Sentence Completion Practice II Flashcards by Andrew Cohen

While watching the tree sloths in Ecuador, the field researcher found the assignment very ________ for they moved less than 8-meters a day.

A) tragic

B) presumptious

C) tedious

D) ambrosian

E) fastidious

C) tedious

Broad context: job watching tree sloth, which moves so very little during the day. BORING.

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Cell phones have ________ quickly, from simple phones to advanced smart phones, and every few years there’s a new ________ that replaces the old.

A) evolved…paradigm

B) stratified…model

C) delighted…archetype

D) mollified…ulcer

E) castigated…conundrum

A) evolved…paradigm

Clues - from simple to smart, and, new replaces the old

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Charles Foster Kane, once a social ________, gradually draws back in his castillated mansion, Xanadu, and lives the life of a complete ________.

A) pariah…dilettante

B) demagogue…hermit

C) urbanite…recluse

D) sophist…philanthropist

E) philistine…meglomaniac

C) urbanite…recluse

Clues: once, social, draws back

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Being ________ gold-digger, Susan viewed the financial fortunes of the two men vying for her tender attentions as most ________.

A) a strident…understated

B) an implausible…preceptible

C) a brazen…niggling

D) a fuscane…fabricated

E) an unapologetic…salient

Clues: gold-digger, difference

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Though Donna was extremely attracted to Douglas, his ________ conversational style convinced her she preferred a man with a more lively personality.

A) flambouyant

B) enthralling

C) acerbic

D) vapid

E) esoteric

D) vapid

Clues: though extremely attracted, preferred more lively

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Although raised with good morals in a solid Southern family, Rebecca soon became ________, exposed to the depravity of the bar scene in Wooster.

A) a liberal

B) a provocateur

C) an asp

D) a wanton

E) an altruist

D) a wanton

Clues: although good morals, exposed to depravity

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With a good teacher, the ________ becomes comprehensible, while the simple becomes ________ with a bad teacher.

A) insatiable. disgestible

B) abstruse. inscrutable

C) pedantic. opaque

D) didactic. rigorous

E) erudite. eclectic

B) abstruse…inscrutable

Clues: good teacher, comprehensible, bad teacher, simple

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To select the piano, Lord Aston ________ his wife’s opinion, since she had studied at the conservatory.

A) relished in

B) denigrated

C) empathized with

D) touted

E) deferred to

Clues: conservatory – she knew more about music

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Sen. Gearing was such a ________ politician that even his political opponents would often succumb to his powers of persuasion and support his position.

A) deft

B) resentful

C) bogus

D) compromising

E) enfranchised

A) deft

Clues: powers of persuasion

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Prince Pietro’s reputation for being ________ led to his kitchen staff to prepare extra meals for him in case he declared his food inedible.

A) fastidious

B) nonchalant

C) prominent

D) egocentric

E) sycophantic

A) fastidious

Clues: extra meals, declared his food inedible

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The ________ soil only needed competent management and reasonable rainfall, and it would produce enough yield for the community’s needs.

A) garish

B) impoverished

C) fecund

D) paltry

E) capacious

C) fecund

Clues: soil, produce yield

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Danny went from committing petty ______ from the convenience stores in the neighborhood to finally a conviction for grand theft auto.

A) acrimony

B) larceny

C) baubles

D) sundry

E) serendipity

B) larceny

Clues: went from, finally grand theft

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Dr. Walker preferred working with colleagues on an equal footing rather than working with ________ assistants who admired his abilities too much.

A) impermanent

B) interminable

C) moronic

D) obsequious

E) dependent

D) obsequious

Clues: equal footing, admired him too much

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The sergeant turned every ________ duty into the most serious ________, for which, if neglected, his men would face dire punishment.

A) trifling…imperative

B) paramount…endeavor

C) incontinent…evacuation

D) sequential…hodge-podge

E) odious…circumspection

A) trifling…imperative

Clues: sergeant made every, dire punishment

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The _______ of promising junior executives in the corporation caused management to seek talent from outside the company.

A) inequities

B) overabundance

C) quandary

D) foundation

E) paucity

Clues: seek talent from outside

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With the housing market crash, ________ furor has given way to ________ inactivity, as homes remain on the market for tens of months without any offers on them.

A) investment…elated

B) spurious…depressed

C) redoubtable…acoustic

D) wagering…vacillating

E) speculative…chary

Clues: market crash, furor, inactivity

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At the ________ Julius Caesar, Marc Anthony uses such ________ language that the plebeians are moved to tears and then to riot against Marcus Brutus.

A) elegy for…billious

B) ode to…ominous

C) eulogy for…eloquent

D) tributary of…affecting

E) promenade of…articulate

C) eulogy for…eloquent

Clues: Julius Caesar, moved to tears, riot

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After the drought and widespread famine, the relief workers approached a scene of horror in which few were left alive among the ________ corpses.

A) mangled

B) emaciated

C) purged

D) sanctified

E) haggard

B) emaciated

Clues: drought, famine, corpses

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After being gutted by the fire, the church had to be ________, because the damage was too extensive.

A) razed

B) expurgated

C) euthanized

D) upgraded

E) renovated

A) razed

Clues: damage was too extensive

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Although she feels Charlie isn’t sorry enough for what he did, Marion greets him as a ________ member of the family rather than a menacing ________.

