SENTENCE COMPLETION

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SENTENCE COMPLETION

• 5 to 7 questions
• One or two blanks
• Five words or sets of words
• Choose one

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SENTENCE COMPLETION

• Objective
• To test your vocabulary skills and reading
  ability

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STRATEGIES

• Avoid know-it-all attitude
• Before you look at the choices, read the sentence
  and think of a word that makes sense.
• Look at all the possible answers before you make
  your final choice
• In double-blank sentences, go through the
  answers, testing the first word in each choice
  (and eliminating those that dont fit)
• Use your knowledge of etymology and parts of
  speech to get at the meanings of unfamiliar words
  
• Identify trigger words, understand their function
• Break down complex sentences into simpler
  components
• Develop intuitive sense of the mot juste -
  exactly the right word - by reading extensively
  on as many new areas as you can explore.

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Think of a word for the blank

• Popular songs often_____the history
• of a society in that their subjects are
• frequently the events that have
• influenced and steered the society.

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Possible words

• Reflect
• Tell
• Cover
• Mirror
• Describe
• Embody
• represent

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Now choose the option

• Popular songs often_________the history
• of a society in that their subjects are
• frequently the events that have
• influenced and steered the society
• A. confuse
• B. renounce
• C. recount
• D. foresee
• E. confront

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Tips

• Try to write down a word before looking at the
  answer choices
• Dont bother about the exact word/ grammar
• You can use even a phrase

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Try these out

• 1. Although a few of the plot twists in her novel
  were unexpected, overall, the major events
  depicted in the work were ----------- enough
• 2. A recent poll shows that, while 81 of college
  students are eligible for some form of financial
  aid, only 63 of these students are ----- such aid

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Few more

• 3. A business concerned about its efficiency
  should pay attention to the actions of its staff,
  because the mistakes of each of its employees
  often ----- the effectiveness of the organization
  of which they are a part.
• 4. Langston Hughess creative works were the
  highlight, not the ------ of his writings he was
  also a prolific writer of nonfiction and
  political commentary.

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Match and Choose

• No.1
• Lively
• Well developed
• Predictable
• Complex
• Creative

• No. 2
• Complaining about
• Recipients of
• Dissatisfied with
• Paying for
• Turned down for

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Match and Choose

• No.3
• Remake
• Provoke
• Celebrate
• Undermine
• control

• No.4
• Peculiarity
• Product
• Initiator
• Average
• entirety

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TRIGGER WORDS
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Identify and Understand

• Thusand ----similar in meaning
• , or -, -
• Buthowever ----opposite
• Althoughbut ----opposite
• Paying attention is crucial

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SAMPLE

• In American films, some character actors have
  found it --- to gain widespread recognition,
  although within the smaller community of actors,
  directors, and producers they are highly
  regarded.
• difficult
• acceptable
• unsatisfactory
• relatively simple
• discouraging

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Find Good or Bad word

• Despite that over a period of time the originally
  
• antagonistic response to his sculpture had
• lessened, to this day, hardly any
  individuals---his art.
• applaud
• Castigate
• Evaluate
• Denounce
• ignore

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Two Blanks

• Do not insist on trying to fill in both the
  blanks at the same time.
• If one of the words does not work, eliminate the
  choice.
• Decide which blank to fill in first
• write down the word for it
• go to the answer choices
• look only at the ones provided for that blank

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SAMPLE

• In contrast to physicists who base their research
  
• on scientific theory, he modeled his procedure
  on
• rigorous ---- so despite the fact that his
  method
• was less sophisticated, his results were ---
  sound
• Fiction methodologically
• Abstraction arguably
• Intuition scientifically
• Observation factually
• Speculation implicitly

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• Although he asserted his theology was derived
  from ------school of thought, it actually
  utilizes conventions from many religions and so
  it rightfully could be described as having ------
  origins
• A particular diverse
• A cogent multitalented
• A prominent coherent
• An influential reductive
• A single consonant

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Relationships in and among sentences

• Contrast
• Similarity
• Reiteration
• Causation

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Contrast

• In a large group of people, Irina often seemed
• _______ and aloof, although among her friends and
  
• family she was quite _______.
• (A) reticen convivial(B) gregarious outgoing
  (C) detrimenta multifarious(D) unattainable
  taciturn(E) intriguing vigorous

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Key words indicating contrast

• although , but , despite , however
• whereas , on the contrary , yet
• on the other hand , rather
• surprisingly, unlike , in contrast

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Similarity or support

• Likewise , in the same way, for instance ,
• Furthermore , as , same , just as
• Specifically , such as, as an example
• Resembles, like , also , similarly

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Similarity or support

• Just as television surpassed radio as the major
• source of entertainment for the nation, it seems
• likely that the Internet will eventually ______
• television.
• (A) invigorate(B) alter(C) reciprocate(D)
  eliminate(E) supplant

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Similarity or support

• It is characteristic of old age to sap a man's
• vitality and rob him of his natural_________.(A)
  youth(B) senility(C) ebullience (D) maturity
  (E) insensibility

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3. Reiteration or restatement

• Two ideas, one of which clarifies or further
  supports
• the other. The ideas will have the same general
• meaning, but restated in a slightly different or
  more
• explanatory way.
• Key words to identify reiteration type
  problems
• in factin other wordsto be
  sureandnamelythat isfurthermorelikewise

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3. Reiteration or restatement

