Sat - MC Grawhill part 24 pot

SAT Practice 3: Structural Keys
220 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
6. His maintained that Mr. Frank was con-
stantly at odds with the corporate officers; yet the
truth was that his ideas were not at all with
the officers’ reasonable goals.
(A) detractors . . in accord
(B) supporters . . at variance
(C) advocates . . harmonious
(D) disparagers . . incompatible
(E) apologists . . in conflict
7. In spite of the of Larry’s speech, most of the
audience was well before he had finished.
(A) conciseness . . cheering
(B) humor . . intrigued
(C) appropriateness . . enrapt
(D) brevity . . asleep
(E) cleverness . . reluctant
8. If a child is by arbitrary parental restric-
tions and denied the opportunity to exercise per-
sonal responsibility, at adolescence the child is
likely to engage in dangerous and self-destructive
behavior.
(A) nurtured
(B) appeased
(C) confined
(D) fascinated
(E) liberated
9. Although the government has frequently
some parental responsibilities, at heart it must
still be parents, not agencies, who are to care

for children.
(A) obscured . . assumed
(B) precluded . . adjured
(C) exulted . . incompetent
(D) disavowed . . impelled
(E) usurped . . obligated
1. The of the neighborhood is revealed by sub-
tle practices, like the fact that so many people in
the community use the same hand gestures when
speaking.
(A) diversity
(B) adaptability
(C) modernization
(D) cohesiveness
(E) creativity
2. During the day, crabs move slowly and , but
at night, they roam across sandy sea bot-
toms, climbing reefs or foraging for kelp.
(A) frantically . . wildly
(B) cautiously . . freely
(C) gradually . . sluggishly
(D) deliberately . . carefully
(E) rashly . . rapidly
3. Because the President was used to receiving the
support of his advisers, he was when he dis-
covered that their views on the handling of the
crisis were with his own.
(A) stunned . . irreconcilable
(B) relieved . . inconsistent
(C) amused . . consonant

(D) oblivious . . compatible
(E) sorry . . commensurate
4. The building should be not only for its long-
recognized architectural merit but also for its
in the history of Black American theater.
(A) designed . . role
(B) commissioned . . usefulness
(C) preserved . . importance
(D) demolished . . future
(E) constructed . . place
5. The lecture on number theory and its applica-
tions might have been particularly trying for the
nonspecialists in the audience had the professor
not it with humorous asides.
(A) exhorted
(B) leavened
(C) intercepted
(D) countermanded
(E) rebuffed
CHAPTER 5 / SENTENCE COMPLETION SKILLS 221
Answer Key 3: Structural Keys
Concept Review 3
detractors = critics; accord = agreement; variance =
disagreement; advocates = supporters; harmo-
nious = in pleasant agreement; disparagers = crit-
ics; incompatible = difficult to reconcile; apologists
= those who make supportive arguments
7. D In spite of shows irony. It would certainly be
ironic if the speech were short and yet still put
people to sleep.

conciseness = brevity; enrapt = enthralled; brevity =
briefness
8. C Parental restrictions by definition are things
that confine; nurtured = cared for; appeased =
made less angry; liberated = freed
9. E Although indicates contrast. The sentence
makes it clear that although government has over-
taken some parental responsibilities, still, parents,
not agencies, should care for children.
obscured = made less clear; precluded = prevented;
adjured = commanded solemnly; exulted = rejoiced;
disavowed = renounced; impelled = urged to
action; usurped = took over; obligated = morally
compelled
1. but, however, in contrast, nevertheless, whereas,
although, etc.
2. because, therefore, thus, by, etc.
3. Colons indicate that an explanation or a list of ex-
amples will follow; semicolons indicate that the
statement that follows will extend or develop the
previous one.
4. Although
(contrast)
5. In order to (cause and effect); semicolon (support);
that is (definition)
6. not only . . . but also (support)
7. Because (cause and effect); discovered (contrast)
8. by (cause and effect); such as (support)
SAT Practice 3
1. D The word like indicates examples. What are

