Word Parts
What does the prefix RE- mean? Give an example.
RE- means "again" or "back" — for example, REPLENISH (fill again) or RECANT (take back).
Give a definition for BUTTRESS.
To provide support for an argument.
Give a definition for EPHEMERAL.
Very brief; short-lived.
What kind of transitional word is "Thus".
Cause and Effect.
As Mexico's first president from an Indigenous community, Benito Juarez became one of the most _______ figures in his country's history: among the many significant accomplishments of his long tenure in office (1858–1872), Juarez consolidated the authority of the national government and advanced the rights of Indigenous peoples.
A) unpredictable B) important C) secretive D) ordinary
B) important.
What does the prefix IN- or IM- mean? Give an example.
IN-/IM- means "not" — for example, IMPECCABLE (not faulty) or INDIFFERENT (not caring).
Give a definition for CONCEDE.
To admit that an opposing claim is true or valid.
Give a definition for GALVANIZE.
To energize or spur into action.
What is a word synonymous to "not irreproachable"?
This is a double negative, meaning "reproachable. Synonyms include "culpable" (deserving blame or guilt for a wrong) and "reprehensible" (very bad and deserving strong criticism).
Kelp forests grow underwater along the eastern Pacific Coast. These underwater forests are important to fish and other marine animals. Ocean currents can be powerful and rough, making it difficult for animals to find safe places to hide from predators. The underwater forests slow down the currents. This creates a more _______ environment with calmer waters where animals can take shelter.
A) tranquil B) dangerous C) imaginative D) surprising
A) tranquil.
What does the root FER mean? Give an example.
FER means "to carry" — for example, INFER (carry a conclusion in) or TRANSFER (carry across).
Give a definition for SURMISE.
To assume; to draw a conclusion without strong evidence.
Give a definition for INNOCUOUS.
Harmless; a synonym is "benign".
What does a transitional word signal?
A change or shift in an author's presentation of thoughts.
In the 1990s, conservationists began planting more than 500,000 native trees in the habitat of the Azores bullfinch to boost the bird's numbers. This approach was apparently _______: the Azores bullfinch's population size increased from as few as 100 birds at the end of the 1980s to around 1,300 in 2023.
A) amusing B) costly C) successful D) disastrous
C) successful.
What is the role of a SUFFIX?
SUFFIXES change a its conjugation, word type, or other grammar properties like plurality.
Give a definition for INFER.
To deduce or conclude from evidence and reasoning.
Give a definition for PRECIPITATE.
To cause to happen especially suddenly and unexpectedly.
How do you choose the most precise word choice in a sentence completion question?
1. Identify the topic of key claim in the question
2. Identify the key word or phrase in the passage
3. Make a match
The results of randomized clinical trials testing the efficacy of common medical interventions sometimes fail to _______ conclusions that practitioners reach based on their real-world observations of patients. While there are several possible reasons for this, one is that practitioners may overlook confounding variables that account for the results they attribute to the interventions in question.
A) circumvent B) corroborate C) disseminate D) implement
B) corroborate
What do each of these roots mean? 'CHRON' and 'MORI'.
'CHRON' means "time".
'MORI' means "death".
Give a definition for REFUTE and name an antonym.
To prove that a claim is false. Antonyms include "validate" and "concede.
Give a definition for EVINCE.
To reveal or show one's feelings.
What kind of transitional word is "As such"? Give another example of this type.
Cause and Effect. Other examples include "As a result" and "To this end".
Diadromous fish migrate between freshwater and marine biomes during their life cycle. The migration's obligate nature is why diadromous fish can be _______ those that are merely euryhaline (able to tolerate high salinity): the euryhaline blackchin tilapia can survive high salinity, but its life cycle does not involve relocation to a different biome, as does the diadromous wild salmon.
A) demarcated from B) reconstituted as C) conflated with D) derived from