KPMG

KPMG Verbal Aptitude Test 3

Solution Booklet

Instructions

This verbal reasoning test comprises 20 questions, and you will have 20 minutes
in which to correctly answer as many as you can.

The test comprises of four sections:

1. Synonyms Section (5 Questions)
2. Antonyms Section (5 Questions)
3. Analogy Section (5 Questions)
4. Sentence Correction Section (5 Questions)

You will have to work quickly and accurately to perform well in this test. If you
don't know the answer to a question, leave it and come back to it if you have time.

You may click Back and Next during the test to review or skip questions.

You can submit your test at any time. If the time limit is up before you click
submit the test will automatically be submitted with the answers you have
selected. It is recommended to keep working until the time limit is up.

Try to find a time and place where you will not be interrupted during the test.
When you are ready, begin the test.
 From the words lettered A to E, choose the word that is most
appropriate in meaning to the emboldened word

1. DISCONCERT
A. Sing in harmony
B. Pretend
C. Cancel program
D. Confuse
E. Interrupt

EXPLANATION
Disconcert: to confuse, upset or embarrass somebody
A) Sing in harmony: to make musical sounds with the voice in the form of a song
or tune in a state of agreement in feelings, interests, opinions, etc
B) Pretend: to make oneself appear to be something or to be doing something in
order to deceive others or in play
C) Cancel program: to say that something in a series of instruction in code that
control the operation of a computer which has already been arranged and decided
upon will not be done or take place
D) Confuse: to make somebody unable to think well; to bewilder somebody
E) Interrupt: to stop the continuous progress of something temporary
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS (D)

2. MORES
A. Morals
B. Customs
C. Taxes
D. Fiscal year
E. Swamp

EXPLANATION
Mores: the customs or conventions considered typical of or essential to a group or
community
A) Morals: concerned with principles of right and wrong behavior; ethical
B) Customs: a traditional and generally accepted way of doing things or behaving
C) Taxes: money that has to be paid to the government
D) Fiscal year: financial year
E) Swamp: an area of land that is full of water; a Marsh
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS (B)

3. VESTIGE
A. Clothing
B. Trace
C. Undergarment
D. Hallway
E. Hope

EXPLANATION
Vestige: a small remaining part of what once existed; a trace
A) Clothing: to clothes
B) Trace: a mark, an object or a sign showing what has existed or happen
C) Undergarment: a piece of clothing wore under a shirt, dress, etc next to the
skin
D) Hallway: a corridor
E) Hope: a belief that something desired will happen
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS (B)

4. VIRAGO
A. Bacillus
B. Chastity
C. Shrew
D. Poverty
E. Eating

EXPLANATION
Virago: a fierce and forceful woman
A) Bacillus: any of various types of bacteria that cause disease
B) Chastity: the state of being chaste
C) Shrew: a bad tempered unpleasant woman
D) Poverty: the state of being poor
E) Eating: to put food into the mouth, chew it and swallow it gradually
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS (C)

5. PHLEGMATIC

A. Stolid
B. Respiratory
C. Animated
D. Pneumatic
E. Aroused

EXPLANATION
Phlegmatic: not easily made angry or upset; calm
A) Stolid: a person not easily excited; showing little or no emotion or interest
B) Respiratory: of or for breathing air
C) Animated: lively
D) Pneumatic: filled with air
E) Aroused: to wake somebody from sleep
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS (A)
 From the words lettered A to E, Choose the word that is opposite in
meaning to the emboldened word

6. HERETIC
A. exorbitant
B. verbal
C. orthodox
D. clerical
E. stoic

EXPLANATION
Heretic: a person who is guilty of heresy or who supports heresy
A) Exorbitant: of a price, demand much too high or great; unreasonable
B) Verbal: of or in word
C) Orthodox: (especially of belief or behavior) generally accepted or approved; of
a normal or usual type
D) Clerical: of or done by a clerk(s)
E) Stoic: a person who can endure pain, discomfort and trouble without
complaining or showing sign of feeling it
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS (C)

7. MENDACIOUS
A. honest
B. adroit
C. theological
D. vituperative
E. harsh

EXPLANATION
Mendacious: not telling the truth; lying
A) Honest: of a person telling the truth; not lying, stealing or cheating
B) Adroit: skillful; clever
C) Theological: (of theology) the study of nature of God and of the foundation of
religious belief
D) Vituperative: (of vituperation) cruel and angry criticism
E) Harsh: rough or sharp in a way that is unpleasant; especially to the sense
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS (A)

8. MOTLEY
A. vermilion
B. malaise
C. aphorism
D. fecund
E. homogeneous

EXPLANATION
Motley: of many different type of people or things
A) Vermilion: a bright red color
B) Malaise: a general feeling of illness without clear sign of a particular one or a
general lack of satisfaction or energy whose exact cause is difficult to identify
C) Aphorism: a short remark which contain a general truth
D) Fecund: producing young or new plant; fertile
E) Homogeneous: formed from parts that are all of the same type
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS (E)

