Free GMA Sentence Completion Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Although the initial results of the experiment were ______, the lead scientist urged her team to remain objective and avoid premature conclusions.
- inconclusive
- promising (Correct answer)
- irrelevant
- mundane
Correct answer: promising
The word 'Although' indicates a contrast. If the team needed to be urged to remain objective, the initial results must have been strongly positive or negative. 'Promising' provides this contrast, suggesting exciting results that could lead to biased thinking.
Question 2: The city council's decision to ______ the new zoning laws was met with ______ from residents who felt their concerns had been ignored.
- propose, applause
- repeal, gratitude
- implement, protest (Correct answer)
- discuss, indifference
Correct answer: implement, protest
The residents' negative reaction ('protest') suggests the council's action was something they would oppose. 'Implement' means to put a decision into effect, which fits the context of the residents protesting the new laws.
Question 3: Known for his ______ nature, the CEO was surprisingly ______ when the junior executive presented a bold but risky new strategy.
- cautious, receptive (Correct answer)
- impulsive, hesitant
- gregarious, withdrawn
- demanding, critical
Correct answer: cautious, receptive
The word 'surprisingly' signals a contrast between the CEO's usual nature and his reaction. A 'cautious' nature would be the opposite of a 'receptive' or open-minded reaction, making this the most logical pairing.
Question 4: The ancient text was so ______ that only a few scholars in the world were capable of ______ its true meaning.
- lucid, obscuring
- common, translating
- esoteric, deciphering (Correct answer)
- abridged, expanding
Correct answer: esoteric, deciphering
If only a few scholars could understand the text, it must have been very complex or obscure. 'Esoteric' means intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge. 'Deciphering' means to convert into normal language, which fits the context of understanding a text.
Question 5: Despite his reputation as a ______ speaker, his lecture was surprisingly dull and failed to ______ the audience.
- monotonous, bore
- dynamic, captivate (Correct answer)
- hesitant, persuade
- prolific, inform
Correct answer: dynamic, captivate
The phrase 'Despite his reputation' sets up a contrast. If the lecture was dull, his reputation must have been for being an interesting or engaging speaker. 'Dynamic' fits this, and 'captivate' (to hold the interest of) fits the second blank as something a dull lecture would fail to do.
Question 6: The lawyer's ______ questioning was designed to ______ the witness and force an admission of guilt.
- gentle, reassure
- confusing, clarify
- incisive, unnerve (Correct answer)
- rambling, placate
Correct answer: incisive, unnerve
'Incisive' means intelligently analytical and clear-thinking, a quality that describes effective legal questioning. To 'unnerve' someone is to make them lose courage or confidence, which is a common tactic to get a witness to admit something. The words form a logical cause-and-effect pair.
Free GMA Sentence Completion Questions and Answers 1
Although the initial results of the experiment were ______, the lead scientist urged her team to remain objective and avoid premature conclusions.