CONTEXT CLUES 10/24

​Friday October 24th
Lesson Objective: I will learn how to use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.

By gabriela orona

​Passage 1:
Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous because of a mistake. It was built on earth that wasn't stable enough to hold it straight. Soon after building began in 1173, the tower started leaning. The work stopped even though the building wasn't complete. A new engineer came in almost one hundred years later. He tried building the stories higher on one side to fix the tower, but his plan didn't work. Still leaning, the building was completed in 1372. The leaning got worse over hundreds of years. In 1990, the tower was closed so engineers could reinforce the tower. Steel cables were wrapped around the tower, and the tower's base was improved. Now slightly straighter, the tower is safe and open again for visitors.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of reinforce as used in the passage?

• Make something more beautiful by painting it

• Take a short rest break from a building project

• slide down a small hill rapidly

• Make something stronger by adding support

Open Ended

What evidence from the passage helped you determine the meaning of the word? Be sure to explain your reasoning.

Evidence that helped determine the meaning of the word was "________________". My reasoning is _____________________.

​PASSAGE 2:
Amelia Earhart was born in 1897, a time when few women worked outside the home. Earhart, however, loved flying airplanes. In 1932, she became the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many other flight records during her life. But Earhart is remembered most for her last flight. In 1937, she set off to fly around the world at the equator. Her plane was lost, and what happened to it is a mystery. Debris found on Gardner Island in the Western Pacific, however, suggests that Earhart may have landed there. Researchers say that a piece of metal found on the island matches a patch from Earhart's airplane.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of debris as used in the passage?

• The fossils of extinct animals

• A large amount of leftover food

• The remains of something that was broken

• Popular clothing worn during the 1930s

Open Ended

What evidence from the passage helped you determine the meaning of the word? Be sure to explain your reasoning.

Evidence that helped determine the meaning of the word was "________________". My reasoning is _____________________.

​PASSAGE 3:
Nelson Mandela was born in the country of South Africa in 1918. In 1948, South Africa passed laws to keep people of different skin colors separated. Black people could not vote. They had to stay in certain areas and were sent to jail if they didn't. Mandela became a leader of a group that fought for equal rights for all South Africans. Because of this work, he was sent to prison for twenty-seven years. This did not deter Mandela, though. In fact, he continued working for change while in prison and after he was released. Change did eventually come to South Africa. In 1994, people of all skin colors were allowed to vote in the South African election, and Nelson Mandela was elected president.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of deter as used in the passage?

• Make lonely

• Stop

• Bring happiness to

• improve

Multiple Choice

What evidence from the passage helped you determine the meaning of the word?

• In fact, he continued working for change while in prison and after he was released.

• They had to stay in certain areas and were sent to jail if they didn't.

• Nelson Mandela was born in the country of South Africa in 1918.

• People of all skin colors were allowed to vote in the South African election, and Nelson Mandela was elected president.

​PASSAGE 4:
Soccer is a very popular sport. It is played in more than two hundred countries around the world. The rules of play are simple. Each team tries to shoot a ball into the other team's goal. Passing the ball is an important part of the game. As players run up and down the field, they pass the ball among their teammates. Players usually pass the ball to each other using their feet. Unless you're the person guarding a goal, using your hands to pass the ball to teammates is prohibited. If you use your hands, your team gets a penalty, which gives the other team a chance to score.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of prohibited as used in the passage?

• Do not suggest

• Not easy

• Not Important

• Not allowed

Multiple Choice

What evidence from the passage helped you determine the meaning of the word?

• Players usually pass the ball to each other using their feet.

• If you use your hands, your team gets a penalty, which gives the other team a chance to score.

  
  

• Unless you're the person guarding a goal

• Passing the ball is an important part of the game

​PASSAGE 5:
Jane Goodall had no training in science when she arrived in Africa from England. But she was a very good observer. In Goodall's first encounters with chimpanzees, the animals shrieked and ran away from her. Slowly, though, she gained their trust by seeing them again and again. Goodall spent years watching how chimpanzees behaved in the wild. She was the first to discover that chimpanzees hunt and eat meat. She was also the first to see a chimpanzee use a stick to catch and eat insects. Until that time, people believed that only humans made tools.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of encounters as used in the passage?

