VR_FIB_3
Question 1
Explanation It may be hard to come up with your own word at first, but if you find the clue, it shouldn’t be a problem. The clue is “an involuntary act”. There’s also the changing direction trigger “whereas.” Together, the clue and trigger tell you that what goes in the blank is opposite of “involuntary,” so a good word for the blank is voluntary. (A) doesn’t give voluntary, so cross it out. (B) could mean voluntary, so leave it in. (C) doesn’t match, and (D) isn’t quite as good as (B) - eliminate both. Finally, (E) is no good. The best answer, then, is (B). This is a great example of why you should never plug and chug. If you go the route of plugging and chugging, guess what? Every answer choice sounds as if it could work.
Vocabulary Correct
Choice Careful: Cautious, Wary, Chary, Circumspect
X
Conscious: Aware, Cognizant Minimal: Bare, Stern, Stark Thoughtful: Intelligent Intensive: Passionate
Question 2
Explanation Despite is a trigger word that indicates that the two parts of the sentence go in different directions. The second part of the sentence tells us the administrator did not receive credit for his accomplishments. Therefore, the administrator must actually be “accomplished”. The answer choice that best fits with “accomplished” is choice (C), effective. Lugubrious is a more difficult but unrelated word meant to distract. Incompetent goes in the wrong direction. Aggressive would form a coherent thought, but is not directly supported by the rest of the sentence. Noticeable, likewise, could conceivably fit into the sentence. However, as effective is most directly supported by the rest of the sentence, it is the credited answer.
Vocabulary Correct
Choice Incompetent: Inept Noticeable: Detectable
X
Effective: Efficient, Efficacious Lugubrious: Tearful, Dolorous Aggressive: Bellicose, Violent, Truculent
Question 3
Explanation For the first blank, you are looking for a word that is similar to (but not a synonym of) slow. Exhaustive means comprehensive and through, and is in the same ball park as slow. Subtle describes something delicate in intent, and fortuitous describes a good accident: Neither word close to the meaning of the slow. For the second blank, the trigger word however tells you that you want a word that is the opposite of slow. Precipitous describes an event that is fast and sudden, and works well in this blank. Lucid means easy to understand and deliberate means careful or studied, which is the opposite of what you need in second blank.
Vocabulary Correct
Choice Subtle: Fine and delicate, Difficult to detect
X
Precipitous: Abrupt, Hasty
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Exhaustive: Complete, In-depth, Thorough, Rigorous Lucid: Transparent Fortuitous: Lucky, Happy chance Deliberate: Slow, Thoughtful
Question 4
Explanation Start with the second blank, which describes a relationship to other risk factors: The diet is “heart-healthy,” so something like decrease would make sense. Of the choices, reduce is the best fit. The trigger while tells you that the “heart-healthy” diet can do what any one food seemingly can’t - decrease risk - so something like decrease would again make sense in the first blank. Of the choices, only diminish means decrease.
Vocabulary Correct
Choice Increase: Enhance, Rise Attack: Assault
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Reduce: Decrease, Diminish Detach: Separate Assert: State categorically, Affirm, Asseverate
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Diminish: Reduce, Decrease
Question 5
Explanation For the first blank, you need to figure out what scientists cannot do when it comes to dating baleen; in the second sentence you’re told any fossils found don’t conclusively prove age, so you know scientists can’t date the evolution conclusively. Definitively is a synonym for conclusively, so it’s the best choice for the first blank. Both germanely, which means relevantly, and cogently, which means clearly and convincingly reasoned, may describe the normal actions of scientists, but they don’t fit the story. For the second blank, you’re told that baleen is a filtering structure; therefore it’s used to filter, or sieve. Consume and locate are both common things done to prey, but not by whales and baleen – at least not according to the sentence. For the third blank, you have to again determine what the researchers are doing to date the modification, so recycle your clue and look for research. The best choice is assaying, which means examining or analyzing.
