone shares Handy’s self-assessment. You could paraphrase the sentence this way to predict the blank: “Handy feels he’s the father of the blues, but other musicians ‘disagree.’” You’re looking for a synonym for “disagree.” You can eliminate choices (A), (D), and (F), which say that Handy’s moniker was professed, proven, or demonstrated—they mean the opposite of what you want. Choice (B), which states that Handy’s nickname was widely deconstructed, or “examined,” could be right since other musicians came up with a different opinion, so keep it as a possibility. Choice (C), disputed, has exactly the meaning you need, so keep this, too. That leaves choice (E) contested, which produces a sentence with the same meaning as choice (C), so (C) and (E) are the correct answers.
8. A, D
   In this sentence, which has no road signs, read for key words and what’s implied (i.e., for logic). When an “expectation of instant gratification” isn’t fulfilled, a feeling of disappointment would ensue. So the answer choices have to mean “disappointment.” You can eliminate choices (B) and (E), endearment and elation, right away since they have the opposite meaning. Choice (F) pacifism, “an opposition to war of any kind,” isn’t right for this sentence—an unreturned message would cause conflict in a relationship, rather than promote peace. Choice (C) recompense means “compensation” and can also be eliminated. That leaves (A) and (D), chagrin and vexation, both of which match the prediction and have the right meaning for the sentence.
9. B, C
   This is an intriguing sentence since the answer choices include two arcane words, augmented and meliorated. A good strategy for questions like this is to use the process of elimination on the answer choices. First, look at what the sentence implies, paraphrase it, and predict the answer: “The zookeepers are ‘changing’ the exhibit to handle more visitors.” All the answer choices except (D) and (F), maintained and neglected, express change, so eliminate those two. Of the remaining choices, (A) and (E), abridged and truncated, mean “to make shorter,” which, when applied to the sentence, wouldn’t help the exhibit accommodate more traffic. The final choices are (B) and (C), which are two high-level vocabulary words (meaning “added to” and “improved,” respectively) and the correct answers.
10. D, F
    Without structural road signs, you need to see if paraphrasing or key words can help you find synonyms. Scientists have observed odd fish behavior that precedes seismic events—the fish jump out of the water. Your paraphrase and prediction might look something like this: “Scientists ‘theorize’ that fish respond to physical precursors of seismic events.” Both choices (D) and (F), hypothesize and contend, fit this definition, and are therefore the correct answers. Choice (A) repudiate means to reject an idea, not present one. Scientists don’t authorize information, so choice (B) is also incorrect. Choice (C) foresee does imply prediction, but one based on intuition, not on observed behavior. Finally, it wouldn’t make sense for scientists to (E) question their own prediction in this context.
11. A
    You’re asked to find the statement or statements that have direct support in the passage. The last sentence in the passage states that most orders are not exclusively beneficial or exclusively parasitic, but include species with both characteristics. That’s choice (A). Choice (B) is too extreme, since the author speaks of minimizing harm to other species, not eliminating it. Choice (C) presents a scenario that’s the opposite of what the passage expresses: facilitating the development of parasitic insects isn’t in line with the goal of controlling pest species.
12. D
    The word “extirpation” means “destruction” or “cutting out” or “uprooting.” The phrase “protecting benign native insect species” implies that entomologists are trying to prevent these ecosystem-balancing species from destruction. Obliteration, choice (D), is a good description of what they’re trying to avoid. (A) intrusion might be tempting because ecosystems are sometimes protected from human activity altogether, but it is the species that is being protected from extirpation, not the ecosystem. Choices (B) excision and (E) ablation both refer to the surgical removal of tissue, another meaning of “extirpation” but not in accord with the context here. Choice (E) uprooting means pulling up a plant by the roots. This is yet another meaning of “extirpation” but again does not fit the context.
13. C
    In this Function question, you have to characterize the relationship between the two highlighted phrases. The conclusion of this passage is that the Easter Rising was a key turning point in the battle against English rule. Thus, the first phrase, which calls the Easter Rising a “landmark event,” is a paraphrase of the author's main conclusion. The second highlighted phrase, which calls the battle a “failure,” would seem to contradict the conclusion that the battle was a positive turning point. The contrast key word “while,” which precedes the second highlighted phrase, emphasizes the contradictory nature of the Easter Rising. Choice (C) matches both halves of the prediction perfectly. Choice (A) calls the first phrase evidence, which is incorrect. Choice (B) flips the two phrases’ roles. Choice (D) refers to intermediate conclusions, which neither of the phrases is. Finally, choice (E) refers to an “outside position,” which the passage does not have.