common hand gestures examples of? The unity or
sameness of the community.
diversity = variety; adaptability = ability to fit in;
cohesiveness = unity
2. B The but indicates contrast. The first missing
word must fit well with slowly.
frantically = wildly; sluggishly = slowly; rashly =
hastily
3. A Because indicates cause and effect. The word
discover indicates surprise. If the President was
used to receiving the support of his advisers, then it
would be surprising to discover that they didn’t
agree with him on something.
irreconcilable = unable to be made to agree; con-
sonant = in agreement with; oblivious = unaware;
compatible = fitting well together; commensurate =
in proportion to
4. C Not only . . . but also . . . indicates a support-
ive relationship between the ideas.
commissioned = paid for an artistic work to be cre-
ated; demolished = destroyed
5. B It might have been trying (difficult to tolerate)
had the professor not it with humorous asides.
What do humorous asides do to make something
easier to tolerate? They lighten it up.
exhorted = urged strongly; leavened = lightened
with humor; intercepted = caught in transit; coun-
termanded = cancelled; rebuffed = refused abruptly
6. D It’s not particularly good to be constantly at
odds with the corporate officers, so this is some-

thing that critics would say of him. The word yet
indicates a contrast. If the officers’ goals were rea-
sonable, then one would likely not disagree with
them.
Lesson 4: Simplifying the Sentence
222 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
Simplify
Some sentences are hard to interpret. But don’t give
up immediately just because you can’t think of a good
way to complete the sentence right away. When that
happens, try to simplify your task using one of these
strategies.
Process of Elimination
Example:
Without David’s , the dispute between
the parties might never have been resolved so
tactfully.
(A) conciliation (B) antagonism
(C) embarrassment (D) indelicacy
(E) ridicule
The right word might not come right to mind, but it
should be pretty clear that whatever David used was a
good thing, because it helped resolve the dispute tact-
fully. Therefore, if you notice any words that are nega-
tive or neutral, you can eliminate them! The beauty of
this strategy is that you don’t have to know all of the
words: just go to the ones you do know, and eliminate
them if they’re not the right tone. (The answer, by the
way, is (A).)
Paraphrase

If you understand any part of the sentence, see if
that understanding can help you to rule out any
choices.
If a sentence does contain two blanks, it is usu-
ally easier to complete the second blank first.
Why? Because by the time you get to the sec-
ond blank, you will have read more context
clues. Of course, the example we just used is an
exception, but you will find that usually the sec-
ond blank is easier to complete than the first.
You may also often find it helpful to para-
phrase the sentence, that is, restate it in your
own words. This helps you to focus on the
logic of the sentence as a whole, without get-
ting stuck on any particular words or phrases.
Just read the sentence completely, then try to
restate the idea in the simplest terms possi-
ble. When you read the sentence again, you
will probably find it easier to complete it, or
at least to eliminate wrong choices.
Remember that you don’t have to find the per-
fect word to fill the blank; you simply want to
capture the right idea. Often, you will find it
easy to just pick a word (or a form of a word)
from elsewhere in the sentence.
If you can’t find the right word or words to com-
plete the sentence, try to at least determine the
tone of the word, that is, whether it’s positive,
negative, or neutral. Then eliminate any choices
that don’t have the right tone.

Example:
Statistics are often information, but this
is an impression, because they must, by
definition, obscure data by reducing many val-
ues to a single number.
(A) equated with . . erroneous
(B) mistaken for . . aesthetic
(C) superior to . . inaccurate
(D) relegated to . . insidious
(E) substituted for . . interesting
This sentence may be tough to understand at the first
reading (or two). But you may know that statistics
can’t be relegated to (assigned to the lower status of)
information, because data is information. If you just
focus on the relationship between statistics and infor-
mation, you can probably eliminate choices (C), (D),
and (E). From there, you can try out the remaining
choices and see that (A) works best.
Focus on Tone
Don’t Be Afraid to Cut and Paste
Example:
Her account was so sterile that it made all of the
other seem by contrast.
To complete the sentence, just reuse the words:
accounts and unsterile sound a bit redundant, but they
do the job!
CHAPTER 5 / SENTENCE COMPLETION SKILLS 223
Concept Review 4: Simplifying the Sentence
1. Why is it important to pay attention to tone?
2. What does paraphrase mean?

