Name_______________________________Grade & Section_________________

A.

A.
Circle the letter of each correct meaning to the italicized
word.

08.
Large crowds, skyscrapers, and subways are characteristics of an
urban environment.

01.
There was obviously animosity between Carmen and Jackthey
glared at
each other and refused to stay in the same room together.

A.

A.

space

B.

nothing

C.

Ill will

02.
The neighborhood is so affluent that there are Olympic-sized
swimming pools,
tennis courts, and luxury cars on most
properties.
A.

wealthy

B.

crowded

C.

far away

criminals

country

B.

B.

decisions

C.

central

C.

hardships

city

09.
Novices at bowling throw more gutter balls than people who are
experienced at the
game.
A.

experts

B.

beginners

C.

players

10.
The teacher would have achieved better results if she had been as
quick to
commend students for their successes as she was to criticize
them for their
failures.

03.
The children had only two options after schooleither study at
school until their mothers picked them up or walk the four miles home.

A.

A.

11.
Most of my friends mothers seemed ordinary; mine, however, did
such bizarre things as speaking to strangers in the supermarket and
spraying
the dead tree in front of our house green.

ways to get somewhere

B.

choices

C.

classes

04.
The mayor introduced various stringent financial measures,
including cutting the
police force in half and reducing the pay of all
city employees.
B.

B.

grade

C.

easy

C.

dangerous

minor
expensive

05.

My grandmother loves gardening, so her garage is filled with such

implements as
spades, hoes, and rakes.

A.
those in the majority
people who disagree

A.

tools

13.
It was always hard to know what Uncle Harold was really thinking
was his
enthusiasm for the trip feigned or genuine?

junk

C.

odd

B.

A.

B.

strict

A.

blame
praise

C.

boxes

06.
Under the new contract, stipends for top employees, including
wages and transportation allowances, were increased by 10 percent.
A.

bonuses

B.

payments

C.

charges

07.
As they moved westward, early pioneers faced many adversities,
including
unknown
routes and loneliness.

12.
Those who were in agreement with the mayors tax proposal were
in the majority, but there were also some outspoken dissidents.

A.

secret

B.

B.

supporters

pretended

C.

C.

formal

14.
My piano teachers criticism was always profuse, but her praise was
scarce.
A.

loud

B.

well-founded

C.

plentiful

15.
Robertos mother was lenient when he took some money from her
dresser
drawer, but when he stole candy from the local drugstore,
her
punishment was harsh.
A.

not strict in punishing B.

complimentary

touch

A.

gathered

B.

left

C.

remembered

23.
Hector thought his mothers suggest to use peanut butter to
remove the gum
from his hair was ludicrousbut it worked!

C.

A.

practical

B.

delicious

C.

ridiculous

16.
Several times Lucy told the anecdote about her winning the hogcalling
contest.
A.

sermon

B.

short story

C.

question

24.
The dean was adamant: Make up your gym classes or dont
graduate, and
no
arguments.

17.
One argument against capital punishment is that if an innocent
person is
executed, the mistake cannot be rectified.

A.
Vague
confuse

A.

25.
There were many things about the library that made it conducive to
study,
including
good lighting, quiet, and nearby reference
books.

remembered
corrected

B.

predicted

C.

18.
It took two days for volunteers to extricate the little girl from the
bottom of the
well.
A.

free

19.
do it

My three-year-old likes to fight for her autonomy by saying, I can

myself.

A.

sister

B.

B.

delay

C.

independence

remember

C.

toys

20.
The puppy had such a tenacious grip on my sneakers that I finally
decided to wear my loafers instead.
A.

short

B.

firm

C.

B.

decorated

B. Cold

C.

Friendly

C. unattractive

D.

D. helpful

26.
After the funeral, the widows friends were very solicitousthey
came to see her each day and took turns calling every evening to be sure
she was all right.
A.
Bold
careless

B.

Concerned

C. annoyed

D.

27.
As the six members of the Presidents staff were charged with
various crimes,
the
publics confidence in the government eroded;
and once the public
trust wears down, it is difficult to rebuild.

loose

21.
Emilys signature, embellished with loops and swirls, was easy to
recognize.
A.
hidden
plain

A. Harmful

B. firm

C.

made

22.
Athletes from all over the world convened in Barcelona, Spain, in
order to
compete
in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games.

A.
Deteriorated
repeated

B.

Healed

C. grew

D.

28.
Imagine my chagrin when I looked in the mirror right after giving a
report in
front of
the classand discovered that on my chin was
some of the blueberry pie I had eaten for lunch.
A.
C.

Embarrassment
pleasure

B. Encouragement
D. hatred

29.
When people are stressed, they often regress. My little brother, for
example,
started to suck his thumb when he first went to camp.
A.
social
chance

B.
D.

continuous

belittling

C. by
E.

backslide

30.
Little Amanda hid shyly behind her mother when she met new
people, yet her
twin brother Adam was very gregarious.
A.

Sociable

B.

Continuous

D. belittling

C. by chance
E. backslide

The definition is set off by a comma following the

phrase in which the word appears. Alien means strange or
foreign.
2. ELABORATING DETAILS
Example: The natives were hostile when the settlers
approached their village. They lined up across the
road and drew their weapons. The settlers were
afraid to go further.
As described in the sentences after the word, hostile must
mean

CONTEXT CLUES
The first line of attack on a new word is to try to figure out
the meaning from the context in which it appears. The
context of a word refers to the way the word is used in the
sentence or paragraph. There are several different types
of context clues:
1. DEFINITION
Example: The explorers landed in an alien
environment, a place both foreign and strange to
their beloved homeland.

unfriendly.
3. EXAMPLES
Example: The bird's appetite is voracious. In one day
he ate enough worms to equal three times his body
weight.
The example illustrates that the bird ate an extraordinary
amount,
therefore voracious means extremely hungry or greedy.
4. COMPARISON
Example: The smell of the flower was as compelling
as a magnet's pull on a paper clip.

Since a magnet will pull a paper clip to it, the comparison

"Even though" are signal words indicating that an opposite

suggests that the smell of the flower had an attraction.

is coming.

Compelling means attracting.

Thus eminent means the opposite of unknown. It means

5. CONTRAST

well known or famous.

Example: In America, she is an eminent scientist

even though she is virtually unknown in England.