Practice GRE Verbal Reasoning
Antonyms:
1. MERCURIAL
A: flighty
B: subversive
C: innocuous
D: tranquil
E: divested
2. PROLOGUE
A: decalogue
B: travelogue
C: ideologue
D: epilogue
E: analog
3. SPARTAN
A: decadent
B: teutonic
C: slavish
D: autonomous
E: interdependent
4. ACRID
A: rancid
B: viscous
C: sweet
D: livid
E: obsequious
5. EUPHONY
A: melody
B: cacophony
C: entropy
D: apostrophe
E: density
Analogies
Select the pair of words that has the most similar relationship to the capitalized pair of words.
6. INEFFABLE : EXPLICIT ::
A: derisive: complicit
B: selective : exclusive
C: incontestable : illicit
D: depraved : interconnected
E: circumscribed : implicit
7. DEVOUR : NIBBLE ::
A: chug : sip
B: slug : gulp
C: glass : drink
D: drain : drug
E: sniff : snort
8. DICTIONARY : THESAURUS ::
A: encyclopedia : historian
B: listing : marker
C: derivation : description
D: etymology : tautology
E: definition: synonym
9. MISANTHROPY : SAINT ::
A: dictator : cruelty
B: diplomacy : harlot
C: benevolence : despot
D: subservience : zealot
E: reserve : ingot
10. NOISOME : HIDEOUS ::
A: aromatic : beautiful
B: derelict : defenestrated
C: bohemian : slack
D: tendentious : irreproachable
E: vacillating : incredible
Sentence Completion
Select the word or words that best complete the sentence.
11. Despite the depressing news from the Eastern front, Colonel Ramberg maintained his _____ outlook.
A: gloomy
B: schizophrenic
C: philandering
D: frowsy
E: sanguine
12. The satirical play put on by the students was meant to be good natured, though some felt the humor was a bit _____.
A: caustic
B: demonstrative
C: beneficial
D: salient
E: vacuous
13. Mark's morning routine was in keeping with his _____ nature: he lay in bed brooding and then reluctantly put on his clothes.
A: stealthy
B: incoherent
C: saturnine
D: devout
E: bellicose
14. No one was surprised when the famously _____ Dr. Green delivered a ______ lecture on the importance of dental hygiene.
A: verbose...ponderous
B: histrionic...temperate
C: flagrant...frivolous
D: gaunt....withering
E: stalwart...craven
15. The original idea was ____, but Fred's service initiative was still _____ five months after its creation.
A: laudable...floundering
B: defensive...musical
C: laughable...amusing
D: ingenious...soaring
E: delicious...serendipitous
Reading Comprehension
Read the passage and then answer the five questions that follow.
The scientific name of the Galapagos hawk is Buteo galapagoensis. Buteo is Latin for hawk or buzzard, and galapagoensis refers to the Galapagos Islands, which the hawks inhabit. The Galapagos hawk is endemic to the Galapagos Islands. The islands are located in the Pacific Ocean about one thousand kilometers west of Ecuador. The hawks are descendants of Swainson's hawks, which migrate from North America to South America in the fall. Research indicates that the hawks have been on the islands for about 300,000 years, making them among the archipelago's newest avian residents. There are thirteen islands in the Galapagos, and Galapagos hawks currently inhabit nine of them: Espanola, Santa Fe, Pinzon, Santiago, Isabela, Fernandina, Marchena, Pinta, and Santa Cruz. On the islands San Cristobal and Floreana, the hawks have been extirpated by humans for attacking poultry.
Hawks are the islands' primary predators of lizards (including the marine iguanas), rodents, snakes, and insects. While they do catch birds, those victims are often the young, old, or infirm and not healthy adult birds. They also eat carrion. The hawks often feed in groups of two or three. The dominant hawk always eats first while the others wait their turn. The introduction of poultry and rats by humans has provided a significant food source for the hawks. While humans may appreciate the effect the hawks have had on the rat population, they are less forgiving of the hawks for eating their chickens.
The hawks are similar in size to the red-tailed hawk of eastern North America. Their wingspan can reach almost four feet in length, and they are usually about two feet in height. The females are larger than the males, which is unusual for birds. The coloring of juveniles differs from that of adults. Juveniles have a streaky brown and cream breast, which aids in camouflage, while adults are brownish-black all over. Juveniles reach sexual maturity at around three years of age.
Due to the equatorial location of the islands, there is no breeding season. The Galapagos hawks practice cooperative polyandry, which is extremely rare in the bird (and the rest of the animal) world. A group of males (the number ranges according to where the hawks live) and one female form a group that shares all of the responsibilities and acts of reproducing. For these hawks, cooperative polyandry means that all the males mate an equal number of times with the female, aid in incubating the eggs, help defend the group's territory, and feed the female and chicks. The birds build large nests out of sticks and line them with soft organic material such as grass. They use them year after year, and the nests can become very large-up to four feet in diameter. However, if humans tamper with a nest, the hawks will abandon it.
Between one and three eggs are laid each year. The average fledgling rate is one offspring per year. The young is chased from the territory a few months after fledgling. In about 3 years it achieves adult plumage and is ready to join a breeding group.
The hawks are currently listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and it is believed that there are fewer than 150 mating pairs. As the archipelago's primary predators, their continued existence is extremely important.
16. Based on the information given in the article, what is one difference between the Galapagos hawk and Swainson's hawk?
A: Galapagos hawks are descendants of Swainson's hawks.
B: The Galapagos hawk has a much larger wingspan.
C: The Swainson's hawk is reddish-brown, while the Galapagos hawk is grey.
D: The Galapagos hawk does not migrate.
E: The Swainson's hawk hunts alone.
17. What is the best definition for endemic as it is used in the first paragraph?
A: diseased
B: native
C: introduced
D: scattered
E: improved
18. Which of the following is a likely inference based on the information in the essay?
A: Galapagos hawks are omnivorous.
B: The Galapagos Islands are uninhabitable by humans.
C: Rat populations naturally emerge where people settle.
D: The Galapagos hawk has a large wingspan so that it can catch lizards.
E: The female Galapagos hawk is larger than the male.
19. Why do you think the IUCN numbers hawks in terms of mating pairs?
A: To simplify their data
B: Because mating pairs are always seen together
C: Because it is easier to tag hawks when they are engaged in mating rituals
D: So that they can receive more grant money
E: Because only a complete mating pair can perpetuate the species
20. Which of the following would be the best title for this essay?
A: Out and About with the Galapagos Hawk
B: Save the Galapagos Hawk
C: The Differences between the Galapagos and Swainson's Hawks
D: An Introduction to the Galapagos Hawk
E: My Life with the Galapagos Hawk
GRE Verbal Ability Answer Key
Last Updated: 03/01/2012