Mock Test for GRE - 1 - GRE MCQ

There are no obvious road signs here, so read the sentence carefully for clues to the blanks. The first sentence explains that cultural norms, or what a society views as acceptable, evolve over time. The two blanks describe two different views of the same piece of art, and each blank describes a different extreme, as indicated by “inordinately” (“exceeding limits”) and “utterly” (“to the highest degree”). Note that there’s no way to tell which way the views evolved; they may have gone from acceptable to unacceptable, or vice versa. You’ll have to consider both blanks to find words with the appropriate relationship. The only words that fit are (A) salacious, which means “morally offensive” or “indecent,” and (F) pedestrian, which in this context means “commonplace” or “mundane.” Taken together, they describe how a work of art can at one point be seen as shocking but later be seen as ordinary.

(B) adequate doesn’t fit with “inordinately.” It’s not possible to be extremely adequate—something either is or is not adequate. (C) trite means “boring” or “unoriginal.” This could potentially fit as one part of the comparison, but there’s no appropriately contrasting word for the second blank. (D) pensive means “thoughtful,” and (E) opulent means “lavish” or “luxurious”; neither of these fits into the context of art and cultural norms, and neither contrasts with a choice for the first blank.

Each blank here is supported by several clues, so start with whichever one you feel more comfortable with. The first blank says something about recipes for beef brisket. The opening clause of the sentence indicates that these recipes “vary widely,” and the detour road sign “but” means the blank will be the opposite of that—a word to indicate what they have in common. Similarity would be a good prediction. (A) affinity, or “close resemblance,” is a perfect match, so it’s the right answer for the first blank. (B) variance means “difference,” so it’s the opposite of what you’re looking for. (C) substitution might be tempting because it’s a word often used in cooking; if you’re out of one ingredient, you’d substitute another. However, it doesn’t fit the context here, since the sentence is describing a technique different preparations share, not one that replaces another.

The second blank describes why the “low and slow” technique is used. The first clause says that it’s “not a matter of taste but . . . ,” a detour construction, so the missing word must contrast with the idea that the cooking method is simply a personal preference. After a semicolon, which functions as a straight-ahead road sign here, the sentence indicates that without this method, the meat would be “too tough” to eat. Since cooking food in a way that makes it inedible defeats the purpose, predict something like necessity. (D) prerequisite, or “something that is necessary,” matches this prediction, so it’s the correct answer. (E) predilection means “a liking for,” which would fit if the cooking method were just a matter of taste. (F) propinquity, which means “a closeness or similarity to,” does not fit the context.

The blank in this sentence describes the Humason's career, which is described after the semicolon. He started as a janitor without a formal education and ended up working alongside a “legendary” scientist, so a good prediction would be something like remarkable. (C) singular means exactly that—in this context, “unusual” or “exceptional”—so it’s correct. (A) trivial means “unimportant.” This is incorrect as there’s no basis for saying the story of Humason's life is not important; if anything, the opposite is true. (B) succinct means “brief” or “concise.” There’s no indication that the story is short; indeed, it would be hard to tell the story of such a long and varied career in a concise manner. (D) quotidian, meaning “commonplace,” is the opposite of what’s needed. (E) ludicrous means “ridiculous” or “absurd,” which is much too negative to fit the sentence.

The first sentence presents a positive opinion Cooper has about his new novel: it is "charming." But “[n]otwithstanding” is a detour road sign that indicates Cooper feels his new novel compares poorly to his earlier novels. Specifically, those books were "more profound" than the latest work, in Cooper's estimation. Note the detour road sign "less" before the blank and predict a positive word with a somewhat similar meaning as profound. Insightful, (E), matches the prediction and is correct. Nothing in the text points to the new work being less innovative, (A), than the others, as a story that is not particularly "profound" might still be "inventive." If anything, the new book is more superficial than the earlier, "more profound" ones, so eliminate (B). Since the latest novel is described as having a “charming story,” it would not make sense to say it is less delightful, (C). There is no information in the text about how fanciful, (D), or "imaginary or whimsical," the new work is, so eliminate this choice as well.

Based on the first sentence alone, it is not possible to predict accurately for the first two blanks. The tour's end could lead to a variety of emotions. The second sentence, however, begins with a detour road sign, "[d]espite," and contrasts the singer's "disappointment" with what she felt about spending more time with her children. Predict that she was relieved or happy to see more of her family. Jubilant, (G), means “very happy” and is correct. Rueful, (H), means “regretful” and is the opposite of what you need. Apathetic, (I), means “lacking in care or interest.” This also runs counter to the prediction.

