1) It is ironic that the scientist's work was criticized recently for its ___________ research methodology, since other researchers have argued for years that this same methodology was based absolutely on impeccable logic.
A. fastidious
B. esoteric
C. abstruse
D. impervious
E. Specious
2) While writers tend to bifurcate into traditionalist and experimentalist camps, the conflict between conventional narrative forms and Postmodern innovation is internalized in Kriz's novels. Her work has ____________ the more traditional story-based energies of writers such as Munro and Bashevis Singer, while it has been simultaneous __________ the achievements of American Postmodernism.
A. tended to scorn D. shaped by
B. tried to absorb E. ignorant of
C. declined to F. biased toward
acknowledge
3) In her startlingly original writing, she went further than any other twentieth-century author in English (perhaps in any language) in (i) _____ literary language and form, (ii) _____ stylistic conventions, and (iii) _____ a rich and diverse structure of meaning.
Blank(i) Blank(ii) Blank(iii)
A. reinventing D. undoing G. replicating
B. canonizing E. overpraising H.borrowing
C. stabilizing F. misunderstanding I. Introducing
4) There is no point in combing through the director’s work for hints of ideological significance. It is unnecessary: his ideology—Marxist, anti-imperialist, aligned with the perceived interests of the powerless and the marginal—is the (i) ________ of his films. The clarity and force of that ideology are considerable, but its (ii) ________ sometimes bothers critics, who often scold the director for lacking (iii) ________. Blank i Blank ii Blank iii
a) hidden focus d) bluntness g) lucidity
b) chief impetus e) obscurity h) subtlety
c) murky lesson f) feebleness i) courage
5) While not _____ the arguments in favor of the proposal for new highway construction, the governor nevertheless decided to veto the proposal.
A optimistic about B convinced by C happy with D sanguine about E unsympathetic to
6) With the rate of technological (i) _____ accelerating-many people now consider a personal computer (ii) _____ after three years-the question of how to properly dispose of old equipment is no small matter.
Blank(i) Blank(ii)
affordability outdated
complexity familiar
obsolescence inestimable
7) Philosophy, unlike most other subjects, does not try to extend our knowledge by discovering new information about the world. Instead it tries to deepen our understanding through (i)_________ what is already closest to us — the experiences, thoughts, concepts, and activities that make up our lives but that ordinarily escape our notice precisely because they are so familiar. Philosophy begins by finding (ii)_________ the things that are (iii) _________. Blank (i) Blank (ii) Blank (iii)
A attainment of D essentially irrelevant G most prosaic
B rumination on E utterly mysterious H somewhat hackneyed C detachment from F thoroughly commonplace I refreshingly novel
8) In parts of the Arctic, the land grades into the landfast ice so ___________ that you can walk off the coast and not know you are over the hidden sea. (A) permanently (B) imperceptibly (C) irregularly (D) precariously (E) relentlessly
9) This filmmaker is not outspoken on political matters: her films are known for their aesthetic qualities rather than for their __________ ones. A. polemical B. Cinematic C. narrative D. commercial E. dramatic
10) Because we assume the (i) __________ of natural design, nature can often (ii) __________ us: as the Wright brothers noted, the birds initially misled them in almost every particular, but their Flyer eventually succeeded by being the least avian of the early flying machines.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A. quirkiness D. befriend B. galvanize E. maladroitness C. preeminence F. beguile
11) That the artist chose to remain in his hometown does not mean that he remained (i) _____ ; on the contrary, he (ii) _____ the international artistic movements of his day. Blank (i) Blank (ii) (A) Provincial (D) knew nothing about (B) Capricious (E) made light of (C) obstinate (F) kept abreast of
12) Bureaucrats tend to (i) _____ . So it is surprising that the European Commission is proposing to hand back some of its antitrust powers to national governments. Such a willingness to (ii) _____ power is quite (iii) _____ . Perhaps the commission, so often a byword for meddling, bungling, and even corruption, is starting to put its house in order following the forced resignation of the previous lot of commissioners last year. Blank(i) Blank(ii) Blank(iii)
A. value complex procedures D. Devolve G.Troubling
B. guard their authority jealously E. Misuse H.Encouraging
C. Shirk many of their F. appropriate I. predictable
responsibilities
SE
1. Although it does contain some pioneering ideas, one would hardly characterize the work as __________.
A. orthodox
B. eccentric
C. original
D. trifling
E. conventional
F. innovative
2. It was her view that the country’s problems had been ____________ by foreign technocrats, so that to ask for such assistance again would be counterproductive.