A) obstinate…pariah

B) reclusive…heir

C) blithe…stranger

D) unrepentant…patriarch

E) recalcitrant…outsider

Clues: Although, isn’t sorry, member of the family,

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Despite ________ criticisms that presidents endure during their administrations, many have a gradual resurgence in their popularity after political life.

A) deserved

B) measured

C) scathing

D) bogus

E) austere

C) scathing

Clues: despite, criticisms, endure

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In order to protect his public image, he ________ settlement terms that he considered outrageous.

A) acquiesced to

B) colluded with

C) bellowed at

D) protested over

E) advocated for

A) acquiesced to

Clues: though, outrageous, protect his image

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At the castle, the ________ fields strewn with decaying corpses add to the misery of the starving inhabitants and their ________ future.

A) fertile…pessimistic

B) blasted…upbeat

C) fetid…bleak

D) barren…bombastic

E) arid…copious

C) fetid…bleak

Clues: decaying corpses, misery, poor

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Certain comedies are so ________ that, though appealing at first, the material becomes flatly unamusing on the second viewing.

A) sacrosanct

B) vulgar

C) profane

D) inane

E) ribald

D) inane

Clues: comedies, appealling, flatly unamusing

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The principal punished the students for their \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ behavior during exams, since everyone had been ________ told to maintain quiet in the halls. A) odious...aggressively B) innocuous...indirectly C) malignant...obliviously D) surreptitious...passively E) obstreperous...expressly

E) obstreperous...expressly ## Footnote Clues: punished, during exams, told

Blanche found the rich man she married so \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ that she despaired of ever being ________ money for travel, fashion, or refined amusements. A) rarefied...bestowed B) penurious...allotted C) stingy...bereft D) parsimonious...transfered E) ostentatious...compensated

B) penurious...allotted ## Footnote Clues: rich, despaired

The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ desire for only locally grown organic food in the world's food supply, thinking demographically, can only lead to hundreds of millions of starving people. A) quixotic B) probative C) imaginary D) insincere E) insubstantial

A) quixotic ## Footnote Clues: desire, thinking demographically

Dexter couldn’t wait to end the day’s work among those \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, boring suits to mingle with the ________ smiles and evening gowns of the night. A) corpulent...enchanting B) insignificant...enthralling C) stodgy...winsome D) fecund...scintallating E) tailored...deceptive

C) stodgy...winsome ## Footnote Clues: couldn't wait, boring, smiles

When coach Herb Brooks first \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ his ________ hockey style to the 1980 USA Olympic Team, his players had no idea how he wanted them to play. A) adumbrated...hybrid B) related...regimented C) unveiled...ecletic D) deseminated...abstract E) expounded...lacrymous

A) adumbrated...hybrid ## Footnote Clues: first, style, no idea

They were forced to pledge the family farm in Marthasville as ________ for the loan to pay the legal expenses. A) assistance B) behemoth C) deliberation D) collateral E) demarcation

D) collateral ## Footnote Clues - pledge, farm, loan

The jewelry store heist was done so \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ that only the boss knew the names of the nine professional thieves involved. A) stealthily B) artfully C) robustly D) clandestinely E) manifestly

D) clandestinely ## Footnote Clues: heist, only the boss knew

The jury was given \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ time to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ upon the verdict, so the judge declared a hung jury, and ordered a retrial. A) inadequate...ruminate B) ample...deliberate C) fortunate...delineate D) insufficient...decide E) egotistical...ponder

B) ample...deliberate ## Footnote Clues - jury, verdict, hung jury, retrial

The two men in Lee's life were such opposites: one \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, cynical rebel, and the other a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, optismistic placater. A) an idealistic...billowing B) an irrascible...gloomy C) an acerbic...cloying D) an acrid...partisan E) a rippling...castigating

C) an acerbic...cloying ## Footnote Clues: cynical rebel, optimistic placater

Keeping the repressive and corrupt though mildly effective dictator in charge is preferable to supporting ________ government. A) an inchoate B) a representitive C) a decrepit D) a delinquent E) an insecure

A) an inchoate ## Footnote Clues: mildly effective dictator

With numerous detentions and three suspensions on his record, the ________ boy faced the disciplinarian and principal who considered \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) incarcerated...deportation B) enamored...expurgation C) delinquent...ossification D) incorrigible...expulsion E) degraded...admonishment

D) incorrigible...expulsion ## Footnote Clues: numerous detentions, suspensions, principal

Generally, political independence is rewarded at the polls, because the voters seem to prefer a ________ to a wonk when it comes to decision making. A) maverick B) pedestrian C) mavin D) cog E) neophyte

A) maverick ## Footnote Clues: independence

Mr. Collins had hoped that Elizabeth would ________ her ________ opinions while visiting Lady Catherine Du Bourg who liked flattering agreement. A) alienate...dissociative B) litigate...inglorious C) appreciate...ingenious D) tolerate...august E) suppress...pert

E) suppress...pert ## Footnote Clues: flattering agreement

Due to his chronic toothache, Grandpa’s tolerance and patience toward the baby was replaced with \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) reticence B) intransigence C) petulance D) credence E) hesitance

C) petulance ## Footnote Clues: toothache, tolerance and patience, replaced

Once she got going on a pet peeve, it was dangerous to try to stop her in the middle of her ________ until she ran out of either breath or \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) harangue...accolades B) diatribe...admissions C) triptych...maledictions D) tirade...expletives E) cascade...profanities

