GRE Text Completion / Sentence Completion [편입영어 필수 논리완성]

1. The transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic era is viewed by most art historians as a -------, because, instead of an increasingly ------- pictorial art, we find degeneration.

(A) milestone. .debased

(B) consolidation. .diverse

(C) calamity. .aberrant

(D) regression. .sophisticated

(E) continuation. .improved

-> To solve the second blank, you must see "instead of + degeneration". The words "instead of" means "opposition". So I think the opposite word of "degeneraion" is proper. (D) and (E) are proper.

-> To solve the first blank, you must see "because + we find degeneration". If degeneration is found, the transition may be considered "bad" by most people. So I think (a)regression is proper. 

2. When a person suddenly loses consciousness, a bystander is not expected to ------- the problem but to attempt to ------- its effects by starting vital functions if they are absent.

(A) cure. .precipitate

(B) minimize. .predict

(C) determine. .detect

(D) diagnose. .counter

(E) magnify. .evaluate

-> To solve the second blank, you must see "by starting vital functions ~ ".  Its(losing consciousness) effects means vital functions being stopped. Therefore, I think (d)counter is proper.

3. Contrary to the antiquated idea that the eighteenth century was a ------- island of elegant assurance, evidence reveals that life for most people was filled with uncertainty and insecurity.

(A) clannish                      (B) declining

(C) tranquil                      (D) recognized

(E) sprawling

-> You must see "contary to + life was filled with uncertainty and insecurity". From these clues, the word meaning "peace" should be put in the blank. I think (c) is proper. 

-> I recommend "serene". 

# serene : serene to dserene to describe someone who is calm and untroubled.

ex> Adjacent is the Rinascente department store’s serene rooftop bar, with views of the square and cloister but also across the city to the Madonie mountains. [The GuardianMay 31, 2018]

ex> From the august and serene opening movement, through a heart-stopping slow movement of almost unspeakable grief, a fleet Scherzo, arriving at a finale of ebullient joy, it was an incandescent performance infused with poetry. [Washington PostMay 28, 2018]

4. A computer program can provide information in ways that force students to ------- learning instead of being merely ------- of knowledge.

(A) shore up. .reservoirs

(B) accede to. .consumers

(C) participate in. .recipients

(D) compensate for. .custodians

(E) profit from. .beneficiaries

-> You must see "instead of", which means usually "oppostion" in sentence completion. So the oppsite words should be put in the each blank. And "merely" means "only". A negative word shuold be put in the second blank. And then a positive word should be put in the first blank. I think (c) is proper. "merely recipients" means "passive". In education, passive attitude is not good for learning something.

5. Although the number of reported volcanic eruptions has risen exponentially since 1850, this indicates not ------- volcanic activity but rather more widespread and ------ record keeping.

(A) abating. .detailed

(B) increasing. .systematic

(C) substantial. .erratic

(D) stable. .superficial

(E) consistent. .meticulous

-> It is recommended to solve the second blank, becuase there is "widespread". From this word, a similar word should be put in the second blank. I think (a) and (B) is proper. Remember that if there is the expression " (A)______ and (B)_______ " , similar words should be put in the both blanks.

-> In the epression "not (A)_____ but (B) ______" , (A) is the myth many people have. If the number of reported volcanic eruptions has risen, it is likely that people think this means the increase of volcanic activity. So I think (B) is proper.

6. That she seemed to prefer ------- to concentrated effort is undeniable: nevertheless, the impressive quality of her finished paintings suggests that her actual relationship to her art was anything but -------.

(A) preparation. .passionate

(B) artfulness. .disengaged

(C) dabbling. .superficial

(D) caprice . considered

(E) indecision. .lighthearted

-> "prefer (A)______ to (B)______" means that (A) is opposite to (B). So.. the opposite word of "concentrated effort" should be put in the first blank. I think only (C) is proper.

# dabble : You dabble when you are a little bit involved in an activity, such as an art form or a hobby. Maybe you only dabble in mystery novels, but you are very knowledgeable about comic books.

-> From the first sentence, I infer that she is an amateurish painter. "Nevertheless" means the opposite things, which we usually expect, should come. If she is an amateur, her relationship to her art is superficial, which is expected usually. Therefore, the opposite word of "superficial" should be put in the second blank. !!!!!! But Stop.. !!  You must see "anything but". This expression is similar to "never". So "superficial" is proper.

7. Honeybees tend to be more ------- than earth bees: the former, unlike the latter, search for food together and signal their individual findings to one another.

(A) insular

(B) aggressive

(C) differentiated

(D) mobile

(E) social

-> If one object is compared with the other object, then it is right that they are opposite. If there is information on earth bees, the opposite to the information should be put in the blank. But there is no information about earth bees. Instead, after colon(:), there is clue on honeybees. the former(honeybees) search for food together. "together" is clue !! From this word, I can guess honeybees are social !!

8. The current demand for quality in the schools seems to ask not for the development of information and active citizens, but for disciplined and productive workers with abilities that contribute to civic life only -------, if at all.

(A) indirectly                    (B) politically

(C) intellectually               (D) sensibly

(E) sequentially

-> The expression "not (A) but (B)" means (A) is opposite to (B). In this question, (A) is the development of information and active citizens. And usually the characteristics of people or things are clue in the sentence completion. "Active" is clue and the opposite meaning of "active" is "passive". I think "indirectly" is very similar to "passive"

9. Before adapting to changes in values, many prefer to -------, to ------- the universally agreed-on principles that have been upheld for centuries.

(A) innovate. .protect

(B) resist. .defend

(C) ponder. .subvert

(D) vacillate. .publicize

(E) revert. .ignore

-> Becasue "before" means "opposite". Before adapting to changes, which means liberal, it is highy likely that they are conservative. So many people want to resist (changes in values), that is, to stick to the universally agreed-on principles.

10. According to one political theorist, a regime that has as its goal absolute -------, without any ------- law or principle, has declared war on justice.

(A) respectability. .codification of

(B) supremacy. .suppression of

(C) autonomy. .accountability to

(D) fairness. .deviation from

(E) responsibility. .prioritization of

-> Do you know the usage of "regime" ? If you refer to a government or system of running a country as a regime, you are critical of it because you think it is not democratic and uses unacceptable methods. 

-> Think about the regimes of N.Korea and Syria. They want to protect their position. Think about the reason N.Korea has tried to develop nuclear weapons. They may be autocracy. So they do not want to support law or principle. I think is (c) is proper.

11. Gould claimed no ------- knowledge of linguistics, but only a hobbyist's interest in language.

(A) manifest

(B) plausible

(C) technical

(D) rudimentary

(E) insignificant

-> In this sentence, the synonyms of "only" are "but, just, merely, simply, nothing more". Understand? They are usually associated with the words meaning "tirvial, small amount, unimportant and so on...". "Gould has only a hobbyist's interest in language" means Gould does not have profound knowledge of linguistics. Therefore, I think (c) is proper.

12. In sharp contrast to the intense ------- of the young republic, with its utopian faith in democracy and hopes for eternal human progress, recent developments suggest a mood of almost unrelieved -------.

(A) idealism. .cynicism

(B) individualism. .escapism

(C) sectarianism. .recklessness

(D) assertiveness. .ambition

(E) righteousness. .egalitarianism

-> Because of "In sharp contrast to", the first blank is opposite to the second blank. "with its utopian faith ~~ " is associated with the first blank, which is why you can guess the answer from the expression "with its utopian ~~". I think (a) is proper.