Now you know that she felt both "disappointment" and happiness. For the first two blanks, predict that one emotion is positive and the other is negative and find a pair of words that match this dual prediction. For the first blank, dolor, (A), means “sadness.” For the second blank, felicity, (F), means “happiness.” These two words work together to complete the sentence logically and are the correct answers. Complaisance, (B), means “eagerness to please others,” and lethargy, (C), means “sluggishness” or “drowsiness.” Listlessness, (D), is similar in meaning to lethargy, signifying “lacking energy or spirit.” Quiescence, (E), means “being at rest” or “in a state of inactivity.”

Sometimes it is easier to start with the second or third blank. In the last part of the sentence, you have the key word “exacerbating,” which means “making worse.” The situation that the coaching staff is in, therefore, is bad and becoming worse. For the third blank, predict bad or risky. Parlous, (G), which means “dangerous,” provides the right meaning and is correct. Inconsequential, (H), means “insignificant,” and amenable, (I), means “agreeable.” Neither choice matches the prediction.

Working your way backward, consider the second blank, which describes the fans who are putting the coaches at risk. Angry is a good prediction, and highly incensed, (D), means "very upset." Less critical, (E), and more accepting, (F), are both contrary to the prediction and would not explain why the situation was being exacerbated.

The detour road sign "[d]espite" sets up a contrast between the team owner's comments and the fans' angry reaction. Predict that the coach made positive or diplomatic comments. Conciliatory, (B), means “appeasing” or “attempting to reconcile.” One who is conciliatory would try to make the fans less angry, making (B) correct. If the owner made unrepentant comments, as in (A), she would fail to express regret or take responsibility for the situation the fans are angry about, and such comments would be expected to make them more angry. Impudent, (C), meaning “rude” or “insulting,” is also the opposite of the prediction.

In this Inference question, you are asked to identify the statement that follows from the author’s point of view as it’s expressed in the passage. The author offers two opinionated statements. He finds the video footage “uninspired” and states that it “serve(s) to compound” parental fears. One of those two statements will be paraphrased in the correct answer. The claim in (A) is not actually made in the passage. The author suggests that parents may fear possible neurological damage from salvia but suggests that the other “horrors” are “more real,” undermining this statement. Choices (B) and (C) both go beyond the scope of the passage; the author stops short of recommending solutions for the salvia problem. You can also dismiss choice (D) because, although the author does intimate that the videos are rather dull, there is no evidence that the author wants more detail about the experience.
Choice (E) matches your prediction. It is strongly suggested in the passage’s final sentence and therefore is the correct answer.

Here is another Inference question, this time with the potential for multiple correct answers. You can infer choice (A) because the text states that the “spaced out” part only lasts a few minutes but that the experience is intense enough that young people describe it in great detail. There is no evidence for choice (B); the author doesn’t opine on the psychological state of salvia users. Choice (C) is not suggested by the passage; “online predators,” not “drug pushers,” are cited as the threat, and salvia is not compared to other drugs.

Though it is not explicitly stated in the passage, you can, from a few clues, determine that a planetesimal was (1) an object that moved—a sort of wandering body—since they are described as “itinerant,” and (2) an object that existed during “planet formation.” Choice (A) follows from those two inferences and is correct. There is no support for choice (B); the passage makes no mention of objects leaving or bouncing out of the galaxy. You can eliminate choice (C) because the passage tells you that components of the planetesimals (the siderophiles) remained in Earth’s crust a
er impact but doesn’t say that whole planetesimals did so.
Choice (D) is beyond the scope of the passage, which doesn’t contain information about planetesimals’ magnetic characteristics. You can also cross off (E) because the passage doesn’t describe planetesimals as “rocks,” nor does it claim that they are always made up of (or necessarily even contain) siderophiles.

When asked to cast doubt on a conclusion, as you are here, first locate the author’s conclusion. Then, find an answer choice that contradicts it in some way. This question stem explicitly directs you to the last sentence of the passage, where the author is defending the mayor from criticism, asserting that the growing inequality of wages is beyond her control. Since the passage is saying, “This isn’t the mayor’s fault,” predict a correct answer that says, “No, this is the mayor’s fault.”
Choice (A) should stand out immediately as going against the passage. If the mayor could have initiated policies that would have educated those who are now earning less, then her policies—to be precise, her policy of inaction—is at least partially to blame for the problem of wage inequality. This is exactly the sort of additional evidence you want, and choice (A) is correct.
The wrong choices largely focus on misleading shifts in terminology from the passage. Choice (B) sidesteps the wage issue, as more employment of high school graduates would not necessarily raise their wages. Choice (C)’s logic requires that we assume “blue-collar” equals “less-educated,” which is too large a shift in terminology. Choice (D) only discusses taxes and avoids wages altogether. Choice (E) only mentions protection of “city workers,” again avoiding the education issue from the passage.