D) tirade...expletives ## Footnote Clues: got going, pet peeve, ran out of breath

Henry V, fearful of God’s just punishment because his father ________ the throne from Richard II, falls to his knees and begs for forgiveness and deliverance. A) usurped B) abdicated C) replicated D) infiltrated E) expurgated

A) usurped ## Footnote Clues: throne from, forgiveness

Looking at the canvases spanning his whole career, anyone would see the artist underwent ________ change after his struggle with cancer. A) an internal B) an immutable C) a propitious D) an idealistic E) an asthetic

E) an asthetic ## Footnote Clues: canvases, artist

Napoleon Bonaparte ________ the Grande Armée first in an effort to invade England but shifted its focus to meet the threats of Austria and Russia. A) aggregated B) confusticated C) dilated D) interpreted E) complicated

A) aggregated ## Footnote Clues: Napoleon, Armée

Though certainly not religious like his parents, nor anti-religious like his Uncle Roy, William remained a skeptical \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) atheist B) spiritualist C) pagan D) agnostic E) druid

D) agnostic ## Footnote Clues: not religious, not anti-religious

The judge rendered the ________ confession inadmissible, since the record indicated that the inspector had made ________ threats against the defendant's family. A) airtight...deliberate B) pressured...innocuous C) previous...stalwart D) coerced...veiled E) animated...insinuated

D) coerced...veiled ## Footnote Clues: judge, inadmissible

Shakespeare understood that the actors and stagecraft of his theater needed the ________ of a willing audience whose imagination made the ________ believable. A) attention...façade B) presence...battles C) interpretation...farce D) collusion...illusion E) circumspection...plots

D) collusion...illusion ## Footnote Clues: actors and stagecraft, needed, imagination, believable

At first, the new kid from Lithuania was ________ for his ________ and clothing, but, when he played soccer with the other boys, the ridicule was replaced by respect. A) derided...accent B) aped...dialect C) pestered...customs D) toasted...habits E) chided...idioms

A) derided...accent ## Footnote Clues: new kid from Lithuania

In the dusty bedroom of Emily Grearson, we found the ________ corpse of Homer Baron who had disappeared years ago. A) horrified B) desiccated C) whelped D) taciturn E) florid

B) desiccated ## Footnote Clues: corpse, years ago

The soldiers, ________ by as much as 60 pounds of gear, faced a ________ assault as they made their way through the rising tide. A) laden...heartening B) encumbered...withering C) repressed...tenacious D) tortured...lenient E) segmented...relentless

B) encumbered...withering ## Footnote Clues: soldiers, gear, assault

Farmer Hoggett was not trying to ________ the conventions by entering his pig in the sheep dog competition, though he understood why the committee felt \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) countermand...elated B) disregard...revered C) circumvent...sanguine D) flout...indignant E) adhere to...slighted

D) flout...indignant ## Footnote Clues: conventions, pig in sheep dog competition

Some maintain that charitable organizations were more effective at serving the ________ population than governments were. A) apoplectic B) indigent C) disenfranchised D) circumspect E) conscripted

B) indigent ## Footnote Clues: charitable organizations, serving

The farmers of Sleepy Hollow were ________ to find the boarding of a schoolmaster in their own homes \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) liable...prolonged B) credible...reassuring C) predicted...bracing D) undoubtedly...pragmatic E) apt...onerous

E) apt...onerous ## Footnote Clues: boarding of a schoolmaster, own

In a ________ of uncanny \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, he leafed through the book that he found on the subway bench and discovered that it contained a valid winning lottery ticket. A) moment...surety B) fever...prepossession C) parcel...determination D) stroke...serendipity E) condition...rumination

D) stroke...serendipity ## Footnote Clues: found winning lottery ticket

The student ________ that the ________ he used for art history would be equally serviceable as a murder weapon if dropped a short distance onto someone’s head. A) quipped...tome B) suggested...quagmire C) mentioned...pamphlet D) argued...bludgeon E) reiterated...kerfuffle

A) quipped...tome ## Footnote Clues: used for art history, equally serviceable, murder weapon, dropped on head

After acing the first four tests, Bradley’s ________ assured a lack of effort on the midterm, which he subsequently barely passed. A) estuary B) overestimation C) speculation D) veracity E) complacency

E) complacency ## Footnote Clues: acing tests, lack of effort

With the coming of the Dust Bowl conditions, many “Okies” who tried to make successful farms were ________ and had to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ to California. A) prosperous...abscond B) impoverished...retreat C) desitute...migrate D) boisterous...flee E) unscathed...hasten

C) destitute...migrate ## Footnote Clue: tried to make successful farms

Many top athletes who find themselves bankrupt after retirement can attest to the ________ nature of glory. A) rejuvenating B) gruelling C) ephemeral D) dissipating E) perspicacious

C) ephemeral

Minister Higdon showed remarkable ________ during his twenty years of indignities suffered at the hands of the Bolger family. A) pliancy B) forebearance C) comeliness D) lassitude E) aplomb

B) forebearance ## Footnote Clues: twenty years of indignities

Lady Henry decided to ________ the ________ groundskeeper, whom she always seemed to find leaning on his tools. A) examine...histrionic B) plunder...lackadasical C) sack...exemplary D) reprimand...assiduous E) discharge...indolent

