Sentence Completion Answers &
Explanations
1. E
Callous means unfeeling, uncaring, but if this person has
concern for the earthquake victims, her reputation must be an
unfounded one, so the correct choice will mean
contradicted or
proved false. This is one of the
meanings of
belied, correct choice E. B,
rescinded
is the second best answer. It means revoked or withdrawn, but you
don't say that a reputation is rescinded. A, C, and D are the
opposite of what we're looking for — they don't make sense in
this context.
2. A
The author mentioned in this sentence believes that businessmen
are models of some quality; whatever qualities they may
lack implies that whatever bad points they possess, there's
this one particular good thing about them. All of this should
lead you to A — if an author's main characters are businessmen,
and if they're all paragons of "ingenuity" (meaning inventively
talented), one could easily be led to the presumption that the
author thinks all businessmen are "clever."
Several of the wrong answers play off your possible biases
about people in the business world, B being the most blatant in
that regard. That choice is tempting only because an author's use
of many "greedy" businessman characters might suggest that the
author thinks all businessmen are "covetous." But labeling
businessmen as greedy contradicts the sense of "whatever
qualities they may lack" — as we noted, we need a positive
quality (also, paragons of greed is awkward). One who is
morally upright or "virtuous" C would hardly be a paragon of
"deceit" (lying, falseness). Characters possesing great
"ambition", D, wouldn't necessarily make one presume that the
author believes all such people are "successful," since ambition
and success in a field don't always go hand in hand; and there's
even less connection between businessman characters who
demonstrate great "achievement", E, and a conclusion that, in the
author's opinion, all businessmen are "cautious."
3. C
We're looking for something that goes with sacred scriptures and
implies a formal system of belief, but something whose absence
doesn't rule out a legacy of traditional religious practices and
basic values. We can eliminate choices A, B, and E because if
Shinto lacked followers, customs, or faith
it wouldn't be a legacy of traditional religious practices and
basic values. Relics, D, are sacred objects but relics
don't make something a formal system of beliefs. The best choice
is C — a dogma is a formal religious belief.
4. A
The first blank here will be filled with a word that describes
what type of creatures male sperm whales normally are. The
word "however" between these clauses indicates that a contrasting
point will be made — these whales are normally something, but
sometimes can be different. A clue in the second clause helps us
figure this one out. In the second clause, we learn that
something happens when the whales are jealously guarding their
territory. They probably act agressively or violently when
guarding their territory, so the first blank will be a contrast
to this. It must suggest that whales are not normally violent.
The second blank will be filled with a word that tells us what
the whales do to ships when are are guarding their territory.
A good prephrase for this answer would be "these whales are
normally peaceful creatures; however when guarding their
territory, they have been known to sink ships.
Starting with the first blank, two choices look good right
away, A and D. A also looks good for the second blank, while the
second word in D is the opposite of what we need. Quickly
checking the other choices, we see that B the words aren't
contradictory, and we need words that are opposite in meaning. C
and E can be eliminated because each is a descriptive word that
relates to the whale's physical characteristics rather than its
temperament. So the answer is A.
5. A
A major sign here is the semicolon between the two clauses,
signaling a continuation or consistency between the two parts. If
her charisma is a double-edged sword, then it has
contrasting points — good aspects and bad. The clause after the
semicolon will elaborate on or give an example of these
conflicting sides. In the second clause, we find that even in
those who like her, her charisma arouses admiration, which would
be the good side of the sword, and something else, which must be
the bad side. This blank must be filled with a negative word.
A prephrase here might be: "Her charisma provoked both
admiration and dislike in her friends."
Only two choices here have negative meanings, A and D. A makes
the most sense since charisma could easily invoke envy in others.
D, obstinacy, is negative as well but means stubbornness;
this answer does not make sense in the sentence. The remaining
choices can be ruled out because they are positive in meaning, so
the answer is A.
Other PracticeQs:
