CRACKING THE CODE “It’s ELEMENTARY!” Mastering PSATSentence Completions
AND ALSO ADDITIONALLY SINCE MOREOVER AS WELL AS FURTHERMORE INDEED SYNONYM SENTENCESSIGNAL WORDS
1. Churchill urged an uncompromising and ______ attitude with Hitler, rather than the policy of appeasement advocated by Neville Chamberlain. __________ tough ____ • FLEXIBLE • RESOLUTE • DESPERATE • DOCILE • OBEDIENT ________
2. Outgoing and ________ by nature, Ursula became even more gregarious at the company party. friendly ____ ___________ • AFFABLE • RECULSIVE • SOLITARY • BELLIGERENT • DECEPTIVE
Avoid cliché & idiom BAIT!
Black and … Up and … Rock and… Each and … Peanut butter and… WHITE! DOWN! ROLL! EVERY! JELLY! Free Associate ETS knows what you EXPECT…So they DO the UNEXPECTED!!!
IMMODESTY RECONCILIATION EMANCIPATION CONVENTION MODERNISM IDIOM:flying in the face of convention (popular opinion) EASY: 3. Flying in the face of _________, the writer George Sand shocked her contemporaries by taking lovers and by wearing men’s clothes.
confuse…cogent persuade…incontrovertible dupe…spurious educate…devious enthrall…substantiated IDIOMS: …Incontrovertible evidence …A preponderance of evidence HARD: 4. Like a charlatan, Harry tried to _________ the audience with ________ evidence. _____ trick tricky Sucker Bait!
MATH TACTICSfor Critical Reading: Verbal Values + PLUS - MINUS 0 NEUTRAL o
5. The critic liked nothing about the movie; she called the plot ____ and the acting _____. ______________________ (-) (-) • DREARY…INSPIRING • TRITE…DAZZLING • EXHILARATING…ENTHRALLING • STIRRING…UNPROFESSIONAL • TEDIOUS…AMATEURISH (-,-) -,+ -,+ +,+ +,- -,-
6. No one is neutral about Pres. Bush; he inspires either uncritical _____ from his supporters or profound _____ from his opponents. (+) • ADULATION…OPPROBRIUM • ENTHUSIASM…EXUBERANCE • APATHY…REVULSION • CONDEMNATION…VENERATION • DISGUST…AVERSION (-) (+,-) +,- +,+ -,- -,+ -,-
7. In temperament they were radically different: the older man was quietand ____;the younger was _______ and uninhibited. shy • RESERVED…RAUCOUS • ALOOF…RESTRAINED • HARSH…RESTLESS • TACITURN…LACONIC • AGITATED…NOISY wild (+,-) +,- -,+ -,- -,- -,-
8. Although the novel was bold and _____, the movie disappointed many viewers who thought it was _________and bland.. (+) • OBSOLETE…CAPTIVATING • DISTINCTIVE…UNIQUE • ROUTINE…MUNDANE • INNOVATIVE…CONVENTIONAL • INSIPID…SCINTILLATING (0 or -) (+, 0 /-) -,+ +,+ 0,+/- +/0,- -/0,+
Complex SENTENCE structure Challenging VOCABULARY + = TOUGH NUTS! (Level 5)
SENTENCE COMPLETIONS1 2 3 – 4 5 6 – 7 8 9EASY…MEDIUM…HARD • COGENT…PERFUNCTORY • PUISSANT…POIGNANT • TRACTABLE…AIMABLE • HEGEMONIC…MERCURIAL • MUNDANE…TRENCHANT
The phenomenon is called viral _____ because the presence of one kind of virus seems to inhibit infection by any other. The phenomenon is called viral _____ because the presence of one kind of virus seems to inhibit infection by any other. • PROLIFERATION • MUTATION • INTERFERENCE • EPIDEMIC • COOPERATION What's going on?
What happens to J.A.S. on Level 5 questions
without reason An apparently gratuitous gesture, whether it is spiteful or solicitous, arouses suspicion, while a gesture recognized to be ____________ gives no reason for surprise. ______ ___________ • WARRANTED • DUBIOUS • AFFECTED • BENEVOLENT • RANCOROUS with cause; justified Complex vocabulary & sentence structure
The novelist brings out the _______________ of human beings time and time again by __________________their lives to the permanence of the vast landscape. permanence/impermanence __________ comparing/contrasting • ABSURDITY…RELATING • TRANSIENCE…LIKENING • EVANESCENCE…CONTRASTING • COMPLEXITY…COMPARING • UNIQUENESS…OPPOSING ______
Ruskin’s vitriolic attack was the climax of the _____ he heaped upon paintings that today seem amazingly _______ (-) • CRITICISM…UNPOPULAR • RIDICULE…INOFFENSIVE • PRAISE…AMATEURISH • INDIFFERENCE…SCANDALOUS • ACCLAIM…CREDITABLE (0 or +) (-, 0 /+) -,- -,0 +,- 0/-,- +,+
The history of science is replete with examples of bold new theories that were _____ when they first appeared but were subsequently ____ by future researchers. • CORROBORATED…VERIFIED • ASSAILED…DERIDED • BOYCOTTED…REPUDIATED • VILIFIED…SUBSTANTIATED • LAUDED…REVERED (-, +) or (+,-) +,+ -,- -,- -,+ +,+
Like a true iconoclast, Ann was a/an _____ who _____ conventional styles of management. _______ ________ • NONCONFORMIST…SPURNED • MISCREANT…EMBRACED • AN AESTHETE..ENCOURAGED • A LOAFER…ENFORCED • DISSENTER…ADVOCATED KEY ?: Synonyms or antonyms?
Always know where you are! MIDDLE = MEDIUM difficulty
EASY QUESTIONS Have EASY ANSWERS! Rule #2: Rule #1: HARD QUESTIONS Have HARD ANSWERS!
Pace Yourself! Remember:
Do ALL S.C.'s!
S.C.’s = easiest points on the PSAT, so… NAIL THEM ALL!
