Definitions
Which definition best matches the way the word flow is used in line 14?
flow \flō\ n 1. the movement of liquid 2. an amount that passes through a specific point 3. uninterrupted progress 4. an energy transfer
10 We are both staring hard
11 At each other. He wants to know
12 Just where in this bright, blue-faced world
13 He might be safe. He wants to go on with the
14 Flow of his life. Then he straightens
15 His shining back and drops
16 From the rocks and rockets through
17 The tangle of weeds, sliding, as he goes, over
18 My barefoot.
A. Definition 1
B. Definition 2
C. Definition 3
D. Definition 4
C. Definition 3: Uninterrupted progress
The Latin root testis, meaning “witness,” helps the reader understand that the word testimony in the paragraph below means —
To the ordinary person, Cobble's Knot was about as friendly as a nest of yellow jackets. Besides the tangle itself, there was the weathering of that first year, when the Knot hung outside and became hard as a rock. You could barely make out the individual strands. It was grimy, moldy, and crusted over. Here and there a loop stuck out, maybe big enough to stick your pinky finger through, pitiful testimony to the challengers who had tried and failed.
A. Warning
B. Evidence
C. Attempt
D. Assistance
B. Evidence
The East India company was financially struggling at the time, and Britain relied heavily on its contributions to the British economy. The purpose of the Tea Act was to help keep afloat the company,
In the second sentence, the phrase keep afloat means --
A. stay in business
B. build more business
C. begin a business
D. close a business
A. stay in business
In the paragraph below, the word waver means to —
BOY: [Thinking.] A fly is a good enough witness for me. My father has gone to cut down bamboo to make a fence for a man near the river. And my mother . . . [Pretending to waver.] You promise, right?
A. tease
B. be unhappy
C. hesitate
D. be humble
C. hesitate
Read the dictionary entry below, then read the paragraph.
shadow \ ı sha-(ı )dō\ v 1. to shelter from light and heat 2. to have colors that gradually pass one into another 3. to follow or keep under observation 4. to become dark
And the risks won’t be as great for Laura because she will have the safety boat shadowing her. Under such circumstances, I would allow her that adventure, as it means so much to her.
Which definition best fits the meaning of shadowing as it is used in the paragraph above?
A. Definition 1
B. Definition 2
C. Definition 3
D. Definition 4
C. Definition 3: to follow or keep under observation
The Latin root vocare, meaning “to call,” helps the reader understand that the word advocate in the following paragraph means one who —
They even pay taxes and elect their own mayor. They also make their own laws and must abide by them
or else pay fines. These students don’t just learn about how a town works—they make real-life decisions that affect what goes on in their town. Pershing Elementary School teacher Luz Pineda is an advocate of BizTown. “This program prepares children for the future,” she said. “This shows them what will really happen when they’re adults.”
A. studies other people
B. provides support
C. controls a group of people
D. offers motivation
B. Provides support
What does the word reenactment mean in the paragraph below?
In 2005, 10 teams of experienced kite fliers staged a reenactment of Walsh’s effort. Only one of them was able to successfully fly a kite across the gorge. That shows how tremendous Walsh’s achievement really was.
A. A protest in response to an action
B. A repetition of an event
C. A celebration of a famous person
D. A competition involving many participants
B. A repetition of an event
The word illustrious in the following paragraph means —
That gave me an idea. I decided I would compose my social media status updates as if I were an illustrious traveler visiting the Serengeti Plain and making keen observations to my fans about my surroundings. I started early the next morning.
A. lonely
B. native
C. famous
D. inexperienced
C. Famous
Which definition best matches the way the word style is used in the paragraph below?
style \Ɏstī(-Ǩ)l\ n 1. the fashion of the moment 2. the type or make of something 3. a way or manner of behaving 4. a set of rules for writing
I owe much to Paige. Buying a puppy from her meant having the freedom to pick her brain, no matter how often I called—calls that in the beginning were more frequent than she bargained for, I’m sure, and were typically panic-driven. I liked her style. During our conversations, which were always lengthy, I came to think of her as intuitive, and I trusted her in every way.
A. Definition 1
B. Definition 2
C. Definition 3
D. Definition 4
C. Definition 3: A way or manner of behaving
Read the information about the origin of the word replenish.
from Latin plenus, meaning “full”
This information helps the reader understand that replenished in the following paragraph means —
When a type of food is no longer grown because of a natural disaster, such as a flood, or because it becomes unpopular or too expensive to grow, it can disappear from stores and kitchens forever. The Global Crop Diversity Trust wants to prevent this by preserving as many varieties of seeds as possible. The assortment at the vault ensures that food supplies can be maintained or replenished if necessary.
