Practice Test (Verbal Reasoning) Flashcards

Select the word: "The candidate's ______ answers, full of qualifications and reversals, frustrated voters seeking clarity."

Answer: equivocal

"Equivocal" means ambiguous or evasive, matching the qualified, reversing answers.

Text Completion: "Rather than ______ the controversy, the spokesperson's statement only inflamed public outrage."

Answer: defusing

"Defusing" contrasts with inflaming, fitting the 'Rather than' structure.

Sentence Equivalence: Choose a word equivalent to "prosaic": "The report's ______ language failed to capture the drama of the events."

Answer: mundane

"Mundane" means dull and ordinary, a synonym for "prosaic."

Reading Comprehension: A passage that uses the word "ostensibly" before a claim signals that the author:

Answer: suggests the claim may differ from reality

"Ostensibly" implies something appears true on the surface but may not be.

Select the word: "Despite the ______ of the data, the researchers managed to draw cautious but meaningful conclusions."

Answer: paucity

"Paucity" means scarcity, making the cautious conclusions notable despite limited data.

Text Completion: "The memoir is remarkably ______, sparing neither the author's rivals nor the author herself from criticism."

Answer: unsparing

"Unsparing" means withholding no criticism, matching the harsh treatment of all parties.

Which pair completes the sentence equivalently: "The ancient text contained numerous ______ passages that scholars still cannot interpret."

Answer: cryptic / enigmatic

"Cryptic" and "enigmatic" both describe mysterious passages defying interpretation.