E) discharge...indolent ## Footnote Clues: leaning on tools

Morgan Grant, a master of physical and psychological description, came very close to expressing the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_experience of parachuting behind enemy lines on D-Day. A) ineffable B) banal C) excisable D) elusive E) predictable

A) ineffable ## Footnote Clues: master, description, came very close, parachuting

Compared to the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, the barely competent appears to be the deft \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) decrepit...veteran B) uninitiated...clinician C) polemic...evaluator D) inept...afficionado E) sychophant...logician

D) inept...afficionado ## Footnote Clues: compared to, barely competent, appears, deft

Though finally alone with Serena on whom he secretly had a crush, George acted ________ and conversed easily. A) cantankerous B) nonchalant C) pompous D) locquacious E) timorous

B) nonchalant ## Footnote Clues: though, secretly , crush, acted, conversed

Logan thought her candidate delivered an inspiring and original speech, while his opponent's oration was ________ empty \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) glutted...vissitudes B) replete with...platitudes C) innundated with...pedestrianisms D) devoid of...polemics E) shy of...conundrums

B) replete with...platitudes ## Footnote Clues: inspiring and original, while, empty

Henry Miller’s book was so ________ with vulgarity and _________ that the courts declared it pornography. A) rife...obscenity B) complete...pecularity C) infantile...indecency D) juvenile...ascetics E) decadent...rectitude

A) rife...obscenity ## Footnote Clues: vulgarity, pornography

Although they were saddened by the death of their uncle Milton, the inheritance of his estate ________ their own financial crisis. A) villified B) capsized C) tantalized D) exterminated E) ameliorated

E) ameliorated ## Footnote Clues: although saddened, inheritance, financial crisis

Richard Jewel, who alerted police to evacuate the park, became a public ________ when he was falsely accused of planting the bomb. A) hypocrite B) anathema C) oddity D) specimen E) iconoclast

B) anathema ## Footnote Clues: accused of planting the bomb

With an imposing honey-drawl at his command, Lyndon Johnson could often ________ a member of Congress into voting for his legislation. A) blandish B) winnow C) gestate D) scrutinize E) wallow

A) blandish ## Footnote Clues: imposing, honey-drawl, into voting

The two sisters couldn’t be more different: one is ________ and overbearing, the other ________ and deferential. A) malodorous...noisome B) gauche...deliberate C) optimistic...convivial D) brash...diffident E) erratic...audacious

D) brash...diffident ## Footnote Clues: different, overbearing, deferential

The editor published ________ letter attacking the hate speech code and defending ________ free speech to her readers on campus. A) a balanced...unrestricted B) a polemic...unbridled C) an elegant...partial D) an equivocating...toxic E) an extreme...curtailing

B) a polemic...unbridled ## Footnote Clues: attacking, defending

The mining company soon built a reputation for, not only being hostile to unions, but also ________ both regulations and worker safety. A) scruplous toward B) insistant upon C) inimical to D) divergent of E) disciplined about

C) inimical to ## Footnote Clues: not only hostile, but also, regulations, safety

Despite the ________ appearance, the gelatin contained a colony of bacterium capable of ________ a national population. A) disheveled...invigorating B) compliant...threatening C) toxic...exterminating D) prophylactic...protecting E) innocuous...decimating

E) innocuous...decimating ## Footnote Clues: despite, appearance , bacterium, population

The cowboy offered a horse to ______ the ill-feelings created by his drunken rampage of a week before. A) provoke B) amplify C) discredit D) litigate E) mitigate

E) mitigate ## Footnote Clues: ill-feelings, rampage

A few months of ________ knitting of handsome and ________ accessories for ladies had provided Mrs. Smith with a sufficient income. A) articulate...lucrative B) fustian...cunning C) meticulous...intricate D) superfluous...fashionable E) interminable...utilitarian

C) meticulous...intricate ## Footnote Clues: knitting, accessories

I played chess and lost to a most ________ eight-year-old who told me she was doing advanced physics and calculus at her ________ school. A) erudite...efficient B) cerebral...efficacious C) precocious...accelerated D) savvy...elevated E) imbecilic...advanced

C) precocious...accelerated ## Footnote Clues: eight, physics, calculus

The ________ radio transmission lasted until the tower repairs were completed, while online streaming continued \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) hiatus in...unabated B) suspension of...terminally C) continuation of...brazenly D) sequestration of...predominantly E) revitalization of...courageously

A) hiatus in...unabated ## Footnote Clues: repairs, online streaming

Universities have, on occasion, been known to ________ degrees earned through academic \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) confer...inferrence B) bestow...competence C) deny...endowments D) ignore...malfeasance E) rescind...fraud

E) rescind...fraud ## Footnote Clues: on occasion, degrees, academic

The football player made \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ argument that he had a cheatsheet but wasn't cheating, and it was enough to sway the administrator who was also a coach. A) a cunning B) an airtight C) a prudish D) a reflexive E) a spurious

E) spurious ## Footnote Clues: had a cheatsheet, enough to sway

Though he usually enjoyed the energy and ________ talent of high school productions, they sometimes degraded into sad ________ of the original glory. A) raw...altitudes B) unrefined...proclivites C) inculcated...sham D) burgeoning...travesties E) nascent...allegories

