GRE Text Completion Practice

Solution:

First, we read through the sentence. Next, we locate the signal word “despite.” We then determine that “despite” conveys a contrast. Now, we evaluate our known information: “The mayor opted to uphold (maintain) the curfew.” Finally, we must select the answer choice that best maintains a contrast with the known information.

(A) Incorrect. There is no contrast between upholding the curfew and being pressured to “maintain” the curfew. Those two things are in perfect agreement. Notice that “uphold” and “maintain” actually mean the same thing. Thus, this answer is the opposite of what we need.

(B) Incorrect. There is no contrast between upholding the curfew and being pressured to “endorse” (approve, support) the curfew. Those two things agree. Thus, this answer is the opposite of what we need.

(C) Incorrect. There is no contrast between upholding the curfew and being pressured to “attempt” the curfew. If anything, those two things agree.

Moreover, “attempt” does not really make sense in this context, since upholding the curfew indicates that it was already in place, and thus the “attempt” was already made. So, this choice does not create a logical time sequence.

(D) Incorrect. There is no contrast between upholding the curfew and being pressured to “promote” the curfew. Those two things agree. Thus, this answer is the opposite of what we need.

(E) Correct. There is a clear contrast between upholding the curfew and being pressured to “rescind” (take away) the curfew.

The mayor opted to uphold the curfew, despite relentless pressure from residents to rescind it.

This answer creates the needed contrast between the information that was given in the sentence and the statement that was incomplete.

Answer: E

Solution:

(A) Incorrect. Although “sensational” may seem related to the topic of presidential campaigns, this trap answer is actually off-topic. The fact is, the only information provided in the first part of the sentence deals with the length of campaigns. Thus, we have no evidence that the campaigns were “sensational” — or completely dull, for that matter.

(B) Incorrect. Although “partisan” (biased) may seem related to the topic of presidential campaigns, this trap answer is actually off-topic. The fact is, the sentence does not give us any information about the nature of the campaigns other than their length. Thus, we have no evidence that the campaigns were particularly “partisan” — although we might argue that campaigns in any country, by their very nature, are “partisan.” Regardless, “partisan” has nothing to do with the fact that “some presidential campaigns begin nearly two years before an election,” so this choice is unrelated to the given context.

(C) Incorrect. This answer choice is illogical in context. It does not make sense to say that presidential campaigns that “begin nearly two years before an election” are “nonexistent.” Clearly, the campaigns exist.

The key to avoiding this illogical answer is recognizing that “such __________ campaigns” refers to presidential campaigns that “begin nearly two years before an election.”

(D) Correct. This is the only answer choice that is logical in context. Given that the sentence discusses presidential campaigns that “begin nearly two years before an election,” it makes sense to refer to those campaigns as “protracted” (drawn out, prolonged).

In the United States, some presidential campaigns begin nearly two years before an election, while in the United Kingdom, such protracted campaigns are unheard of.

(E) Incorrect. Although “monotonous” (boring and repetitive) may seem appropriate to describe presidential campaigns that “begin nearly two years before an election,” the sentence does not actually give us any information about the nature of the campaigns other than their length. Thus, the campaigns could just as easily be “monotonous” or incredibly exciting. In other words, we can’t assume that because the campaigns are lengthy, they are “monotonous.”

Answer: D

Solution:

The known information that will help us fill the blanks is that the weather “needs to be shut out.” Given that information, it must be that the weather is somehow unpleasant or unfavorable.

Thus, we can immediately eliminate choice (C), temperate (mild, moderate), as the opposite of what makes sense for blank (i). After all, why would “temperate weather” need to be shut out? This choice goes in the opposite direction of what is logical in context. We have to be careful not to choose this trap answer simply because “temperate” sounds like “temperature-controlled.”

“Congenial” (pleasant, agreeable) is similarly illogical and can be eliminated as the opposite of what makes sense in the context of “weather that needs to be shut out.”

Choice (A), severe, is the only answer that fits the context of “weather that needs to be shut out.”

Moving on to blank (ii), we can see from the agreement signal “by” that blank (ii) should be in keeping with the information that precedes it. So, how would it be that temperature-controlled passageways “can increase the overall physical fitness of a town’s population?” What would bring about that result?

Well, what we know so far is that temperature-controlled sidewalk passageways shut out “severe weather” — a positive effect. Logically, then, people must choose to use the passageways, and thus the population’s physical fitness increases because people are walking instead of commuting in other ways.

Thus, choice (F), enticing (appealing, attractive), fits the context well. A commute in which “severe weather” is no longer an issue would be “more enticing than any alternative,” and so people would end up walking more —  and becoming fitter —  than they would if they commuted in other ways (and thus still had to deal with “severe weather”).

Choice (D), agile, is illogical. Perhaps the townspeople themselves are “agile” when moving through the passageways, but it does not make sense to call “a commute on foot” itself “more agile than any alternative.”

Choice (E), monotonous (boring and repetitive), does not make sense because we need something that directly connects to “can increase the overall physical fitness of a town’s population.” Making a commute on foot “more monotonous than any alternative” would not necessarily result in increased fitness — a commute by car or train could also be “monotonous,” and the fitness of commuters would not increase. “Monotonous” is not relevant to what is discussed in the sentence.

Temperature-controlled sidewalk passageways — particularly prevalent in places with severe weather that needs to be shut out — can increase the overall physical fitness of a town’s population by making a commute on foot more enticing than any alternative.

Answer: A, F