GRE Verbal Challenge Question
The comedian’s joke about redheads, which he thought was (i)________, got a big laugh in the theater. When he went backstage after the show, however, he was shocked to find his redheaded manager seething with anger. Indeed, the manager was so (ii)________ that she fired him on the spot.
A) Banal
B) Insolent
C) Innocuous
D) Irate
E) Tractable
F) Phlegmatic
Directions: For each blank select one entry from the corresponding group of choices. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text.
Explanation:
We can begin our predictions with whichever blank seems easiest, and in this case we have more clues for blank (ii). The word “indeed” at the beginning of the third sentence is a straight-ahead road sign that tells us the third sentence will be consistent with “seething with anger.” We predict that the word in blank (ii) will mean “livid” or “enraged.”
Choice (D) irate means “extremely angry” and is correct.
Choice (E) tractable means “easily managed,” and the context of the passage makes it clear that the manager is not easily managed, so this choice is incorrect.
Choice (F) phlegmatic means “unemotional,” which is the opposite of the manager’s reaction, so this choice is also incorrect.
The word “however” is a detour road sign indicating that the first missing word should contrast with the manager’s anger in the second part of this sentence and in the third sentence. We can predict that the comedian thought the joke would not cause anger and anticipate that the word in blank (i) means “inoffensive.”
Choice (C) innocuous means “inoffensive” or “harmless,” which matches our prediction and is correct. Choice (A) banal means “commonplace” or “pedestrian,” and choice (B) insolent means “rude.” Neither would explain why the comedian was surprised by his manager’s anger, so both are incorrect.
The correct choices are (C) and (D).
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