14. D
    This Global question asks you to sum up the passage’s purpose. The author’s tone is one of explanation rather than argument, so you can rule out (A) arguing that . . . and (E) persuading readers . . . right away. The passage explains how the terms Persian and Iranian intersect and provides two perspectives on why one term might be preferable to the other. That’s choice (D). The author does not mention the fall of the Persian Empire, so choice (B) is incorrect. Although three groups are mentioned, the author doesn’t focus on differentiating among them, so (C) isn’t the best summary of the passage, either.
15. A, B
    To select the correct choices, you must identify the groups to whom the term Persian applies according to the passage. Since both Iranian and Afghani people may use the descriptor, the woman in (A) could be described as Persian. The first sentence says that both Iranian immigrants and U.S.-born Iranian Americans identify as Persian, so the man in (B) also fits the criteria. However, it is clear that the term refers to heritage or citizenship or both, so it would not be accurate to describe someone of English descent who is an American citizen, choice (C), as Persian.
16. E
    The verb “cites” indicates that this is a Detail question, so look directly in the passage for the answer. The first two lines of the passage state that Iranian Americans call themselves Persian, and “this descriptor is a frequent cause of confusion among non-Persians.” Bingo. Choice (E) is a perfect match. Choice (A) is a misused detail. It’s a reason why some people oppose the use of the term Persian, not a reason why non-Persians are confused by the term. Similarly, choices (B), (C), and (D) all relate to arguments about whether the term Persian should be used; none of them have anything to do with the cause of some non-Persians’ confusion, which is what the question asks for.
17. E
    The question asks which choice is most analogous in meaning to the highlighted sentence, “To look feminine, fashionable sixth-century women would achieve the same ideal by bleeding themselves.” All the choices are about animals, not people, but only (E) contains an analogous situation: self-destructive physical harm to (allegedly) produce an image befitting one’s gender. Choice (A) mentions light and dark coloring, which the passage does discuss, but it’s not analogous to the highlighted sentence in meaning. The second choice, (B), concerns camouflage only. While (C) includes self-destructive physical harm, that harm is inflicted for survival purposes, not for the sake of appearing more masculine or feminine. The opening phrase of (D) sounds like the highlighted sentence, but the remainder of this answer choice discusses a naturally occurring trait, not a self-inflicted one.
18. A, B
    The author describes several societies in which women lightened their skin as dictated by the fashion of the time, but she also cites a culture in which darker colors were preferred (Persians with henna dye). Hence, choice (A) is correct. The passage states that in 13th-century Italy, the use of makeup was a sign of social status, so choice (B) is correct. The passage begins with the Greco-Roman societies, but it doesn’t say whether the practice of lightening skin originated there, so (C) is incorrect.
19. C
    For varied reasons—to flaunt affluence (A), to attract attention (D), and to look feminine (E)—most of the societies described in the passage preferred white color or paleness on women’s faces. These three choices are thus incorrect. The Egyptians preferred a light foundation also, but of a golden hue, so (B) is incorrect. In this passage, only the Persians went for a darker look with henna dye in their hair and on their skin to “summon the majesty” of the earth. Choice (C) is therefore a reason for preferring artificially darker rather than lighter skin, and it is the correct answer.
20. D
    The passage discusses a particular “ism” (a theory or concept) called solipsism, which is the view that oneself is the only object of real knowledge or that nothing but the self exists. The best answer to the question, then, is (D), presenting the definition of a concept. Choice (A) is close, except that solipsism is a belief, not a phenomenon, which is an observable fact or event that can be scientifically described. The author doesn’t “refute” anything, so (B) is incorrect. Also, there are no key words, such as “conversely” or “on the other hand,” to indicate “contrasting” schools of thought, so (C) is incorrect. The phrase “a physical object to a person” describes what the author means by “anything else” and is not the basis of any comparison, so (E) is incorrect.