Sentence Flow Practice Questions

  1. Choose the pair of words that best fills the blanks in the following sentence.
_______ of the rainbow were _________ against the bright blue sky.
  1. Textures, clear
  2. Hues, vivid
  3. Alabaster, bright
  4. Line, dark
  5. Hues, dark
Show Answer
The correct answer is B!

Hues are colors, which would look vivid (not dark) against the bright blue sky. Textures (consistencies) are not clear in rainbows like colors are. Alabaster is a pearly white color not seen in rainbows. Rainbows’ colors appear in curved lines, but these are not dark; moreover, line grammatically disagrees with the plural verb were.

 

  1. Choose the pair of words that best fills the blanks in the following sentence.
The president has a __________ of _____________ around him when he makes public appearances.
  1. catalyst, individuals
  2. barrier, contrast
  3. hedge, protection
  4. derrick, protection
  5. derrick, limits
Show Answer
The correct answer is C!

A hedge is a barrier, and protection is what the president needs during public appearances. A catalyst is an agent of change, making no sense with the rest of the sentence or with individuals. The president needs a barrier around him for protection, not contrast. A derrick is a jib crane, a boom, or an oil tower and would not surround the president. A derrick of limits around him makes no sense.

 

  1. Choose the pair of words that best fills the blanks in the following sentence.
After months of planning, the expedition finally reached the __________ of the mountain, greeted by a __________ sunrise.
  1. base, somber
  2. crater, slow
  3. peak, radiant
  4. river, cloudy
  5. top, dim
Show Answer
The correct answer is C!

The expedition reaches the peak (the highest point) of the mountain, and a radiant sunrise fits the tone of achievement and natural beauty. The other choices either reference incorrect parts of a mountain or don’t describe a sunrise effectively.

 

  1. Choose the pair of words that best fills the blanks in the following sentence.
The scientist conducted the experiment with great ___________ and recorded the results in a ___________ manner.
  1. precision, systematic
  2. chaos, hurried
  3. emotion, reckless
  4. assumption, random
  5. vision, lucky
Show Answer
The correct answer is A!

Scientific work is best done with precision and a systematic approach. The other choices imply carelessness, randomness, or emotional bias, which are inappropriate in scientific experimentation.

 

  1. Choose the pair of words that best fills the blanks in the following sentence.
The book’s subject matter was _____________ to the ______________, and it did not sell.
  1. attractive, masses
  2. limited, people
  3. loathsome, masses
  4. colorful, individual
Show Answer
The correct answer is C!

Loathsome means repulsive, hateful, or disgusting. Subject matter loathsome to people would not sell. Subject matter attractive to the masses or colorful (bright, lively, interesting) to the masses would sell. Subject matter limited to the people makes no sense. Subject matter colorful to the individual is lively and interesting to the person, which would not be a reason it did not sell.

 

  1. Choose the pair of words that best fills the blanks in the following sentence.
The kitten was soaked to the _______ from the _______.
  1. skin, abyss
  2. skin, craven
  3. skin, storm
  4. hide, abyss
  5. hide, storm
Show Answer
The correct answer is C!

A rainstorm would “soak a kitten to the skin,” a familiar idiomatic expression meaning something is completely soaked. An abyss (a chasm or deep hole) would not soak anything. Craven is not a noun but an adjective meaning cowardly. Hide is a synonym for skin usually describing tanned leather, not a live kitten’s skin.

 

  1. Choose the pair of words that best fills the blanks in the following sentence.
The student’s _______ attitude and _______ questions impressed the professor.
  1. apathetic, vague
  2. inquisitive, thoughtful
  3. hostile, frequent
  4. lazy, repetitive
  5. boastful, selfish
Show Answer
The correct answer is B!

An inquisitive (curious) attitude and thoughtful questions would impress a professor. The other options are negative traits that would not be impressive in an academic setting.

 

  1. Choose the pair of words that best fills the blanks in the following sentence.
Her speech was both ___________ and ___________, leaving the audience inspired and informed.
  1. dry, technical
  2. brief, inaccurate
  3. eloquent, insightful
  4. rambling, passive
  5. shy, hesitant
Show Answer
The correct answer is C!

Eloquent speech is well-spoken and persuasive, and insightful content provides depth and understanding—both qualities would leave an audience feeling inspired and informed. The other choices either suggest poor communication or lack of content.