Verbal Reasoning Test Practice Course: Vocabulary in context

1. Question 1 of 17

   Which word is a synonym of "begin"?

   • Arepeat
   • Bdelay
   • Cstart
   • Dfinish
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   Answer: C. start

   A synonym is a word that means the same as another word. To begin is to start.

2. Question 2 of 17

   Which word is an antonym of "expand"?

   • Agrow
   • Bshrink
   • Cstretch
   • Dspread
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   Answer: B. shrink

   An antonym means the opposite. To expand is to get bigger, so the opposite is to shrink. The other options mean much the same as expand.

3. Question 3 of 17

   "The manager asked us to keep the report brief." In this sentence, "brief" means:

   • Aformal
   • Bdetailed
   • Cshort
   • Dprivate
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   Answer: C. short

   Brief means short. A brief report uses few words.

4. Question 4 of 17

   "The team will reschedule the meeting." What does the prefix "re-" mean in "reschedule"?

   • Abefore
   • Bagain
   • Cnot
   • Dagainst
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   Answer: B. again

   The prefix re- means again, as in refocus and reinvest. To reschedule is to schedule again.

5. Question 5 of 17

   Adding "-less" to "care" makes "careless". What does the suffix "-less" mean?

   • Aagain
   • Bable to be
   • Cwithout
   • Dfull of
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   Answer: C. without

   The suffix -less means without: careless means without care. The suffix -ful means full of.

6. Question 6 of 17

   "The new policy will affect all part-time staff." In this sentence, "affect" means:

   • Abring about
   • Breplace
   • Cpraise
   • Dinfluence
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   Answer: D. influence

   As a verb, affect usually means to influence. Effect as a verb means to bring about, which is a different word.

7. Question 7 of 17

   Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: "The new schedule had a positive ___ on attendance."

   • Aeffort
   • Beffect
   • Caffection
   • Daffect
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   Answer: B. effect

   Here the gap needs a noun meaning an impact or result, which is effect. Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence.

8. Question 8 of 17

   "Sales were sluggish in January but picked up in March." In this sentence, "sluggish" means:

   • Asteady
   • Bstrong
   • Csurprising
   • Dslow
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   Answer: D. slow

   The contrast word "but" and "picked up" show that sales were weak at first. Sluggish means slow.

9. Question 9 of 17

   "The two departments will collaborate on the new project." In this sentence, "collaborate" means:

   • Acompete
   • Bargue
   • Cwork together
   • Dreport separately
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   Answer: C. work together

   To collaborate is to work together. The prefix co-/col- means together, as in co-worker.

10. Question 10 of 17

    "The supplier was reluctant to lower its prices." In this sentence, "reluctant" means:

    • Aunwilling
    • Bable
    • Cquick
    • Deager
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    Answer: A. unwilling

    Reluctant means unwilling or not keen. Eager is its opposite.

11. Question 11 of 17

    Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: "The new shelving will ___ the storage system we already have."

    • Acomply
    • Bcompliment
    • Ccompel
    • Dcomplement
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    Answer: D. complement

    Complement means something that completes or makes perfect. Compliment, spelled with an i, means praise.

12. Question 12 of 17

    Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: "Safety is the ___ reason for the change."

    • Aprinciple
    • Bprincipally
    • Cprincipal
    • Dprinciples
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    Answer: C. principal

    Principal as an adjective means chief or leading. Principle is only a noun, meaning a rule of conduct, and principally is an adverb.

13. Question 13 of 17

    "The supervisor will address the problem at Monday's meeting." In this sentence, "address" means:

    • Agive a speech to
    • Bsend by mail
    • Cwrite the location of
    • Ddeal with
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    Answer: D. deal with

    Many words have more than one meaning. Here the supervisor will deal with the problem; the other meanings do not fit the sentence.

14. Question 14 of 17

    "The instructions were ambiguous, so half the team did the task one way and half did it another way." In this sentence, "ambiguous" means:

    • Adetailed
    • Bwritten down
    • Cvery long
    • Dunclear
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    Answer: D. unclear

    Ambiguous means open to more than one meaning. The clue is that people understood the same instructions in two ways.

15. Question 15 of 17

    "The old software still worked, but it was obsolete: newer programs could no longer open its files." In this sentence, "obsolete" means:

    • Abroken
    • Bout of date
    • Ccomplicated
    • Dexpensive
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    Answer: B. out of date

    Obsolete means out of date or no longer used. The sentence says it still worked, so broken does not fit; the colon explains that newer programs had moved on.

16. Question 16 of 17

    "From the manager's tone, we ___ that the deadline could not be changed." Which word fits?

    • Adeferred
    • Bimplied
    • Creferred
    • Dinferred
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    Answer: D. inferred

    The listeners worked out the meaning, so they inferred it. A speaker or writer implies; a listener or reader infers.

17. Question 17 of 17

    "The committee will scrutinize every expense claim before it is paid." In this sentence, "scrutinize" means:

    • Areject
    • Bpay in full
    • Capprove quickly
    • Dexamine closely
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    Answer: D. examine closely

    To scrutinize is to examine something closely and carefully. The phrase "before it is paid" shows a checking step.

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