• Fights

• Discoveries

• Travels

• meetings

Multiple Choice

What evidence from the passage helped you determine the meaning of the word?

• Slowly, though, she gained their trust by seeing them again and again

• Jane Goodall had no training in science when she arrived in Africa from England.

• Goodall spent years watching how chimpanzees behaved in the wild

• Until that time, people believed that only humans made tools.

​PASSAGE 6:
The cello is a wooden musical instrument with four strings. It's played by pulling a bow across the strings or plucking them. The cello is shaped like the violin but stands about four feet tall. Because the cello's strings are longer than the violin's, the cello has a lower-pitched sound. With stringed instruments, as the length of a string diminishes, the pitch becomes higher. The cello was developed about three hundred years ago. Early players would squeeze the instrument between their knees to hold it up while playing. Today's cello has a peg at the bottom, which makes it easier to play. The peg rests on the floor when it's played.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of diminishes as used in the passage?

• Gets stronger

• Grows larger

• Starts shaking

• Becomes smaller

Open Ended

What evidence from the passage helped you determine the meaning of the word? Be sure to explain your reasoning.

Evidence that helped determine the meaning of the word was "________________". My reasoning is _____________________.

​PASSAGE 7:
Although plants don't talk, they do communicate with each other by sending messages. For example, scientists have found that some trees can communicate to share resources like water. They do this by sending messages through an underground network. A certain kind of fungus connects all the trees in the forest together, forming a large network. Scientists believe this information-sharing web may allow larger, older trees to help younger trees survive. This improves the health of the entire forest. The details of how the communication works are still obscure, so further research is needed to better understand the process.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of obscure as used in the passage?

• Not clearly understood

• Highly unusual

• Well established

• scientific

Multiple Choice

What evidence from the passage helped you determine the meaning of the word?

• Scientists believe this information-sharing web may allow larger

•  A certain kind of fungus connects all the trees in the forest together, forming a large network

• Although plants don't talk, they do communicate with each other by sending messages

•  further research is needed to better understand the process

​PASSAGE 8:
The legend of Molly Pitcher dates from the Revolutionary War. An American gunner named John Hays was at the Battle of Monmouth. Hays's wife, Mary, also known as "Molly," was helping him and the other soldiers. The day was terribly hot. Mary carried a pitcher of water from a nearby spring to the field of battle. The soldiers drank and cooled their cannons with the spring water. "Molly Pitcher" became Mary's new name. She kept bringing more fresh water to the soldiers, replenishing the pitcher again and again. Then, when her husband was unable to continue shooting, Molly took his place at the cannon. She is remembered today as a hero.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of replenishing as used in the passage?

• refilling

• spilling

• breaking

• shaking

Multiple Choice

What evidence from the passage helped you determine the meaning of the word?

•  Then, when her husband was unable to continue shooting

• The soldiers drank and cooled their cannons with the spring water.

• again and again

• Mary carried a pitcher of water from a nearby spring to the field of battle.

​PASSAGE 9:
Astronauts in space usually stay inside their vehicles, but sometimes they'll go out on what's known as a spacewalk. They might need to fix something on the outside of the spacecraft or space station. Or they might do science experiments outside. On a spacewalk, astronauts wear spacesuits that contain oxygen needed for breathing. The suits also contain water to drink. While on the walk, astronauts wear backpacks with small jets that can help steer them in space. Steering can be tricky, though, because astronauts are often tethered to their ships. The cords connecting astronauts to their ships let them return to the ships safely if the jet packs should fail.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of tethered as used in the passage?

• tied

• added

• floated

• launched

Multiple Choice

 What evidence from the passage helped you determine the meaning of the word?

