Critical Reading > Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
The store manager was ------- when sales dropped for the third year in a row; that was why she ------- our department for its lack of effort.
(A) indolent . . intimidated
(B) indignant . . upbraided
(C) insolent . . exonerated
(D) indulgent . . castigated
(E) intolerant . . condoned
The correct answer is B
Explanation
The first missing term must characterize the manager’s response to a drop in sales that she sees as a result of her department’s “lack of effort.” It is logical to conclude that the store manager “upbraided,” or scolded, her employees out of indignance, or righteous anger.
