SAT sentence completion practice test 10

1. Despite pressure from reporters to discuss the scandal in which Senator Scottsdale was currently ------- , the press secretary would not ------- the details of the senator's upcoming public address.

A. imbued . . rescind
B. connected . . consort
C. entangled . . repeal
D. embroiled . . divulge
E. compliant . . quash

2. The critics found the play -------, in that its social message was unfortunately lost in the awkward twists and turns of the plot.

A. convoluted
B. susceptible
C. suspect
D. condemnatory
E. preachy

3. Muriel was so fond of her dog that their brief separation left her not just saddened, but in a state of -------.

A. vagary
B. abhorrence
C. bereavement
D. degeneration
E. elation

4. Deliberately designed to be devoid of elaborate carving or other -------, Biedermeier furniture was known for its -------.

A. customization . . uniqueness
B. spareness . . starkness
C. embellishment . . garnishes
D. ornamentation . . simplicity
E. flamboyance . . flourishes

5. Because she had mistakenly assumed that the disputes between the parties could be successfully -------, the attorney had not prepared herself for the ------- of a long, drawn-out public trial.

A. mediated . . eventuality
B. eased . . probability
C. exacerbated . . contingency
D. manipulated . . particularity
E. foreseen . . inevitability

6. Anthropology was much more than ------- for the novelist Zora Neale Hurston: she studied at Barnard College with Franz Boas, who is often called the "Father of American Anthropology."

A. an obsession
B. a career
C. an avocation
D. an encumbrance
E. a commitment

7. Angered that the book arrived in the mail in such a shabby condition, Elliot insisted that the bookseller replace it with ------- copy.

A. an imitation
B. an authentic
C. a pristine
D. a generic
E. a shopworn

8. Staring at the abstract painting, Edna could not understand how so many of her fellow museumgoers could pretend to ------- its meaning, when to her its message was so opaque.

A. obscure
B. advertise
C. comprehend
D. disparage
E. ignore

9. Mrs. Rodriguez was under the impression that discipline would ------- her wayward student's academic progress rather than advance it.

A. condone
B. foster
C. quicken
D. exalt
E. hamper

10. Despite the director's lifelong reputation for humility, the retirement celebration found him unable to ------- the urge to ------- his successes.

A. quell . . downplay
B. resist . . catalog
C. embrace . . embellish
D. forego . . diminish
E. modify . . belittle

11. Despite his ------- rich food, the chef was able to practice ------- when his diet became threatening to his health.

A. penchant for . . austerity
B. fondness for . . indulgence
C. avoidance of . . luxury
D. indifference to . . asceticism
E. talent for . . virtuosity

12. Raul's game-winning goal in the closing minutes of the game ------- his well-known ability to excel under stressful conditions.

A. clarified
B. solidified
C. identified
D. epitomized
E. decried

13. The garden that had remained ------- for months was now pleasantly enlivened by the budding shoots of its perennial flowers.

A. redolent
B. dormant
C. exuberant
D. compliant
E. trenchant

14. After several months of training, the ------- young spaniel was finally ------- enough to be walked safely without a leash.

A. eager . . unruly
B. placid . . defiant
C. clever . . helpful
D. boisterous . . docile
E. vigilant . . convinced

15. ------- as Mario's misdeed was, his grandmother, always blind to his faults, pretended to be unaware of it.

A. Accidental
B. Apt
C. Random
D. Flagrant
E. Covert

16. Despite his ------- desire to show off, he remained at heart a very ------- person.

A. uncharacteristic . . demonstrative
B. inexplicable . . hedonistic
C. occasional . . reticent
D. continual . . transparent
E. blatant . . exhibitionistic