22 SENTENCE COMPLETION

"1 >>Philosophical problems arise when people ask questions that, though very_______, have certain characteristics in common. ?

• (A) relevant
• (B) elementary
• (C) abstract
• (D) diverse

Solution The key to the correct choice is in the word though, which indicates that the missing word must convey a sense which is the opposite of the phrase 'having certain characteristics in common', Among the choices, diverse (meaning various of differing in qualities), is the most suitable answer. The sentence now means that though people ask diverse questions, there are some common characteristics among them.

2 >>The ambassador's papers are not_______reading, but on who reads slowly and attentively will be richly repaid. ?

• (A) petty
• (B) valuable
• (C) insightful
• (D) easy

Solution The second part of the sentence says that anyone who reads the ambassador's papers slowly and attentively will be richly repaid. The fact that one should read the papers slowly and attentively for getting the full benefit from them implies that what is contained in them is difficult material.Among the choices, 'The ambassador's papers are not easy reading' is what brings out this meaning clearly and is the answer.If his papers are not valuable or insightful reading, then no one can be richly repaid by reading them. So, (B) and (C) are wrong. The phrase 'petty reading' is not appropriate for an ambassador's papers.

3 >>Far from being mere replicas of seventeenth-century African culture, Maroon societies have continually developed as their members have________________the artistic heritage bequeathed by their ancestors, adapting it creatively to their changing lives. ?

• (A) confused
• (B) repressed
• (C) denied
• (D) modified

Solution We can surmise from the sentence that Maroon societies are African groups. The sentence says that their culture has not remained static at the seventeenth- century level, but has been adapted creatively to their changing lives.The missing verb must therefore be a synonym of this italicized phrase. Among the choices, it is modified which has a similar meaning and is the answer.

4 >>Although the substance is normally quite______________, scientists found that when tempered with other elements it could be stored safely in metal containers. ?

• (A) voluminous
• (B) caustic
• (C) insoluble
• (D) vapid

Solution The use of the conjunction although indicates an implied contrast within the sentence. The latter part of the sentence says that, when tempered with other elements, the substance referred to could be stored safely in metal containers. So, the first part should mean that the normal property of the substance is to corrode metal containers. Among the choices, it is only the word caustic that has this meaning, and is the answer.

5 >>It is ironic and somehow tragic that good people are often dull while evil people can be endlessly______. ?

• (A) ordinary
• (B) stubborn
• (C) skeptical
• (D) fascinating

Solution The word ironic signifies a contradiction of ideas within the sentence, and the conjunction while indicates that the characteristics of the good and evil people are being contrasted. Therefore, if the good people are often dull, the evil people must be having a characteristics which is the opposite of being dull. Among the given choices, it is only the word fascinating that has such a meaning, and (D) is the answer

6 >>Ecology, like economics, concerns itself with the movement of valuable__through a complex network of producers and consumers. ?

• (A) commodities
• (B) dividends
• (C) communications
• (D) nutrients

Solution What are the things that go through a complex network of producers and consumers? Not dividends, nor communications, nor nutrient. Commodities is the only suitable word among the choices, and (A) is the answer.

7 >>Certainly Murray's preoccupation with the task of editing the Oxford English Dictionary begot a kind of monomania, but it must be regarded as a _________________ or at least an innocuous one. ?

• (A) tame
• (B) tendentious
• (C) meretricious
• (D) beneficent

Solution The use of the conjunction 'but' implies the existence of a contradiction within the sentence. Monomania means obsession, to the point of madness, with a single task or in any person. But the use of the conjunction but implies that the author of the sentence does not consider Murray's monomania as harmful. So the missing word must have a positive connotation. We can therefore eliminate the choices same (meaning cowardly), tendentious (meaning dishonest) and meretricious (meaning goudy). The statement ""his innocuous (meaning harmless) one"" does not make any sense. The phrase, ""His monomania must be regarded as a beneficent or at least an innocuous one"" makes eminent sense. So, (D) is the answer.

8 >>Nutritionists declare that the mineral selenium, despite its toxic aspects, is_______________to life, even though it is needed in extremely small quantities. ?

• (A) destructive
• (B) insignificant
• (C) essential
• (D) extraneous

Solution Something which is needed for life, even if it is in extremely small quantities, cannot be described as destructive to life, or insignificant to life, or extraneous to life. It can only be described as being essential to life. So (C) is the answer.

9 >>Kagan maintains that an infants reactions to its first stressful experiences are part of a natural process of development, not harbingers of childhood unhappiness or _________ signs of adolescent anxiety. ?

• (A) prophetic
• (B) normal
• (C) monotonous
• (D) virtual

Solution What the sentence says is that an infant's reactions to its first stressful experiences are part of a natural process of development and are not "" harbingers (meaning forerunners of indicators) of childhood unhappiness or.... of adolescent anxiety"" The parallel structure employed by the author in this sentence indicates that the missing word must have meaning similar to harbingers. Among the choices, prophetic is the only word with such a meaning and (A) is the answer.

10 >>By forcing our surrender to the authority of the clock systematic time keeping has imposed a form of________on society ?

• (A) anarchy
• (B) permanence
• (C) provincialism
• (D) tyranny

Solution If we are being forced to surrender to the authority of the clock, then systematic timekeeping cannot be said to be imposing a form of anarchy or permanence or provincialism on us. The three words in the first part of the sentence above indicate that it is imposing a form of tyranny on us. So (D) is the answer.

11 >>Because he felt intimidated in his new position, he was divulging his frank opinions of company proposals. ?

