Word Analysis
Passage:
It was a cold and chilling night, and the cattle were restless. As the sun dropped behind the mountain range, the animals all started to come alive with anticipation. This was a night of the hunter and the hunted. The wolves were on the prowl for a meal, and the cattle knew they were being watched.
Question:
Choose the word that is an antonym for restless.
a. excited
b. anxious
c. tired
d. moving
C.
The word restless means:
not calm, unable to relax, or feeling nervous and active.
We are looking for an antonym, which means:
a word that means the opposite.
Passage:
Leo the lion went to the park one day. He sat on a bench and watched everyone playing on the toys. Then, he ate his lunch that he had brought along. Leo had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Question:
Which title tells the main idea of this story?
a. Going to the Park
b. Leo Picnics in the Park
c. Lions like Peanut Butter and Jelly
d. Where did Leo Go?
A
The main idea is what the whole story is mostly about.
In this story:
So the story is about: Leo spending time and eating at the park
Passage:
Amy opened the door to the bathroom. “What is that dripping sound? Why is the carpet wet and squishy all around the bathtub? The rest of the carpet is dry. Oh no!”
Question:
What is the problem?
a. There is no soap in the bathroom.
b. The television set is broken.
c. The bathtub is overflowing.
d. The stove was left turned on.
C
Look at the clues in the passage:
This tells us:
➡Water is coming from the bathtub area
➡Something is leaking or overflowing
Poem:
I wish for a rainbow to color the sky,
My friends would notice as it catches my eye.
The colors would be vivid and bright for all to see,
I’d walk through the village with it following me.
Tall trees may stretch to amazing heights,
But keep my rainbow in perfect sight.
My rainbow would bring all who can see a moment of pleasure,
Which everyone would be lucky to have such a treasure.
My rainbow, you see, is a wonderful treat,
My wish, my hope is for something special to meet.
Question:
The lines of this poem are an example of:
a. personification
b. simile
c. rhyme
d. metaphor
Look at the ends of the lines:
The words sound the same at the end
That is called: rhyme
Check the choices:
The best answer is rhyme because the lines have matching ending sounds.
Read the passage.
On a warm, summer day, the tall green giant of the hills looked down upon the village below and cried. He wanted more than anything to become friends with them, but he knew from past experiences that they would were too afraid of him because of his horrible appearance. The people of the village were small in stature and plain looking. The giant was a horrible sight, with orange warts covering his face, yellow eyes, blue hair and standing almost 50 feet tall and
weights several tons. The earth seemed to shake when he walked, and he knew that the people of the village thought he was a monster. They had run him out of the village years ago with fire torches, chanting and waiving him out forever. His thoughts were interrupted by the sobbing sounds coming from nearby. He went to investigate and found a small child, lost in the hills. She was blind and could not find her way back home. The giant spoke to her in a soft voice, and because she couldn’t see his appearance, she was not afraid. He invited her in to his house for cookies and milk, and then he led her back to the gates of the village. They both promised to keep in touch and be great friends. The little girl skipped away happily and the giant’s heart felt lighter.
What is the pupose of this passage?
a. to warn people away from giants
b. to describe what giants are supposed to look like
c. to keep people away from monsters
d. to show that you can’t always judge people based on their appearance
D
Think about what the story is really teaching us:
This shows: People are not always what they look like on the outside
Passage:
“It is fear, Mr. Holmes. It is terror.” She raised her veil as she spoke, and we could see that she was indeed in a pitiable state of agitation, her face all drawn and gray, with restless, frightened eyes, like those of some hunted animal. Her features and figure were those of a woman of thirty, but her hair was shot with premature gray, and her expression was weary and haggard. Sherlock Holmes ran her over with one of his quick, all-comprehensive glances.
Question:
In this paragraph, what does the word agitation mean?
a. upset
b. mixed up
c. confused
d. tired
A
Look at the clues around the word agitation:
All of these details show she is:
➡scared, nervous, and emotionally shaken
The word agitation here means:
very upset or disturbed
Read the story.
Long ago, in the ancient sea, there lived a small, yellow octopus. He was very smart and very sneaky. He liked to tease the other fish and animals in the sea, and he was always telling them how he could get anyone to do anything he asked. He was a very over-confident and cunning octopus. One day, a giant eagle was flying over the waters, and the octopus waved to him, asking him to stop and visit. He told the eagle that he wanted to be friends, and that he would make the eagle very popular with all the other animals, if the eagle would do anything the octopus asked. The eagle did not have any friends, so he agreed. The following morning, the octopus bragged to all the other animals that he had a slave that would take him flying or to do anything else he wanted. He continued to tease the other animals and made them all feel very bad. That afternoon, the eagle came flying by, and the octopus asked him to carry him in the eagle’s claws and fly around the sea looking for food. The eagle did this, but it was very tiring and difficult. The eagle was in pain, but the octopus didn’t care. He was only concerned about himself. One evening, when the octopus was sleeping, the other animals met and talked to the eagle. They all became great friends, and the next day when the octopus demanded that the eagle fly him around again to look for food, the eagle picked up the octopus and dropped him back into the water with a huge splash. The other animals all cheered.
Why might the eagle have dropped the octopus into the sea?
a. The other animals asked him to so the octopus would quit teasing them.
b. The octopus wanted new friends.
c. The octopus wanted to be dropped.
d. The eagle lost his grip.
