GRE General Test - Verbal Reasoning Free Sample Questions

The semicolon and the clause that follows it signal a strong contrast. The philosopher's current view (perceiving 'entrenched, pernicious systems') is the opposite of her earlier 'more optimistic work.' Therefore, the new treatise must be a rejection or denial of the old one. 'Repudiation,' meaning rejection of a proposal or idea, accurately captures this sharp contrast. 'Continuation' and 'synthesis' suggest agreement or building upon, which is contrary to the sentence's logic. 'Clarification' implies explaining, not rejecting.

The phrase 'equivocate and hedge for weeks' describes someone who is indecisive and wavers between different opinions. 'Vacillating' and 'irresolute' both mean showing indecision or wavering. They perfectly describe the councilwoman's behavior, and when inserted, create two sentences with nearly identical meanings. 'Trenchant' means vigorous or incisive, the opposite of the described behavior. 'Dogmatic' and 'doctrinaire' imply rigid certainty. 'Stoic' relates to enduring pain without complaint.

The passage explicitly states, 'This paradoxical behavior occurs because the income effect of the price change dominates the substitution effect.' The other options are directly contradicted by the text. A Giffen good is an 'inferior good,' not a luxury item. The passage states the income effect dominates (outweighs) the substitution effect, making the opposite option incorrect. The price increase is the trigger for the behavior, not the cause of the paradox itself.

The word 'While' at the beginning sets up a contrast between the CEO's reputation and his actual decisions. The second part of the sentence describes his decisions as incorporating feedback and deviating from his own ideas, which is the definition of 'flexible'. This means his reputed style must be the opposite. 'Autocratic,' meaning ruling with absolute power, provides the necessary contrast. 'Collegial' (cooperative) would not create a contrast. 'Laissez-faire' (hands-off) would not contrast with flexibility in the same way. 'Mercurial' (unpredictable) for the first blank would mean his flexible decisions were expected, which contradicts the word 'surprisingly'.

The passage states that the device 'forces readers to question the very foundation of the story' and turns them into 'active investigators.' It also mentions that dramatic irony is created because the 'reader often becomes aware of the narrator's self-deception...long before the narrator does.' The passage suggests the technique complicates, rather than simplifies, the plot. It does not mention confirming the narrator's objectivity, but rather the opposite. While it mirrors real-world perception, its primary effect on the reader's role is making it more active.

The word 'Despite' indicates a contrast between the diplomat's appearance (the 'veneer') and his actual nature ('a shrewd negotiator'). The correct words must describe an appearance of being simple, open, and without cunning, which would contrast with his shrewdness. 'Artlessness' (the quality of being simple and natural; without cunning) and 'ingenuousness' (the quality of being innocent and unsuspecting) both fit this description perfectly, creating sentences with the same meaning. 'Guile' and 'duplicity' are synonyms for his actual nature, not his appearance. 'Acerbity' means sharpness and directness, and 'probity' means integrity; neither creates the intended contrast.

The statement is false. The passage states that for a Giffen good to exist, it 'must be a significant portion of a consumer's budget and must be an inferior good.' It uses the potato as a dietary staple as an example of this phenomenon, but it does not list 'dietary staple' as a necessary condition. The two required conditions mentioned explicitly are being an inferior good and comprising a large part of the consumer's budget.

The passage states that the 'knowledge argument' (the Mary's room experiment) 'famously illustrates this challenge' to physicalism. The experiment is designed to show that knowing all physical facts (Mary's knowledge in the room) is different from having the subjective experience (seeing red). This highlights the potential gap between physical knowledge and qualia. It doesn't definitively prove physicalism false, but rather poses a significant challenge to it. It is a thought experiment, not a real-world example. It defines qualia through the experience, but its primary function is to illustrate the argument against physicalism.

The intern's mistake was omitting a specific, required part of the report (the executive summary). This suggests the manager is very particular about rules and details. 'Punctilious' (showing great attention to detail or correct behavior) and 'fastidious' (very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail) both describe such a person. Inserting either word creates a sentence where the intern's failure to follow a precise rule is a significant error, which aligns with the manager's character. 'Lackadaisical' is the opposite. 'Affable' means friendly. 'Austere' means severe or strict in manner, which is possible but less precise than the chosen words. 'Pedantic' means overly concerned with minor details, which is close, but 'punctilious' and 'fastidious' better capture the sense of expecting a high standard of correctness.

The phrase 'Far from being' establishes a strong contrast. The professor's actions—being a 'vociferous critic' and publishing a 'lengthy rebuttal'—are those of an opponent. Therefore, the word in the blank must mean the opposite: a supporter. A 'proponent' is a person who advocates for a theory or proposal. This creates the intended contrast. A 'detractor' is a synonym for what the professor actually was. An 'analyst' and 'observer' are neutral terms that do not create the necessary opposition.