• (A) precipitate in
• (B) candid in
• (C) chary of
• (D) fervid about

Solution The use of the phrase 'divulging his frank opinions' implies that the employee did not agree with the proposals of the company. But if he felt intimidated, what would he do with these opinions? He would either keep them to himself or merely hint at them, being afraid of expressing them openly, Chary of (meaning being cautious about) is the phrase which conveys this meaning, and (C) is the answer.

12 >>Wild life represents a renewable resource but one that cannot be_____________for the enjoyment of future generations. ?

• (A) replaced
• (B) stockpiled
• (C) balanced
• (D) depleted

Solution Renewable resources are those that can be grown again and again, like timber. Timber can also be preserved in large quantities (stockpiled) for use by future generations. Though wild-life can be multiplied by suitable conservation measures, they cannot be stockpiled, since wild-life, just as human beings, will also die periodically. So, (B) is the answer. You can easily see that none of the other choices fits in with the meaning of the sentence.

13 >>Current data suggest that, although____________states between fear and aggression exist, fear and aggression are as distinct physiologically as they are psychologically. ?

• (A) simultaneous
• (B) serious
• (C) exceptional
• (D) transitional

Solution The use of the conjunction although implies that there is contradiction in sense within the sentence. The second part says that fear and aggression are distinct (meaning different) both physiologically and psychologically. In order to bring out the implied contrast the missing word must describe a state in which these two are quite similar or lack distinctiveness. The only possible words among the choices are simultaneous and transitional. Between the two, the word simultaneous must be ruled out because, in that case, the phrase must read 'simultaneous states of fear and aggression, and 'not simultaneous states between fear and aggression'. The word transitional refers to a stage of movement from one state to another when the qualities of both states are present together and the difference between them is blurred. It is this word which fits in logically in the given sentence, and (D) is the answer.

14 >>The spellings of many Old English words have been _____________ in the living language, although their pronunciations have changed. ?

• (A) preserved
• (B) shortened
• (C) preempted
• (D) revised

Solution The phrase although their pronunciations have changed indicates an implied contrast between the two parts of the sentence. This means that the spellings of the words (referred to in the first part) must have remained unchanged over a period of time. The only word among the choices which means unchanged is preserved, which is the answer.

15 >>A common argument claims that in folk art, the artists subordination of technical mastery to intense feeling _____ the direct communication of emotion to the viewer. ?

• (A) facilitates
• (B) averts
• (C) neutralizes
• (D) implies

Solution The first part of the sentence means that, in folk art, intense feeling of the artist takes precedence over technical mastery. This will obviously make it easier for the artist to communicate his emotion to the viewer directly. Among the given choices, it is facilitates that has this meaning, and (A) is the answer.

16 >>Because modern scientists find the ancient Greek view of the cosmos outdated and irrelevant, they now perceive it as only of__________interest. ?

• (A) historical
• (B) intrinsic
• (C) astronomical
• (D) experimental

Solution osmos means universe) The use of the conjunction because implies that the second part of the sentence must be logical consequence of the first part. The first part says that modem scientists find the ancient view of the universe outdated and irrelevant. If so, what will be the nature of their interest in such an outdated and irrelevant view ? Certainly not intrinsic or astronomical or experimental (because astronomical theories, unlike theories of physics or chemistry are not based on experiment, but are based on observation). The phrase 'superfluous interest' does not convey any meaning to the given sentence. ""That the modern scientists consider the outdated Greek theory as of only historical interest"" completes a cogent sentence So, (A) is the answer

17 >>Dreams are__________in and of themselves, but, when combined with other data, they can tell us much about the dreamer. ?

• (A) uninformative
• (B) starting
• (C) harmless
• (D) unregulated

Solution The use of the conjunction but indicates the existence of a contrast within the sentence.) The latter part of the sentence says that dreams, when they are combined with other data, can tell us much about the dreamer. In order to bring out the intended contrast, the earlier part must mean that dreams by themselves cannot tell us anything about the dreamer. Among the choices, it is the word uninformative that as this meaning and (A) is the answer.

18 >>He was widely regarded as a_______man because he revealed daily his distrust of human nature and human motives. ?

• (A) disrespectful
• (B) cynical
• (C) confused
• (D) misinformed

Solution The use of conjunction because shows that the first part of the sentence must be logical and consequent result of what is stated in the second part. The missing adjective. In the sentence must therefore describe a person who consistently shows distrust of human nature and human motives. Cynical is the exact word which describes such a person, and (B) is the answer.

19 >>Within the tribal government of the Crow Indians, the clan system serves as a method of checks and balances that_________the assumption of authoritarian rule by any one clan. ?

• (A) determines
• (B) prevents
• (C) examines
• (D) delegates

Solution If the clan system serves as method of checks and balances the natural result will be that any one clan cannot assume authoritarian rule over all the others. So the obvious role of the clan system is to prevent the emergence of such an authoritarian rule. So, (B) is the answer.You can easily verify that none of the other choices lends a logical meaning to the given sentence.

20 >>The life of Rumel, who enhanced his own political strength as he fought for his people's freedom, suggests that not all liberation movements result in the________________of their leaders. ?

• (A) corruption
• (B) canonization
• (C) self-glorification
• (D) downfall

Solution The word not in the second half of the sentence indicates a contradiction in ideas within the sentence. It is stated that Rumel's political strength had enhanced (meaning increased) even while he was fighting for his people's freedom. Because of the suggestion of a contradiction within the sentence, the missing word must mean the opposite of enhancement of strength. Among the choices, down fall is the only word that has this meaning, and (D) is the answer.

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