Vocabulary Correct
Choice Germanely: Apt, Relevant, Pertinent, Apposite
X
Sieve: Separate, Check and sort carefully, Filter Hypothesizing: Conjecture, Theorize, Speculate
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Definitively: Authoritative, Unequivocal Consume: Use resources
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Assaying: Attempt, Essay, Seek, Try Cogently: Logical and persuasive argument Locate: Spot, Place Validating: Show with proof, Corroborate
Question 6
Explanation The first blank describes what happened to their armies at the battle; the second sentence tells you they were defeated, so routed is the best choice. The second blank describes the relationship between Cleopatra and Antony; you’re told they were allies in the first sentence, so collaborator is the best choice. An antagonist is the opposite of what you’re looking for, and a liaison is someone who maintains contact between two parties or has an illicit affair, so neither definition fits the story. The last blank, when paired with battle, mirrors the pair militarily and amorously in the first sentence, so romance is the best choice.
Vocabulary Correct
Choice
X
Routed: Debacle, Defeated disastrously
X
Collaborator: Partner Hostility: Enmity, Ill-will, Antagonism Consoled: Soothe, Placate, Mollify Antagonist: Opponent, Adversary
X
Romance: Relation between lovers, Lovers Invigorated: Energized Liaison: (a) Point of contact, (b) Sexual affair Invasion: Attack
Question 7
Explanation If the company underreported its capital depreciation, then its actual value was lower than reported; instead of remaining steady, its value must have gotten smaller. Both grown and augmented are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate answer choices (A) and (E). Neither underestimated nor amortized, which means paid off in installments, make sense in the blank, so eliminate choices (C) and (F). Answer choices (B) and (D) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
Vocabulary Correct
Choice Grown: Rise, Increase
X
Declined: Decreased Underestimated: Assign a low value
X
Diminished: Decreased Augmented: Added, Grown Amortized: Depreciated, Decrease the value gradually
Question 8
Explanation You know that parts of work are autobiographical, but the trigger however indicates that the second part of the sentence goes in a different direction; combined with the fact that the work cannot properly be called a historical record, you know that is must have been fictionalized. Answer choices (D) and (E) are that only ones that fit in the context. Choices (C) and (F) are synonyms, and might be attractive because they are words that can be associated with historical records, but they don’t contrast with autobiographical.
Vocabulary Correct
Choice Narrated: Recounted, Told Inscribed: Carved, Cut into a surface Documented: Attested, Recorded
X
Fabricated: Fictitious, Not true
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Contrived: Artificial Catalogued: Make an itemized list
Question 9
Explanation The word in the blank must mean something like idea. While idyll sounds like idea, the meaning is completely different (an idyll is a lighthearted artistic work). Sanctity is the quality of being sacred, which is related to religion, but not what we’re looking for. Choices (B) and (C) are synonyms, but neither of them mean idea. Choices (A) and (E) both mean idea, and are often used in religious contexts, so they fit best in this sentence.
Vocabulary Correct
Choice
X
Tenet: Dogma, Principle, Canon, Rule Paradigm: Model Model: Representative Idyll: A short poem descriptive of rural/pastoral life
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Precept: Tenet, Principle Sanctity: Holiness
Question 10
Explanation The word that fits the blank must describe a type of definition. To determine what type, look for clues and triggers. If the words rely on their contexts that must mean that their definitions sometimes change. The trigger but suggests a change in direction; however, the trigger does not mean counteracts the but, so we’re looking for description of a definition that does not change. Choices (D) and (F) would suggest things that do change. Hermetic means sealed, and iconoclastic means unusual, so those words have nothing to do with changing or not changing. Choices (A) and (C) both describe things that do not change.
Vocabulary Correct
Choice
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Concrete: Solid Hermetic: Air tight, (b) Magical
X
Definitive: Clear, Authoritative, Unequivocal Heterogeneous: Mixed, Varied Iconoclastic: Going against the established beliefs Diverse: Varied