A
Think about what happens in the story:
-The octopus is mean and selfish
-He uses the eagle and doesn’t care about him
-The other animals talk to the eagle and become his friends
-The eagle realizes the octopus is treating everyone badly
So, the eagle drops the octopus to: stand up to him and stop the behavior
Passage:
Southeastern Idaho is covered with snow for four or five months each year. Even when it’s not snowing, the wind blows almost every day and the temperatures often fall below freezing. People in Idaho have learned many ways to enjoy life despite the crazy weather. Just about everyone has warm mittens or gloves, a heavy coat, and toasty boots. We have many opportunities to ski, skate, or go sledding up in the foothills. Lots of homes have fireplaces and our closets are filled with warm blankets. All in all, we make the most of it.
Question:
This paragraph best explains:
a. how people in Idaho have adapted their lives to the weather
b. why people need to have warm boots
c. why skiing, skating, and sledding are so popular
d. the importance of fireplaces and warm blankets
A
In this paragraph:
All of these details show:
how people live and adjust to the cold weather
Poem:
The flicker of light
It burns in the shadows.
How wondrous it is
The miracle of nature.
How can such a simple thing
Be such a wonder?
A bug? With lightening?
How can this be?
What a wondrous sight!
Question:
What is the author referring to in this poem?
a. lightning bugs
b. lightning
c. storms
d. nature
A
Look at the clues:
This describes: lightning bugs (fireflies)
Passage:
When I was growing up on the farm, we rose every morning with the sun to start our day. The first thing that I always did was start the cows to milking, and then I started cleaning the stalls. All of the animals had to be fed before we even thought about breakfast, and boy oh boy, did we have a lot of animals! There were cows, horses, pigs, goats, chickens, mules, rabbits, sheep, dogs, cats, and even a pet rat! It was a tough childhood, but that’s all I knew, so I never complained. Chores were just part of life, and I lived a very full life up until I was 18.
Question:
What is the purpose of this passage?
a. to describe how to milk the cows
b. to show how hard life is in the city
c. to describe what life is like on a farm
d. to show that he hated doing chores
C
Think about what the whole passage is mostly about:
The author is explaining:
what daily life is like growing up on a farm
Passage:
Suddenly he wished that he hadn’t left his bed, that he’d stayed away from the Hatching Ground. Now everyone would see his ignominious failure. So he scrambled as desperately to reach the shadowy walls of the Hatching Ground as he had struggled to cross the bowl. He mustn’t be seen.
Question:
Which word in this story means the same as shameful?
a. ignominious
b. desperately
c. struggled
d. shadowy
A
We are looking for a word that means shameful.
Look at the sentence:
This tells us:
He feels embarrassed and doesn’t want others to see him fail
His failure feels shameful
Passage:
It was a rainy and cold morning, but the children all wanted to play outside. Their mother told them to wear jackets and hats, so they would not get sick or catch a cold. They all agreed, but as soon as they were out of their mother’s sight, they took off their jackets and hats, so they could play football without any bulky clothing on.
What do you think will happen?
a. The children will go back home.
b. The children will get sick, because they were wet and cold.
c. The children will win the game of football.
d. The children will want to play a different game.
B
Look at the clues:
This tells us: They are not protecting themselves from the cold
So the most likely outcome is: They might get sick
Passage:
Scientist, Jack Futureman, sat in his laboratory working on his new discovery. “This will change the world!” he thought to himself. “Where should I go first with my amazing new invention?” He could go back to the past and witness World War I or travel into the future to see what new technologies exist. The possibilities were endless!
Question:
What is Jack’s invention?
a. an airplane
b. a vacuum cleaner
c. a time machine
d. an encyclopedia
C
Look at the clues in the passage:
That means his invention lets him travel through time
Check the choices:
The best answer is time machine because it matches all the clues.
Read the passage.
“Well, it looks like the cat’s out of the bag.”
What does the underlined figure of speech mean?
a. Alice is a funny person.
b. Alice told Jenny’s secret.
c. Jenny likes cats.
d. Cats should not be kept in bags.
B
“Cat’s out of the bag” = a secret was told.
Passage:
Stunned for only a moment, the youth invented a tale that only giants, the most gullible creatures on the earth, would believe. Unfortunately it is a quirk of supernature, a paradox of the cruelest kind, that whatever giants believe becomes their truth. “What was your last job?” asked the boy, knowing full well that giants never do manual work and haven’t the intellect or dexterity required for other types of employment.
Question:
From the context of this passage, which pair of words are opposites?
a. invented, truth
b. gullible, supernature
c. giants, paradox
d. cruellest, kind
A
We are looking for opposites (antonyms).
Look at these words:
These are opposites because:
10. Read the passage.
“Pin him boy! You’re as strong as an ox!”
What can you guess about Marc’s grandfather?
a. He lacked confidence in Marc’s ability to win because Marc was weak.
b. He had confidence in Marc’s ability to win because Marc was strong.
c. He thought Marc was an ox.
d. He thought Marc was wrestling an ox.
B
Strong as an ox” = very strong → grandfather believes in him.
Poem:
The moon shines bright up in the sky,
A glowing lamp way up high.
It lights the night with gentle beams,
And watches over quiet dreams.
What do the words sky and high show?
a. simile
b. rhyme
c. metaphor
d. personification
👉 sky and high sound the same at the end
👉 Words that have the same ending sound = rhyme