The scientist is known for writing on topics that most people can't understand. The clause with the blank has three detour road signs, so untangle it carefully. “But” and "surprisingly" indicate a contrast between the scientist’s previous writings and her latest book, which must therefore be easier to understand. Be careful with the word “not” just before the blank: predict that the scientist’s latest book is not as hard to understand. Thus, you need two words that mean “hard to understand.” Recondite, (A), means “hard to understand,” as does abstruse, (C). Cogent, (B), means “convincing and well reasoned,” but a book that is cogent may or may not be difficult to understand. (D) clear is the opposite of the prediction, Erratic, (E), doesn’t match the prediction either; nothing in the context indicates that the scientist's work is "unpredictable."

The first sentence tells you that Nizar had a good working relationship with the staff when he was an analyst. “However” is a detour road sign, indicating that when Nizar was promoted, his relationship with the staff became the opposite of "harmonious." Contentious, (A), means “quarrelsome” or “argumentative” and matches the prediction, as does belligerent, (B), which means “hostile” or “antagonistic.” Audacious, (C), means “bold" or "daring,” which does not work in the blank. Courteous, (D), and deferential, (E), both mean “respectful,” and decorous. All three would align with a harmonious relationship rather than the one Nizar had after his promotion.

The word "if" sets up a straight-ahead relationship between the first clause and the second. Since researchers are trying to figure out what symptoms are associated with this disease, they are likely seeking to help people with the condition. They could do this either by finding out which treatments work and should be used or which treatments do not work and should be avoided. The neutral word "identify" doesn't tell you which meaning the author is conveying, so look for a pair of words that either both mean “lessen” or “ease” the bad results of the condition or mean “increase” or “make worse.” As it happens, (B) and (E) are a match with one of the predictions and with each other. (B) is correct because mitigate means to “make less severe,” and palliate, (E), means “to provide relief from.” Proscribe, (A), means to “banish” or “denounce.” While health care providers and their patients would undoubtedly like to “banish” symptoms of the disease, that is a legal remedy, not a medical one. Sully, (C), means to “make dirty or stain,” and supplant, (D), means to “take the place of.” Neither choice matches the predictions.

The first sentence describes the fictional portrayal of archaeology; the second describes "the reality." The word in the blank will convey the relationship between the two. Fictional archaeology is said to be full of “excitement and adventure” and “dodging arrows,” while the real thing is full of "painstaking" (“meticulous or thorough”) work. Thus, a good prediction would be that reality contradicts the fictional view. (A) belied and (E) refuted both mean “disproved” or “showed to be false,” so they’re the correct answers. (B) belayed may sound similar to belied, but it has a different meaning; it can mean either “secured a rope” or “canceled an order.” (C) conveyed (“imparted” or “communicated”) is too neutral to fit. (D) corroborated the opposite of what’s needed, as each means “supported with evidence.”

The author states that "[a]lthough Sibelius claimed" to be working on the symphony, neither contemporaries nor later music experts examining his papers have ever seen it. The author's contrast of Sibelius's claim with evidence to the contrary allows you to infer that the author believes the composer was not in fact working on the piece.
The correct answer is (B). The author states that Sibelius already has an international reputation, so Symphony No. 8 is not needed to establish one, and (A) is incorrect. (C) and (E) are the opinion of the "[o]thers" mentioned in the last sentence, not the author. Likewise, while "experts" believe the symphony may be performed someday, the author expresses no opinion on this, so (D) is incorrect.

The correct answer to this question is not supported in the passage, meaning it either contradicts the passage or falls outside the scope. The four wrong answers are supported. The first two sentences of the passage describe the origin of the theory of atoms prior to their scientific discovery, which allows you to eliminate choice (A); furthermore, the author mentions that “philosophers across the world developed similar theories,” which supports—and thus eliminates— choice (E). However, the author describes Democritus as having “popularized” the theory of atoms, which is not the same as first discovering the atom; based on this, choice (D) is correct. Choices (B) and (C) both relate to the discussion of subatomic particles, but because elementary particles are smaller than subatomic particles (an example of the latter being the hadron), you may eliminate (B). The conclusion of the passage rules out choice (C) in the description of the importance of experiments using the Large Hadron Collider.

