Definitions and Figures of Speech
I’m boxing against a formidable opponent, who has many years of practice. What does formidable means?
Canny, Zest, or Arduous?
Arduous
I felt gloomy and very tired. What is the antonym for the word in bold letters?
Exuberant, Kindle, or Lucrative?
Exuberant
“Arnie is interested in the position,” said Cindy. “Oh really,” replied Ed.
“Yes. He wants to talk with you about it,” said Cindy.
“You should deter him,” replied Ed. The use of the word “deter” indicates that –
A. Cindy wants to apply for the position herself.
B. Ed wants Cindy to encourage Arnie to apply for the position.
C. Cindy thinks Arnie deserves the new position.
D. Ed wants Cindy to discourage Arnie from applying for the position.
D. Ed wants Cindy to discourage Arnie from applying for the position.
“Deter” means to discourage someone from doing something.
Combination of words that do not seem to go together. (awfully pretty, good problem, jumbo shrimp)
A. Archetype
B. Oxymoron
C. Pathetic Fallacy
D. Omniscient
B. Oxymoron
After looking at the roses in Mrs. Thomas’s garden, Jennifer concluded that she had a green thumb.
Which figurative language device is being used here?
A. Simile
B. Hyperbole
C. Idiom
D. Personification
C. Idiom
The bee buzzed around the garden before landing on a flower.
Which figurative language device is being used here?
Onomatopoeia
This is where the trip started, at the bottom of the mountain. What is the antonym for the word in bold letters?
Intrepid, Climax, or Canny?
Climax
You will need to do more than simply complete your homework in order to succeed. You need to pay attention in class, complete all of the activities, and ask questions when you are confused. What is the tone of this excerpt?
A. Authoritative
B. Optimistic
C. Sarcastic
D. Humorous
A. Authoritative
Carrie sat patiently in the waiting room. She couldn’t understand what was taking so long. “This place is a refrigerator,” she thought as she pulled on her sweater. “I just want to see the doctor.”
What type of figurative language is used in the bold letters?
A. Simile
B. personification
C. metaphor
C. metaphor
“Did you watch the movie I recommended?” asked Rick. “It had a profound effect on me,” replied Angie.
The use of the word “profound” indicates that –
A. Angie didn’t like the movie.
B. Angie forgot to watch the movie.
C. Angie thought the movie was powerful.
D. Angie wasn’t sure how she felt about the movie.
C. Angie thought the movie was powerful. Profound is an adjective and has a deep meaning.
(1) Everyone was excited about the new student, Thomas. (2) The boys were impressed with his athleticism. (3) The girls fought over who would sit next to him during lunch. (4) I guess he is a Romeo.
(5) Hopefully, he will be able to handle Mr. Greene’s Algebra I class. Which sentence contains an allusion?
A. Sentence 1
B. Sentence 2
C. Sentence 4
D. Sentence 5
C. Sentence 4
“I guess he is a Romeo.” This is a literary allusion to Romeo from Romeo and Juliet. A “Romeo” is a boy that is popular with girls.
The trip through the mall was effortless. What is the antonym for the word in bold letters?
Lucrative, Strait, or Arduous?
Arduous
“I can’t work tomorrow because I am busy,” said Janet.
“What are you doing? Going out with Joe?” asked Ruth.
“Yes,” replied Janet.
“Where are you going?” asked Ruth.
“I don’t know, he’s spontaneous.” said Janet. The use of the word “spontaneous” indicates that –
A. Joe is impulsive.
B. Ruth is busy tomorrow.
C. Joe is working tomorrow.
D. Janet is jealous of Ruth.
A. Joe is impulsive.
Jennifer grabbed her sunglasses and beach bag because the sun was calling her name.
Which figurative language device is being used here?
A. Metaphor
B. Simile
C. Personification
D. Hyperbole
C. Personification
Read this sentence from the passage “The Move.”
“Though the U.S. leaders considered boycotting the games to show that they thought this was wrong, the United States was racially segregated.”
Using the Latin roots below, what word is the best synonym for the word “segregated”? se- = apart greg- = flock
1. combined 2. divided 3. respected 4. gathered
2. divided
What does the allusion to “open up Pandora’s box” means?
A. To receive a luxurious gift
B. To stir up trouble
C. To take without permission
D. To cause others to commit a felony
B. To stir up trouble
According to the Greeks, Pandora opened a box containing death and many other evils which were then released into the world.
Ben has always been reckless with his money. What is the antonym for the word in bold letters?
Canny, Kindle , or Zest?
Canny
“Is Ben coming over to your house tonight?” asked Kim. “Yes,” replied Suzie. “How do you feel about that?” asked Kim.
“He’s atrocious. How do you think I feel?” asked Suzie. Which word could be substituted for “atrocious” to change the tone? A. Heinous
B. Villainous
C. Diabolical
D. Magnificent
D.Magnificent
The word “magnificent” if substituted for “atrocious” would change the tone from negative to positive.
“How do the employees feel about the new health plan?” ask Jen. “Catherine thinks it is magnificent,” said Mrs. Thomas. “How about Sam?” inquired Jen.
“He seems disgruntled,” replied Mrs. Thomas. “What about Myra?” asked Jen. “She said it’s sensational,” answered Mrs. Thomas. Which word from this excerpt has negative connotations?
A. Magnificent
B. Inquired
C. Disgruntled
D. Sensational
C. Disgruntled
Read this sentence from the passage “Having the Right Stuff.”
“The vibrations from the sound of the spectators filled the stadium, but Benjamin was oblivious of what was going on.”
Which word best replaces the word “oblivious” to provide a more positive connotation?
1. ignorant 2. neglectful 3. cautious 4. unaware
4. unaware
“Arnie is interested in the position,” said Cindy. “Oh really,” replied Ed. “Yes. He wants to talk with you about it,” said Cindy. “You should deter him,” replied Ed. The use of the word “deter” indicates that – A. Cindy wants to apply for the position herself. B. Ed wants Cindy to encourage Arnie to apply for the position.
C. Cindy thinks Arnie deserves the new position.
D. Ed wants Cindy to discourage Arnie from applying for the position.
D. Ed wants Cindy to discourage Arnie from applying for the position
Ms. Johnson, the librarian, will share advice on keyword searches to find pertinent information about certain topics.
Which word below is an antonym to the word pertinent.
A. valid
B. irrelevant
C. related
D. appropriate
B. irrelevant
“Did you watch the movie I recommended?” asked Rick.
“It had a profound effect on me,” replied Angie. The use of the word “profound” indicates that –
A. Angie didn’t like the movie.
B. Angie forgot to watch the movie.
C. Angie thought the movie was powerful.
D. Angie wasn’t sure how she felt about the movie.
C. Angie thought the movie was powerful.
The cache includes scores of emails to and from members of the board. Apparently, people are pretty agitated about this issue.
Which is the BEST example of a technical word?
A. Cache
B. Scores
C. Agitated
D. Issue
A. Cache
Technical or domain specific words are words that have specific meanings in a subject area such as science, technology mathematics, or social studies books.
Read the sentence from William Safire’s introduction to the speech.
“He came and went with Halley’s Comet, which appeared in 1835 and 1910.”
What does the figurative language in the sentence mean? 1. Mark Twain was born in 1835 and died in 1910. 2. Mark Twain’s popularity reached its peak in 1835 and again in 1910. 3. Mark Twain had the luck to witness a rare event in 1835 and in 1910. 4. Mark Twain’s work had a significant influence on literature between 1835 and 1910.
1. Mark Twain was born in 1835 and died in 1910.