Vocabulary 3.1
hostile and aggressive
belligerent
a person (or act) that is utterly odious or wicked
heinous
obtain or bring about by discussion
negotiate
One the most popular musical instruments is the piano. In the traditional musical instrument classification system, the piano falls into two categories. It is considered a string instrument because the sound comes from the strings inside the piano. It is also considered a percussion instrument, since the player strikes the keyboard, which signals an internal hammer to strike the strings.
What is the main idea?
a. The strings of a piano makes the sound.
b. The piano is both a string and percussion instrument.
c. The piano is a popular instrument
b. The piano is both a string and percussion instrument.
"For four amazing minutes on the ice, Sarah Hughes was astonishingly poised, executing seven flawless triple jumps. But afterward, the 16-year-old was girlishly nervous as she waited for the final scores. The television cameras caught Hughes and her coach, Robin Wagner, huddled on a bench in a barren room backstage when the judges made the final pronouncement. Wagner reacted first, screaming 'Oh my God!' and then hugging Hughes, who fell to the floor in shock. It was official. The teenager from Great Neck, NY, had beaten the world's best in one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history" (308). What can you conclude about Sarah Hughes?
she is an Olympic figure skater
to make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse
exacerbate
obtained, done by, or involving deception, especially criminal deception
fraudulent
about to happen
imminent
Plants need the right amounts of sun and water to survive. In tropical climates, both are abundant, and many plants thrive. In the desert, however, plants get plenty of sun but not much water. Rain might not fall for months. When rain does fall, it evaporates quickly.
What is the main idea?
a. When rain does fall, it evaporates quickly.
c. Desert plants get plenty of sun but not much rain.
c. Plants need the right amount of sun and water to survive.
c. Plants need the right amount of sun and water to survive.
To infer means to ________.
to "read between the lines" or make an educated guess based on evidence from the text
an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way
propensity
relating to the business of running an organization, or government
bureaucratic
a wealthy, powerful person in business or industry
tycoon
Memorial Day is a great holiday! It assures us that summer is just around the corner. Of course, Memorial Day was first celebrated for a more serious reason. Memorial Day began in 1868 to honor Civil war soldiers. Later, it became the day to remember all American soldiers who had died in a war.
What is the main idea?
a. Memorial Day is the first day of summer.
b. Memorial Day is a great holiday.
c. Memorial Day honors fallen soldiers.
c. Memorial Day honors fallen soldiers.
Tim looked out the window. The house looked so lonely. Tim's father put the last suitcase in the trunk and started up the car. Thor, his dog, put his head on Tim's lap, like he understood how Tim was feeling. "It's okay Thor," he said, "Dad says we will like California."
I can infer that:
a. Tim is sad because his dog doesn't have a house to live in.
b. Tim is taking a trip to visit people he doesn't know.
c. Tim is taking Thor to live with his grandmother.
d. Tim is moving to California with his family
d. Tim is moving to California with his family
make (an action or process) happen sooner or be accomplished more quickly
expedite
to support or strengthen
bolster
not legally permitted or authorized; unlicensed; unlawful
illicit
Most animals like company, but, it seems, they also like to be unique. There are special names for groups of many different animals. For example, a group of fish is a school. You wouldn't call a group of ants a school, but you can call them a colony. A group of hens is a brood. Then, there is a pod of dolphins, a string of ponies, and a gaggle of geese.
What is the main idea?
a. There are different names for different animal groups.
b. Animals are unique.
c. A group of ants are a colony, not a school.
a. There are different names for different animal groups.
The babysitter was downstairs reading, happy to have a few moments of quiet with the child upstairs sleeping. She just hoped the wiggly toddler would stay in her new big-girl bed. Suddenly, there was a loud "THUMP!" followed by a grumpy voice saying, "ow!"
What can you infer?
a. the child was asleep
b. the child fell out of bed
c. the child was eating a bag of chips
d. the child wanted to read a book
b. the child fell out of bed
to take in (information, ideas, or culture) and understand fully
assimilate
an alliance for combined action
coalition
to be or go beyond the range or limits of
transcend
Can you tell a storm is coming? Some people are very good at predicting bad weather. They may feel sore in their joints. Some say they can smell it. Some listen to weather reports. The reporters use equipment that can watch weather from a distance.
What is the main idea?
a. There are several way to know if a storm is on its way.
b. It's a good idea to go inside during a storm.
c. Storms are unpredictable.
a. There are several way to know if a storm is on its way.
A mother is pushing a cart through the grocery store. A little girl, around three years old, is sitting in the cart. The girl reaches for a brightly-colored box, and the mother gently takes it away from her. The girl begins to cry.
I can infer that:
a. The little girl wanted to keep the box.
b. The mother hurt the girl when she took away the box.
c. The box contained laundry detergent.
a. The little girl wanted to keep the box.
make (something) greater by adding to it; increase
augment
to compensate for the faults or bad aspects of or to gain possession of something in exchange for payment
redeem
in fact, or in effect, whether by right or not
de facto
Melanie is in the fourth grade. Her favorite sport is soccer. She loves soccer because she gets to play with her friends. Scoring goals and celebrating with her team is what Melanie loves best. She also enjoys eating the oranges at half-time, they are delicious!
What is the main idea of this passage?
a) Melanie is in the fourth grade
b) Her favorite sport is soccer
c) She loves scoring goals
b) Her favorite sport is soccer
A little boy is sitting with his mother in a doctor’s office, listlessly leaning against her. When she gives him a cup to sip some water, he slowly pushes it away. After a while, he begins to whimper and puts a hand to his neck.
I can infer that:
a. The boy is tired.
b. The boy has hurt his hand.
c. The boy has a sore throat.
d. The boy doesn't like water.
c. The boy has a sore throat.
having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline.
recalcitrant
happening by accident or chance rather than design
fortuitous
relating to the structure of populations
demographic
The sun is shining on a cool fall day. The students’ backpacks are filled with new notebooks and pencils. They wait at the bus stop, talking with their friends who they haven’t seen all summer. The teachers are happy as they greet the new students in the hallway on their way to class. Everyone is excited for the first day of school.
What is the main idea of this story?
a) Everyone is excited for the first day of school.
b) The sun is shining on a cool fall day.
c) The teachers are happy as they greet the new students in the hallway on their way to class.
a) Everyone is excited for the first day of school.
Kevin ran to the mailbox. With his back turned to the house, he opened the envelope containing his report card. After a quick, confirming glance, he crumpled the report card and stuffed it into his pocket. He went into the house, put the rest of the mail on the kitchen table, and ran up to his room.
I can infer that:
a. Kevin wants to play video games.
b. Kevin did not have good grades on his report card.
c. Kevin loves to get the mail.
b. Kevin did not have good grades on his report card.