The correct answer to a primary purpose question summarizes what the author is trying to do in the passage. Here, the author uses cinematic depictions of Henry V to illustrate how contemporary culture influences the interpretation of art. Choice (A) misses the point; the author uses Shakespeare’s Henry V as an illustration, not for the purpose of describing the play itself. (B) distorts the author’s purpose, which is to illustrate the cultural influence, not to judge which influences are positive or negative. (C) is too broad; the passage isn’t about cinematic interpretations of literature writ large. (D) is too general in the same way as choice (C). So, choice (E) is the correct answer. It cites the effect of contemporary situations on the interpretation of literature, striking at the heart of what the author explores in the passage.

Evaluate the choices in light of this author’s scope and purpose. Choice (A) makes an irrelevant comparison. The author discusses the influence of historical and societal context on both Shakespeare’s play and the later film adaptations of it but never implies that one is more reflective of its societal context than the other. Choice (B) is correct; this paraphrases the author’s primary purpose, so he’s certain to agree with it. Choice (C) is incorrect. The author makes no effort to argue about what makes good cinema, only what influences it when it’s involved in interpreting classic literary works.

In this case, the first highlighted sentence is an assertion that lays out the topic and scope of the passage. The second highlighted sentence is a specific example that the author offers to illustrate his main point. Choice (D), the correct answer, hits this prediction squarely.
Choice (A) is incorrect because the second sentence does not contradict the first. You can reject (B) as it mischaracterizes the first sentence; there is nothing disparate about its components. You can reject (C) because it gets the second sentence wrong; the second sentence is an example, not an argument (which would need a conclusion supported by evidence).
Choice (E) distorts the relationship between the two sentences; the second doesn’t contradict the first.

The tone of the passage is neutral; even when describing Henry’s darker moments, the author passes no judgment. You can therefore reject choice (C), as the author is not doing a character study. Though choices (B) and (D) are mutually exclusive, they are both incorrect. The author states no preference for either of the film versions he describes. Choice (E) is incorrect because the author states no preference for cinematic versions that maintain greater fidelity to the source material. Choice (A) is correct; it matches the author’s purpose for the passage. In order for cultural events to influence the interpretation of classic literature, such literature must be interpretable.

Here, “furthermore” indicates that the charge of the word in the blank will be consistent with “unfair.” Choice (A) biased is a good synonym for “unfair,” and is the correct answer. Choices (B), (D), and (E) all list traits one would want in judges. Choice (C) inept provides a negative trait, but one that challenges the judges’ competence, not their fairness.

First, read the sentence through, noting any structural road signs and/or key words. Here, “as long as” is a structural clue: we view old age in the same way we do poverty, isolation, and illness. Predict that the correct answer matches a word like fear or despair. Choice (B) apprehension is a good match. Check the other answers, to confirm that each is incorrect.
Choice (A) regret may be tempting because of its negative connotation, but it applies to something that has already happened, not what someone will face in the future. Choice (C) enlightenment doesn’t match the sentence’s list of negative conditions. Choices (D) veneration and (E) reverence both mean “great respect”; that’s a positive way to face old age, but not one that matches the way one would face something likely to bring “poverty, isolation, and illness.” That confirms that (B) is the right answer. Now, plug the answer into the sentence: “We will face the idea of old age with apprehension as long as we believe that it invariably brings poverty, isolation, and illness.” This certainly makes sense.

Consider the logic of the sentences before approaching the first blank. It might be tempting to choose a positive word, but the structure and tone suggest a contrast from the “usual.” It might help to put the word while in front of “Usually.” The only word that suggests the opposite of “articulate speaker” is choice (A) flubbed, which means “to make a mess of.” Choice (B) perfected means “made no errors” and choice (C) rescind means “took back.” These words don’t fit the context of the clause. How might an audience subjected to a flubbed speech feel? You can rule out choice (D) rapture since it means “extreme joy.” That leaves choice (E) repulsion, or “disgust,” and choice (F) bewilderment, or “deep confusion.” Consider the shades of meaning here: the audience is not likely to respond with an emotion as strong as disgust, especially if the doctor is normally a great speaker. Bewilderment is correct.

You can infer that the author must be “happy” to be published after years of rejection, so start with the second blank. The correct answer is choice (D) enraptured, which means “full of delight.” It wouldn’t make sense for the author to feel (E) humiliated or (F) mortified; she’s finally received some recognition, after all. Now for the first blank. The word “more” functions as a subtle detour road sign in this sentence. The author is “more” happy than the agent, so predict something like “skepticism” on the part of the agent. Only (A) incertitude, which means “uncertainty,” fits this context. (B) hubris is "excessive pride in oneself " that often leads to someone's downfall; while the agent may have been proud of the author and of herself for getting this contract, nothing in the sentence indicates this pride was excessive. At any rate, this sentence is about the contrast between the author's happiness and the agent's more skeptical perspective, not about any sense of accomplishment the agent may feel. (C) cordiality, meaning “friendliness,” is too positive to work here.