• The cords connecting astronauts to their ships let them return to the ships safely

• While on the walk, astronauts wear backpacks with small jets that can help steer them

• The suits also contain water

• They might need to fix something on the outside of the spacecraft

​Passage 10:
Two billion people around the world enjoy eating insects. However, most people in the United States would rather eat dirt than eat a beetle. If you are like most Americans and consider eating insects repugnant, the United Nations would like to change your mind. In 2013, the UN released a report about the benefits of eating bugs. The report says that bugs can be a good source of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. The report suggests that eating bugs can be good for the earth as well. Raising insects for food requires less land and water than raising other animals. Instead of reaching for a hamburger when you're hungry, improve your health and save the earth with a delicious bowl of crickets!

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of repugnant as used in the passage?

• Highly old-fashioned

• Delightfully different

• Extremely disgusting

• Very interesting

Multiple Choice

What evidence from the passage helped you determine the meaning of the word?

• The report says that bugs can be a good source of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

• However, most people in the United States would rather eat dirt than eat a beetle

• Raising insects for food requires less land and water than raising other animals.

• The report suggests that eating bugs can be good for the earth as well.

​PASSAGE 11:
The United States court system has three main levels. The first is the District Court, where trials are first held. This trial court's decision is final unless a party appeals to the Court of Appeal. The appeals court considers arguments from both sides and decides who is right. The last level is the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court chooses carefully which cases to hear. Those cases usually involve important issues. The Supreme Court may also take a case if something egregious happened in the lower courts. For example, the court might consider a case where someone was denied a fair trial. The Supreme Court hears less than one percent of the cases brought to it.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of egregious as used in the passage?

• Simple to ignore

• Very bad and easily noticed

• Small and easily explained

• New and entertaining

Multiple Choice

What evidence from the passage helped you determine the meaning of the word?

• For example, the court might consider a case where someone was denied a fair trial.

• Those cases usually involve important issues.

• The appeals court considers arguments from both sides and decides who is right.

• This trial court's decision is final unless a party appeals to the Court of Appeal.

​PASSAGE 12:
In a lineup of major league baseball players, Pete Gray would be conspicuous. Why? Gray was a baseball player with just one arm. Gray had lost most of his right arm in an accident at age six. Naturally right-handed, he had to learn to do everything with his left hand. This meant that he had to relearn how to throw a ball and swing a bat. Gray was determined to become a professional baseball player, though. He finally got his chance in 1945, when many players were fighting in World War II. Gray played as an outfielder for the St. Louis Browns. People from all over would come to cheer for him when he played. Gray became a role model to many people, including soldiers injured in the war. One of Gray's gloves is now at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of conspicuous as used in the passage?

• One of the shortest

• Comfortable

• Warmed up

• Easy to notice

​PASSAGE 13:
Lichen is composed of two organisms, an alga and a fungus. The fungus acts like a sponge, holding on to water that the alga needs. At the same time, the alga is constantly turning sunlight into energy, so the fungus, which cannot perform this function for itself, benefits from an unwavering energy source. Lichen has, in turn, a relationship with the tree that it grows on. The tree provides lichen with a place to grow, but the tree is unaffected.

Multiple Choice

 What is the meaning of unwavering as used in the passage?

• Steady

• Uncertain

• New

• limited

​PASSAGE 14:
In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States by adding 828,000 square miles of land to the nation. This acquisition resulted in the U.S. having unexplored territory. So, in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson asked Congress for approval to fund an expedition. The goals of the expedition were to explore the new territory and to find a practical route to the western part of the country. Jefferson chose Meriwether Lewis to lead this expedition. Lewis selected William Clark as second in command. This was the birth of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of acquisition as used in the passage?

• Removal

• Invention

• Addition

• Split

​PASSAGE 15:
Since at least 4000 BCE, people have worn jewelry made of gold. These days, however, gold is used for reasons other than just decoration. Gold is malleable, so it can be molded into many forms. This makes gold ideal for use in many modern technologies. For example, a small amount of gold is used to carry electrical signals in devices like cell phones and computers. The face mask of an astronaut's helmet can be coated with gold to block the sun's rays. Thin pieces of gold can even be used as a lubricant to protect moving parts in space.

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of malleable as used in the passage?

• Easily shaped

• Very valuable

• Delicate or fragile

• Extremely heavy