7th Grade Determining Word Meanings Enrichment

"Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite"

Bedbugs are a nuisance that spread quickly, so if you find bedbugs in your home, you owe it to yourself and others to take decisive and immediate action.

The scientific name for these tiny, bloodsucking insects is Cimex lectularius. They're called bedbugs because they mainly feed on blood at night while their hosts are asleep. They are like an army of minuscule vampires. Places like mattresses, couches, and chairs serve as luxurious havens in which thousands of them can live.

The bedbug inserts a syringe-like proboscis through the host's skin. it takes between three and ten minutes for the bug to drink its fill through this slender appendage. Its bite is small and painless, so the victim rarely wakes during this feeding time. Bedbugs are not known for disseminating disease, but the bumps they leave behind can become infected. Also, the saliva they release into the skin can make you itch so badly you'll want to scratch your skin off.

Select the meaning of "proboscis".

• long nose to smell around the bedbug's head and body

• needle-like structure on the bedbug's head

• the structure sticking out of the bedbug's rear legs

• the bite is small and painless, so the victim rarely wakes during this feeding time

"Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite"

Bedbugs are a nuisance that spread quickly, so if you find bedbugs in your home, you owe it to yourself and others to take decisive and immediate action.

The scientific name for these tiny, bloodsucking insects is Cimex lectularius. They're called bedbugs because they mainly feed on blood at night while their hosts are asleep. They are like an army of minuscule vampires. Places like mattresses, couches, and chairs serve as luxurious havens in which thousands of them can live.

The bedbug inserts a syringe-like proboscis through the host's skin. it takes between three and ten minutes for the bug to drink its fill through this slender appendage. Its bite is small and painless, so the victim rarely wakes during this feeding time. Bedbugs are not known for disseminating disease, but the bumps they leave behind can become infected. Also, the saliva they release into the skin can make you itch so badly you'll want to scratch your skin off.

Select the words or phrases that help determine the meaning of "proboscis"

• "syringe-like"

• "through the host's skin"

• "drink its fill"

• "small and painless"

"Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite" (continued)

Bedbug infestations can appear to be a blanket of crawling pinholes that cover th eplace where you rest. The teensy pests often hitch rides on suitcases left in hotel rooms and travel home with unwitting victims, so keep your luggage off the floor when you travel, and wash your clothes in hot water when you get home.

Use a flashlight and magnifying glass to scrutinize your mattress. If you find any evidence of bedbugs, destroy the mattress immediately and call a professional exterminator. you owe it to neighbors and fellow travelers not to spread the bedbug headache.

Which statement best describes the impact of the author's word choice on the overall tone of the account?

• Phrases like teensy pests and hitch rides give the whole account a humorous tone.

• Words like rest, travel, and neighbors give the account a comforting tone.

• The words evidence and professional exterminator are used to create a threatening tone.

• Words with technical meanings create an informative tone, but phrases like crawling pinholes add a note of disgust.

"The Goliath Beetle"

1 Name for the biblical giant Goliath, the Goliath beetle is the most colossal, brawniest, and heftiest kind of beetle in the world. Goliath beetles grow to a length of up to eight inches and ma weigh as much as three and a half ounces. Most Goliath beetles are as large as a mouse. They have distinct vertical black bands, like the bars of a prison door, on the eltron that cover their wings. Some species may also have bright yellow, red, graw, or brown markings.

2 The Goliath beetle lives in flowers in the tropical rain forests of Africa. Goliath beetles have fearson jaws that they use to slash, impale, and chomp food. Adult beetles primarily feed on sugary tree sap and fruit. Goliath beetles also have six powerful legs with sharp claws that can grip. The Goliath beetle uses its claws to gather food and to climb. In addition, the Goliath beetle has a pair of front and a pair of rear wings attached to its thorax. When it flies, it sounds like the whirl of a helicopter propeller.

3 Like other kinds of beetles, the Goliath beetle undergoes a metamorphosis-- a four-state process of change. This process takes place as the beetle develops. During the first stage, a female Goliath beetle las its eggs in rotting wood or decaying plants. Once an egg hatches, the wormlike larva feeds on the wood or plant material until it is fully grown. The larva wraps itself in a cocoon like a suit of armor to protect itself. Then the pup lives in the cocoon during the third stage. After several months, the cocoon breaks apart. An adult Goliath beetle steps forth to find a mate, and the four steps in the life cycle of a Goliath beetle are repeated.

