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context clues
If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it.
ISADORA DUNCAN (18771927) AMERICAN, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF MODERN DANCE

In this lesson, youll discover that authors give clues in the text to help you understand what you read. You just have to be a word detective and find them!

SOMETIMES AUTHORS NEED or want to use words they know will be

unknown by their readers. So authors slip in other words or phrases to help readers gure out the unknown ones. Authors may dene the word, give examples of similar things, or restate the idea to make it clearer. And authors may put the clues in the text itself or in nearby pictures. Readers use these context clues to make good guesses about what unknown words mean. Denition He played the harpsichord, a piano-like musical instrument. Examples The largest group is arthropods, like spiders, insects, and lobsters. Restate to clarify She ran to the escarpment. Could she climb down the steep hill in time to escape? Sometimes an author just wants readers to understand the context of a word, not necessarily the exact meaning.

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Dan was surprised that he hadnt won the election. Thats implausible! he whined. Now you may not know exactly what implausible means, but you can get the idea that its not good because Dan whines, so hes not happily surprised! (Implausible means unbelievable.) Look for all kinds of context clues to help you as you read.

P R AC T I C E 1 : P L A N N I N G A H E A D
Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow. (1) It was late when Marco nally got to the store. Hed been planning this surprise party for weeks, but somehow time was running out! I can handle it all by myself, hed told his mom when he rst suggested a surprise party for his cousins birthday. I mean, how hard it is to throw a party? (2) It can be very time-consuming. Theres a lot to do, replied his mom. But Marco reiterated, I can handle it all myself! (3) Marco did all the mundane, tedious things rst, like making a list of who to invite, buying the invitations, and addressing and mailing them out. He found it somewhat irritating when people called to RSVP right in the middle of his favorite TV show, but he thanked them and checked their names on the list so hed know who would and wouldnt be attending the party. (4) Then he planned the menu. He knew Paco loved Crema Catalanaa cold custard with a crispy, crunchy, caramel coating. Marco thought his mom made the best, so he asked her to make it for the party. Of course, he planned to have a giant birthday cake with candles for Paco to blow out for luck. Marco also picked other good things to serve. (5) The day of the party, Marco blew up balloons and made colorful garlands. He draped the paper-chain ribbons across the curtains and attached the balloons to the wall with double-stick tape. Everything looked quite festive. He called his Uncle Santiago to make sure hed bring Paco at the right time, supposedly just to drop in for a minute on the way to dinner. Then Marco checked on the food supplies. The snacks were ready. The Crema Catalana was in the refrigerator keeping cold, awaiting that nal, lastminute caramel topping. And the cake was ready, awaiting the candles on top. . . . Oh, no! Marco cried. I forgot to pick up candles! Mom, do we have any birthday candles?

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(6) Sorry, honey, she replied. I wish youd told me. . . . I could have picked some up on the way home. Youll have to run to the store to get some. (7) And thats how Marco ended up at the store just before closing, when there was just one checkout open, and a very slow clerk. The lady in front of Marco kept asking, Is it always this slow? After the fth time, Marco replied, somewhat politely, Yes, maam, except on Thursdays. Why dont you come back then? (8) The lady turned in a huff and galumphed out of the store, leaving one less person in front of Marco. (9) Finally, Marco got to the counter. I just have these birthday candles, Maam, and I cant be late for the party, he said hurriedly as he put some money on the counter. Just keep the change! (10) He ran home as fast as he could, arriving just in time to hear everyone inside yell Surprise! as Paco and Uncle Santiago walked in the door ahead of him! 1. Which is most likely the meaning of reiterate? a. refused b. said for the rst time c. said again d. sat down 2. Which is NOT a meaning of mundane? a. boring b. ordinary c. dull d. unusual 3. What kind of context clue does the author use for Crema Catalana? a. an example of a similar dessert b. a denition c. a synonym d. none of the above 4. What kind of context clue does the author use for garlands? a. a denition b. an antonym c. a restatement to clarify d. examples of other hanging objects

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5. From the context, which is most likely the meaning of galumphed? a. tip-toed b. ran c. stomped d. skipped

P R AC T I C E 2 : I N S I G H T
Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow. (1) What causes myopia? You probably know that we see because light bounces off objects and into our eyes. In a normal eye, the light rays go through the lens and focus on the retina, the sensory membrane or sheet that lines the eye, to create images. In myopic eyes, the light focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on it. So nearsighted people can usually see really well up close, but they squint to try to see things far away. Often, nearsightedness is suspected if a kid has trouble seeing the chalkboard or whiteboard in school. Then a vision test is set up to diagnose perception. In other words, a doctor checks how well the person can read various sized letters at various distances. Early diagnosis is important because nearsightedness can be ameliorated with corrective visual devices, like glasses and contact lenses. These devices cant cure myopia, but they help a nearsighted person see distant objects more clearly. The lens of the glasses or contacts refocuses the light before it reaches the eye so it hits the retina where it should. Doctors can also do surgery to help some people who have myopia. Adults with myopia, whose glasses or contact prescription hasnt changed for at least a year, may be able to have a laser procedure that can clear up their problem. Nearsightedness affects men and women equally. People with a family history of myopia are more likely to develop it. And theres no way to prevent it. At one time people actually believed that reading too much or watching too much TV caused nearsightedness. Those activities can make your eyes tired, but they cant cause myopia.

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6. What kind of context clue does the author use for myopia? a. a restatement to clarify b. a denition c. a homonym d. examples of other eye problems 7. What is the retina? a. a ray of light b. a lens c. a membrane, or lining d. a light shaft 8. What is the meaning of diagnose? a. detect b. identify c. analyze d. all of the above 9. Which is most likely the meaning of ameliorated? a. worsened b. improved c. continued d. renewed 10. For which does the author give two or more examples as context clues? a. kinds of membranes in the body b. lenses in cameras c. corrective visual devices d. types of eye conditions 11. If you didnt know the meaning of surgery, which nearby word would be a clue? a. doctors b. myopia c. glasses d. problem

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P R AC T I C E 2 : VA S T V E S S E L S
Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow. (1) Galleons were large ships used by Europeans from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. Equipped with three or four masts and two or more decks, these gallant ships helped countries like Spain and England establish their naval power. A galleons sides were 34 feet (.91.2 m) thick, strong enough to hold the heavy foremast and mainmast, both equipped with huge square sails. The foremast was, as the word fore suggests, the one closest to the front, or bow, of the ship. One or two smaller masts were toward the ships stern, or rear. They had lateensthree-cornered sails. Openings on the ships sides held heavy cannons. After the discovery of the Americas, the Spanish used eets of galleons to ship home chattel from the Americas, like gold, silver, and precious gems. But many ships never made it back. Hard to maneuver, they often couldnt evade lighter pirate ships. And many galleons sank during violent hurricanes. Today, treasure-hunting divers still nd the wreckage of the majestic ships and their caches of riches today.

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12. A foremast is a. the mast closest to the stern. b. the mast closest to the bow. c. the mast in the middle. d. the tallest mast. 13. Which is most likely the meaning of chattel? a. lands b. information c. advice d. possessions 14. From the context of the selection, maneuver most likely means a. study or read. b. paint and restore. c. steer or guide. d. submerge and sink.