Questions

 

Though the economy ___________ through a recession in 2001, super-low interest rates have ___________ demand for mortgages, which has encouraged a boom in mortgage refinancing.

 

A. battled… incited

B. conceded… impelled

C. suffered … fueled

D. slogged… driven

E. smudged… posited

 

The best answer is C. A recession is a negative occurrence so it is appropriate that one would battle or suffer through it. Fuel can be used figuratively to mean promote.

 

 

The rationale ___________ the rise of fee-based advice is that it makes for a better relationship with clients by eliminating the potential for conflicts that ___________ when someone profits directly from their recommendations.

 

 

A. behind … arise

B. invested in… occur

C. driving… intrude

D. after… disrupt

E. following… awaken

 

The best answer is A. It is idiomatic to talk about the rationale behind x. Similarly, conflicts aresaid to arise.

Never before in ___________ history have monetary and fiscal policies been as motivating as today, and yet, the American economy remains weak and vulnerable.

 

A. today’s

B. yesteryear’s

C. yesterday’s

D. recent

E. topical

 

The best answer is D. Today’s history, yesteryear’s history and yesterday’s history are unidiomatic expressions. Topical history is illogical.

The open nature of the web, its unpredictable and ___________ proliferation of ideas and open source software was ___________ to the world's leading operating systems company.

 

A. untenable… propagation

B. insupportable… panacea

C. copious… abomination

D. uncontrollable … anathema

E. bountiful … atomization

 

The best answer is C. Both copious proliferation and bountiful proliferation are redundant. Uncontrollable is the most logical choice for the first blank. Since uncontrollable has a negative connotation, anathema, also a negative word, is a logical choice.

 

 

Front Inc., ___________ by the 1999 merger between Front Bank and Merchant’s Bank, has been at the ___________ of merger rumors for years.

 

 

A. started… middle

B. created … center

C. began… apex

D. founded… summit

E. fashioned… maelstrom

 

The best answer is B. A company is created by a merger. Founded is appropriate to use to refer to a completely new company. Fashioned cannot be followed by by to refer to the company’s origins.

 

As younger workers watch parents and others in ___________ generations go back to work after retiring because their savings were not ___________, they still aren't doing enough to provide for their own financial futures.

 

 

A. senior… ample

B. younger… sufficient

C. old… generous

D. older … adequate

E. advanced… prolific

 

The best answer is D. Since the younger workers are watching parents and other in ____ generations, the others are likely of their parents’ generation, hence older is logical. The second blank must contain a word that explains why older generation would go back to work.

 

Outspoken ___________ as a teenager, he was dismissed from high school when he refused to compromise his word to a school ___________.

 

A. from his time… mascot

B. early… officer

C. already… teacher

D. still… regulation

E. even … principal

 

The best answer is E. From his time and early are unidiomatic and still is illogical. Already is awkward in the first blank.

 

College costs once again have increased far faster than inflation, with ___________ at state schools posting the biggest ___________ in 30 years

 

A. fees… augmentation

B. costs… depreciation

C. revenues… devaluation

D. tuition… increase

E. payments… intensification

 

The best answer is D. Tuition is a word that specifically means fees paid to a school and is thus the best answer. The first part of the sentence deals with college costs increases in general, and the second part mentions a more specific increase.

 

A new survey says most families aren't generally expecting to ___________ more money on holiday vacations than they did ___________ year.

 

A. fritter… previous

B. spend … last

C. save… past

D. squander… preceding

E. invest… prior

 

The best answer is B. Fritter and squander have negative connotations that are not in keeping with the tone of the sentence. One does not invest in a vacation.

 

 

___________ in the history of this great country have there been more annoying commercials on the public ___________.

 

A. Once… systems

B. Ever… channels

C. Sometimes… broadcasts

D. Never … airwaves

E. Always… television

 

The best answer is D. Only choices D and E fit the sentence grammatically. Public television cannot follow the definite article.

 

Since the success of his last book and his Oscar-winning ___________, (a success he likes to remind you of at every ___________), he has become the most prominent liberal agitator in the West.

A. presentation…moment

B. documentary… opportunity

C. staging…minute

D. film…prospect

E. enactment… initiation

 

The best answer is B. A documentary or a film are choices which could be Oscar-winning. For the second blank, prospect and initiation are illogical. Moment and minute cannot come after at every.

 

The most successful remodeling projects begin with homeowners ___________ have a imaginative, yet ___________, idea of what they want done.

 

A. that… sensational

B. where… pragmatic

C. which… inspired

D. whom… dazzling

E. who … realistic

 

The best answer is E. Who is the most suitable pronoun to refer to homeowners. The second blank must be filled with a word which contrasts with imaginative because of the yet before the blank.

 

To accompany the book, Freeman ___________ has a new ___________ of digital photographs spanning 30 years.

 

A. as well… rehearsal

B. also… exhibition

C. additionally…

D. too… revision

E. besides… showing

 

The best answer is B. None of the choices other than also fit the sentence grammatically. Photographs can logical be displayed in an exhibition.

 

He went over all his expenditures and ___________ for the preceding year and a half, and was shocked by what he ___________.

 

A. income … found

B. disbursements… discovered

C. expenses… uncovered

D. salaries… related

E. tolls… manifested

 

The best answer is A. Disbursements and expenses mean the same as expenditures and are therefore redundant. An individual usually doesn’t have many salaries and does not collect tolls.

 

Their income has proven ___________ to maintain what they regard as a comfortable, though not ___________, lifestyle.

 

A. superficial… excessive

B. opulent… verifiable

C. sufficient… luxurious

D. ample… fulsome

E. sketchy… extraordinary

 

The best answer is C. Sufficient and ample are suitable to describe income that can maintain a comfortable lifestyle.

 

He was rejected by the National Film School and spent 11 years doing odd jobs for a small theatre company before he got the ___________ to make his film noir thriller.

 

A. break

B. thought

C. calibration

D. opportunity

E. warning

 

The best answer is D. Break and opportunity are suitable as far as their meaning, but break cannot be followed by to.

 

 

When George Wilson graduated from high school, his parents, both of ___________ were hearing impaired and on disability, could provide ___________ financial help toward college.

 

A. whom… no

B. they… none

C. who … little

D. them… scarce

E. parent… nary

 

The best answer is C. Who is the best pronoun to refer back to Wilson’s parents. Only no and little are suitable grammatically for the second blank.

 

Michael grew up under difficult circumstances in the San Fernando Valley, where he battled family ___________ from ___________ age.

 

A. connections… a small

B. embattlements… a little

C. kinships… a young

D. issues… every

E. problems … an early

 

The best answer is E. One battles problems. An early age is idiomatic.

 

While the couple tries to find bargain-basement prices on all their ___________, they do not ___________ on quality.

 

A. purchases … stint

B. inceptions… squelch

C. acquisitions…squint

D. abstentions… squander

E. accumulations… tender

 

The best answer is A. Purchases and acquisitions are logical choices for the first blank. The second blank must be filled with a word that will contrast with the first part of the sentence.

 

What was a ruthlessly effective way of enhancing their electoral fortunes has developed into a compulsion never to allow any leader much of a chance to ___________.

 

A. persist

B. impeach

C. command

D. impersonate

E. direct

 

The best answer is C. One cannot allow someone else to persist. Impeach cannot be used as in intransitive verb. Since a leader commands, command is the best response.

 

SAT Quantitative test

These questions closely resemble real test questions collected by students from 2000 to 2003.