Admission Test GRE-Verbal Valid Test : Section One : Verbal

GIGANTIC : SIZE

• A. despondent: cheerfulness
• B. substantial: mass
• C. heartrending:humor
• D. marginal: volume
• E. bankrupt: money

High in the Andes Mountains in Peru stands the ancient city of Machu Picchu. No one knows why this
great city was built, nor is it likely that we will ever know. Nevertheless, the deserted city of Machu Picchu
is important for what it reveals about the ancient Inca people of South AmericA. The Incas once ruled a
great empire that covered a large part of the South American continent. The empire was more than five
hundred years old when the first Spanish explorers, looking for gold, went to that continent in the
sixteenth century. The Incas were an advanced people. They were skillful engineers who paved their
roads and built sturdy bridges. They plowed the land in such a way that rains would not wash away
valuable soil. They dug ditches to carry water into dry areas for farming. Even though they did not know
about the wheel, the Incas were able to move huge stone blocks- some as heavy as ten tons- up the sides
of mountains to build walls. The blocks were fitted so tightly, without cement of any kind, that it would be
impossible to slip a knife blade between them! The walls have stood firm through great storms and
earthquakes that have destroyed many modern buildings. The Incas were great artists, too. Today, Incan
dishes and other kinds of pottery are prized for their wonderful designs. Since both gold and silver were in
great supply, the Incas created splendid objects from these precious metals. While it is true that the Incas
had no written language, they kept their accounts by using a system of knotted strings of various lengths
and colors. The sizes of the knots and the distances between them represented numbers. At its height,
the Incan empire included as many as thirty million people. The emperor ruled them with an iron hand. He
told his subjects where to live, what to plant, how long they should work even whom they could marry.
Since he owned everything, the emperor gave what he wished when he wished- and in the amount he
wished -to his people. In 1533 Spanish explorers led by Francisco Pizarro murdered the emperor of the
Incas. Earlier, the heir to the Incan empire had also been killed. The Incas, who had always been entirely
dependent on their emperor, now had no recognized leader. The Spaniards easily conquered the empire
and plundered its riches. Have the Incas disappeared from South America? Not at all. In Peru alone, once
the center of that great empire, eighty percent of the twenty million people are descendants of the Inca
people. Evidence of the Incan empire can be found in many other places in South America as well. You
can even visit Machu Picchu. The remains of this ancient city still stand high in the mountains of Peru, an
awesome tribute to this once powerful empire.
What is the main idea of this passage?

• A. Peru was the primary country of the Incas.
• B. The Incas once inhabited the ancient city of Machu Picchu.
• C. Machu Picchu was the capital of the Incan empire.
• D. The Incan empire can be found in ancient cities and was plundered by the Spanish.
• E. Spanish conquerors destroyed the Incan empire in the thirteenth century.

SHORE : PRECARIOUS ::

• A. plane : irregular
• B. stiffen : pliable
• C. douse : damp
• D. frequent : uninviting
• E. boil : tepid

The victory of the small Greek democracy of Athens over the mighty Persian empire in 490 B. C. is one of
the most famous events in history. Darius, king of the Persian empire, was furious because Athens had
interceded for the other Greek city-states in revolt against Persian domination. In anger the king sent an
enormous army to defeat Athens.
He thought it would take drastic steps to pacify the rebellious part of the empire. Persia was ruled by one
man. In Athens, however, all citizens helped to rule. Ennobled by this participation, Athenians were
prepared to die for their city-state. Perhaps this was the secret of the remarkable victory at Marathon,
which freed them from Persian rule. On their way to Marathon, the Persians tried to fool some Greek
city-states by claiming to have come in peace. The frightened citizens of Delos refused to believe this. Not
wanting to abet the conquest of Greece, they fled from their city and did not return until the Persians had
left. They were wise, for the Persians next conquered the city of Etria and captured its people. Tiny
Athens stood alone against PersiA. The Athenian people went to their sanctuaries. There they prayed for
deliverance. They asked their gods to expedite their victory. The Athenians refurbished their weapons and
moved to the plain of Marathon, where their little band would meet the Persians. At the last moment,
soldiers from Plataea reinforced the Athenian troops. The Athenian army attacked, and Greek citizens
fought bravely. The power of the mighty Persians was offset by the love that the Athenians had for their
city. Athenians defeated the Persians in archery and hand combat.
Greek soldiers seized Persian ships and burned them, and the Persians fled in terror.
Herodotus, a famous historian, reports that 6400 Persians died, compared with only 192 Athenians.
Their participation___to the Athenians.

• A. gave hope
• B. gave strength
• C. gave fear
• D. gave comfort
• E. gave honor

REINFORCE : STRONGER

• A. erode: weaker
• B. abound: lesser
• C. dismantle: longer
• D. wilt: higher
• E. shirk: greater