D) burgeoning...travesties ## Footnote Clues: enjoyed, high school productions, degraded

Hamlet reasons that, since the lands are not \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, the Polacks will never defend a wasteland. A) blemished B) seasoned C) harvested D) arable E) contested

D) arable ## Footnote Clues: will never defend, wasteland

Party politics used to require a candidate to secure the support of certain \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, like labor leaders, or newspaper editors to endorse him. A) rivals B) agitators C) constituents D) neophytes E) creditors

C) constituents ## Footnote Clues: candidates, support, labor leaders

The pitchmen ________ the approach of their competitors, which made their own campaign seem like a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) augmented...retread B) demystified...sequel C) disparaged...remedy D) villified...addiction E) varied...monolith

C) disparaged...remedy ## Footnote Clues: pitchmem, competitors, own campaign

Martha refused to look at her accusers during the witch trials, claiming that she thought her victims would ________ and _________ suffering. A) witness...endure B) dissemble...feign C) testify...incur D) blandish...avoid E) evade...deflect

B) dissemble...feign ## Footnote Clues: witch trial, claiming, suffering

It showed the difference between a loyal ________ in a democracy and an obstructionist will to ________ the clear mandate of the people. A) opposition...appease B) dissent...thwart C) intention...abrogate D) misdirection...placate E) pretense...impair

B) dissent...thwart ## Footnote Clues: difference, loyal, obstructionist, mandate

The diet shake was so ________ that Inga couldn’t finish the first week’s supply. A) toxic B) execrable C) tonic D) rancid E) palatable

B) execrable ## Footnote Clues: diet, couldn't finish

The Medical Corps has worked to streamline \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, triage, and treatment for \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ battlefield wounds. A) ambulance...unexpected B) diagnosis...pulminary C) evacuation...exigent D) ingress...countless E) attendance...emergency

C) evacuation...exigent ## Footnote Clues: triage, treatment, battlefield

When important events are happening within minutes of going to air, a TV newsroom becomes \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, almost chaotic. A) salacious B) maladroit C) incendiary D) undignified E) frenetic

E) frenetic ## Footnote Clues: chaotic

The scandal didn’t merely ________ lower officers of the organization, but it reached up into the _________ of the corporate leadership. A) taint...elevation B) incriminate...stratospheres C) implicate...hierarchy D) regress...regions E) stained...peons

C) implicate...hierarchy ## Footnote Clues: scandal, reached up, leadership

Though wrecking nothing themselves, a small group of anarchists ________ the riot that caused tens of millions of dollars of damage. A) executed B) subverted C) mollified D) compensated E) instigated

E) instigated ## Footnote Clues: wrecking nothing, anarchists, riot

With Audrey’s ________ of waning trust in her own husband’s fidelity, Abigail’s concern for her friend ________ exponentially. A) innuendo...multiplied B) notion...augmented C) intimation...waxed D) discrediting...sprouted E) secret...compounded

C) intimation...waxed ## Footnote Clues: trust, fidelity, exponentially

Entrepeneurs suffer trying to do business in a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_environment like New York or Los Angeles where one can be sued \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) lawful...legally B) legislative...easily C) pugnacious...violently D) belligerent...parenthetically E) litigious...frivolously

E) litigious...frivolously ## Footnote Clues: suffer to do business, sued

The path leads through saturated ground with a ________ so thick that only a rope pulled by several men could \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ a man who got stuck in it. A) quagmire...ingress B) swamp...disseminate C) billow...liberate D) morass...extricate E) bog...verify

D) morass...extricate ## Footnote Clues: saturated ground, rope, stuck

The collapse of the building produced a ________ cloud that threatened the health of the workers during rescue and cleanup efforts. A) noxious B) nebulous C) unctuous D) plausible E) monastic

A) noxious ## Footnote Clues: collapse, building, threatened the health

Because the large fan in the gymnasium wouldn’t \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, only a ________ of parents in attendance felt any relief from the heat. A) operate...portion B) irrigate...partition C) rotate...sampling D) oscillate...swath E) ignite...shovelful

D) oscillate...swath ## Footnote Clues: felt any relief

Though some hinted at \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ motives, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, the principal excised two pages from the school newspaper out of liability concerns. A) personal...accordingly B) alterior...ostensibly C) inglorious...pretensiously D) devious...willingfully E) shadowy...clearly

B) alterior...ostensibly ## Footnote Clues: though, hinted, motives

Desmond Tutu, a man of unimpeachable \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, was chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission at the end of Apartheid. A) temerity B) sobriety C) probity D) verisimilitude E) quiessence

C) probity ## Footnote Clues: unimpeachable, chairman, Truth

The boy’s natural _______ in art was not ________ much by trips to museums, but he learned much by searching the internet. A) ribaldry...fostered B) tenacity...transformed C) taste...interrupted D) agility...shaped E) proclivity...nurtured

E) proclivity...nurtured ## Footnote Clues: natural, in art, he learned

Shamed by personal failures Truman indulged in hedonistic pursuits, living a most ______ lifestyle among ________ associates, who drained his legacy in no time. A) degraded...righteous B) profligate...licentious C) primrose...libertine D) dissipative...swarthy E) menial...frugal

B) profligate...licentious ## Footnote Clues: hedonistic, who drained, legacy

In his book, Tom Brokaw ________ the opinion that people who faced the Great Depression and World War II in America were its ‘greatest generation’. A) deseminated B) ameliorated C) proselytized D) promulgated E) alleviated

