GRE Prep Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Sep 28Live Online Class with Top GRE Expert Mike Butville
08:00 PM EDT
-10:00 PM EDT
Top scores are possible when you enroll in a powerful GRE course, taught live online + 6 months access to TTP GRE OnDemand video courses included! Class starts Mon/Wed Sept. 28, 2026 - Dec. 9, 2026, 8:00pm-10:00pm EST
The most (i) ________ practitioners of improvisational theater are
[#permalink]
27 May 2026, 10:01
27 May 2026, 10:01
Expert Reply
00:00
Question Stats:
30% (00:52) correct
70% (01:05) wrong based on 10 sessions
Hide Show timer Statistics
The most (i) ________ practitioners of improvisational theater are often those with no formal training whatsoever; unburdened by technique and unhaunted by self-consciousness, they throw themselves into the work with an abandon that is as total as it is (ii) ________.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) |
|---|---|
| A. adept | D. ineffectual |
| B. distracted | E. inconsequential |
| C. captivating | F. infectious |
- Part of the project: GRE Hard and Tricky Verbal Practice: NEW Questions Daily
- Also replying to the unanswered questions
- The Definitive GRE Vocabulary Masterclass - 3,000 Words List
- GRE Beginner: The Definitive Guide
Re: The most (i) ________ practitioners of improvisational theater are
[#permalink]
29 May 2026, 07:43
29 May 2026, 07:43
Expert Reply
The sentence sets up a somewhat paradoxical or ironic observation — that the most [blank (i)] improv performers are those with no formal training. This is a complimentary description, so the blank needs a positive word. The clues "throw themselves into the work with abandon" and "unburdened by technique" suggest these performers are engaging and compelling to watch — making captivating the right fit. "Adept" (skilled) would clash with the idea of having no training, and "distracted" is clearly negative.
For Blank (ii), the sentence describes their abandon as "total" — wholehearted and complete. The second blank must complement this idea. "Infectious" fits perfectly: their uninhibited energy spreads to the audience and fellow performers, which is exactly what good improv does. "Ineffectual" and "inconsequential" are both negative, which would undercut the admiring tone of the sentence.
Final answer: C & F — The most captivating practitioners... an abandon that is as total as it is infectious.
For Blank (ii), the sentence describes their abandon as "total" — wholehearted and complete. The second blank must complement this idea. "Infectious" fits perfectly: their uninhibited energy spreads to the audience and fellow performers, which is exactly what good improv does. "Ineffectual" and "inconsequential" are both negative, which would undercut the admiring tone of the sentence.
Final answer: C & F — The most captivating practitioners... an abandon that is as total as it is infectious.
Re: The most (i) ________ practitioners of improvisational theater are
[#permalink]
30 May 2026, 04:00
30 May 2026, 04:00
Expert Reply
Blank (i)
The sentence asserts that "the most ______ practitioners of improvisational theater are often those with no formal training whatsoever." This is a paradoxical claim: the best practitioners are the untrained ones. The second clause explains why: they are "unburdened by technique and unhaunted by self-consciousness" and display "an abandon that is as total as it is _______ ." The blank must be a positive adjective meaning engaging, compelling, or delightful to watch.
- A. adept - Highly skilled, expert, proficient. This contradicts the logic. Untrained practitioners are by definition not adept; their excellence comes from something other than technical skill. Incorrect.
- B. distracted - Unable to concentrate, inattentive. A negative quality that would make them poor practitioners, not the "most" anything positive. Incorrect.
- C. captivating - Attracting and holding interest; enchanting, delightful. Untrained performers are the most captivating precisely because their lack of technique allows an unfiltered, joyous abandon to shine through. Correct.
Blank (ii)
The second clause explains the paradox: untrained performers display "an abandon that is as total as it is _______ ." The comparative structure "as X as it is Y " pairs two qualities of equal intensity. "Total" means complete, absolute, wholehearted. The blank must be a second positive quality that pairs naturally with "total" and explains why these performers are captivating. The quality should mean spreading to others, compelling, or irresistible.
- D. ineffectual - Not producing the desired effect; futile. A negative quality that contradicts the positive frame ("captivating," "total abandon"). Incorrect.
- E. inconsequential - Unimportant, trivial. Like "ineffectual," a negative quality inconsistent with the praise. Incorrect.
- F. infectious - Likely to spread to others; catching. "An abandon that is as total as it is infectious" perfectly captures the idea that the performer's wholeheartedness spreads irresistibly to the audience, making them captivating. Correct.
The sentence asserts that "the most ______ practitioners of improvisational theater are often those with no formal training whatsoever." This is a paradoxical claim: the best practitioners are the untrained ones. The second clause explains why: they are "unburdened by technique and unhaunted by self-consciousness" and display "an abandon that is as total as it is _______ ." The blank must be a positive adjective meaning engaging, compelling, or delightful to watch.
- A. adept - Highly skilled, expert, proficient. This contradicts the logic. Untrained practitioners are by definition not adept; their excellence comes from something other than technical skill. Incorrect.
- B. distracted - Unable to concentrate, inattentive. A negative quality that would make them poor practitioners, not the "most" anything positive. Incorrect.
- C. captivating - Attracting and holding interest; enchanting, delightful. Untrained performers are the most captivating precisely because their lack of technique allows an unfiltered, joyous abandon to shine through. Correct.
Blank (ii)
The second clause explains the paradox: untrained performers display "an abandon that is as total as it is _______ ." The comparative structure "as X as it is Y " pairs two qualities of equal intensity. "Total" means complete, absolute, wholehearted. The blank must be a second positive quality that pairs naturally with "total" and explains why these performers are captivating. The quality should mean spreading to others, compelling, or irresistible.
- D. ineffectual - Not producing the desired effect; futile. A negative quality that contradicts the positive frame ("captivating," "total abandon"). Incorrect.
- E. inconsequential - Unimportant, trivial. Like "ineffectual," a negative quality inconsistent with the praise. Incorrect.
- F. infectious - Likely to spread to others; catching. "An abandon that is as total as it is infectious" perfectly captures the idea that the performer's wholeheartedness spreads irresistibly to the audience, making them captivating. Correct.
