the GRE verbal section

Jul 23, 2006 15:32

here’s what all you grad school hopefuls have to look forward to:

Question 19 of 41 (analogy):

INDENTURE : SERVANT ::
A. obey : order
B. surface : fugitive
C. impress : sailor
D. reconstruct : dentist
E. attend : butler

By definition, to INDENTURE is to compel someone to perform as a SERVANT. We need a choice that involves the idea of compulsion. Choices (A), (B), and (D) do not; a person is not forced to obey an order, a fugitive does not always surface, and a dentist does not always reconstruct a tooth. Eliminate these choices.

Choice (E) may be tempting because of the relationship between butler and SERVANT, but this does not include the element of forced servitude that we need.

Choice (C), however, is a good match: impress can mean to force into service, especially into the navy. To impress someone, therefore, is to compel that someone to serve as a sailor.

Question 38 of 41 (antonym):

SYBARITE :
A. boor
B. chauvinist
C. ascetic
D. incumbent
E. megalomaniac

A SYBARITE is a person who is devoted to the enjoyment of worldly pleasures; the word is derived from Sybaris, an ancient Greek colony known for its wealth and luxury. We’re looking for a term that refers to someone who avoids worldly pleasures. Ascetic (C) works perfectly; this is the correct answer. A boor (A) is a person with no manners. A chauvinist, choice (B) is someone who believes in the superiority of his own kind. An incumbent (D) is the person currently holding a position. Finally, a megalomaniac (E) is a person who has delusional fantasies about wealth or power.

I hope they don’t expect literary scholars in veterinary schools.
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