Place a + (positive), − (negative), or = (neutral) next to each word based on its tone.
3. lurid 6. innocuous 9. rejuvenate
4. purchase 7. pretentious 10. modify
5. euphoria 8. overwhelm 11. insidious
Place a +, −, or = in each blank to indicate whether the word should be positive, negative, or neutral in tone, then
use the tone to determine and check the answer.
12. A politician, Congresswoman Andrews worked hard and made so few mistakes that her opponents
seemed to be by contrast.
(A) shrewd . . sages (B) slothful . . drones (C) canny . . blunderers
(D) dynamic . . firebrands (E) conscientious . . geniuses
13. His inability to relate to the latest trends in art led him to fear that his critical faculties had during his
long hiatus.
(A) diversified (B) atrophied (C) converted (D) enhanced (E) multiplied
14. To her chagrin, Ellen soon learned that she could not hide her ; her friends at the party could see the
signs of weariness on her face.
(A) amusement (B) incoherence (C) gratitude (D) sorrow (E) exhaustion
15. McLanham’s prose, particularly when compared to that of his more flamboyant , illustrates how
artists of the same era can reflect startlingly different perspectives on the same reality.
(A) stark . . contemporaries (B) spartan . . enemies (C) imprecise . . role models
(D) flowery . . friends (E) well-crafted . . teachers
SAT Practice 4: Simplifying the Sentence
224 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
1. In genetic research, mice are often essential
because their allows scientists to pose ques-
tions answerable only if all the mice in a group
have similar hereditary traits.
(A) sedated . . temperament
(B) cloned . . unpredictability
(C) adaptable . . vigor
(D) inbred . . uniformity

(E) adult . . familiarity
2. Historians generally the film, not only for its
excessive sentimentality and unrealistic dia-
logue, but because it did not a true under-
standing of the problems of the era.
(A) advocated . . exhibit
(B) challenged . . hinder
(C) panned . . demonstrate
(D) exalted . . ascertain
(E) censured . . eliminate
3. The fact that even the most traditional European
languages have such words as “e-mail”
seems to indicate that no language is impervious
to foreign influences.
(A) originated
(B) prohibited
(C) invalidated
(D) recounted
(E) incorporated
4. Although many have the theoretical under-
girdings of her research, her experimental proto-
cols have always been beyond reproach.
(A) lingered over
(B) disputed
(C) presumed
(D) interpreted
(E) publicized
5. Director T. C. Kehrwuld, whose mastery of stark
objectivity in film has long been recognized by
critics, has released another cinematic master-

piece which, while bound to satisfy those same
critics, may be too for public acceptance.
(A) flamboyant
(B) maudlin
(C) ecstatic
(D) austere
(E) humane
6. The humanists in the class emphasized the
of scientific discovery, asserting that although the
world could have formulated calculus without
Newton, it would never have produced the Ham-
merklavier Sonata without Beethoven.
(A) monotony
(B) triviality
(C) symmetry
(D) impersonality
(E) intricacy
7. Even Emily, who had to be to participate at
first, eventually confessed that she a great
deal from the workshop.
(A) cajoled . . benefitted
(B) inclined . . intuited
(C) restrained . . resented
(D) persuaded . . obscured
(E) discouraged . . recalled
8. Although his manner was didactic and imperi-
ous, this fact was generally and occasionally
even as qualities befitting a man of his
stature.
(A) encouraged . . dismissed

(B) overlooked . . ignored
(C) discussed . . denounced
(D) criticized . . glorified
(E) tolerated . . applauded
9. The novel’s realistic depiction of social injustice
in early-nineteenth-century America was an un-
mistakable of the new republic’s to its
democratic ideals.
(A) denunciation . . infidelity
(B) disavowal . . reversion
(C) trivialization . . devotion
(D) revelation . . gratitude
(E) commendation . . allegiance
CHAPTER 5 / SENTENCE COMPLETION SKILLS 225
Answer Key 4: Simplifying the Sentence
13. B His inability to relate to the latest trends in
art led him to fear that his critical faculties had
(−) during his long hiatus.
diversified = made more various; atrophied =
weakened from disuse; converted = changed;
enhanced = made more valuable, effective, or
beautiful
14. E To her chagrin, Ellen soon learned that she
could not hide her (−); her friends at the party
could see the signs of weariness on her face.
incoherence = confusion
15. A McLanham’s (=) prose, particularly when com-
pared to that of his more flamboyant (=), illus-
trates how artists of the same era can reflect
startlingly different perspectives on the same

reality.
stark = plain; contemporaries = peers; spartan =
stark
Concept Review 4
1. Because it is often easier to attend to tone than to
meaning, and it can be used to eliminate inap-
propriate choices.
2. To restate in your own, simpler terms.
3. lurid (−)
4. purchase (=)
5. euphoria (+)
6. innocuous (+)
7. pretentious (−)
8. overwhelm (=)
9. rejuvenate (+)
10. modify (=)
11. insidious (−)
12. C A (+) politician, Congresswoman Andrews
worked hard and made so few mistakes that her
opponents seemed to be (−) by contrast.
shrewd = smart; sages = wise people; slothful =
lazy; drones = mindless laborers; canny = smart;
blunderers = people prone to mistakes; dynamic =
energetic; firebrands = troublemakers; conscien-
tious = attentive
SAT Practice 4
1. D If mice all have similar traits, they are uniform,
probably because they are very closely related.
They must be clones or close family members.
sedated = put to sleep; temperament = disposition;

