GRE Sample Test 1 Verbal Reasoning 1

The first blank describes Viktor Yuschenko’s face. The clue is that his face was transformed into a monstrous mask by dioxin poisoning and the transition word once tells us an appropriate word for the blank would be the opposite of monstrous; something like attractive would work nicely. Quiescent means calm, and fatuous means foolish, so those words don’t work. Comely, which means attractive, is the only word that works. The second blank is describing Yulia Tymoshenko. Both the transition phrase a study in contrasts and the clue about fashion magazines suggest that a word that means beautiful is appropriate. Though it might not sound like it, prepossessing does, in fact, mean beautiful. Felicitous means well- expressed, and decorous means full of propriety, so although they are both positive words, they aren’t as fitting here as the credited response is.