D) promulgated ## Footnote Clues: his book, opinion

Mr. Grossmith, a functioning addict in withdrawal, seeks the ________ of his dressing room and its palliative ________ after a dismal rehearsal. A) respite...contraband B) comfort...stash C) haven...mountebank D) simplicity...medicinals E) sanctuary...penchants

A) respite...contraband ## Footnote Clues: addict, dismal rehearsal

After missing Halloween and tricks-or-treats waiting for the Great Pumpkin, Sally ________ Linus and demands immediate \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_for her losses. A) opines to...compensation B) brays at...commutation C) alludes to...repayment D) bellows at...restitution E) colludes with...nuptials

D) bellows at...restitution ## Footnote Clues: missing tricks-or-treats, demands, losses

The guards at Buckingham Palace remained ________ and at attention despite tourists’ attempts at wit or ________ to bring the slightest change in their facial expressions. A) frozen...shenanigans B) staid...raillery C) yoked...japes D) terse...mischief E) oblivious...hilarity

B) staid...raillery ## Footnote Clues: guards, at attention, wit, facial expressions

Despite playing an ardent anti-war protestor in her most famous role, the actor was more ________ in her ________ toward causes she supported. A) stultified...physiognomy B) stoical...demeanor C) impervious...appearance D) placid...role E) effervescent...intent

B) stoical...demeanor ## Footnote Clues: ardent, anti-war protestor, more

After weeping uncontrollably for hours and hours at the news of her son’s sudden death, Lady Agatha’s ________ composure at the funeral showed her remarkable self-control. A) acrid B) desiccated C) morbid D) morose E) stolid

E) stolid ## Footnote Clues: weeping uncontollably, son's death, composure, self-control

The weeks leading up to the bar exam, she suffered from doubt and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, but, as she settled into her seat to take it, she felt confident and easy. A) temerity B) austerity C) intimation D) adulation E) trepidation

E) trepidation ## Footnote Clues: exam, doubt, but conifident, easy

It took little time for the junta to ________ all the powers that had resided in the legislature before the coup. A) arrogate B) stupify C) interrogate D) edify E) quantify

A) arrogate ## Footnote Clues: junta, powers, had resided in legislature, coup

The ________ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ to cleanse the mind of all distracting material comforts, so that a connection to a higher power is strengthened. A) disciple...adheres B) meditator...circumscribes C) botanist...undertakes D) hedonist...attempts E) ascetic...endeavors

E) ascetic...endeavors ## Footnote Clues: cleanse the mind, material comforts

All the animals, except of course the pigs, work hard for the completion of the mill, but the ________ horse, Boxer, makes the greatest contribution to the project. A) encumbered B) lanquid C) ignominious D) assiduous E) vainglorious

D) assiduous ## Footnote Clues: work hard, greatest contribution

President Lincoln's letter did little to ________ the grief of the woman who had lost five sons in the war, but he dutifully ________ to her the thanks of the republic. A) appease...sanctified B) inflame...rendered C) mollify...inducted D) recognize...ingratiated E) assuage...tendered

E) assuage...tendered ## Footnote Clues: grief, lost five sons in the war

The consultant gave his ________ observation of the organization’s structure and the ________ of resources, and this led to positive reforms. A) predictable...distribution B) incisive...depreciation C) astute...allocation D) brooding...paucity E) holistic...reversal

C) astute...allocation ## Footnote Clues: consultant, structure, positive

Some come to America seeking opportunity, while others come seeking ________ from _________ in their native lands. A) haven...serendipity B) asylum...persecution C) sanctuary...competition D) harbor...distemper E) pandemonium...quietude

B) asylum...persecution ## Footnote Clues: some, opportunity, seeking

Though ________ in his communications, Bertram sometimes was so ________ as to give clients the impression that he needed to get on to other business. A) curt...attentive B) efficacious..laconic C) affecting...terse D) efficient...brusque E) alarming..pacifying

D) efficient...brusque ## Footnote Clues: communications, needed to get on

Though a complete stranger at the Bastille Day soiree in Paris, Edward partied in the ________ atmosphere as though he were an old friend to everyone. A) convivial B) emollient C) nonchalant D) restive E) contrite

A) convivial ## Footnote Clues: Though, stranger, partied, as though, old friends

Instead of being angry and slamming the door in his face, Uncle Silas ________ a most ________ greeting and opened his home to him. A) extended...arduous B) rendered...cordial C) performed...extemperaneous D) retracted...extraneous E) reiterated...unexpected

B) rendered...cordial ## Footnote Clues: instead, angry, opened his home

To his surprise, the detective found several credible witnesses to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_his prime suspect’s seemingly weak \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, so he was back to square one. A) exonerate...defense B) invalidate...excuse C) verify...circumstance D) rivet...dossier E) corroborate...alibi

E) corroborate...alibi ## Footnote Clues: credible, seemingly weak, square one

Red ________ so much over the choice of ice cream that it took more than 20 minutes to serve him. A) oscillated B) prolonged C) escalated D) exacerbated E) dithered

E) dithered ## Footnote Clues: choice, 20 minutes

The DEA agent ________ the way the product was being smuggled into Laredo and devised ________ strategy. A) parsed... an interception B) unlocked...a contradiction C) puzzled...an intermission D) divined...an interdiction E) resolved...a contraption