vigor = energetic health; inbred = bred with family
members; uniformity = lack of variation
2. C If the film has excessive sentimentality and un-
realistic dialogue, historians must not like it. They
would criticize the film. It must not have shown a
true understanding of the problems of the era.
advocated = spoke in favor of; exhibit = display;
hinder = impede; panned = criticized harshly;
exalted = praised highly; ascertain = determined
the truth of; censured = criticized
3. E If this fact indicates that no language is imper-
vious to foreign influences, it must reveal a strong
influence from foreign sources. Incorporating such
words as “e-mail” would show that influence.
originated = started; invalidated = made worthless;
recounted = retold; incorporated = assumed into a
whole
4. B Although indicates contrast. Although her pro-
tocols have always been beyond reproach, many
must have questioned the undergirdings of her
research.
lingered over = considered carefully; disputed =
called into question; presumed = assumed to
be true
5. D Stark objectivity in film means plain, unadorned
perspective. Stark and austere are synonyms.
flamboyant = ornate; maudlin = depressed; ecstatic
= very happy; humane = compassionate
6. D To say that the world could have formulated
calculus without Newton is to suggest that scien-

tific discovery does not depend on the creativity of
particular individuals.
monotony = tedium; triviality = ordinariness;
impersonality = detachment from personal
qualities; intricacy = complicatedness
7. A If Emily only eventually confessed about the
workshop, she must have had to be forced to
participate at first, but then she must have gotten
a lot out of it.
cajoled = coaxed persistently; intuited = deter-
mined by a hunch; restrained = held back;
obscured = made unclear
226 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
denunciation = harsh criticism; infidelity =
unfaithfulness; disavowal = swearing off; rever-
sion = return to a previous state; devotion = strong
commitment; revelation = revealing experience;
commendation = praise; allegiance = faithfulness
8. E If being didactic (preachy) and imperious
(overbearing) were thought befitting (appropri-
ate), they must have been accepted.
9. A What is the relationship between a depiction
of social injustice in a society and that society’s de-
mocratic ideals? Such a depiction would certainly
call those ideals into question, perhaps even
denounce them.
CHAPTER 5 / SENTENCE COMPLETION SKILLS 227
Lesson 5: Using Context Intelligently
Parallelism
For instance, consider the sentence

Rather than being dull and arcane, her lecture
on galaxy formation was and
This contains two ideas that are parallel: dull and
arcane, and and By the law of parallelism,
the first missing word is an adjective that contrasts
with dull, and the second is an adjective that con-
trasts with arcane (obscure and hard to understand).
The missing words should contrast with the tone and
meaning of the first two adjectives, preferably in
order. So a nice, tidy, logical way to complete the sen-
tence would be:
Rather than being dull and arcane, her lecture
on galaxy formation was exciting and easy to
understand.
Modifiers
At first, you might focus on the modifiers clean and
regimented. These could be positive descriptions, so
such a training center might impress people who seek
cleanliness and order. But no choice really fits this
reading. The real key word is hard to miss: once. This
word implies that people are seeking something that
was once part of boxing but is not any more. There-
fore, they would be disappointed by its absence, and
so they must have been seeking something that is the
opposite of clean and regimented, like seedy and undis-
ciplined. (It may seem strange, but some people like
that kind of stuff!)
Context and Common Sense
Parallelism is often an essential element of the
logical structure of a sentence. Noticing parallel

structures often makes completing sentences
much simpler. What is parallelism? Well, it’s
discussed in a bit more detail in Chapter 15,
Lesson 3, entitled “Parallelism.” In short, it is
the similarity among phrases that are listing
things or comparing things.
The modifiers (that is, adjectives and adverbs)
in Sentence Completion questions are not cho-
sen casually. Modifiers usually play key roles in
the logical structure of the sentence. If you read
a sentence a couple of times, and its main idea
isn’t perfectly clear, try reading it through
once more, this time focusing primarily on the
adjectives and adverbs.
Your common sense is one of your best tools on
Sentence Completion questions. For instance, if
a sentence refers to a scientist, it’s not just for
decoration. Think: what do scientists do or think
that makes them different from nonscientists?
Or how about teachers, or politicians, or advo-
cates, or critics, etc.? Of course, the sentences
won’t always show people acting in typical ways,
but they generally require you to understand
how these folks typically act or think.
Example:
The training center, clean and regimented,
is to those seeking the once associated
with boxing.
(A) surprising . . austerity
(B) disappointing . . seediness