• She was the most ______ person he had ever met
• in fact, her magnanimous nature knew no limits.
• (A) charitable(B) miserly(C) ambitious(D)
  reclusive(E) prolific

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3. Reiteration or restatement

• The Age of Enlightenment, one of the greatest
• periods of history for intellectual activity,
• showed a proclivity for sophistry and
  ________________ argumentation.
• A) credibleB) speciousC) gossamerD)
  effectiveE) irrefutable

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4. Cause and Effect

• Contains two ideas, one causes another.
• Key words that may indicate cause and effect
  include
• becauseas a resultthusresulting
  fromthereforeconsequentlycausesleading todue
  to

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4. Cause and Effect

• Because of his reputation as a comedic actor
• suited best for playing outlandish eccentrics,
• the director was ________ to consider him for the
  
• more serious role of the solemn monarch.
• (A) ambivalent(B) loath(C) encouraged(D)
  irrelevant(E) destined
•  

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4. Cause and Effect

• Sentences with an element of time. The event
  described in the first part of the sentence is
  required in order for the event described in the
  second sentence to occur.
• Today computers can ________________
• information from a number of sources, then
• automatically ___________ a picture of their
  data
• manipulations.
• A) collatecreateB) inculcateretractC)
  extrapolateinvestigateD) adjudicateassembleE)
  researchexpand

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• One of the most productive research
• ________________ in contemporary neuroscience is
• devoted to ________ maps of human consciousness.
• A) trajectories...reconnoiteringB)
  designs...enunciatingC) paradigms...elucidatingD
  ) declinations...conjugatingE)
  declensions...obfuscating

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• Today computers can ______________ information
• from a number of sources, then automatically
• create a picture of their data manipulations.A)
  collateB) inculcateC) extrapolateD)
  adjudicateE) research

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• Just as a highway automobile crash leaves lasting
  
• marks of spilled coolant, _________ and oil, the
• smashing together of gigantic land masses
  releases
• and redirects fluids that flow, heat, ___________
  
• and deposit, leaving an enduring record of their
• presence.
• A) gasoline...disappearB) fuel...evaporateC)
  paintmarkD) water...undulateE)
  anti-freeze...drip

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Exercise 1 WORDS

• Odious
• Rescind
• Expedient
• Ridge
• Strata
• Incarcerate
• Tectonics
• relics

• Antipathy
• Placid
• Provoke
• Impunity
• Lax
• Supersede
• Obliterate
• obfuscate

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• Antipathy hostility, animosity,
  repugnance,animus
• Provoke incense, enrage, pique, nettle, vex,
  gall, affront
• Allay assuage, mitigate, appease, quell, calm
• Ambiguous cryptic,dubious, abstruse, recondite
• Impunity no punishment for wrong-doing
• Lax slack, negligent, remiss, slipshod

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• Supersede replace, substitute, supplant
• Obliterate efface, blot out, wipe out, expunge
• Obfuscate deliberately making something unclear
  or difficult to understand
• Odious detestable, repugnant, loathsome,
  despicable, abhorrent
• Obelisk, obdurate, oblivious, obloquy, obsequies,
  obsequious

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• Rescind cancel, repeal, annul, quash, abrogate,
  invalidate
• Expedient action necessary for a purpose ( but
  not always fair/right) stratagem, means, ruse,
  artifice, contrivance, stopgap
• Strata layers
• Incarcerate imprison
• Anathema curse, bane, abomination, malediction,
  excommunication, denunciation

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• Tectonics movement of large sheets of rocks
  forming the surface of earth
• Prognosis an opinion of how sth. will develop in
  future
• Relics remains, fragments, shards, artifact,
  antique

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EXERCISE 2 WORDS

• Condescend
• Approbation
• Virtuosity
• Ordeal

• Unscathed
• Tarnish
• Presumptuous

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• Condescend lower oneself, stoop, humble/demean
  oneself
• Approbation approval, acceptance
• Virtuosity mastery, expertise, outstanding,
  wizardry, eclat
• Ordeal painful experience, affliction, anguish,
  distress, tribulation

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• Unscathed not hurt by a bad/ dangerous situation
• Tarnish besmirch, blacken, sully, blot, blemish,
  taint
• Presumptuous presuming, cocksure, overconfident,
  self-assertive

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Sentence Completion Ex.3

• Tenormeaning, essence, gist prevailing trend,
  settled course
• Bask revel, wallow,relish, savor
• Engender cause, create, instigate,arouse,
  induce,foment
• Eloquencearticulacy, oratory, expressiveness
• Atonement penance, redemption,
  reparation,compensation
• Savortaste, aroma, hint, suggestion,zeal
• Inuredtoughened, indurate,seasoned,accustomed

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SENTENCE COMPLETION EXERCISE 4

• Fatuous inane, foolish, meaningless
• Rancorous revengeful, implacable
• Eclectic assorted, diverse
• Commensurate corresponding, appropriate,
  adequate
• Impending imminent, approaching
• Circumspect vigilant, prudent
• Ossified hardened, solidified

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SENTENCE COMPLETION EXERCISE 5

• Chagrin annoyance, mortification
• Remnant residue, remains, relics
• Profane blasphemous, irreverent, wicked
• Licentiousness extravagance, recklessness
• Ribald vulgar, lewd
• Incidental subsidiary, minor, supplementary
• Grotto small natural cave, cavern
• highlight underline, highlight, emphasize