4 Goliath beetles are truly the giants of the insect world, and their formidable presence leaves a lasting impression on those who view them.

Why did the author include the word metamorphosis in the text?

• It highlights the comparison between the beetle and a helicopter.

• It describes a biological process that the beettle undergoes.

• It expresses the author's objectivity about an unusual insect.

• It explains why scientists are impressed with the beetle's life cycle.

"The Goliath Beetle"

1 Name for the biblical giant Goliath, the Goliath beetle is the most colossal, brawniest, and heftiest kind of beetle in the world. Goliath beetles grow to a length of up to eight inches and ma weigh as much as three and a half ounces. Most Goliath beetles are as large as a mouse. They have distinct vertical black bands, like the bars of a prison door, on the eltron that cover their wings. Some species may also have bright yellow, red, graw, or brown markings.

2 The Goliath beetle lives in flowers in the tropical rain forests of Africa. Goliath beetles have fearson jaws that they use to slash, impale, and chomp food. Adult beetles primarily feed on sugary tree sap and fruit. Goliath beetles also have six powerful legs with sharp claws that can grip. The Goliath beetle uses its claws to gather food and to climb. In addition, the Goliath beetle has a pair of front and a pair of rear wings attached to its thorax. When it flies, it sounds like the whirl of a helicopter propeller.

3 Like other kinds of beetles, the Goliath beetle undergoes a metamorphosis-- a four-state process of change. This process takes place as the beetle develops. During the first stage, a female Goliath beetle las its eggs in rotting wood or decaying plants. Once an egg hatches, the wormlike larva feeds on the wood or plant material until it is fully grown. The larva wraps itself in a cocoon like a suit of armor to protect itself. Then the pup lives in the cocoon during the third stage. After several months, the cocoon breaks apart. An adult Goliath beetle steps forth to find a mate, and the four steps in the life cycle of a Goliath beetle are repeated.

4 Goliath beetles are truly the giants of the insect world, and their formidable presence leaves a lasting impression on those who view them.

Which of the following is an example of the author using words that have a violent connotation?

• She describes the vertical black bands on the elyton that cover Goliath beetles' wings.

• She compares the Goliath beetle cocoons to suits of protective armor.

• The author details the four stages of the Goliath beetle's life cycle.

• She writes that Goliath beetles use their jaws to slash, impale, and chomp food.

"The Goliath Beetle"

1 Name for the biblical giant Goliath, the Goliath beetle is the most colossal, brawniest, and heftiest kind of beetle in the world. Goliath beetles grow to a length of up to eight inches and ma weigh as much as three and a half ounces. Most Goliath beetles are as large as a mouse. They have distinct vertical black bands, like the bars of a prison door, on the eltron that cover their wings. Some species may also have bright yellow, red, graw, or brown markings.

2 The Goliath beetle lives in flowers in the tropical rain forests of Africa. Goliath beetles have fearson jaws that they use to slash, impale, and chomp food. Adult beetles primarily feed on sugary tree sap and fruit. Goliath beetles also have six powerful legs with sharp claws that can grip. The Goliath beetle uses its claws to gather food and to climb. In addition, the Goliath beetle has a pair of front and a pair of rear wings attached to its thorax. When it flies, it sounds like the whirl of a helicopter propeller.

3 Like other kinds of beetles, the Goliath beetle undergoes a metamorphosis-- a four-state process of change. This process takes place as the beetle develops. During the first stage, a female Goliath beetle las its eggs in rotting wood or decaying plants. Once an egg hatches, the wormlike larva feeds on the wood or plant material until it is fully grown. The larva wraps itself in a cocoon like a suit of armor to protect itself. Then the pup lives in the cocoon during the third stage. After several months, the cocoon breaks apart. An adult Goliath beetle steps forth to find a mate, and the four steps in the life cycle of a Goliath beetle are repeated.

4 Goliath beetles are truly the giants of the insect world, and their formidable presence leaves a lasting impression on those who view them.

