10th Grade Vocabulary Test Units 1-3

Read the passage below. Then choose the letter of

the correct answer for each word as it is used in context. Take notes if you need to, as you might not be able to access the passage again.

Along the Darb el-Arbain Trade Route

The ancient Darb el-Arbain trade route was once one of the great caravan routes of North Africa. It ran north to south between Asyut, in central Egypt, and Darfur, in western Sudan. Known as the Forty Days’ Road, the trade route served as a highway for merchants and dealers who deployed large camel convoys to convey their varied wares and chattel. Historical records indicate that one such caravan setting out in the 1780s consisted of 24,000 camels.

A trek along the Darb el-Arbain was no sunny sojourn. Travelers required immense fortitude to withstand the course, which covered more than 1,000 barren miles of blazing-hot desert sands. There were very few sources of water. While the route was faster and safer than the prevailing Nile route to the east, caravans were not impervious to attacks. Marauding bands of raiders in search of goods such as gold, ivory, animals, textiles, dyes, and spices preyed on the traveling groups.

One bright spot along the route was the Kharga Oasis, an opulent green “island” 100 miles long and, in some spots, up to 80 miles wide. Oases are known for their natural springs and vegetation. Kharga has large underground pools of water that were available by well to weary trekkers who would water their camels and rest for days before resuming their arduous journey. The Kharga Oasis has attracted numerous settlers since antiquity. Archaeologists and explorers mapping the history of the oasis have excavated ancient Egyptian temples, Christian cemeteries, the ruins of a Roman town, and a chain of fortresses built by the Romans to protect the precious Darb el-Arbain route.

--------------------------------------------

What is the meaning of deployed as it is used in paragraph 1?

• utilized

• auctioned

• borrowed

• transported

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.6

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.L.9-10.6

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D

What does sojourn most likely mean as it is used in paragraph 2?

• philosophy

• temperature

• decision

• vacation

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.4C

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

Which word means the opposite of fortitude in paragraph 2?

• understanding

• endurance

• knowledge

• fearfulness

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.4C

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

What is the meaning of impervious as it is used in paragraph 2?

• catious

• improbable

• valuable

• invulnerable

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.4C

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

What does opulent most likely mean as it is used in paragraph 3?

• abundant

• impoverished

• sparse

• dangerous

Tags

CCSS.L.1.5D

CCSS.L.2.5B

CCSS.L.3.5C

CCSS.L.K.5D