A. ameliorated
B. ascertained
C. diagnosed
D. exacerbated
E. overlooked
F. worsened
3. Although the compound is abundant in the environment at large, its presence in the air is not _____; only in the form of underwater sediment does it cause damage.
A trivial
B detectable
C deleterious
D substantive
E detrimental
F inconsequential 4) Overlarge, uneven, and ultimately disappointing, the retrospective exhibition seems too much like special pleading for a forgotten painter of real but________ talents.
A. limited
B. partial
C. undiscovered
D. circumscribed
E. prosaic
F. hidden
5. If researchers can determine exactly what is wrong with people who suffer from this condition, they may be able to suggest drug therapies or other treatments that could __________ the effects of the damage.
A) mitigate
B) exacerbate
C) specify
D) identify
E) ameliorate
F) stabilize
Practice Question:
1) Female video artists’ rise to prominence over the past 30 years has …………… the ascent of video as an art form: it is only within the past three decades that video art has attained its current, respected status.
2) The spy`s repeated bungling was, above all else, _____ those who wished to thwart her efforts, since it was so unpredictable as to obscure any pattern that might otherwise lead to capture. A an obstacle to B a signal to C a hindrance to D an indication for E a snare for F a boon to
3) Most spacecraft are still at little risk of collision with space debris during their operational lifetimes, but given the numbers of new satellites launched each year, the orbital environment in the future is likely to be less _____.
A crowded B invulnerable C protected D polluted E benign
4) In her later years, Bertha Pappenheim was an apostle of noble but already (i)___________notions, always respected for her integrity, her energy, and her resolve but increasingly out of step and ultimately (ii)____________even her own organization.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
(A) anachronistic (D) emulated by
(B) accepted (E) appreciated by
(C) exotic (F) alienated from
5) The most striking thing about the politician is how often his politics have been (i)_____rather than ideological, as he adapts his political positions at any particular moment to the political realities that constrain him. He does not, however, piously (ii)_____political principles only to betray them in practice. Rather, he attempts in subtle ways to balance his political self-interest with a (iii) _____, viewing himself as an instrument of some unchanging higher purpose.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
Blank (iii)
(A) quixotic (D) brandish
(G) profound cynicism
(B) self-righteous (E) flout
(H) deeply felt moral code
(C) Strategic (F) follow
(I) thoroughgoing pragmatism
6) Given the flood of information presented by the mass media, the only way for someone to keep abreast of the news is to rely on _________ accounts. A. synoptic
B. abridged
C. sensational
D. copious
E. lurid
F. understated
7) What readers most commonly remember about John Stuart Mill’s classic exploration of the liberty of thought and discussion concerns the danger of (i) ___________ : in the absence of challenge, one’s opinions, even when they are correct, grow weak and flabby. Yet Mill had another reason for encouraging the liberty of thought and discussion: the danger of partiality and incompleteness. Since one’s opinions, even under the best circumstances, tend to (ii) _____________ , and because opinions opposed to one’s own rarely turn out to be completely (iii) ______________ , it is crucial to supplement one’s opinions with alternative points of view.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
Blank (iii)
(A) tendentiousness (D) embrace only a portion of the truth
(G) erroneous
(B) complacency (E) change over time
(H) antithetical
(C) fractiousness (F) focus on matters close at hand
(I) immutable
8. The name of the Sloane Matthew Library has long been_______ ; even longtime city residents assume it is a run-of-the-mill library, never suspecting what art treasures it contains.
A. revered
B. proposed
C. misleading
D. elevated
E. intriguing
9) In interviews, despots often exhibit an unexpectedly ___________ demeanor, shedding light on
how they manage to gather substantial followership despite their notorious reputation.
A. malign
B. indignant
C. forgiving
D. personable E. munificent
10) The thriving software company encounters a perplexing challenge during the autumn season; consumers are eagerly anticipating the next (i) __________ of its app, set to launch during the holiday season, leading them to ignore the (ii) __________ version.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A. ingenuity D. obsolete
B. implication E. current
C. iteration F. practical
11. While numerous fledgling employees proactively pursue mentorship, managers' endeavors to mentor those who haven't actively sought guidance often appear not just presumptuous but also _____________, exacerbating the delicate dynamics of professional development.
A. baneful
B. noxious
C. patronizing
D. amenable
E. pragmatic
F. condescending
12) In the contemporary workforce, traditional expectations of fathers solely prioritizing full- time work have evolved. Today, a growing number of men, aspiring to advance their careers while also desiring to actively participate in their children's lives, exhibit a heightened level of ______________ regarding this traditional paradigm.
