Text Completion Questions
Description
As mentioned above, skilled readers do not simply absorb the information
presented on the page; instead, they maintain a constant attitude of interpretation
and evaluation, reasoning from what they have read so far to create a picture of
the whole and revising that picture as they go. Text Completion questions test
this ability by omitting crucial words from short passages and asking the test
taker to use the remaining information in the passage as a basis for selecting
words or short phrases to fill the blanks and create a coherent, meaningful
whole.
Question Structure
Passage composed of one to five sentences
One to three blanks
Three answer choices per blank (five answer choices in the case of a single
blank)
The answer choices for different blanks function independently; that is,
selecting one answer choice for one blank does not affect what answer
choices you can select for another blank
Single correct answer, consisting of one choice for each blank; no credit for
partially correct answers
Tips for Answering
Do not merely try to consider each possible combination of answers; doing
so will take too long and is open to error. Instead, try to analyze the passage
in the following way:
Read through the passage to get an overall sense of it.
Identify words or phrases that seem particularly significant, either because they emphasize the
structure of the passage (words like although or moreover) or because they are central to
understanding what the passage is about.
Think up your own words for the blanks. Try to fill in the blanks with words or phrases that
seem to you to fit and then see if similar words are offered among the answer choices.
Do not assume that the first blank is the one that should be filled first. Perhaps one of the
other blanks is easier to fill first. Select your choice for that blank, and then see whether you can
complete another blank. If none of the choices for the other blank seem to make sense, go back
and reconsider your first selection.
Double-check your answers. When you have made your selection for each blank, check to make
sure that the passage is logically, grammatically, and stylistically coherent.
Sample Questions
For each blank select one entry from the corresponding column of choices. Fill all blanks in the
way that best completes the text.
1. It is refreshing to read a book about our planet by an author who does not
allow facts to be (i) by politics: well aware of the political
disputes about the effects of human activities on climate and biodiversity,
this author does not permit them to (ii) his comprehensive
description of what we know about our biosphere. He emphasizes the
enormous gaps in our knowledge, the sparseness of our observations, and the
(iii) , calling attention to the many aspects of planetary evolution
that must be better understood before we can accurately diagnose the
condition of our planet.
Blank (i)
A overshadowed
B invalidated
C illuminated
Blank (ii)
D enhance
E obscure
F underscore
Blank (iii)
