ISEE Middle Level flashcards
ISEE Middle Level · Build recall with a focused review session.
31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Synonym question
- A verbal reasoning item asking for the answer choice closest in meaning to the given word; the correct choice usually matches both definition and tone.
- Analogy bridge
- A short sentence describing the exact relationship between the stem pair, such as 'a hammer is a tool used by a carpenter,' which is then applied to the choices.
- Connotation
- The emotional tone a word carries beyond its dictionary meaning, positive, negative, or neutral; matching it helps choose between two near-synonyms.
- Contrast signal
- A word such as although, despite, or rather than that tells the reader a blank will oppose the idea stated elsewhere in the sentence.
- Prefix mal-
- A Latin prefix meaning bad or wrongly, as in malfunction, malice, and malnourished; it signals a negative charge in unfamiliar words.
- Two-blank completion
- A sentence completion item with two missing words; both choices must fit the sentence's logic and work together, so partial fits are eliminated.
- Percent change formula
- Percent change equals the new value minus the old value, divided by the old value, then multiplied by 100; it measures increase or decrease relative to the start.
- Ratio parts method
- Convert a ratio such as 3:5 into 8 total parts, divide the given total by 8 to find one part, then multiply to get each share.
- Average formula
- Average equals sum divided by count; rearranged, sum equals average times count, which finds a missing value when the average is known.
- Probability of an event
- The number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of equally likely outcomes; all outcome probabilities in a sample space sum to one.
- Median of consecutive integers
- For evenly spaced integers, the median equals the mean, which equals the first term plus the last term, divided by two.
- Substitution strategy
- Replacing a variable with a convenient number such as 10 or 100 to test which answer choice is always equivalent.
- Main idea
- The central point of an entire passage, combining its topic with what the author says about that topic; it is broader than any single detail.
- Primary purpose
- The reason the author wrote the passage, such as to explain, persuade, compare, or criticize; it is distinct from the passage's subject matter.
- Valid inference
- A conclusion that must be true given the passage's statements, even though it is not stated directly; mere plausibility is not enough.
- Vocabulary in context
- Determining a word's meaning from its surrounding sentence, then choosing the option that preserves that meaning rather than the word's most common sense.
- Author's tone
- The attitude revealed by the author's word choice, such as approving, skeptical, or neutral; extreme answer choices require strong textual evidence.
- Paired passage strategy
- Summarize each author's claim separately, then decide whether the second author supports, qualifies, or contradicts the first before answering comparison questions.
- Order of operations
- Evaluate parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right.
- Dividing fractions
- To divide by a fraction, multiply by its reciprocal, so a/b divided by c/d becomes a/b times d/c.
- Area of a triangle
- Area equals one-half times the base times the height, where the height is perpendicular to the chosen base.
- Circumference of a circle
- The distance around a circle, equal to 2πr or πd, where r is the radius and d is the diameter.
- Slope formula
- Slope equals the change in y divided by the change in x between two points, written as (y2 − y1) divided by (x2 − x1).
- Exponent product rule
- When multiplying powers with the same base, add the exponents; when raising a power to a power, multiply the exponents.
- Distributive property
- Multiplying a sum by a factor gives the same result as multiplying each addend separately, as in a(b + c) = ab + ac.
- Divisibility by three
- A whole number is divisible by 3 exactly when the sum of its digits is a multiple of 3; a similar rule with 9 tests divisibility by 9.
- Simple interest
- Interest equals principal times annual rate times time in years; the total amount repaid is the principal plus that interest.
- Essay position statement
- A single clear sentence in the introduction that states the writer's stance on the prompt and previews the reasons the body paragraphs will develop.
- Body paragraph structure
- A topic sentence naming one reason, followed by a specific example or scenario, then a sentence explaining how that evidence supports the position.
- Transition words
- Words such as first, in addition, for example, and as a result that connect ideas and make the essay's organization easy for a reader to follow.
- Conclusion paragraph
- The final paragraph, which restates the position in fresh wording and offers a closing insight rather than repeating the introduction word for word.