GRE Practice - Text Completion from Big Book

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Gre Prep Text Completion & Sentence Completion from Big Book

46. Unlike other creatures, who are shaped largely by their ------ environment, human beings are products of a culture accumulated over centuries, yet one that is constantly being ------ by massive infusions of new information from everywhere.

   (A) harsh..unconfirmed

   (B) surrounding..upheld

   (C) immediate..transformed @

   (D) natural..mechanized

   (E) limited..superseded

• "Unlike" means that other creatures are opposite to human being, which is why the opposite characteristics of human beings should be put in the first blank. Human beings are influenced by a culture "accumulated over centuries, that is, long". So other creatures are influenced by the environment which is related with shortness. I think "immediate" is proper. 

• "one" is the culture. And due to "yet", one(culture) is opposite to aforementioned "culture accumulated over centuries". "Culture accumulated over centuries" also means "continuity". Therefore, the word opposite to continuity should be put in the second blank. I think "change" is proper. 

47. Edith Wharton sought in her memoir to present herself as having achieved a harmonious wholeness by having ------ the conflicting elements of her life.

   (A) affirmed

   (B) highlighted

   (C) reconciled @

   (D) confined

   (E) identified

• "by ~ ing" means how to "achieve a harmonious wholeness". This expression is pharaprasing. Therefore, to achieve a harmony, the conflicting elements should be settled. I think "reconciled" is proper.

48. The labor union and the company's management, despite their long history of unfailingly acerbic disagreement on nearly every issue, have nevertheless reached an unexpectedly ------, albeit still tentative, agreement on next year's contract.

   (A) swift @

   (B) onerous

   (C) hesitant

   (D) reluctant

   (E) conclusive

• For many years, the labor union have had an issue with the management. But due to "despite" , they may agree with each other. Thus, they might reach rapid agreement. Because there is the expression of "still tentative", answer (e) is not proper. "Tentative" and "conclusive" are incompatible.
  
  

51. Although supernovas are among the most ------ of cosmic events, these stellar explosions are often hard to ------, either because they are enormously far away or because they are dimmed by intervening dust and gas clouds.

   (A) remote..observe

   (B) luminous..detect @

   (C) predictable..foresee

   (D) ancient..determine

   (E) violent..disregard

• I recommend you solve the second blank at first. From the words, "far away and dimmed", I can induce the word "sight", especially "can not see". So I think there is the answer between (a) and (b). And if something is remote, it is reasonable that one can not see it, but due to "Although", the correct answer is the (b).

54. Imposing steep fines on employers for on-the-job injuries to workers could be an effective ------ to creating a safer workplace, especially in the case of employers with poor safety records.

   (A) antidote

   (B) alternative

   (C) addition

   (D) deterrent

   (E) incentive @

• On-the-job injuries usually occur becuase employers are not concerned with safety. Imoposing steep fines for the injuries could prevent them, and could promote saftey in the work places. I think (e) is proper.