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●Sentence Completion 24 (low-advanced SAT level)
Directions: Choose the best word(s) to complete each sentence.
1. Because his team was down 28 points at
the half, the coach decided to ______ his
original game plan and start from scratch.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
hoodwink
osmose
jettison
bolster
buttress
2. Dylan was overly ______: he was so
cautious that he would never step
outside without an umbrella, even
though he lived in an arid climate.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
circumspect
imprudent
perturbed
reckless
intrepid
3. Prisoners in the 1930s and 1940s used to
be chained together and forced to
______ for hours on end; though that
practice has been outlawed in most
states, many prisoners are still required
to complete manual labor as part of their
prison sentence.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
toil
repose
freelance
indenture
unwind
4. The five pillars of Islam are ______: a
practitioner of the faith must observe all
five of these duties throughout his or her
life.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
sacrilegious
immutable
blasphemous
sacrosanct
adaptable
5. The president’s nomination for the
vacant ambassadorship further ______
the administration, since the nominee
was a controversial and divisive figure.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
pacified
emboldened
entangled
validated
embroiled
6. Muriel’s uncle could be a real ______; he
would complain about everything from
the frequency of mail service to the taste
of the peas he’d eaten for dinner.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
showboat
curmudgeon
malingerer
dynamo
braggart
Answers and Explanations
1) C
To figure out what the missing word is, try to predict its definition by using key
words from the prompt. Here the key word is “start from scratch,” something that
was done after the action described by the missing word. Moreover, the prompt
hinges on a cause-and-effect relationship in which the first clause presents the
reason for the actions taken in the second. Thus, since the team was losing the
game, the coach must have decided to get rid of the original game plan and
make a new one. The missing word must be one that means abandon.
Therefore, choice (C) is correct, as jettison means to discard.
(A) is incorrect because hoodwink means trick, not something a coach could do
to a game plan. This does not make sense logically or grammatically.
(B) is incorrect because osmose means absorb. The prompt implies that the
coach did not merely absorb the original game plan. Since he decided to “start
from scratch,” he completely abandoned the old plan and started anew.
(D) is incorrect because bolster means reinforce. The prompt implies that the
coach did not try to salvage the game plan or reinforce it. Instead, the coach
decided to “start from scratch.”
(E) is incorrect because buttress means support. The prompt implies that the
coach did not try to support the game plan. Instead, the coach decided to “start
from scratch.”
2) A
To figure out what the missing word is, try to predict its definition by using key
words from the prompt. Here, the key word is “cautious,” a word that, like the
missing word, describes Dylan. The colon in the prompt separates explanatory
information from the rest of the sentence, meaning everything after the colon
elaborates on the missing word. Thus, the missing word must be one that means
cautious. Choice (A) provides such a word: circumspect means cautious and
prudent.
(B) is incorrect because imprudent means incautious, which is the exact opposite
of a word that would describe Dylan, who is described as “cautious.”
(C) is incorrect because perturbed means agitated or upset. While Dylan was
“cautious,” the prompt does not go so far as to suggest that Dylan was agitated
or nervous.
(D) is incorrect because reckless means without caution or care, which is the
exact opposite of a word that would describe Dylan, who is described as
“cautious.”
(E) is incorrect because intrepid means fearless or brave, which is the exact
opposite of a word that would describe Dylan, who is described as “cautious.”
3) A
To figure out what the missing word is, try to predict their definitions by using key
words in the prompt. Here, the key phrase is “manual labor.” The prompt makes
clear that “manual labor” is similar to the missing word, because the prompt
states “that practice” (the one described by the missing word) has been
outlawed, though “manual labor” is still part of the prison experience. Thus, the
missing word must likewise mean labor, and choice (A) is correct, as toil means
participate in hard work.
(B) is incorrect because repose means to rest, though the prompt implies that the
prisoners in question are doing the very opposite of resting.
(C) is incorrect because freelance means work without being a full employee.
While this technically describes the prisoners mentioned in the prompt, it does
not work here because freelance implies that the prisoners have a choice in the
matter.
(D) is incorrect because indenture means to bind someone to forced labor. It,
thus, describes the action taken by those in charge of the prison but not the
prisoners themselves.
(E) is incorrect because unwind means relax, though the prompt implies that the
prisoners in question are doing the very opposite of that. They are being forced
to work.
4) D
To figure out what the missing word is, try to predict its definition by using key
words from the prompt. In this prompt, everything after the colon can be used to
help predict the meaning of the missing word, making the entire clause a group
of key words. Colons are used to separate explanatory information from the rest
of the sentence, so everything after the colon here essentially defines the
missing word. Thus, the missing word must be one that implies the five pillars are
religious in nature and must be observed. Choice (D) provides the correct
answer, then, as sacrosanct means sacred and inviolable.
(A) is incorrect because sacrilegious means violating or profaning something
sacred. Because the five pillars of Islam are described as something one must
follow to practice Islam, they are the very opposite of something sacrilegious.
(B) is incorrect because immutable means unchangeable. While the five pillars of
Islam probably are unchangeable, this word does not fully capture the religious
significance of the pillars.
(C) is incorrect because blasphemous means violating or profaning something
sacred. As the five pillars of Islam are described as something one must follow to
practice Islam, they are the very opposite of something blasphemous.
(E) is incorrect because adaptable means changeable, and the prompt actually
implies that the pillars are not changeable, as they are something a practitioner
“must observe” in order to be a member of the faith.
5) E
To figure out what the missing word is, try to predict its definition by using key
words from the prompt. Here, the key words are “controversial” and “divisive.”
These words are offered as explanations for the missing word, because the
prompt hinges on a cause-and-effect relationship. The missing word, therefore, is
one that presents the effect of this nomination. Because the nominee was
“controversial,” the missing word must mean something related to controversy,
as it represents the effect of the controversial nominee. Choice (E) is the best
choice, then, because embroiled means brought into discord or conflict.
(A) is incorrect because pacified means calmed, though the nomination of a
“controversial” figure would be unlikely to calm anything.
(B) is incorrect because emboldened means gave confidence to. This word
would work if the missing word reflected a successful confirmation of the
nominee. However, the question refers to the unconfirmed nomination of a
“controversial” figure, so the administration has no reason to feel especially
confident yet.
(C) is incorrect because entangled means involved in or enmeshed. While a
nominee might enmesh the administration in the nomination process, that does
not hinge on that nominee being a “controversial” figure. Thus, there is not
enough information in the prompt to support this answer choice.
(D) is incorrect because validated means corroborated or reinforced, though the
nomination of a “controversial” figure would be unlikely to reinforce or help
anything.
6) B
To figure out what the missing word is, try to predict its definition by using key
words from the prompt. Here, the key words are in the phrase “complain about
everything,” a phrase that, like the missing word, defines Muriel’s uncle and his
actions. The missing word must likewise mean a grouch who complains often.
Choice (B) is the best answer, then, as a curmudgeon is a bad-tempered,
cantankerous person.
(A) is incorrect because a showboat is someone who is ostentatious in manner,
not someone who frequently complains.
(C) is incorrect because a malingerer is one who fakes an illness, not someone
who is frequently complains.
(D) is incorrect because a dynamo is an energetic person. While Muriel’s uncle
may have been energetic in his complaining, a dynamo is not necessarily one
who complains.
(E) is incorrect because a braggart is one who boasts or brags about themselves,
not someone who frequently complains.