(C) convincing . . chaos
(D) refreshing . . camaraderie
(E) inspiring . . ambition
Example:
An inveterate procrastinator, Pat could always be
counted on to any assignment he is given.
The only real context clue we have here is the fact that
Pat is a procrastinator. If you know what a procrasti-
nator does, then you know how to complete the sen-
tence. Procrastinators postpone things.
Practice Your Verbal Inference Skills
Just like every other reading skill, verbal inference
skills can be improved best by reading. Read books
and articles with challenging vocabulary so that you
can practice “figuring out” the meaning of unfamiliar
words. Some students think it’s best to look up new
vocabulary words as soon as they encounter them.
Rather, it’s better to make an educated guess about the
meaning before you look it up. Of course, once you do
look it up, you should make a flashcard using the
College Hill flashcard system described in Chapter 3,
and practice it so that you never forget it.
Concept Review 5: Using Context Intelligently
1. What is parallelism, and how can it help you to complete sentences?
2. What is a modifier?
3. What should you do when you encounter an unfamiliar word in your reading?
Each of the three following sentences contains some of the same information, but in very different logical con-
texts. Complete each sentence with your own word or phrase according to the logical context.
4. Britain can hardly be considered _____________________, despite the fact that it is separated from the Euro-
pean continent both physically and linguistically.

5. Even while it maintains a deep respect, even reverence, for its history, Britain can hardly be considered
____________________.
6. Britain can hardly be considered _____________________, having been reduced to a mere shadow of the vast
dominion it once was.
Complete the following sentences with your own words or phrases, utilizing any parallelism in each sentence.
7. The speakers ran the gamut from the eloquent to the bumbling; some were _____________________ while
others spoke with profound _____________________.
8. I did not want to sit through another lecture that was rambling and mind-numbing; rather, I was hoping for
one that was _____________________ and _____________________.
228 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
CHAPTER 5 / SENTENCE COMPLETION SKILLS 229
SAT Practice 5: Using Context Intelligently
1. Most art critics regard her early style as pedes-
trian and conventional, utterly devoid of techni-
cal or artistic
(A) lucidity
(B) analysis
(C) articulation
(D) mediocrity
(E) innovation
2. Historical buildings in many developing towns,
rather than being razed, are now being
(A) constructed
(B) renovated
(C) described
(D) condemned
(E) designed
3. Some linguists claim that French is characterized
by brevity of expression and therefore may be the
most of all languages.

(A) beautiful
(B) vivid
(C) concise
(D) accessible
(E) concrete
4. The melée that punctuated the meeting between
the rival factions was not entirely ; the
groups have long each other on many im-
portant issues.
(A) surprising . . supported
(B) unusual . . copied
(C) explicit . . evaluated
(D) unanticipated . . opposed
(E) expected . . encountered
5. Having been devastated by the earthquake, the
freeway was virtually to all but the most
rugged of vehicles.
(A) destroyed
(B) impassable
(C) improper
(D) winding
(E) unnecessary
6. Those who assume that they can easily be
chefs in the classic tradition are almost as as
those who think they can write a novel if they
simply sit down and type.
(A) amateur . . candid
(B) renowned . . skeptical
(C) superb . . timid
(D) clumsy . . pessimistic

(E) competent . . naive
7. Many opponents of psychoanalysis contend that
since its assumptions cannot be tested with sci-
entific rigor, it is properly characterized as
merely system rather than a reliable thera-
peutic method.
(A) a concise
(B) a courageous
(C) a necessary
(D) an intuitive
(E) an ornamental
8. Paranoia, extreme competitiveness, and many
other of the modern rat race, despite what
many cutthroat executives are saying, are hardly
to long-term success in the business world.
(A) by-products . . conducive
(B) responsibilities . . detrimental
(C) ornaments . . helpful
(D) establishments . . reliable
(E) inequities . . charitable
9. Under certain conditions, the virus can mutate
into strain, transforming what was once
simply into a menacing poison.
(A) a new . . an epidemic
(B) a deficient . . a derivative
(C) an erratic . . a rudiment
(D) a virulent . . a nuisance
(E) an advanced . . a disease