A. built up again
B. highly valued
C. properly managed
D. correctly used
A. built up again
In the paragraph below, the word omission means something that is —
Pavel stood in the dim light of steerage, the lowest section of the boat. It was a foul place, filled with the stench of his fellow passengers, who hadn’t been able to bathe since boarding the ship two weeks ago. His only escape came from the words of a letter, long memorized now, from his uncle. The letter contained no information about the difficulty of the journey—only praise for the destination. Pavel wasn’t sure whether to curse his uncle for this omission or thank him for the descriptions that transported him from this dank vessel.
A. left out
B. changed
C. written down
A. Left out
What does the word gusto mean in the following paragraph?
[Asia smiles widely as she continues cutting. She sings and snips with gusto. Lonnie sits quietly. After a few minutes, Asia stops singing and stares at Lonnie’s hair. Jeremiah enters.]
A. Concern
B. Precision
C. Curiosity
D. Enthusiasm
D. Enthusiasm
Which definition most closely matches the way the word digest is used in the paragraph below?
digest \dī-ıjest\ v 1. to convert food into absorbable form 2. to think over in order to absorb 3. to arrange in a methodical order; classify 4. to reduce to a summary
I was getting woozy with information overload. Me and sock monkeys made of the same stuff? It was too much to digest. So I retreated to the one conclusion I had managed to extract from all this. “So . . . Jim . . . like, I’m unsmashable?”
A. Definition 1
B. Definition 2
C. Definition 3
D. Definition 4
B. Definition 2: to think over in order to absorb
The Latin word ob, meaning “in the way,” helps the reader understand that the word obstructs in paragraph 2 means —
When Three Gorges Dam began altering the flow of water, it also changed the environment, particularly for the fish population. For many of the Yangtze River’s estimated 350 species of fish, the dam obstructs the path they travel to reproduce.
A. reverses
B. defeats
C. lengthens
D. hinders
D. hinders
In the paragraph below, the word refuted means —
The success of the Sweethearts refuted the idea that women couldn’t play music with the same skill and passion as men. In fact, they became one of the longest-lasting all-women bands of the 1940s. By 1949, however, the swing era had come to an end, and the Sweethearts disbanded.
A. ignored
B. performed
C. disproved
D. questioned
C. Disproved
Which words from the following paragraph help the reader understand the meaning of the word daunting?
You might think the challenge of solving real-world crises would be daunting to world leaders, let alone fourth graders. Julianne Swope, one of Hunter’s former students, agrees. “Sometimes World Peace Game feels like, you know, the weight of the world on your shoulders: This is exploding over here, this is firing over there, this is spilling oil,” she says.
A. challenge of solving real-world crises
B. make the world a better, more peaceful place
C. demonstrates that young children
D. have the desire
A. Challenge of solving real-world crises
Which definition best fits how critical is used in the following paragraph?
critical \kri-ti-k l\ adj 1. relating to a stage of illness 2. tending to evaluate unfavorably 3. needed to serve a purpose 4. using careful judgment
The vault was built to withstand bomb blasts and earthquakes, but the treasure it shields is not what you might expect. This vault was not built to store precious gems or gold bars. It was designed to store something even more valuable and critical to our very survival—food. This vault is sometimes called the Fort Knox of food
A. Definition 1
B. Definition 2
C. Definition 3
D. Definition 4
C. Definition 3: Needed to serve a purpose
Read the information about the origin of the word epidemic, then read the paragraph that follows.
from the Greek epi ("among, upon"), and demos ("people")
In the 1850s, about 30,000 children in New York were either homeless or living in orphanages. Many were the children of immigrants who had died in the epidemics or were forced to abandon their children for a variety of reasons.
This information helps the reader understand that epidemic in the paragraph above means --
A. death by starvation
B. unsafe traveling conditions
C. lack of access to medical care
D. widespread occurrence of a disease
D. Widespread occurrence of a disease
What does the word flustered mean in the paragraph below?
BANKER: [Appearing flustered.] What? That’s nonsense! Tell me where they are or I’ll rip your soccer ball to shreds.
A. Irritated
B. Greedy
C. Suspicious
D. Sly
A. Irritated
What does the phrase resorted to mean in paragraph 5?
I have to admit that I resorted to the convenience of prepackaged food at times. On days when I came home particularly tired, I would take out a frozen dinner or a package of noodles and hover impatiently around the microwave—that is, until I started reading the nutritional information on the back of my noodle package.
A. Do something as a last option
B. Make something important
C. Do something as a favor
D. Make something last longer
A. Do something as a last option