What is the tone of the text?

• violent and aggressive

• shocked and surprised

• awe and wonder

• neutral and unimpressed

"The Mollusk Family"

Did you ever imagine that a tiny snail and a giant octopus might be part of the same family tree? Most people don't realize that snails, mussels, squid, and even octopods belong to the same category of creatures known as mollusks. These amazing creatures are invertebrates, which means they do not have spines.

Mollusks share three basic body parts: a foot, a body, and a mantle. The foot is a fleshy part of the mollusk's body, made up mostly of muscle tissue. In a snail, the foot is the part of the mollusk that meets the ground and gently rolls the body forward. From this slow, measured motion comes the phrase, "a snail's pace". A mollusk's soft body is like a fragile bag that holds the heart, the guts, and various internal organs. The mantle, which is often a shell or a tough, sturdy covering functions like a suit of armor to protect the body.

What is the effect of the phrase, "The mantle functions like a suit of armor"?

• it is a plural form of the mantle's functioning

• The image "suit of armor" is used to show that mollusk mantles are tough and durable

• The metaphor of comparing the mantle to the suit of armor is an analogy.

• The visual of the armor lets the reader know a comparison is coming up.

"The Mollusk Family"

Did you ever imagine that a tiny snail and a giant octopus might be part of the same family tree? Most people don't realize that snails, mussels, squid, and even octopods belong to the same category of creatures known as mollusks. These amazing creatures are invertebrates, which means they do not have spines.

Mollusks share three basic body parts: a foot, a body, and a mantle. The foot is a fleshy part of the mollusk's body, made up mostly of muscle tissue. In a snail, the foot is the part of the mollusk that meets the ground and gently rolls the body forward. From this slow, measured motion comes the phrase, "a snail's pace". A mollusk's soft body is like a fragile bag that holds the heart, the guts, and various internal organs. The mantle, which is often a shell or a tough, sturdy covering functions like a suit of armor to protect the body.

What impact does the word "amazing" have on the text's meaning?

• The author wanted to know how much he likes mollusks.

• The author wanted to show that mollusks are not that impressive.

• The author wanted to show that the word gives mollusks a positive feeling by showing that the author admires them.

• The author wanted to explain that all mollusks are fancy, underrated creatures that don't get the interest that deserve.

"The Mollusk Family" (continued)

Because many mollusks creep along slowly, they need defense mechanisms. Mollusks with shells simply retreat into their body armor to protect themselves from predators. But the Blue-Ringed Octopus, a mollusk found in the South Pacific, defends itself with a bite so fierce it is almost always fatal to humans.

Overall, mollusks are peaceful inhabitants of our planet. Whether they live on land or in the sea, they are not aggressive. Our taste for cooked mussels, clams, and oysters, in fact, make us far more dangerous to mollusks than they are to us.

Why did the author include the words retreat, fierce, and fatal in the first paragraph above?

• to warn readers that mollusks are often aggressive and dangerous.

• to emphasize the contrast between different mollusk defenses.

• to explain the mystery behind a mollusks' defense system

• to call attention to the unusual shells grown by the mollusk family.

"The Mollusk Family"

Did you ever imagine that a tiny snail and a giant octopus might be part of the same family tree? Most people don't realize that snails, mussels, squid, and even octopods belong to the same category of creatures known as mollusks. These amazing creatures are invertebrates, which means they do not have spines.

Mollusks share three basic body parts: a foot, a body, and a mantle. The foot is a fleshy part of the mollusk's body, made up mostly of muscle tissue. In a snail, the foot is the part of the mollusk that meets the ground and gently rolls the body forward. From this slow, measured motion comes the phrase, "a snail's pace". A mollusk's soft body is like a fragile bag that holds the heart, the guts, and various internal organs. The mantle, which is often a shell or a tough, sturdy covering functions like a suit of armor to protect the body.

How does the phrase "a snail's pace" create a casual tone in the text?

• by showing that snails are the slowest mollusks out of the entire family

• by explaining that the phrase means "a slow, measured motion" of the snail's pace

• by illustrating the comparison of using the phrase to how slow people walk sometimes

• by explaining the idiom which is a set of words and phrases that mean something different than what they would normally mean.