Guess the Meaning of Vocabulary

I. Read the following short text and answer the questions.

All birds have feathers, and feathers are peculiar to birds. No other major group of animals is easy to
categorize. All birds have wings, too, but there are other winged creatures, such as bats and certain
insects.
Many adaptations are found in both feathers and wings. Feathers form the soft down of goose and ducks,
the showy plumes of ostriches and egrets, and the strong flight feathers of eagles and condors. Wings vary
from the short, broad ones of chickens, which seldom fly, to the long, slim ones of albatrosses, which
spend almost all their lives soaring on air currents. In penguins, wings have been modified into flippers
and feathers into a waterproof covering. In kiwis, the wings are almost impossible to detect.
Yet diversity among birds is not as striking as it is among mammals. The difference between a
hummingbird and an emu is great, but hardly as dramatic as that between a bat and a whale. It is
variations in details rather than in fundamental patterns that have been important in the adaptation of
birds to many kinds of ecosystems.
1. In the passage, the phrase peculiar to is closest in meaning to
In the passage, the phrase peculiar to is closest in meaning to
a. necessary for

b. important to

c. symbolic of

d. unique to

2. The word categorize in the passage is closest in meaning to

a. appreciate

b. comprehend

c. classify

d. visualize

3. The word showy in the passage is closest in meaning to

a. ornamental

b. powerful

c. pale

d. graceful

4. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word detect in the passage?
a. utilize

b. observe

c. extend

d. describe

5. In the passage, the word diversity is closest in meaning to

a. function

b. heredity

c. specialty

d. variety

6. The word hardly in the passage is closest in meaning to

a. definitely

b. not nearly

c. possibly

d. not softly

7. Which of the following could best be substituted for the word fundamental in the passage?
a. basic

b. shifting

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K6GBZZD

c. predictable

d. complicated

II. Guess the meaning of the bold words in the sentences.

1. Laura, with a SOUPCON of suspicion, listened to her son's explanation for arriving home late,
knowing that he occasionally stretched the truth.
a. trace

b. an overwhelming degree c. lack

2. The INSOUCIANT jogger, not sensing any danger, headed down the deserted path as the sun sank
below the mountains.
a. irresponsible

b. unconcerned

c. careful

3. While Annie was a hardworking young bookseller, Max was an INDOLENT rich man who only
occasionally dabbled in the world of work.
a. hardworking

b. creative

c. lazy

4. The PUNGENCY of the medicine caused the small child to gag after the first taste.
a. color

b. sharp and biting taste

c. pleasant scent

5. "Rachel was in despair because she saw her life at school tumbling into the misery of OSTRACISM,
and yet to help Annie she was willing to brave the very girls she feared." Carolyn Hart, April Fool Dead
a. academics

b. popularity

c. isolation

6. Mary thought that the orangish light in the sky and the still air PRESAGED danger. She had noticed
both occurrences before her previous encounters with tornadoes.
a. described

b. warned

c. whispered

7. "'Laurel alway lands on her feet.' And such prettily SHOD feet. . . . Whatever Laurel's costume of the
moment, her shoes would be a perfect match." Carolyn Hart
a. barefoot

b. Fitted with shoes

c. decorated

8. A CADUCEUS sticker on the back of truck parked in the physicians-only section of a hospital parking
lot might indicate that the driver is a member of
a. the medical profession b. the teaching profession

c. the trucking profession

9. Kristen was shocked by her father-in-law's SCURRILOUS language. She wasn't used to hearing 4letter words.
a. colorful

b. vulgar

c. outspoken

10. "Someday somebody's going to shoot that ODIOUS woman. Of course she shoved her husband off
that pretentious yacht." Carolyn Hart, April Fool Dead
a. congenial

b. rich

c. hateful

https://www.daltonstate.edu/writing-lab/practice-exercises-for-reading-classes/vocabulary_in_context2.htm

III. Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word, and identify the type of context clue used:
example, contrast, definition, or logic
1. Our baseball team's pitcher has a few eccentric habits, such as throwing exactly thirteen warm-up
pitches and never wearing socks.
a. normal

b. strange

c. messy

clue:
2. After the heavy rains, the stream became murky; in fact, the water was so cloudy you couldn't see the
bottom.
a. cloudy

b. bottomless

c. clear

clue:
3. The debris on the stadium floor included numerous paper cups, ticket stubs, and cigarette butts.
a. products

b. papers

c. trash

clue:
4. The coach takes every opportunity to censure his players, yet he ignores every opportunity to praise
them.
a. approve of

b. criticize

c. choose

clue:
5. The newlyweds agreed to be very frugal in their shopping because they wanted to save enough money
to buy a house.
a. economical

b. wasteful

c. interested

clue:
6. Although Alex usually looks unkempt, he had a very neat appearance at his job interview.
a. orderly

b. handsome

c. messy

clue:
1. B clue: example 2. A clue: definition 3. C clue: example 4. B clue: contrast 5. A clue: logic
6. C clue: contrast

http://www.grammarbank.com/context-clues-worksheet.html

IV. Guess the meaning of bold words using contextual clues.

1. Parents who constantly spank their children cannot be called lenient.
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2. Jenna felt perturbed; that is, she was greatly annoyed by her sister's actions.
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3. The cacophonous rattling made Maria cover her ears.
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4. Mozart gave his first public recital at the age of six. By age thirteen he had written symphonies and an
operetta. He is justly called a child prodigy.
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5. One of the remarkable features of the Nile Valley is fertility of the soil. This rich earth that supported
plant growth made it possible for Egyptians to thrive in a dry region.
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6. Choose a periodical from among the following: Time, Reader's Digest, or Seventeen.
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7. A formidable enemy is one to be feared.
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8. The dromedary, commonly called a camel, stores fat in his hump.
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9. Sedentary individuals, people who are not very active, often have diminished health.
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10. Why are you so timorous? I tell you there is nothing to be afraid of.
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11. You can trust the salesmen at that store because they always conduct business in an aboveboard
manner. (honestly, openly)
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12. The lovely egret is in danger of extinction because clothing manufacturers use their long,beautiful tail
feathers to make ladies' hats. ( a type of bird)
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