34 Verbal Reasoning questions — Part 1: 17 synonym, Part 2: 17 sentence completion — in the ISEE's own four-option format. Every answer is explained, and every question links to its word's full study page.
Choose the best synonym for the word “local”: The new restaurant aims to use only local ingredients to support nearby farms.
B — regional. “local” means adj. nearby; n. person from area. Study “local” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “destination”:
B — Goal. “destination” means n. goal, end point. Study “destination” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “cultivate”: The farmer worked tirelessly to cultivate the land, turning it into a fertile paradise.
C — nurture. “cultivate” means v. grow plants; develop. Study “cultivate” →
Which word is the closest synonym for “evolve”?
A — Develop. “evolve” means v. develop gradually. Study “evolve” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “masculine”.
B — Male. “masculine” means adj. male, manly. Study “masculine” →
Choose the word that is a synonym for “recount” in the following sentence: After the event, she was eager to recount her experiences to her friends.
B — Narrate. “recount” means v. tell a story, enumerate. Study “recount” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “manual”:
C — handbook. “manual” means adj. done by hand; n. handbook. Study “manual” →
Choose the word most similar in meaning to “incline”:
A — Slope. “incline” means v./n. lean, tend to. Study “incline” →
Select the word that is most similar in meaning to “reform”:
A — revise. “reform” means v./n. make changes for improvement. Study “reform” →
Choose the word that is the closest synonym to “effect”:
A — result. “effect” means n. result, influence. Study “effect” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “abnormal”:
A — Unusual. “abnormal” means adj. not normal. Study “abnormal” →
Which of the following is a synonym for the word “lifestyle”?
A — Way of life. “lifestyle” means n. way of living. Study “lifestyle” →
Choose the word that is most similar in meaning to: Urban
C — City. “urban” means adj. city-related, metropolitan. Study “urban” →
Which of the following is a synonym for the word “exposition”?
B — Exhibition. “exposition” means n. detailed explanation or exhibition. Study “exposition” →
Which of the following words is a synonym for “untie”?
A — Detach. “untie” means v. loosen, undo a knot. Study “untie” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “fade”.
B — diminish. “fade” means v. lose color or strength. Study “fade” →
Select the best synonym for the word “innovation”:
A — novelty. “innovation” means n. new idea, creative change. Study “innovation” →
The doctor was worried because the test results were ______ and unlike anything she had seen before.
C — abnormal. “abnormal” means adj. not normal. Study “abnormal” →
A strict city ______ forbids parking on this street overnight.
D — ordinance. “ordinance” means n. law, rule, regulation. Study “ordinance” →
Only students over sixteen are ______ to enter the contest.
D — eligible. “eligible” means adj. qualified, allowed. Study “eligible” →
Humans are ______ creatures who enjoy the company of others.
C — social. “social” means adj. relating to society. Study “social” →
The scientist patiently explained the difficult ______ in simple language.
A — term. “term” means n. word or expression; period. Study “term” →
The new law stirred up great ______ among the citizens.
D — controversy. “controversy” means n. public disagreement. Study “controversy” →
He was ______ when he discovered that his new car had been scratched.
A — furious. “furious” means adj. very angry, raging. Study “furious” →
The sunset painted the sky in a ______ blend of orange and pink.
C — glorious. “glorious” means adj. magnificent, wonderful. Study “glorious” →
The two nations met to ______ a lasting peace treaty.
C — negotiate. “negotiate” means v. discuss to reach agreement. Study “negotiate” →
The word children is the ______ form of the word child.
D — plural. “plural” means adj. more than one, n. plural form. Study “plural” →
In the story, the protagonist faces many challenges, but the main obstacle is the ______ who constantly tries to thwart his plans.
D — antagonist. “antagonist” means n. opponent. Study “antagonist” →
The poem's vivid ______ made me feel as if I were standing in the forest.
C — imagery. “imagery” means n. description that appeals to the senses. Study “imagery” →
The tourists stopped to ______ at the towering ancient statues.
C — marvel. “marvel” means v./n. be amazed; something wonderful. Study “marvel” →
The old wizard was said to ______ strange and magical powers.
C — possess. “possess” means v. have, own. Study “possess” →
After many failures, she ______ succeeded in passing the difficult test.
D — eventually. “eventually” means adv. finally, in the end. Study “eventually” →
At the end of the chapter, she wrote a brief ______ of the main ideas.
B — summary. “summary” means n./adj. short account; concise. Study “summary” →
The tourists stared in ______ at the enormous waterfall.
B — awe. “awe” means n./v. wonder with fear/respect. Study “awe” →
Score:
Every question below is now marked up: the correct answer is highlighted in red, and any option you picked that was wrong is highlighted in blue.
No. These are original synonym and sentence-completion questions written from the iSEE Vocab word bank, in the ISEE's own four-option Verbal Reasoning format. No retired or copyrighted ISEE/SSAT questions appear anywhere on this site.
34 — Part 1 is 17 synonym questions, Part 2 is 17 sentence-completion questions, the same roughly-even split the real ISEE Verbal Reasoning section uses.
No. Every Lower Level practice test on this site draws from a disjoint slice of the word bank, so Test 1, Test 2 and every other numbered test at this level use entirely different questions.
Yes. The ISEE gives no penalty for a wrong answer — a blank scores the same as a wrong guess, which is zero — so answer every question even when you have to guess.