The words “and,” “only,” and “however” are road signs that help you determine the direction of each sentence and choose the appropriate missing words. Overly eager hikers are unlikely to heed warnings, and choice (C) flouted, which means “defied” or “ignored,” captures this relationship best. Neither choice (A) recollected nor (B) scrutinized, both of which suggest examining an issue, fits the context. The second blank will contain a word consistent with one’s attitude a
er a disaster. Choice (E) hypocrisy refers to insincerity; that might describe the hikers (who’d just flouted the warnings), but not the situation they now find themselves in. Choice (F) prestige, meaning “status” or “consideration,” is inappropriate to the context as well. Only choice (D) gravity, or “seriousness,” makes sense here. While the descent may have been (G) galvanizing, or “exciting,” on some level, it was in the context of a dire situation, so keep looking for a better choice. Choice (H) fortuitous means “lucky.” (If you didn’t know its definition, notice that it shares the root of “fortune.”) You can infer that it doesn’t fit logically in the paragraph. Something (I) baleful appears threatening, or even deadly; this is the correct answer.

To complete this sentence, look for key words or phrases that give hints about the context. For instance, “gave orders” in the first sentence indicates a strong feeling, perhaps a concern, so try to find a term that plays off this sentiment. Only choice (A) trepidation, which means “unease,” supports the first sentence. Choice (B) buoyancy means “quick to recover” (think of the buoy floating in the ocean), and (C) insouciance means “lightheartedness.” Both words suggest unconcern, the opposite of how Twain must have felt when ordering his memoirs to remain sealed for a century. The word in the second blank must describe writing that the author wants to keep private for a long time a
er his death. Choices (D) quixotic and (E) utopian have a similar meaning—“idealistic”—and neither fits the context. Choice (F) vitriolic, meaning “acidic” or “corrosive,” is the best fit. For the third blank, you need a negative word. Choice (G) enigmatic, or “mysterious,” doesn’t make sense. Choice (H) detrimental means “damaging.” That is the right answer. Finally, choice (I) salubrious means “health-promoting,” which is too positive and does not fit the context.

The correct answer follows from the passage, though it may not be stated explicitly. Choice (A) is not implied. Although researchers probably hope to stem the occurrence of diabetes, the passage speaks only of combating the disease’s impact. There is also no suggestion in the passage of the hope, expressed in choice (B), of creating an artificial system. Choice (C) is too extreme. The passage doesn’t imply a “standstill” absent “complete” understanding of the proteins. The wording in choice (D) is dense, but it’s also broad enough to follow from the passage. Researchers may well use their understanding of the hormonal cues monitored by the proteins to develop the treatments mentioned in the final sentence of the passage. Indeed, (D) is the correct response. Finally, (E) runs counter to the passage. The researchers hope to understand how to help the relay system work, not how to cut it off.
You can eliminate (E) confidently.

The four wrong answers to this Detail question are found in the passage. The correct answer will either contradict or distort the passage, or fall outside its scope altogether. Choice (A) is true; it is stated in the first sentence of the passage. Choice (B) seems like it might be true, but reading carefully, it overstates the role of diabetes as described in the passage: diabetes compromises or impairs the ability of the pancreatic beta cells to function, but you’re not told that it controls those functions. Choice (C) is true and is also stated in the passage’s first sentence. Choice (D) paraphrases the first main claim of the passage. Choice (E) comes from the end of the first sentence.

The correct answer to this Detail question must paraphrase something stated explicitly in the passage. Choice (A) restates the author’s definition of Ponzi schemes: the use of short-term payoffs to attract long-term investments. That’s the correct answer. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage mentions nothing about paper trails; likewise, it does not address who should share the culpability, ruling out choice (E).
Choice (C) is initially tempting, but be careful; the final sentence of the passage explicitly states that the investment does not create any real profits, so (C)’s recommendations for how to divvy them up must be incorrect. Choice (B) is tempting because the schemes attempt to sucker investors into long-term commitments, but the schemes needn’t be sustainable in any case.

By the time you begin to look at questions accompanying a passage, you should have already determined the scope and purpose of the passage.
In this case, the author is purely expository; she just wants to relate or explain how Hay-on-Wye became known for books and literature.
Choices (A), (B), and (D) are related to the passage’s subject matter but don’t describe the overall purpose of the passage. Choices (C) and (E) look relatively similar, and the fact that the passage is about Hay-onWye makes (E) tempting. But the passage focuses on a specific aspect of the town, rather than the town as a whole. This aspect is its rise to fame as the “Town of Books,” and thus choice (C) is your answer.