9. SVELTE
A. limber
B. lissome
C. adipose
D. vile
E. disingenuous

EXPLANATION
Svelte: of a person: thin in a graceful attractive way
A) Limber: to exercise one’s preparation for sport, etc
B) Lissome: thin and graceful in movement
C) Adipose: fatty; consisting of, resembling, or relating to fat
D) Vile: very bad; highly offensive; evil
E) Disingenuous: insincere
THE CORRECT NSWER IS (C)

10. DELETERIOUS
A. volatile
B. enigmatic
C. fulsome
D. esoteric
E. salutary

EXPLANATION
Deleterious: harmful
A) Volatile: of a liquid changing rapidly into gas; of a person changing quickly
from one mood to another
B) Enigmatic: resembling an enigma; perplexing; mysterious
C) Fulsome: especially of a speech or writing, having or showing a quality e. g.
length, detail or praise, to a great or excessive degree
D) Esoteric: understood only by a select few
E) Salutary: having a good effect
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS (E)
 In each questions, the capitalized word have certain relationship to
each other. Select the letter or the part of word that are related in
the same way as the two capitalized

11. LINCOLN: HUM:

A. Washington: D.C.
B. Trenton: New Jersey
C. New York: U.S.
D. Chicago: New York
E. France: Europe

Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska: Trenton is the capital of New Jersey.

Answer: B

12. BUZZ: HUM:

A. Noise: explosion
B. Reverberation: peal
C. Tinkle: clang
D. Echo: sound
E. Decorum: safety

The words buzz and hums are onomatopoetic, as are the words tinkle and
clang.

Answer: C

13. BOXER: GLOVER:

A. Swimmer: water
B. Bacteriologist: microscope
C. Businessman: bills
D. Fruit: peddler
E. Bell: teacher
A boxer uses gloves in his profession: a bacteriologist uses a microscope in his
profession.

Answer: B

14. ILLUSION: MIRAGE:

A. Haunted: specter
B. Imagination: concentration
C. Dream: reality
D. Mirror: glass
E. Water: waves

An illusion is a mirage; a haunted is a specter.

Answer: A

15. INSULT: INVULNERABLE:

A. Success : capable
B. Poverty : miserable
C. Purchase : refundable
D. Assault: impregnable
E. Poison : death

A person who is invulnerable cannot be hurt by an insult; a city that is

impregnable cannot be hurt by an assault.

Answer: D
Some or all parts of the sentence is underlined, the first option simply
repeat the underlined part. The other four option alternate to
rephrase the underlined part. Choose the answer that produce clear
and exact sentence

16. The best known Iban textiles, large ceremonial cloths called pua kumbu,
whose design depict the flora and fauna of Borneo as well as figures from the
spirit realm.

A. Textiles, large ceremonial cloths called pua kumbu, whose design depict
B. Textiles, large ceremonial cloths called pua kumbu, in whose are depicted
C. Textiles are large ceremonial cloths called pua kumbu, whose design
depict
D. Textiles are large ceremonial cloths called pua kumbu, their design depict
E. Textiles, large ceremonial cloths, are called pua kumbu, in their designs
are depicted

Run-on sentence. Choice C corrects the run-on sentence by providing a verb,

are, without introducing any new errors.

Answer: C

17. Shakespeare wrote many plays, they are now being presented on public
television.

A. Shakespeare wrote many plays, they are now being presented on public
television.
B. Shakespeare wrote many plays, and they have been presented on public
television
C. Shakespeare wrote many plays, which public television has now presented.
D. The many plays of Shakespeare have now been presented on public
television.
E. Shakespeare wrote many plays; they are now being presented on public
television.

Comma splice. Choices B, C, and D change the meaning of the original sentence.
They indicate that the plays have already been presented; the original sentence
states that these plays are being presented at the present time. Choice E corrects
the comma splice without altering the meaning of the sentence.

Answer: E

18. Many alcoholic attempt to conceal their problem from their fellow
workers, but invariably failing to keep their secret.

A. But invariably failing to keep their secret

B. But they invariably fail to keep their secret
C. But fail, invariably, to keep their secret
D. Who they invariably fail to keep their secret from
E. Who invariably fail to keep their secret from

Error in parallelism. In Choice A, the conjunction but should be followed by a

clause to parallel the clause in the first half of the sentence. Choice B provides
such a clause. The awkward placement of the word invariably in Choice C
makes the sentence very unclear. The use of who in choices D and E is
ambiguous because it may be taken to refer to workers.

Answer: B

19. Upon considering the facts of the case, the solution was obvious;
consequently, Holmes sent for the police.

A. Upon considering
B. When considering
C. Considering
D. In consideration of
E. When he considered

Error in modification and word order. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because
of the dangling participle ‘considering’. Choice D is unidiomatic.

Answer: E
 20. Economics conditions demand not only cutting wages and prices but also
to reduce inflation-raised tax rates.

A. Not only cutting wages and prices but also to reduce

B. We not only cut wages and prices but also reduce
C. To not only cut wages and prices but also to reduce
D. Not only to cut wages and prices but also to reduce
E. Not only a cut in wages and prices but also to reduce

Error in parallelism. Choices A, C, and E do not maintain parallel structure.

Choice B correct this weakness. The infinitive to cut cannot be an object of
demand, as in Choice D; a noun clause like the one in Choice B corrects this
error.

Answer: B