Use Context Clues
"In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry felt an intense sense of trepidation as he approached the Forbidden Forest, knowing the dangers that lay hidden within."
Answer: Trepidation means "fear or anxiety." The context clue is "knowing the dangers that lay hidden within."
"In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hermione’s bibliophile tendencies became clear as she spent hours in the library, surrounded by stacks of books."
What does the root "biblio" mean?
A. Time
B. Book
C. Light
D. Life
Answer: B. Book
Ephemeral
Definition: Lasting for a very short time.
Synonyms:
Example: The beauty of the sunset was ephemeral, fading within moments.
In Harry Potter, the term "muggle" refers to non-magical people. If you were to define "muggle" in a silly way, what would it be?
Answer: What is "a magic-challenged human"?
$100:What is the first step when encountering an unknown word in a sentence?
A. Skip it and move on.
B. Guess randomly.
C. Look for context clues in the sentence.
D. Replace it with a completely different word.
Answer: C. Look for context clues in the sentence.
"In The Chronicles of Narnia, Lucy marveled at the serene beauty of the forest, where not even the softest rustle disturbed the perfect stillness of the air."
Answer: Serene means "peaceful and calm." The context clue is "perfect stillness of the air."
"In The Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan spoke with such benevolence that even the most frightened creatures felt a sense of warmth and kindness."
What does the prefix "bene-" mean?
A. Good
B. Large
C. Strong
D. Quick
Answer: A. Good
Ostentatious
Definition: Designed to impress or attract attention; showy.
Synonyms:
classy,conspicuous,extravagant,flamboyant,garish,gaudy,glittery,jaunty,splashy,swank
Example: The billionaire’s ostentatious mansion was filled with gold-plated furniture.
In Percy Jackson, define "Camp Half-Blood" in a silly way.
Answer: What is "a summer camp for kids who might accidentally blow something up"?
When analyzing a word’s structure, what should you look for first?
A. The middle part of the word.
B. Prefixes, suffixes, and roots.
C. The word’s capitalization.
D. How many syllables the word has.
Answer: B. Prefixes, suffixes, and roots.
"In Fablehaven, Kendra noticed the cacophony of noises as she stepped into the fairy grove, with chirping birds, croaking frogs, and buzzing insects creating a chaotic symphony."
Cacophony means "a harsh mixture of sounds." The context clue is "chirping birds, croaking frogs, and buzzing insects creating a chaotic symphony."
"In Fablehaven, the translucent wings of the fairies shimmered in the sunlight, allowing Kendra to see their faint outlines."
What does the prefix "trans-" mean?
A. Against
B. Around
C. Beneath
D. Across
Answer: D. Across
Mitigate
Definition: To make less severe, serious, or painful.
Synonyms:abate,appease,calm,cool,extenuate,moderate,modify,pacify,palliate,placate,quiet,remit,subdue,tranquilize
Example: She tried to mitigate the damage by apologizing immediately.
In The Hunger Games, if you had to explain "the Capitol" in a goofy way, how would you do it?
Answer: What is "a place where people wear way too much makeup and throw fancy parties"?
If the prefix “pre-” means “before,” how would knowing this help you understand the word “preview”?
A. It has no relevance to the meaning of the word.
B. It tells you the word relates to looking backward.
C. It tells you the word means to see something before it happens.
D. It tells you the word means to see something from far away.
Answer: C. It tells you the word means to see something before it happens.
"In Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25, Taylor's abilities left the crowd in awe, their mouths hanging open and their eyes wide as they witnessed her incredible power."
Answer: Awe means "a feeling of amazement mixed with wonder or fear." The context clue is "their mouths hanging open and their eyes wide."
"In The Hunger Games, Katniss displayed her auditory skills by listening carefully for the faintest rustle of movement in the forest."
What does the root "aud-" mean?
A. Sight
B. Sound
C. Speed
D. Strength
Answer: B. Sound
Ubiquitous
Definition: Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
Synonyms: everywhere,omnipresent,pervasive,universal
Example: Smartphones have become so ubiquitous that it’s hard to imagine life without them.
In Percy Jackson and the Olympians, describe "nectar" in a fun and creative way.
Answer: What is "the gods’ version of a health smoothie, but way tastier and less green"?
What should you do if you recognize part of a word but are still unsure of its full meaning?
A. Ignore the word entirely.
B. Assume it means the same as a word it resembles.
C. Make up a definition based on how it sounds.
D. Use a dictionary or online resource for confirmation.
Answer: D. Use a dictionary or online resource for confirmation.
"In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo gazed at the ominous clouds swirling above Mount Doom, their dark and foreboding presence making him shudder at what was to come."
Answer: Ominous means "threatening or giving the impression that something bad will happen." The context clue is "dark and foreboding presence making him shudder."
"In The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf warned the group of the malevolent forces gathering in Mordor, describing their sinister intent to bring harm to the world."
What does the prefix "mal-" mean?
A. Small
B. Many
C. Bad
D. Strong
Answer: C. Bad
Juxtapose
Definition: To place two things close together for contrasting effect.
Synonyms:
Example: The artist chose to juxtapose light and dark colors to create a dramatic effect.
In The Chronicles of Narnia, describe "Turkish Delight" in a fun and creative way.
Answer: What is "a magical candy so good it could make you betray your siblings"?
Which strategy is most helpful when trying to define a word like “telepathy,” based on its Greek roots?
A. Focus only on the “pathy” part.
B. Break the word into “tele-” (distant) and “pathy” (feeling) to figure out the meaning.
C. Ignore the roots and guess its meaning from the text.
D. Assume it has the same meaning as “telephone.”
Answer: B. Break the word into “tele-” (distant) and “pathy” (feeling) to figure out the meaning.