Exercise Answers
Text Completion Set 1
- C If the “overhaul” will “ameliorate” the situation in the English department,
then the English department’s current state must be negative. Prediction:
worsening. The choice that best matches worsening is deterioration. - A The word in the blank describes what is necessary for “successful expansion
of a business.” The phrase after the colon provides the clue for the blank. The
phrase indicates that a concrete plan is necessary. Thus a good prediction
would be a word that deals with developing a plan: planning. The word that
best matches planning is foresight. - C The word in the blank describes the people reacting to the economist’s plan.
The contextual clue “despite” indicates that the plan’s reception was in contrast
to what would be expected from a plan with “flaws.” A good prediction would
be supporters. The word that best matches supporters is proponents. - A The word in the blank describes David Foster Wallace’s novels. The word
“apparent” indicates that the many “guides and supplements” is a clue to
the description of his novels. If his novels have given rise to guides and
supplements, then they must be difficult. The word in the choices that most
closely matches difficult is density. - B The word in the blank describes the novelist’s tone. Since this tone
“puzzled” readers of his previous works, it must be different from the tone of
his previous works. If his previous works were “straightforward and terse,”
then his new work must be the opposite of “straightforward and terse.” A
good prediction is long-winded. The word among the choices that most closely
matches long-winded is meandering. - C The word in the blank describes what can happen to athletes after they
sign “lucrative contracts.” This belief explains why the commissioner
“institute[d] a mandatory financial-planning course.” The most likely reason
the commissioner instituted such a course is that the athletes are financially
irresponsible with their money. The word in the choices that best matches
irresponsible is reckless. - A The discovery in the first part of the sentence is in contrast to “previous
beliefs” about the brain. Prediction: What did this discovery do to previous
beliefs? A good word is overthrew. The word in the choices that best matches
overthrew is undermined. - A and E Since the politician’s current behavior “surprises” colleagues, the
word in the first blank and second blanks should convey opposing attitudes
toward “underrepresented groups.” - A and D The easier blank to address in this sentence is the first. “In lieu of ”
indicates contrast, so the author’s tone is in contrast to “moderate.” A good
prediction is extreme. Of the choices in Column 1, the word closest in meaning
to extreme is incendiary. Now, substitute incendiary into the first blank and
solve for the second blank. The argument’s content is in contrast to “sound
reasoning.” Thus it must be without substance. A good prediction is style. The
word in the choices that best matches style is rhetoric.
CHAPTER 4 ■ TEXT COMPLETION 10101-GRE-Test-2018_001-106.indd 101 12/05/17 11:38 am