D) divined...interdiction ## Footnote Clues: DEA agent, smuggled, strategy

Knowing that any information might help the enemy discover the identity of other ________ in the field, the agent simply refused to ________ anything. A) aliases...unveil B) protocols...reveal C) procedures...uncover D) professionals...covert E) operatives...divulge

E) operatives...divulge ## Footnote Clues: information, help enemy, in the field, agent

DNA evidence ________ Henry James after nearly 30 years of ________ in a case of misidentification and matching blood type. A) convicted...inprisonment B) expurgated...guilt C) pardoned...miscarriage D) purified...confinement E) exonerated...incarceration

E) exonerated...incarceration ## Footnote Clues: DNA evidence, after, misidentification

Promising to give evidence in court, “the Tongue” wanted his entire criminal record \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) reduced B) accentuated C) expunged D) edited E) truncated

C) expunged ## Footnote Clues: give evidence, entire criminal record

Her father thought that Cindy was wasting energy worrying about rumors, ________ and other ________ matters instead of concentrating on her studies. A) chatter...weighty B) jibberish...trivial C) statistics...libellous D) slanders...pertinent E) innuendos...frivolous

E) innuendos...frivolous ## Footnote Clues: wasting energy, rumors

Facing harsh weather and hidden dangers, the ________ Spanish and French explorers blazed trails into the New World. A) disoriented B) intimidated C) intrepid D) chastised E) surmounted

C) intrepid ## Footnote Clues: harsh weather, dangers, blazed trails

During the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, police stations were ________ with calls from “eye-witnesses” to the invasion from outer space. A) incident...discomforted B) hoax...inundated C) climax...awash D) broadcast...fettered E) infiltration...satiated

B) hoax...inundated ## Footnote Clues: "eye-witnesses" invasion, outer space

Ben Hamper thought he could never be ________ the seemingly chaotic set-up of the assembly line. A) promoted to B) recommended for C) fatigued by D) welcomed into E) inured to

E) inured ## Footnote Clues: seemingly chaotic

The ________ banquet at the fundraiser was proof enough of the ________ of the Count, and Courtney knew the charitable goal would be reached. A) meager...parsimony B) paltry...largess C) luxurious...panache D) opulent...equinamity E) lavish...munificence

E) lavish...munificence ## Footnote Clues: banquet, proof, goal, reached

Tom Walker builds a grand mansion from ________ impulse, but leaves it mostly unfinished and unfurnished from his ________ to parsimony. A) a selfish...disinclination B) an ostentatious...propensity C) a robust...leniency D) an erudite...obstinancy E) a roguish...aptness

B) an ostentatious...propensity ## Footnote Clues: grand mansion, unfinished, unfurnished

We knew Aunt Delia was losing it when we heard the endless ________ she aimed at the pizza guy for taking almost an hour to bring her food. A) compliments B) tangents C) inaugurations D) invectives E) implications

D) invectives ## Footnote Clues: losing it, pizza guy late

Preferring a dynamic and controversial writer, the editor-in-chief promoted the somewhat lax ________ over the more qualified and accurate, but more \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, reporter. A) entrepeneur...pedestrian B) ingenue...banal C) savant...parochial D) provocateur...prosaic E) gourmand...naive

D) provocateur...prosaic ## Footnote Clues: dynamic and controversial

Frank Abagnale, Jr., was a ________ adolescent who passed himself off convincingly as a doctor, a pilot, and a lawyer among others, and showed his genius for reinventing himself. A) doppelganger B) nemesis C) protean D) diaphanous E) narcissist

C) protean ## Footnote Clues: passed himself off, doctor, pilot, lawyer, reinventing himself

Though clearly not the strongest man in the ring, Carl “the Cobra” Connors intimidated his larger opponents with his ________ based on speed and versatility of attack. A) cachet B) prowess C) cadre D) largess E) posse

B) prowess ## Footnote Clues: intimidated, speed, versatility

Always a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, the author expected his book to be panned, not ________ as it was, but apparently something about his story stimulated enthusiasm among the readers and critics. A) cynic...excoriated B) realist...lauded C) purest...extolled D) sensualist...ignored E) pessimist...rhapsodized

E) pessimist...rhapsodized ## Footnote Clues: expected, panned, enthusiasm

The critic wondered at the editing of the movie, since it was long with several ________ scenes that only delayed the story’s progress. A) fabulous B) tight C) superfluous D) posthumous E) adroit

C) superfluous ## Footnote Clues: long, delayed, progress

With a sudden ________ in his ribs, Lewis ________ his speech enough to confuse and alarm his audience. A) stitch...truncated B) wrench...averted C) stab...abridged D) needle...pruned E) dagger...massaged

A) stitch...truncated ## Footnote Clues: sudden, ribs, confuse and alarm

Though mentally now fully alert, Bea was so weak from the ________ of the coma that she could not use her spider-thin legs. A) fatigue B) atrophy C) nausea D) jitters E) ossification

B) atrophy ## Footnote Clues: coma, spider-thin

“William Thompson”, Tom’s alter ego of the moment, shocks Aunt Sally with ________ kiss, and then is ________ that she should have found it so impertinent. A) a passionate..irked B) a bellicose...amazed C) a cloistered...flabbergasted D) an audacious...astonished E) a supercilious...amused

