Idioms
You studied hard all night. Your friend says, “You really hit the books.” What does it mean?
You Studied.
“The classroom was a zoo.” What two things are being compared?
Classroom and zoo; it was wild/noisy.
“The snow was as soft as a blanket.” What is being compared?
Snow and a blanket.
What is an antonym for ancient?
Modern/new
Which does not belong: violin, trumpet, piano, cucumber? Why?
cucumber; it is food, not an
instrument.
“Keep an eye on my backpack.” What does this mean?
Watch it / pay attention to it.
“Her voice was velvet.” What does this suggest about her voice?
Smooth/soft/pleasant.
“He moved like a turtle.” What does this tell you?
He moved slowly.
What is an antonym for scarce?
Plentiful/abundant
How are fragile and sturdy different?
Fragile breaks easily; sturdy is
strong.
“I’m all ears.” What does the speaker mean?
I'm listening carefully.
“The city is a sleeping giant at night.” Explain the comparison.
The city is large/powerful but quiet/inactive at night.
“The stars sparkled like diamonds.” What feature is being compared?
Brightness/sparkle.
What is an antonym for cautious?
careless / reckless.
The word bank can mean a place for money or the side of a river. What kind of word relationship is this?
One word with multiple meanings / multiple-meaning word.
“The project is up in the air.” What does this mean?
It is undecided/uncertain.
“His words were arrows.” What might this mean?
His words hurt / were sharp.
Turn this into a simile: “The soup was very hot.”
Reasonable answer using like/as,
e.g., “as hot as fire.”
What is an antonym for expand?
contract / shrink.
Complete the analogy: thermometer is to temperature as scale is to ___.
weight.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Explain the message.
Do not decide what someone/something is like only from appearance.
Create a metaphor for a very busy hallway.
Any reasonable direct comparison,
e.g. "The hallways was a highway, zoo, etc."
Explain why an author might write “The crowd roared like thunder.”
To show the crowd was very
loud/powerful.
Reluctant means unwilling or hesitant. Give an antonym.
Willing/eager
Context: “Although the path looked treacherous, Mia stepped carefully and held the railing.” What does treacherous most likely mean?
dangerous/risky