GRE Practice Questions — All Questions
4 questions
Text completion: Although the committee had expected a heated debate, the discussion proved surprisingly ____, ending in unanimous agreement within an hour.
- a.contentious
- b.prolonged
- c.amicable✓
- d.chaotic
'Although' signals a contrast with an expected heated debate, and the clue 'unanimous agreement within an hour' points to a friendly, cooperative tone. 'Amicable' fits. 'Contentious' and 'chaotic' contradict the calm outcome, and 'prolonged' conflicts with 'within an hour.'
Text completion: The novelist was known for her ____ prose, using only the words strictly necessary to convey each idea.
- a.spare✓
- b.ornate
- c.ambiguous
- d.verbose
The clue 'only the words strictly necessary' describes economical, stripped-down writing. 'Spare' means minimal and unadorned. 'Ornate' and 'verbose' mean the opposite, and 'ambiguous' is unrelated to word economy.
Text completion: Because the evidence was merely ____, the jury could not convict; nothing directly tied the defendant to the crime.
- a.conclusive
- b.damning
- c.abundant
- d.circumstantial✓
The clue 'nothing directly tied the defendant to the crime' points to indirect evidence. 'Circumstantial' evidence is exactly that. 'Conclusive' and 'damning' would support a conviction, and 'abundant' does not address whether the link is direct.
Text completion: The critic's review was far from ____; she praised nearly every aspect of the performance.
- a.generous
- b.disparaging✓
- c.lengthy
- d.sincere
'Far from ____' plus 'praised nearly every aspect' means the review was not negative. 'Disparaging' means belittling or negative, so 'far from disparaging' correctly describes a highly positive review. 'Generous' would make the sentence contradict itself.