D) audacious...astonished ## Footnote Clues: shocks, Aunt, kiss on the mouth, impertinent

Once stimulated by the disguised devil’s offer of easy money, Pahom’s ________ began to dominate his thinking and alienate him from his friends. A) gluttony B) sloth C) avarice D) mores E) rheumatism

C) avarice ## Footnote Clues: devil's, easy money, alienate

While repairing the header, the carpenters ________ the ceiling by wedging eight two-by-fours under it. A) imposed B) propagated C) blandished D) pilloried E) buttressed

E) buttressed ## Footnote Clues: repairing, carpenter, wedging

Several important communist hardliners led a ________ against Mikhail Gorbachev’s ________ in August of 1989, holding him under house arrest for almost three days. A) revolt...disciples B) rebellion...policies C) mutiny...vessel D) coup...regime E) insurrection...loyalists

D) coup...regime ## Footnote Clues: several, hardliners, house arrest

Otis had so little that it was no surprise that he found so many things to ________ that others possessed. A) filibuster B) mangle C) yoke D) evoke E) covet

E) covet ## Footnote Clues: had so little, no surprise, others possessed

The dwarves’ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, bordering on senselessness, urged them to enter the dragon’s lair without a plan to destroy the fearful guardian for the sake of its costly bed of treasure. A) grudge B) cupidity C) laxity D) canniness E) levity

B) cupidity ## Footnote Clues: bordering on senseless, for the sake, costly

The union members were only given time for a ________ review of the collective bargaining agreement before the vote was called. A) perusing B) luxuriant C) cursory D) holistic E) comprehensive

C) cursory ## Footnote Clues: only given time, review

The volcano, which hadn’t erupted for 700 years, lay \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, but the scientists knew that like a sleeping dragon it could suddenly activate and bring ________ to the communities near it. A) fallow..calamity B) dormant...devastation C) inert...misfortune D) exigent...disaster E) curdled...mishap

B) dormant...devastation ## Footnote Clues: hadn't erupted for, sleeping dragon

The ________ police detective dampened the party atmosphere in the hall, as he asked questions regarding the whereabouts of the absent \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) turgid...culprits B) biased...suspects C) legendary...evidence D) misogynistic...roustabouts E) dour...revellers

E) dour...revellers ## Footnote Clues: dampened the party, absent

With the bloody revolt falling apart internally, it becomes necessary to find the ________ members of the ________ royal family to restore the monarchy. A) leftover...threatened B) misplaced...exiled C) scattered...verifiable D) extant...decimated E) cloistered...partial

D) extant...decimated ## Footnote Clues: bloody revolt, restore the monarchy

The mermaid could not hope to ________ herself from the fishing net. A) exigent B) extricate C) rectify D) explicate E) expound

B) extricate ## Footnote Clues: mermaid, fishing net

Jerry and Courtney’s “loony” cat was so \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ it would go from gentle purring to ________ its rear claws into your thighs without provocation. A) noisome...goring B) didactic...skewering C) pedantic...digging D) irascible...gouging E) moody...molding

D) irascible...gouging ## Footnote Clues: loony, from gentle purring, rear claws

While many are repulsed by the ________ details of the serial killer’s story, others are fascinated by the ________ of torture and dismemberment. A) graphic...residue B) sordid...vestiges C) heartening...pathos D) pungent...facilities E) lurid...minutiae

E) lurid...minutiae ## Footnote Clues: repulsed, killer's, fascinated, torture

Carrie quickly goes from being a ________ in her new school to the subject of ________ within days of saying grace on her knees before lunch in the cafeteria. A) kudo...derision B) curio...ostracism C) tomboy...ridicule D) neophyte...admonition E) fanatic...confabulation

B) curio...ostracism ## Footnote Clues: goes from, saying grace on her knees

Paul’s mother found an address for a ________ website on her son’s laptop and ________ to confront him and deny him access to the internet while alone. A) salacious...exaggerated B) ribald...conspired C) prurient...resolved D) bawdy...alluded E) debauched...forebore

C) prurient...resolved ## Footnote Clues: website, access to the internet

Terry Gilliam searched Hollywood for a young actress of the right ________ to play the Roman goddess of love to recreate the vision of Botticelli’s *Birth of Venus*. A) proportions B) pulchritude C) gradation D) impiety E) preponderance

B) pulchritude ## Footnote Clues: goddess of love, recreate, vision

The Betties, a group of rich ne’er-do-wells, simply detested the ________ fools, as they called them, who volunteered to monitor the halls at school. A) clandestine B) opulent C) sordid D) ingracious E) punctilious

E) punctilious ## Footnote Clues: monitor the halls

Not wanting to create an expectation for absolute ________ among its customers nor to help cause a greater ________ problem, the restaurant substituted the "All-You-Can-Eat Buffet" with the "All-You-Care-To-Eat Buffet." A) surfeit...obesity B) gorgeousness...gluttony C) satiety...copacetic D) aversion...corporeality E) nourishment...deletorious

A) surfeit...obesity ## Footnote Clues: All-You-Can-Eat

Sentence Completion Practice II Flashcards

This deck builds the habit of good process and reinforces core vocabulary knowledge. Several passes with this deck and your errors on sentence completion should diminish toward zero. This deck has tougher sentences than those in the first sentence completion deck.